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Mendip Rocks! Project

Contents

1. Introduction……………………………………………………..2

2. Project area including key sites …..……………….……… 3

3. Existing resources and recent activities…………………..8

4. Scoping the Mendip Rocks! Project……………………....15

5. Project aims and proposals………………………………...16

6. Heritage Lottery Funded Project outcomes…………...... 26

Appendix 1: Project plan

Mendip Hills AONB Unit - October 2015

1 1. Introduction

A significant amount of academic research has been carried out into the geology and mineral extraction industries of the but most is not easily accessible or appropriate to the general public. Where there has been interpretation of the geology and related themes it has been fragmented and inconsistent in design and quality. In some cases site information has become dated and needs replacing.

Through a number of meetings and consultation events, coordinated by the Mendip Hills AONB Unit, a variety of bodies including community groups, conservation organisations and local authorities have identified what is now known as the Mendip Rocks! Project and for which funding is being sought.

The Mendip Rocks! Project aims to promote better understanding of the Mendip Hills geology and the resulting landscape, biodiversity and human history that has taken place, through interpretation and by engaging people in a wide range of activities.

The location of the Mendip Rocks! Project is the Mendip Hills taking in both the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and National Character Area (NCA) 141, a landscape extending from the Channel in the west to Frome in the east.

2 2. Project area including key sites

The striking landform of the Mendip Hills rises abruptly from the flat landscape of the Levels and Moors to the south. This Carboniferous Limestone ridge, with its more weather-resistant sandstone peaks, illustrates the classic features of a karst landscape, the result of the response of the soluble limestone to water and weathering, creating surface features, complex underground cave and river systems, gorges, dry valleys, surface depressions, swallets, sink holes and fast-flowing springs. Such natural features have interacted with human influences to result in complex ritual, industrial and agricultural landscapes extending from the prehistoric period to modern times.

In recognition of being one of ’s finest landscapes the central and western part of the Mendip Hills was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1972 and also accounts for 53% of the National Character Area Mendip Hills 141. The statutory Mendip Hills AONB Management Plan 2014-19 identifies a range of objectives and actions to conserve and enhance the areas special qualities that include the geology, biodiversity and heritage.

The Mendip Hills have long been exploited for their raw materials, and the legacy of the mining and quarrying industries can be seen throughout the area.

Many old mined areas and quarries are now Scheduled Monuments, and or valuable nature reserves, and or Sites of Special Scientific Interest . Habitats of particular importance are heathland, acid grassland, calcareous grassland, neutral grassland (meadows), calaminarian grassland (occur on lead mined spoil heaps), purple moor grass and semi -natural ancient woodland with typical Mendip species, ash and lime. The spoil heaps from lead mining provide distinctive Mendip habitats due to the high levels of lead, and that are toxic to most plants.

3 2.1 Key sites

The sites listed alphabetically below, together with land ownership shown in brackets are included in the Project plan (Appendix 1) and are the focus of activities for the proposals 1-8 (page 14).

Brean Down (National Trust) Down is an example of a former Carboniferous Limestone island now joined to the mainland as a result Holocene accretion of sand, silt and mud. There is a platform on the north side of which may be a raised beach formed at a time when sea level was higher than that of today. The site has been occupied by humans since the late Bronze Age and includes the remains of a Romano-Celtic Temple. At the seaward end is Brean Down Fort which was built in 1865 and then re-armed in the Second World War.

Black Down and Burrington (Open Access/ Common land) Black Down is the highest point in the Mendips Hills, rising to 325 m. The summit is underlain by sandstone. The hard sandstone forms the higher ground because it is immune from dissolution and resistant to erosion, and gives rise to acidic, wet, often peaty soils. is a fine example of a typical Mendip Hills gorge, and provides a well exposed, easily accessible, section through the Carboniferous Limestone sequence. The site includes several caves including Avaline’s Hole the oldest burial site in Britain.

Charterhouse and surrounds (, South West Heritage Trust and private farmland). The Charterhouse area has a wealth of interesting geology, and evidence of a formerly extensive lead mining industry. The remains of Roman and Victorian lead workings can be seen around Velvet Bottom and Warren which include 'gruffy' ground, a local name for uneven mined ground. The area contains worked-out mineral veins known as 'rakes', black glassy slag heaps, round stone-lined 'buddle' pits used for washing the ore, smelting plants, old flues and a complex network of dams and leats.

Cheddar Gorge (National Trust and Longleat Estates) is the finest example of a limestone gorge in Britain. The gorge was formed by meltwater floods during the many cold periglacial periods over the last 1.2 million years. During these arctic episodes the caves were blocked with ice and frozen mud. Snowmelt floods during the brief summers were forced to flow on the surface, carving out the gorge in the process. Many of the caves are designated as Scheduled Monuments and cave exploration is on-going. The cliffs support many valuable semi-natural habitats, home to a wide range of plant species, many of them rare, including slender bedstraw and lesser meadow-rue, and the rare and protected Cheddar Pink and are part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A small quarry known locally as Landslip Quarry operated in the gorge until the early 20th century. At the lower end of the gorge is the popular Longleat cave attraction.

