Winter 2011 Appleby Archaeology Heather Edwards, Spring Programme Newsletter AGM and Members’ Evening th 7.00pm Tuesday 10 January Volume 14 Issue 4 Winter 2011 Martin Railton : Altogether Archaeology on Brackenber Moor - Results of the 2011 Excavations at the “Roman Signal Station” Group News quired low level oblique aerial photographs, for example, Round the Museums appear to show an enclosure around the summit, with the cairns lying diagonally across it. Is this feature due to li- Richard Stevens : More on Abbeytown - an I hope you've noticed a subtle change in your Newsletter. I’m not normally much interested in museums but, curi- thology as some have claimed, or archaeology? We think outlying chapel at Holme St. Cuthbert Yes, your Committee has decided that the time has finally ously, I find that I’ve visited no fewer than four local ex- it is time to find out. come for us to switch to colour! I hope you'll agree that hibitions this summer. photographs, in particular, have benefited from the We therefore need to raise funds and support locally to The first was the Dock Museum at Barrow. I only went change. We've decided to try it for a year, at any rate. pay for archaeologists to conduct non-intrusive techniques because this was where Apparch’s annual summer day- Great Langdale Axe Factories Please let us know what you think. of investigation, and for laboratory analyses that we our- trip dropped us on our way to Furness Abbey. But I’m selves cannot provide. Our target is £6500 and have al- Tuesday 14th February Other changes in the pipeline included proposed amend- very glad I did because I thought it was quite wonderful. ready raised a third of this. ments to Apparch's Constitution. You should have found The story of Barrow from its origins as a tiny fishing vil- Gabriel Blamires details of these enclosed with your Newsletter. The inten- Further grant applications have been submitted, but fund- lage to the present-day high-tech manufacturing town is tion is to make the Committee structure easier to manage. ing bodies always want to see evidence of local commit- remarkable. The exhibits are fascinating and beautifully- If you have any concerns or queries about these changes, ment and enthusiasm for the proposal. So if you would presented, especially the enormous battleship-models. The Outline of several possible ancient routeways to we hope that you will bring these up at the AGM in Janu- like to help by making a donation, please visit our website museum-building, a stunning piece of architecture, is the stone axe working sites ary. An Agenda for the AGM and Minutes for the last worth a visit in itself. I’ve been recommending the Dock meeting are also enclosed. Museum to all my friends. Finally also, a reminder that subscriptions are due for re- Then, a few weeks later, I found myself at a loose-end in The Northumberland and Durham newal at the AGM. The Group's costs have been steadily Penrith and wandered into the museum at the bottom of increasing but you will see that we have been able to keep Middlegate. I hadn’t been there since it was recently refur- Rock Art Project subscription charges unchanged for at least one more year. bished. I now find that it has a room dedicated to pre- th Tuesday 13 March I hope that you will agree that membership of Appleby history which features a specially-made video developed Archaeology continues to represent excellent value. by our old friend Aaron Watson. This plays on an endless Dr Ken Fairless and Jeff Lynn loop on a plasma screen that dominates the exhibition. It Finally, may I wish all our readers a very Merry Christ- is a true work of art. If you’ve got 15 minutes to spare mas and Best Wishes for 2012. next time you’re in Penrith, do be sure to drop in. Martin Joyce Then I went to Maryport to hear a talk by our local MP. An Update on “Altogether The meeting took place in a newly-equipped Conference Archaeology” room at the Senhouse museum. So at half-time, of course, Friends of Nine Standards (FONS) Snowy Cairns on Nine Standards Rigg Tuesday 8th April I took the opportunity to check out the collection. I knew they had a fine collection of Roman altars but no idea just Paul Frodsham, Historic Environment Officer, One of our members, Dr Stephen Walker, who has a spe- at www.ninestandards.eu. If your interest is serious and how fine these are. Obviously money it tight, but the cura- North Pennines AONB Partnership cial interest in the archaeology of Nine Standards Rigg you want to be kept informed, you can become a Friend tors have been really imaginative and the displays give a has recently formed a local group to co-ordinate