Archaeology in Northumberland VOL 22
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ArchaeologY in Northumberland VOL 22 Celebrating 25 years of Archaeology in Northumberland Foreword As the Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, I am delighted to welcome you to the 22nd edition of Archaeology in Northumberland. This issue showcases some of the highlights of recent archaeological work undertaken in Northumberland and, remarkably, celebrates two 25-year anniversaries. Firstly, it is 25 years since the first issue of Archaeology in Northumberland was published in 1991. Over these years the magazine has seen many changes, including embracing full colour, growing in size and becoming available online, but it continues to report on an ever widening range of heritage and archaeological activities carried out across the County. Archaeology in Northumberland has also attracted a ‘Friends of’ group whose members provide invaluable support for the publication of the magazine. We are also celebrating the 25th anniversary of developer-funded archaeology. When the government introduced guidance on Archaeology and Planning in 1991, it changed the way archaeology was considered. Instead of rescue operations being launched, developers became responsible for ensuring that archaeological remains affected by their proposals were properly investigated. This work has made a huge contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the past and revealed many new and exciting discoveries in Northumberland which have been revisited on pages 4-13. Alongside this commercially funded work, community interest in the heritage of Northumberland continues to grow. It is particularly pleasing to see an ever-increasing number of local groups exploring their heritage and some of the results of this work are published here, including Altogether Archaeology (page 42), Flodden 500 (page 18), Holystone (page 52), Tynedale North of the Wall (page 32) and the National Park volunteers on the Otterburn Ranges (page 49). This issue also reports on the final phase of the multi-million pound heritage-led regeneration schemes in Berwick, where tangible improvements to shopfronts and buildings have been accompanied ARCH by exciting creative projects recording more ephemeral things, like memories, anecdotes and atmosphere (page 34). With this hugely successful project nearing completion, it gives me great pleasure A to report that significant funding has been secured for several new IN EOLOGY projects in the County. In particular, the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £1.8million to the Peregrini Lindisfarne Landscape Partnership which started three community projects this year and I look forward to reading about their results in future issues. N ORTHUMBERL A ND 1 ND 1 Allan Hepple Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth Welcome At last, welcome to the 22nd edition of Archaeology in Northumberland, which again has been a long time in the making. We would like to thank you for your patience as it is almost two years since the last issue was published and this volume introduces a wide range of work that has been carried out between 2013 and 2015. In that time we have faced a number of challenges, not least of which is the absence of our friend and colleague, Chris Burgess, through long term illness. Without Chris’s presence and hands-on design input you will probably notice the look of the magazine has changed a little but we hope that you will find it recognisable and equally attractive. As a slight departure from the usual format, we have published the list of archaeological assessments, evaluations and other work (grey literature) on our website so that we can devote more space in the magazine to ND A topical pieces. To celebrate our 25th anniversary, and that of developer-funded archaeology in England, we have compiled a special review which showcases the sites that have contributed to our growing knowledge and understanding of Northumberland’s past. It shows the wide range of sites that have been investigated and the large number of people and organisations that have ORTHUMBERL been involved over the years. N We hope you enjoy this issue and would like to thank all the Friends of Archaeology in Northumberland whose continued support makes it possible to publish this magazine. EOLOGY IN EOLOGY A Sara Rushton Liz Williams 2 ARCH Contents Celebrating 25 years of development-led archaeology 1990-2015 4 New prehistoric rock art discovery at Birney Hill, Ponteland 14 Grazing on Ha’Hill, Morpeth 16 Flodden Hill 2013-15 18 Barmoor Wind Farm 20 Iron Age Settlement at St George’s Hospital, Morpeth 22 A NU Young Archaeologists Club for the uplands 24 Rescued from the Sea 25 Investigations at the Premonstratensian Abbey of Blanchland 26 Medieval Shotton 29 Did Bamburgh shipwreck inspire first coastguards? 