4 Crook Peak, Wavering Down and Hill (National Trust) The elongate ridge from Crook Peak to Axbridge Hill is formed of Carboniferous Limestone. The southern side of the ridge is indented by several small valleys, many of which follow the lines of earlier Triassic valleys. The Black Rock Limestone is well exposed in a small quarry on the northern side of Crook Peak, in the railway cutting at Shute Shelve and in the many small cliffs on the northern side of the ridge. The overlying Burrington Oolite can be seen in the crags at the top of Crook Peak and in the small disused quarries at the foot of the ridge south of . The Clifton Down Limestone outcrops in the disused quarry at Cross and in the road cutting at the western end of the Axbridge bypass.

East Harptree Woods (Forestry Commission) The Harptree area was an important lead and zinc mining area. Lead ore was mined from veins in the Carboniferous Limestone, and manganese and zinc from veins in the Dolomitic Conglomerate. This has left a legacy of old pits, spoil heaps and shafts creating areas of pockmarked 'gruffy ground' now within a conifer plantation. The lead-rich spoil heaps are home to several rare plant species. Much of the ore was processed and smelted on Smitham Hill where ore dressing and smelting works were built by the Lead Works Company in 1867. The Smitham chimney dates from this time and is the last lead-smelting chimney still standing on the Mendip Hills.

Mells Valley (private farmland and woodland) The deeply incised valleys between Great Elm and Hapsford are an excellent place to study the local geology. The valley sides here have been extensively quarried, creating some superb exposures of the underlying rock. The quarries along the Egford Book provide good exposures of the steeply dipping Carboniferous Black Rock Limestone. The steep valley sides support a diverse, and nationally rare, ancient woodland that is at least 400 years old and are now rich havens for wildlife, whilst the fast-flowing, clean calcareous waters of the Mells Stream and the Egford Brook support many riparian species. The Mells Valley is said to conatin 12% of the Greater Horseshoe Bat population of the UK.

Nettlebridge Valley (Somerset Wildlife Trust and private farmland) The Somerset Coalfield stretches from the Mendip Hills north to Pensford and Timsbury, and is centered around the town of Radstock. It was in this coalfield that William 'Strata' Smith, the so-called 'father of English geology', first put together his ideas on stratigraphy. The southernmost part of the coalfield extends south to the Mendip Hills. Here the Mells River has incised the Nettlebridge valley, cutting through a cap of Dolomitic Conglomerate to expose the Upper Carboniferous Coal Measures beneath. The area contains a wealth of interesting geology, industrial archaeology and wildlife, as well as several nature reserves. Coal was probably worked in Roman times but mining began in earnest in the 1600s. However, the narrow contorted seams made production expensive and competition from more economical coalfields led to the closure of the last remaining pit in 1973.

5 Nunney (private farmland and woodland, the old quarry gardens are owned by the Parish Council, the castle is owned by English Heritage) In the centre of Nunney are the impressive remains of Nunney Castle, built at the end of the 14th century by Sir Elias de la Mere. It was besieged by Cromwell's troops during the Civil War and was dismantled in 1654. The castle, owned by English Heritage, is constructed from the Inferior Oolite and the Great Oolite 'Bath Stone', and is open to the public. A former quarry on the edge of the village is managed as a community garden. North of Nunney are the remains of one of the six iron works owned by the Fussell family.

Priddy and Stockhill (Open access land and Forestry Commission) is located in the heart of the Mendip Hills plateau, on the western side of the North Hill pericline. The Priddy area was an important lead mining area from before Roman times right up to the beginning of the 20th century. The ore, principally , was won from veins in the Triassic Dolomitic Conglomerate in what is now Stockhill Forest. Numerous closed depressions pock-mark the area and the remains of the lead workings with spoil heaps, pits, leats and reservoirs are still clearly visible in the open access area. Within Stockhill Forest remains of the lead workings have been covered by the conifer plantation but are still visible.

Sandford and surrounds (private farmland) The northern flank of the Mendip Hills between and Dolebury is formed by a narrow discontinuous ridge of Carboniferous Limestone. Evidence for old ochre workings can be seen in many places along the margins of the ridge, particularly around Sandford. In places, small pits, spoil heaps and adits can be seen and specimens of ochre and quartz crystals, or 'Bristol Diamonds' can be found on the old spoil heaps. At the eastern end of Sandford Hill is the disused Sandford Quarry, worked for Burrington Oolite from the 1880s to the 1990s.

