Keighley Heritage Day - 8th September

The Oxenhope survey team will be presenting some of the results of their survey work on Nab Hill at the Keighley Heritage Day on the 8th September.

Keighley Local History Library, 10:00-16:00

Photographic Recording Project

The Watershed Landscape Project has just launched a project with the aim of recording the many and varied archaeological and historical features across the South Pennine uplands. The project is operating through the Geograph website, which means that the uploaded photographs are georeferenced and can be searched using a placename or grid reference (you need the grid reference of the feature in order to upload your photograph). More information can be found on the Watershed Landscape website.

Judd Walls, Nab Hill, Oxenhope



Blue skies!

Duncan Boud (left) and Will Varley (right) surveying the quarry features

The recent burst of sunshine has certainly been very welcome to all of the survey projects. Work at Nab Hill has progressed well, with a core team of volunteers completing the plan of the quarry. Work has now started on producung a photographic record of the site, and mapping the associated tip deposits.

Let's hope for more good weather!

Model aircraft aids survey



Team members measuring one of the many depressions

Survey work is progressing well on Todmorden Moor. The Todmorden Moor Restoration Trust have been carrying out a landscape survey focusing on the identification of the many mining features across the moor. They are measuring and describing the features, and recording their location using hand-held GPS units. They are also using aerial photographs taken from a model aircraft by a member of the team. These photographs enable the team to look at the large area of moorland and target their investigations. It also helps in identifying features on the ground.

Team member Ian Lever taking aerial photographs
of a water diversion feature



Seeing below the moor



MSc student Ron Organ (right) with Malcolm Leyland (left) and Eddie Nash (centre)

Earlier this week, a small team of volunteers gathered in the Low Plain area of Baildon Moor with the hope of investigating the below ground mining remains. They met with Ron Organ who is currently undertaking research as part of his MSc in Archaeological Prospection at the University of Bradford. He is investigating the mining extraction features on Baildon Moor using Electrical Resistive Tomography. The circular depressions that are prevalent across the moor are anecdotally referred to as ‘bell pits’, however, it is likely that they represent shafts, some ventilation, others for getting the coal out. Ron hopes to be able to see if the shafts, or groups of shafts are linked by underground galleries, if some are bell pits, and perhaps to determine the depth of the shafts which would indicate the coal seam being worked.

Quarry survey update

 

Chris Mace planning the extent of the quarry using tapes and offsets

The team recording the quarry at Nab Hill have made great progress, despite the weather! Historical research is augmenting the survey.

Further updates will appear shortly.