30 Wilds of Wanney 31 British Rock Art News 31 Community archaeology north of Hadrian’s Wall 32 The Vicar’s Pele, Corbridge 33 Layers of localism and regeneration in Berwick-upon-Tweed 34 Europe’s lost frontiers: Doggerland and the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition 36 Archaeological Investigations at Well Hill, Stannington 38 New approaches at Yeavering 40 ARCH Altogether Archaeology in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 42 A Belsay Castle 45 IN EOLOGY Heritage at Risk 46 Excavations at Bolton Chapel 48 N Keeping it local 49 ORTHUMBERL Bradford Kaims Wetland Heritage Project 50 In search of Holystone Priory 52 Roman stones at West Uppertown Farm 56 A Portable Antiquities in Northumberland 58 ND 3 New designations 60 Celebrating 25 years of development-led archaeology 1990-2015 As regular readers will know, Archaeology in Northumberland has been reporting news of archaeological discoveries in the county for 25 years – coincidentally the same period that developer-funded archaeology has been around. In 1990 the way in which archaeological sites were recorded ahead of their destruction by development was fundamentally changed. The issue of new government guidance on A later Neolithic long house at Archaeology and Planning (PPG Cheviot Quarry. Photo ARS. 16) set out a clear presumption in favour of the physical preservation These discoveries have shed new of archaeological remains and Cache of flint light on the county’s ancient blades from where this was not possible and recent past and have also Akeldsteads. developers were required to carry contributed to changing views Photo ARS. out investigations at their own of the North East region and our expense. The policy is now built ideas about England’s past. All into the National Planning Policy the work described below has Framework (NPPF). been required by Northumberland Prehistory The following synopsis celebrates County Council and its predecessor When the last Ice Age ended 25 years since archaeology was local planning authorities, on 12,000 years ago, forests and made part of the system for the advice of Northumberland grassland established as the granting planning permission. Conservation. climate warmed, providing a rich environment for animals and people to colonise. A rare discovery of two Mesolithic aurochs skulls (a species of wild cattle) and red deer antler was ND made at Haughton Strother Quarry A on the River North Tyne. The skull dated between 5670 and 5520 BC and was recovered by Thompsons of Prudhoe from a palaeochannel on an ancient river terrace, ORTHUMBERL N previously identified by Newcastle University. The skulls and antlers are of great significance in regional terms since animal remains EOLOGY IN EOLOGY from the late Mesolithic period, A particularly from inland areas, are scarce and generally very poorly An aurochs skull and red deer antlers from Haughton Strother Quarry. Photo PCA. preserved. Equally rare is evidence 4 ARCH of human settlement – a possible Celebrating 25 years of development-led archaeology 1990-2015 Iron Age settlement excavations at Blagdon (Delhi). Photo TWM Archaeology post-built structure found at of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age The transition to the Bronze Age Lanton Quarry in excavations for beakers from non-grave contexts, occurred around 2500 BC and Tarmac Northern may be evidence including All Over Corded Ware. pollen analysis shows woods were of a small hut similar to that Before these excavations there disappearing and grassland and recorded in research excavations had been little information about moorland was on the increase as on the coast at Howick. the character of early Neolithic farming developed and spread. The transition from the hunter- pottery in the county. Further The sand and gravel workings at gatherer to farming way of life took probable Neolithic buildings Lanton and Cheviot Quarries have place slowly from around 4000 BC. with associated hearths, pits and revealed evidence of Bronze Age Evidence of this more settled way postholes containing Neolithic settlement and at Cheviot Quarry of life has been revealed in sand pottery were revealed at Lanton archaeologists also found evidence of and gravel quarries in the Milfield Quarry. At Milfield village the massive enclosures, small horseshoe- remains of a short-lived Neolithic- shaped enclosures and pits, all close Basin in north Northumberland ARCH where archaeologists have been Early Bronze Age dwelling was to the ritual monuments of the working with Tarmac Northern found that was in use at the Milfield Basin. same time as nearby henges and since 2005 at two quarries (Cheviot Iron began to replace bronze in tool A and Lanton). A unique sequence is the first evidence in this area making around 1000 BC although IN EOLOGY of buildings was found at Cheviot for where the henge builders it did not become common until Quarry where two early Neolithic lived. One of the best caches around 500 BC. The Bronze Age round houses and three later of Neolithic flint blades in the way of life is thought to have Neolithic long houses together county was discovered prior to continued relatively unchanged N ORTHUMBERL with hearths, pits and other gravel extraction at Akeld Steads into the Iron Age – farming cattle structures and a great quantity of by Tarmac.