Shipham and (private farmland) and the neighbouring of Rowberrow were once the centre of the zinc mining industry on the Mendip Hills. The discovery of zinc ore in the 16th century turned the small settlement at Shipham, noted in the Domesday Book, into a major mining centre. Calamine and smithsonite, along with some galena occur in veins in the Triassic Dolomitic Conglomerate. The veins mostly lay close to the surface and were worked in numerous small mines and pits, some of which are still accessible to cavers. They were generally only 30–40 m deep and were usually worked by hand with only the aid of a hand- turned windlass and a bucket. Areas of gruffy ground formed by the remains of old mine workings and waste can still be seen south of Shipham.

Vallis Vale and Tedbury Camp (former quarry, owned by Hanson Aggregates, with public access) contains the famous 'De La Beche' unconformity (designated as a SSSI), described in the world's first Geological Survey memoir in 1846 where Tedbury Camp Quarry has revealed a Jurrassic Sea Floor. This is the best exposure of the unconformity surface characteristic on the East Mendips

6 between the yellow-coloured, horizontally bedded Jurassic Inferior Oolite limestone and the underlying grey, massively bedded and steeply dipping Carboniferous Vallis Limestone. .

Westbury Quarry (private dormant quarry) This limestone quarry opened in the 1930s and ceased operating in 2003. The site is privately owned and is not open to the public, but visits by interested groups and schools can be arranged throught the year. The site covers a total area of approximately 34 acres, including wild flower meadows, limestone karst and woodlands with part of the site designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In the late 1960's, the remains of a collapsed cave were discovered. When it collapsed nearly 600,000 years ago, the cave was home to many now extinct animals ranging from tiny mammals to cave bears, and huge deposits of their bones and teeth were found. A vast collection of fossils and faunal material was recovered and catalogued, most of which were subsequently removed to the Natural History Museum in London.

Wookey Hole and (Natural England/National Trust and private land) Cave is 3.6km long and is part of the Wookey Hole Catchment and has been site of many pioneering cave dives aswell as the source of the River Axe. Part of the cave is open to the public as part of a popular visitor attraction. Ebbor Gorge is a National Nature Reserve with both geological and wildlife importance. The gorge itself is incised into the Clifton Down Limestone. This spectacular ravine was formed by summer meltwater run-off during cold phases in the Pleistocene, when underground drainage was prevented by permafrost. The narrowest part of the gorge (The Narrows) forms a prominent 'knick point'. This former waterfall is a consequence of valley rejuvenation during the Pleistocene cold periods.Carboniferous Limestone but in Triassic Dolomitic Conglomerate.

7 3. Existing resources and recent activities

The following are listed to evidence the range and extent of resources and interest on which the Mendip Rocks! project will build.

3.1 Recreational routes

Mendip Way The is a 50 mile long-distance footpath across the Mendip Hills from Weston-super-Mare to Frome. It is divided into two sections. The West Mendip Way starts at the at Uphill Cliff. It climbs the Mendip Hills escarpment crosses the central Mendip plateau passing the top of Cheddar Gorge and down to Wells. Most of the western section is within the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The East Mendip Way continues through to Frome.

Limestone Link The is a 36 mile long distance footpath joining the limestone landscapes of the Cotswold and Mendip Hills AONBs. It connects the Cotswold Way at and the West Mendip Way at Shipham. The route passes through the valleys and villages south of Bath.

Strawberry Line – Sustrans National Cycle Route 26 This rural railway opened in 1869 linking the Bristol-Exeter line at Yatton with Cheddar and Wells until it closed in 1963. For nearly a century several trains a day served the village communities along the line. As well as transporting the famous Cheddar strawberries the line was used to transport stone, milk and coal. The 13km section from Yatton to the A38 south of has been become a high quality recreational route with heritage interpretation, including a visitor centre at Sandford Station.

Colliers Way – Sustrans National Cycle Route 24 The Colliers Way is a rural recreational path extending 23 miles linking Dundas, Radstock and Frome. This picturesque way follows the route of the old tracing the route of old railways and quiet lanes which was superseded by a railway. The route has now been transformed for leisure use into a recreational route with heritage interpretation.

Monarchs Way The Monarchs Way is a 615 mile long distance path that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the battle of Worcester. The route crosses the Mendip Hills in a north-south direction from Wookey Hole to the upper Yeo Valley.

8 3.2 Local museums and Somerset Earth Science Centre

There are a number of museums and centres in the project area that have displays related to the geology and industrial heritage of the Mendip Hills as well as holding many more items and artefacts in storage. These museums and centres also offer a range of activities and learning opportunities.

Axbridge Museum – shows the history and geology of the Axbridge area.

Bristol Museum - includes sections on natural history as well as local, national and international archaeology. The collection includes many artefacts from the Mendip Hills including a Roman lead ‘pig’ found at Charterhouse.