research for £50. You will get the latest news and project reports vivid and powerful insight into Roman religious and do- into the site. We think Apparch members may be interest- by email or by post;. If you want to join in the research, mestic life. I shall go again. ed in this. Stephen writes as follows: please get in touch via the website.” And finally, one place where money has clearly not been “Two Committee Members of the Upper Eden History Stephen Walker an issue is the new Roman Frontiers gallery at Carlisle Society, Stephen Walker and Dawn Robertson, have museum. I actually planned to go here, and paid for my formed a loosely-affiliated special interest group called expensive ticket with keen anticipation - this should have the Friends of the Nine Standards to initiate professional been the best exhibition of the four. It wasn’t! I don’t like archaeological field research on the Nine Standards to criticise but I hate to see good money wasted. I’d be drystone cairns on the skyline above Kirkby Stephen. interested to hear what others think. How old are they, who built them, and why? And how do the modern cairns we see today, rebuilt continually over Martin Joyce the centuries, relate to the various other archaeological features visible on Nine Standards Rigg? Recently ac- Page 2: Exploring the Archaeology of the Medieval Elite Contents Page 3: Tortie Tales Sender : Appleby Archaeology Group : www.applebyarchaeology.org.uk Newsletter Editor: Martin Joyce : [email protected] Page 4: Round the Museums Winter 2011 Winter 2011 Tortie Tales At least half of the volunteers had had a previous experi- ence on some of Altogether Archaeology’s other modules Exploring the Archaeology of the and having once experienced the camaraderie of a dig or On a clear blustery October day in the shadow of the aptly an extensive fieldwalking project were hooked. It didn’t Medieval Elite named Cold Fell, an assorted group of people assembled seem to matter if their previous dig had taken place in beside a curiously-shaped boulder. Overlooked by the torrential rain or blazing sunshine. They had often spent In Sept nearly 40 members of Appleby Archaeology Group heard Mr Erik Matthews, Society Fieldwork Officer from ghosts of the miners who had once toiled the scarred their time on a site devoid of artefacts, but whether they the Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland, give an entertaining and informative hillside above, volunteers from North Pennines AONB’s had found numerous Roman artefacts sieving the mole- talk about recent, and on-going, excavations at Hornby Castle near Bedale, North Yorkshire. Altogether Archaeology were meeting to contemplate hills at Whitley Castle, Mesolithic flints on Eden Valley’s Project No.7: an investigation of the Tortie Stone, an fieldwalking project or absolutely nothing elsewhere, they His talk revealed to the audience an interesting and enigmatic cup-marked rock near Hallbankgate. were still prepared to give their time in helping to unravel challenging excavation at the site of a medieval castle, the mysteries of the Tortie the earliest reference to the castle being in 1175. The projects so far under- stone. taken by AA had been Erik first became involved in the project 6 years ago many and varied: aerial Many of the Tortie Stone vol- on the site of the medieval chapel and Great Hall. photography, uncovering unteers had never been on a dig Roman roads, digging or had any ‘hands on’ experi- He explained that it was initially intended to be an ‘lost’ castles and recon- ence of archaeology before had exploration of post-medieval society from the early structing historic mine become involved in a variety of 1700's centred around the former Banqueting Hall but, workings. Why had this ways. Perhaps they had been to as members heard, events and numerous finds in the particular group come to an AONB event or read in this remote hillside to North Pennines News about the castle and grounds conspired to lead to the notion of spend five days digging initiative and thought it sound- much earlier occupation of the site. and sifting this cold and ed interesting. Some had muddy site? signed up indicating their inter- An outline of the castle's history through the centuries est many months before but revealed tales of eccentric individuals, diplomatic mis- Throughout the day the had not previously found a sions, secret passages, Royal visits including one energy buzzing round the project which excited their from James I in about 1614, and a fair degree of Hornby Castle in 1880 site never flagged; perhaps interest or, given the vast area elite showing-off.