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Peak District Write Up Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Clifton Antiquarian Club Young Archaeologists in the Peak District 7th - 10th April 2016 Our 5th annual “Big Trip” convened at Arbor Low – the Stonehenge of the North. The sky was heavy and overcast, but at least the snow from the previous evening had stopped. The henge, in our view is more impressive than that of Stonehenge, the stones, maybe not so, particularly given that they are all recumbent. Thomas Bateman describes this as “By far the most important, as well as the most uninjured, remain of the religious edifices of our barbarous forefathers that is to be found in the midland counties…” Bateman accompanied us throughout the weekend, not exactly in person, but in the form of his fine volume “Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire and the Sepulchral Usages of its Inhabitants” published in 1848. Thomas Bateman was an antiquarian and “barrow digger” of some distinction. We wanted to conduct a circularity experiment, to see how round the henge was. With a long tape, George and Hannah set off around the bank whilst the adults held the tape in the central cove. Whilst the adults made a bit of a pigs’ ear of the project, ending up with a load of tape tangled up around their feet, the Young Archaeologists did a fine job and we came to the conclusion that the henge is egg shaped. ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 As with Stonehenge, Arbor Low is a complex landscape, with a ditch or maybe avenue heading out on, according to Bateman, a serpentine route towards Gib Hill. Gib Hill lies around 300 metres away, a Neolithic tomb atop of which is a Bronze Age barrow. Close to Gib Hill is an enclosure thought to be Neolithic and easily spotted. The landowner told us that recent geophysics had revealed further evidence of structures in the immediate landscape. The Team at Gib Hill Our next stop was Five Wells Chambered Cairn, the highest Neolithic site in the country. The weather had cleared up by now and we enjoyed a wonderful walk up Five Wells Hill and some fantastic views. The site itself comprises a round cairn with two distinct burial chambers and entrances from opposite ends. When Bateman visited the site in 1848, it had already been cleared but there are records of the lower jaw bones of 12 individuals being recovered. Niamh and Hannah studying Five Wells ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Our artist for the weekend was Niamh who produced a lovely study in charcoal of one of the chambers. Nearby the wonderful Packhorse Inn beckoned us in with a reassuring sign on the door telling us the children and muddy boots are welcome. We had half the small pub reserved for our party and enjoyed a great meal of local buffalo burgers and Wild Swan ale. From the pub we had a short drive to our final site of the day – Eyam. Eyam has the dubious honour of being famous for the selfless behaviour of its inhabitants when the plague of 1665 arrived. Rather than running for the hills, they quarantined themselves in the village to face a most unpleasant end. The story is told in the museum where we enjoyed an exclusive film, and at various spots around the village. We stopped at the cottages where the first victim, George Viccars, the tailor whose delivery of cloth from London is thought to have harboured the plague, succumbed to the great pestilence. Early symptoms set in ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Just along the road is the church of St. Lawrence, burial place of Catherine Mompesson, one of few victims to be buried in the church yard and sporting a fined stained glass window recounting the scene. It was also a little disconcerting to discover that one of the victims was a John Swann, aged 9 years. Also in the church yard and setting a lighter tone is the grave of Harry Bagshaw, a cricketer of some local distinction, his epitaph saying “well played”. The origins of Eyam lie in the Anglo Saxon period, evidenced by the splendid cross in the church yard. After several hours in the village Sophie began to feel poorly and in true heroic Eyam fashion…….. we fled to the hills! The view from our doorstep ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 These were the hills of Edale, our Youth Hostel lying in the shadow of Mam Tor, a truly spectacular location where we enjoyed aperitifs in the lounge as we reclined by the large window enjoying the view. This was followed by a fine YHA supper washed down with local Jennings beer. We were lucky to have use of Kinder Cottage, a separate building up an enthusiastic set of steps adjacent to a babbling waterfally brook. Kinder Cottage nestled in the trees Day 2 took place in and around Castleton. Sophie had made an miraculous and unprecedented recovery from her bout of plague and we all ventured to the lead mining world of the eighteenth century by way of a subterranean boat trip. It was a tough life. In those days our Young Archaeologists by the age of 8, would be working twelve hours a day, six days a week, pickaxe in one hand, shovel in the other and a tallow candle in their mouth. ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Down the mine Castleton is also home to Peveril Castle, high above the town and reached by a steep and winding path, with commanding views over the town and surrounding landscape. This was the perfect spot for a picnic, a bit of a run around and a little historical discussion; after all, we had gained entry via the splendid English Heritage Educational Group scheme. The keep ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 George and Hannah enjoying a picnic lunch We learnt that medieval loos are still smelly today, and we discussed the Norman invasion. Looming above Peveril Castle in the distance is Mam Tor which reminded us of the story of Brigantia’s head. Or rather, a statue of Brigantia’s head which apparently rolled down the hill and ended up in a front garden. We had heard a rumour that this head could still be seen today and set of in search of it; head hunting. Brigantia was the goddess of the Brigantes tribe of the Iron Age – we have learnt about them before and particularly of their Queen, Cartimandua. It was very nice therefore to find the aforementioned head in the local museum by the car park. It is thought to have been carved around 1000 BC when the Brigantes would have occupied Mam Tor. Brigantia and other Goddesses, and George ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Maddie contemplating the landscape atop Mam Tor And Mam Tor was to be our next stop, a surprisingly easy climb to the top afforded us the best views to date. But an odd hill fort we thought. There are no flat areas (to accommodate our frisbee football tournament) , a single (although Bateman cites the fort as bivallate) ditch was clearly all that was needed given the steep, in some places precipitous slopes. It would not have been a comfortable place to live, but it looks, even today, very imposing and impressive from the surrounding landscape and maybe that was the point. Two Bronze Age barrows are situated in the fort, one c l e a r l y v i s i b l e a n d “ d o u g h n u t e d ” b e f o r e Bateman got to it, by the entrance, the other under the cobbles on the summit. The entrance of Mam Tor ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 The hills from the back doorstep of our cottage. Back at the YHA we felt the need to climb another hill and took a lovely relaxing stroll up onto the moors behind the hostel, watching the wildlife and enjoying the views of the valleys and hills. This was perfect to work up an appetite for our visit to the Cheshire Cheese Inn. What a wonderful place, really impressive food, award winning Barnsley bitter, and as with the Packhorse, roaring fires to keep us warm – delicious. Cosy Derbyshire hospitality ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Day three was moorland day and we headed to Gardom’s Edge just to the east of Bakewell. We had a mission in mind – to track down some rock art. Our stroll took us through a Neolithic enclosure and up onto Gardom’s Edge itself where we rested and took stock at the “Men of Gardom”. Once a cairn, the stone was rearranged in the eighteenth century to create three cairns representing three shepherds who met their end, having been caught out in the snow on the ridge. Thomas Bateman described the site through readings by Alice and Jaimee from his volume. At the enclosure Jaimee on the rocks! ! Clifton Antiquarian Club Peak District Young Archaeologists 7th - 10th April 2016 Alice reading from Bateman at the Men of Gardom From here we set off into the woods in search of a standing stone and the rock art. The standing stone was easy enough to find and is the subject of some interesting, maybe controversial research.
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