Frome Museum - shows the history of Frome and surrounding villages with permanent collections on cloth making, metal working and printing.

Radstock Museum - displays a collection of artefacts and memorabilia from the era of Victorian mining in Somerset.

Wells and Mendip Museum – was established by cave explorer H E Balch in 1894, in his home in Wells, and displays artefacts and geological finds from across the Mendip Hills area. A new, permanent exhibition at the museum portrays the fascinating world of caves that lies hidden beneath the Mendip Hills and charting the development of cave exploration and cave diving that has led to their discovery and exploration.

Weston-super-Mare Museum – celebrates the history of Weston and surrounding areas and features a display on mining in the Mendip Hills.

Somerset Earth Science Centre - a field study centre, providing a range of learning experiences for schools and students of all ages, through classroom activities and practical fieldwork in working and non-operational quarry sites.

9 3.3 On site interpretation

Some on-site interpretation exists at a number of sites in the project area. Some of these are now very dated and in poor repair. Having been installed by different organisations at different times there is no consistent brand or identity across the area. Examples include:

 Blackmoor Reserve, Charterhouse – panel giving information on lead mining and smelting at the site (see photo below).

 East Harptree Woods – panel giving information on lead mining and smelting featuring information on Smitham Chimney (see photo below).

The above panels were produced at the same time using one designer in a particular style however with recent developments in interpretation and to have a consistent style across interpreation at these sites will be reviewed.

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 Ebbor Gorge – Interpretation shelter with a number of boards giving geology and biodiversity information. These are now dated and Natural England are keen for the interpretation to be replaced (see photos below).

 Discovering Black Down Interpretation – new panels at three locations interpreting the geology, biodiversity and heritage of the Black Down and Burrington Commons (2015). (See photos below)

11 3.4 Walking books / guides

There is currently very little geology information available for walkers and visitors to take on site while exploring the area.

‘Foundations of Mendip’ comprises two books with accompanying maps for the Western Mendip Hills and Eastern Mendip Hills and a web site developed by the British Geological Survey with the Mendip Hills AONB in 2008. The books and website describe the geology and natural history of the Mendip Hills area and coincide with the Mendip Hills National Character Area (141). The books are divided into a number of areas which can be explored on foot or by car. The web site provides more detail about the geology and links for further information. https://www.bgs.ac.uk/mendips/ This is a resource that will be used for new on-site interpretation and publications in a more accessible way suited to the casual visitor.

Mendip Hills AONB downloadable walks are very popular but most of them are a route description rather than interpretation of what you might see or experience along the route. Walks with a geology focus developed with the Royal Geographical Association will be launched in 2015/16 as part of the Discovering Britain walks. The Mendip Rocks! Project proposes increasing the number of geology themed walks.

3.5 Events

The Mendip Rocks! festival started in 2011, is organised by the Mendip Hills AONB with Somerset Earth Science Centre and Somerset Wildlife Trust. It includes guided walks, family activity days, quarry tours, talks, and practical conservation activities. The festival is very popular but is currently limited to one month per year. There has been an increase in both the number of events and numbers of people participating in the festival:

Year Number of Total number of participants events 2011 12 218 2012 17 753 2013 18 803 2014 24 1,167 2015 26 709

The annual Mendip Hills Heritage Seminar started in 2002 by the AONB Unit, now organised by Wells and Mendip Museum, presents recent and current research by professional bodies, local history groups and individuals. The event is fully booked each year.

Events organised by a range of organisations, including museums and the AONB Unit, take place across the project area as part of the annual Council for British Archaeology (CBA) Festival of Archaeology.

12 3.6 Linked projects

The following five projects, three of which have been completed, will provide valuable resource material for future Mendip Rocks! work. The outputs of these projects will be taken into account in the final proposals of the Mendip Rocks! interpretation and activity plans to make best use of resources.

The Quarry Faces project has worked with the local community to record, promote and celebrate the quarrying heritage of the Mendip Hills. The project has:  Produced teaching material that can be used by the Somerset Earth Science Centre and local schools to explain the role of quarrying in the Mendips.  Created an audio archive to preserve the memories of men and women who worked in the industry, or were involved in quarrying issues.  Compiled a digital archive of photographs recording aspects of the industry over time.  Published an illustrated book telling the history of the Mendip quarrying industry. The project was funded by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and the members of the Mendip Quarry producers (Aggregate Industries, Hanson, Morris & Perry, Tarmac, and Wainwright).

Discovering Black Down is a three year project (2013-2016) funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project is raising awareness of the wildlife and archaeological value of the Black Down and Burrington Commons through activities, interpretation, events and training. The legacy of Discovering Black Down will be to ensure local community and user group volunteers continue to play an active role in the care and conservation of this area’s heritage.

Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Mendip Hills Living Landscapes project includes Save our Magnificent Meadows (SOMM) to help communities restore and recreate wildflower meadows and grasslands. This project includes identifying and surveying calaminarian grassland sites on former lead mining sites including , Blackmoor and the Yoxter Ranges that will produce a resource that will be used in the Mendip Rocks! project. Other Somerset Wildlife Trust projects relevant to Mendip Rocks! include:  A habitat management plan for Priddy Mineries.  Interpretation boards for Priddy Mineries and Blackmoor.

Historic England’s publication ‘The Historic Landscape of the Mendip Hills’ published July 2015 is the culmination of a four year research project in the Mendip Hills AONB. The book:  Provides a chronological overview of the historic landscape of the Mendip Hills.  Explores both archaeological and architectural features in the landscape.  Includes photographs, maps, plans and reconstruction drawings.

13 step in stone was a collaborative, multi-disciplinary artscape project that that involved 14 artists responding to the nature and industrial heritage of the quarried Mendip landscape. The project was in 3 steps between July and October 2015, coinciding with Mendip Rocks! Festival and with its finale during Somerset Arts Weeks Festival. In addition to art installations in 3 Mendip quarries (1 working and 2 disused) the project programme included:  Guided wildlife walks with Somerset Wildlife Trust;  Artist led talks and art workshops;  Workshops for schools;  A sculpture design competition for under 20 year olds;  Exhibitions;  A film documenting the event. The project attracted huge interest from both local residents and visitors as well as the media. Mendip Rocks! intends to explore further ways of working with arts bodies to interpret the landscape through performing arts and public art projects.

14 4. Scoping the Mendip Rocks! Project

A number of bodies have long been interested in addressing the need to raise awareness of the industrial past of the Mendip Hills focusing on lead mining and other activity directly related to the geology of the area. The Mendip Hills AONB Unit, Somerset Wildlife Trust, Historic Services (now the South West Heritage Trust), Somerset Earth Science Centre and Wells and Mendip Museum came together to identify issues and to potential activities.

An initial Mendip Rocks! framework was drafted for consultation in October 2013. The framework laid out initial ideas for projects under the following headings:  Research work;  Engagement activities;  Mendip Mineral Trails;  Arts projects;  Interpretation boards.

A public consultation event was held in January 2014 to use the feedback to further consider ideas for improving the understanding and management of the Mendip Hills geology and the wildlife and historic landscape that it has shaped. Having already identified that a significant amount of research, activities and management had already been undertaken, by a wide range of individuals and organisations this one day event started to look at the following;  How to better share this information.  Identify further research to engage and be used by land managers, decision makers and local communities in the caring for key features and sites.  Identify what information, interpreted in interesting ways, would add to the visitor experience and encourage visitors to explore further. Feedback was gathered from group discussions at the event and through a follow up questionnaire.

Further consultation meetings took place in 2014 and 2015 with a range of organisations, groups and individuals to consider this project: South West Heritage Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust Mendip Hills Living Landscape staff, Somerset Earth Science Centre, National Trust, Natural England, Historic England, Quarry Faces Project, Bath Spa University, Somerset Industrial Archaeology Society, Mendip Ramblers, Woodspring Ramblers, Mendip Society, Westbury Quarry, Shipham Parish Council, Nunney Parish Council, Priddy Parish Council, Bristol, Frome, Radstock, Wells and Weston-super-Mare museums.

15 5. Mendip Rocks! Project aims and proposals

5.1 Aims

Through the consultation process for the Mendip Rocks! Project the following project aims have been identified ;-

 To promote better understanding of the geology and landscapes, industrial heritage and biodiversity of the area.  To engage a wider audience in activities relating to geology, landscape, industrial heritage and biodiversity.  To develop new interpretation of improved quality and consistency across the project area.  To promote improved management of sites and areas of geological, archaeological and biodiversity interest.  To deliver the above through a 3 year project coordinated by a full time Project Officer with funding to be sought from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

5.2 Heritage Lottery Fund application - Development stage.

The Stage 1 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a Development Grant for funding for a development phase of the project during which the following two elements will be fully worked up by a specialist consultant or consultants:

1: Develop an Interpretation Plan for Mendip Rocks!

The plan will provide a framework for the signage and interpretation of the area and include: -

 A co-ordinated approach to site information and interpretation  An understanding of the audiences.  An audit of current on-site interpretation across the project area.  An audit of interpretive publications and websites.  Detailed consultation with the local communities and visitors to sites (possibly through site surveys)  Identification of key themes for interpretation; for example underlying geology/ landscape / industrial heritage and culture / biodiversity  A comprehensive plan for site based interpretation, including locations, type of signs and content.  Consideration of interpretation formats and their appropriateness to the site/theme and target audiances (panels, leaflets, guided walks, publications and website/media projects). Consideration of provision of information prior to visit, on arrival and during visit.  For each element of interpretation a set of guidelines that define its purpose, location(s), appropriate level/type of information and accessibility criteria – sufficient to cost up and include in an external funding bid

16 2: Develop an Activities Plan program of learning and participation projects for Mendip Rocks!

A program of learning and participation (activity) projects will be developed to engage local communities, schools, recreational users and other target groups in activities that raise awareness of the geology, heritage and biodiversity values of the area. Projects should address the key themes developed in the Interpretation Plan (see above) and may include topics such as:-

 Geology  Landscape  Archaeological features  Cultural history / famous people  Biodiversity

There is considerable scope for individuals, organisations, schools and community groups to work on aspects of this initiative, from the development of trails, management of landscapes, and researching the history of particular localities.

Projects will use innovative and interesting methods to engage with different groups and develop skills and understanding. A full programme of learning and participation projects will need to be developed in consultation with local communities, schools and colleges and other target beneficiaries. These projects will need to be scoped, planned and fully costed for inclusion in funding bids. It is envisaged that the projects would be co-ordinated and implemented by a dedicated project officer.

The Heritage Lottery Fund guidance on how to develop an ‘’Activities Plan’ will be used to develop heritage learning and participation activities and look at the current situation (organisation, audience and activities), and plan how to involve people and develop an action plan.

Training and volunteering opportunties will be fully integrated into the Activities Plan and opportunities to work with schools, colleges and higher education establishments to develop these elements will be explored.

The costs of implementing both the Interpretation and Activities Plan -learning and participation projects would then be worked into a Stage 2 application.

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5.3 Delivery stage proposals.

The detailed plans outlined above will form the basis of the Heritage Lottery Fund Stage 2 application for a 3 year delivery stage of the project. The following outline proposals are to achieve the project aims outlined in 5.1 and will be further explored and developed in Stage 1 in the Interpretation and Activities Plans.

Proposal 1: Develop a series of Mendip Mineral Trails.

Create a series of self-guided Mendip Mineral Trails designed around sites of geological and archaeological/historical interest. These trails would make use of existing footpaths and, where possible, long distance paths such as The Mendip Way, Limestone Link, and Monarchs Way.

Produce explanatory material to explain the significance of the individual sites, and place them in the context of the geology and history of the Mendip Hills:  Design and print trail guides illustrating the geology and landscape of the Mendip Hills. These will also be available as PDF downloads.  Develop audio guides/podcasts for each trail. See Proposal 2 for where some of these trails will be part of interpretation hubs that will include interpretation panels and sculpture waymarked posts amongst other additional features.

TRAIL THEMES KEY PARTNER / LANDOWNERS Brean Down Formation of Brean Down. National Trust Fossils Changing sea levels/ climate change. Human history: Bronze Age, Roman and 19th/20th century defences. Crook Peak and Formation of the Mendip Hills National Trust Wavering Down ridge Ochre mining Sandford, The Cheddar Valley Railway Strawberry Line Winscombe and the Sandford Quarry and Association, North Strawberry Line infrastructure linked to the Somerset Council railway. Axbridge, the Buildings in Axbridge. Axbridge Town Strawberry Line and The Cheddar Valley Railway Council, Axbridge Shute Shelf Museum, Strawberry Line Association Shipham and Calamine mining. Shipham Parish Rowberrow Council, Forestry Commission

18 , Burrington The formation of the Mendip Burrington and Black Down pericline. Conservators, Water in the Mendip Hills: Langford Court swallets, springs and reservoirs. Estate Burrington Combe – a cross section through the Mendip geological sequence. Cheddar Gorge Water in the Mendip Hills: the National Trust, formation of the gorge and Longleat Estate caves. Industry in the gorge. Charterhouse and The prehistoric landscape, lead Somerset Wildlife Surrounds mining from Roman times to the Trust, South West nineteenth century. Heritage Trust Calaminarian grassland. East Harptree Lead, manganese and zinc Forestry Woods mining. Commission Woodland management linked to mining and smelting (coppice woods). Priddy Mineries and Lead mining. Forestry Stockhill Forest Woodland management linked to Commission, mining and smelting (coppice Waldegrave Estate, woods). Priddy Parish Council Wookey Hole and The formation of Ebbor Gorge. Natural England, Ebbor Gorge Water in the Mendip Hills: the National Trust, source of the River Axe. Wells Museum to The building stone of Wells. Wells Museum, Milton Hill Limestone quarrying and kilns. Somerset County Council Harridge Woods Coal mining in the Nettlebridge Somerset Wildlife valley. Trust The Somerset Coal Canal Tufa springs William Smith’s map Nunney, Whatley, Nunney castle: its history and Parish Councils Mells and Chantry construction. Quarries. Fussels iron works. Frome and the Buildings of Frome Frome Museum, Colliers Way Coal railways. Bath & North East Somerset Council.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit and specialist contractor/consultants working with Ramblers groups, the Mendip Society, local interest groups and schools.

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Proposal 2: Develop a series of interpretive hubs at key sites – these hubs will include one or more of suggested types of interpretation.

Develop a series of interpretation boards and/or interpretive artworks at key sites to raise awareness of mineral extraction activities at key sites (these link to some of the Mineral Trails – see Proposal 1).

Types of Interpretation to consider:  Panels with maps, images and information on geology, biodiversity, industrial heritage that will complement downloadable apps (see proposal 3a)  Key on-site artworks/sculptures to tell the stories of the geology, biodiversity and industrial heritage.  Creative interpretative trails incorporating sculpted waymarked posts, inscribed rails, kissing gates, carved stone steps, sound boxes.

SITE THEMES LANDOWNERS Brean Down Formation of Brean Down. National Trust Fossils Changing sea levels/ climate change Human history: Bronze Age, Roman and 19th/20th century defences. Shipham Calamine mining. Shipham Parish Post mining landscapes Council and habitats. Cheddar Gorge Water in the Mendip Hills: National Trust the formation of the gorge and caves. Industry in the gorge. Charterhouse The prehistoric landscape, South West Heritage lead mining from Roman Trust times to the nineteenth century. Calaminarian grassland. East Harptree Woods Lead, manganese and zinc Forestry Commission mining. Woodland management linked to mining and smelting (coppice woods). Stockhill Forest Lead mining. Forestry Commission Woodland management linked to mining and smelting (coppice woods). Calaminarian grassland. Ebbor Gorge The formation of Ebbor Natural England/ Gorge. National Trust Water in the Mendip Hills:

20 the source of the River Axe. Harridge Woods Coal mining in the Somerset Wildlife Nettlebridge valley. Trust The Somerset Coal Canal Tufa springs William Smith’s map Nunney Old Quarry Nunney castle: its history Nunney Parish Gardens and construction. Council Quarries. Fussels iron works.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit and specialist contractor/consultants working with landowners, museums, Somerset Earth Science Centre, Somerset Wildlife Trust, South West Heritage Trust, local interest groups and schools.

21 Proposal 3: Develop a Mendip Rocks! website

Involve project volunteers from target interest groups to participate in developing a website with comprehensive information on geology / heritage / biodiversity / trails/ site information.

Delivery: AONB Unit and specialist web design company working with volunteers and local groups.

Proposal 3a: Develop apps for smart phone & tablet and podcasts to interpret the heritage and increase awareness of geology, heritage and biodiversity of the area.

Development of smart phone/tablet app / pod casts for use on Mendip Mineral Trails and for site interpretation. South West Heritage Trust are currently working on innovative app for the Avalon Marshes Landscape Project that used on site will show how the landscape appeared in different periods of history. Use of this technology at sites like Charterhouse will be explored and costed. The 3D digital landscape modelling will allow the recreation of the Charterhouse area at three key times in its development and will present those lost landscapes in an interesting and accessible way. The products of the modelling can be used in a variety of ways. Fly throughs of the landscape with accompanying text and/or audio can be used as stand-alone digital products that can be presented on the web or used on any other digital media such as classroom whiteboards. It is also possible that at designated spots it will be possible for people to use a tablet or smartphone to obtain a 360’ view of the landscape in previous periods. The model can also be used to generate publication standard reconstruction pictures, taken as views from chosen points in the model. The product will be flexible and will be able to be used via the web, as static images on interpretation panels and education packs, in the digital classroom and as a time travelling viewer on the site itself.

Delivery: AONB Unit working and specialist media design company working with SW Heritage Trust, volunteers and local groups.

Proposal 3b: Develop an online virtual museum

Develop a virtual museum project bringing together museums in the region to identify, record, and place in context objects relating to the geology, history of mineral industries and caving in the area.

Work with museums in the area (Axbridge, Bristol, Frome, Radstock, Wells, Weston super Mare) to provide online access to items from their collections including many not currently available to view. This will aim to raise awareness of the museum resource for a variety of uses and increase visitor numbers.

Identify key themes and sub-themes to be interpreted through online access to the collections that might be themed as follows:  Economic and social history.  Types of mineral extraction.

22  Underlying geology.  Historical periods and key events.

Once themes have been confirmed work with museum staff and volunteers as well as local history groups to identify relevant items. Work with museums to photograph items from collections and write descriptions.

Develop an interactive map to show artefacts, photographs and archive material in context with the landscape.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit working with museum staff and volunteers, local history groups and Mendip Cave Registry. Engage a professional to photograph items in museum collections. Layout and design to be part of website project.

Proposal 4: Carry out a series of Community Heritage Research Projects.

Develop / co-ordinate new learning/participation projects to engage a wide sector of the local community, schools and local history groups to learn about the geology and industrial heritage and resulting biodiversity of key areas/ clusters of sites.

Projects will involve training volunteers in site surveys and documentary research and will include site visits with specialist historians, recording personal memories / images / stories of life in the mineral industries.

Areas/ themes to be covered:  Shipham and Rowberrow calamine mining.  Priddy and Chewton lead mining  Coal mining in the Mells Valley.

Additional themes for research:  Establish a timeline and sequence for mineral extraction.  Investigate local links to William Smith’s geological map of 1815.  Produce a glossary of place names derived from geological terms.  Investigate threats to Tufa Springs and identify best practice for management.  Investigate some popular stories (or myths) e.g. lead from Charterhouse was used in Pompeii and in the Roman baths in Bath. Analyse the lead in the Roman Pig. Bristol Museum has records of research into this subject.  Explore Reverend Skinner’s diaries and other contemporary notes.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit to commission specialist heritage education/ archaeological contractors to work with volunteers, local groups, schools and colleges.

23 Proposal 5: Deliver a broader range of events through the life of the project.

Run a programme of guided walks, events and activities undertaken by a range of organisations through Mendip Rocks! building on the success of the annual festival:  Run an increased number of walks, talks, site visits and activities spread across each of the 3 years of the project.  Include regular practical volunteer tasks in the events programme to involve local communities in management of the heritage.  Set up a Rockwatch Group (junior membership of the Geological Association).  Run a programme of caving activities and information to encourage more people to experience the underlying geology close-up. This could include a caving trail event at (suitable for ages 8yrs and up) and/or a publication for visiting groups to better understand the geology of the caves. Deliver a broader range of performing arts events and workshops involving the local community focused on specific areas and sites – this might include:  Music – engage sound artists/composers to work with schools and community groups to produce music inspired by the landscape, geology and social history of the area. The music produced could be used in downloads and audio trails.  Storytelling workshops and events.  Community dance – work with artists and performers to deliver workshops and develop performances that extend the audiences experiences of art and landscape.  Community poetry workshops working with schools and/or community groups to produce poems inspired by the landscape, geology and social history of the area. These poems could be used in wider interpretation work of the project such as publications, websites/downloads and on-site interpretation.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit to coordinate events and programme of performing arts working with arts organisations, artists and local groups.

24 Proposal 6: Develop new educational material for key sites.

Develop new educational resources to encourage schools to use the area as an outdoor ‘Mendip Hills Classroom’ for a wide range of subjects. There are several primary schools in and around the project area. Schools activity days run as part of the AONB’s Discovering Black Down Project have been well attended by local schools.

Identify sites that lend themselves to educational activities i.e. sufficient visual evidences, safe access on foot, parking and (ideally) toilets and shelter. Current candidate sites are Vallis Vale, Ebbor Gorge and Westbury Quarry. Consider what new resources would add to the learning potential of these sites. Produce Teaching Resource Packs for key sites:  Audit what is already being done by educational practitioners and schools.  Develop new materials in consultation with teachers to see what activities they would like to reflect the new curriculum (KS1 through to A level and undergraduate). Produce downloadable worksheets. Deliver training sessions for teachers.

Delivery: Mendip Rocks! Project Officer hosted by AONB Unit working with Somerset Earth Science Centre (SESC) and specialist consultants to carry out audit and produce new material. SESC to be the lead partner in leading school visits and activities and to continue this beyond the life of the project.

25 6. Heritage Lottery Funded Project Outcomes

The Mendip Hills AONB Unit will submit a bid the Heritage Lottery Fund in November 2015 having had initial discussions with a HLF officer. The following is a list of outcomes the project will aim to achieve;

Heritage will be better interpreted and explained As a result of the project people will have new and improved ways of making sense of the heritage of the area. These will include websites and smartphone & table apps, published trail guides and on site interpretation.

Heritage will be identified and recorded. Through community research projects archaeological sites will be surveyed and recorded to aid future management. In addition information from museums and archives will be collated and memories and stories gathered from local communities. Heritage that is currently not well known will be promoted to the public.

People will have developed skills The project will train volunteers in site surveys and research as well as leading events and walks. Staff from a range of organisations and volunteers will develop new skills.

People will have learned about heritage People will have the opportunity to take part in a range of exciting and innovative events and learning activities.

People will have had an enjoyable experience Opportunities will be created for people to enjoy being involved in the project and offer new opportunities for social interaction.

People will have volunteered time The project will offer opportunities for people to volunteer time and have a rewarding experience.

More and a wider range of people will be involved in the heritage Through audience development work and consultation more people will be engaged with the heritage and want to care for it. This can then be developed into volunteering opportunities across the project area

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