Newsletter

Dear All,
 
The summer has been a soggy one for excavating but, as we start a new autumn season of digging, we have an exciting time ahead of us, full of plenty of iron-working discoveries to be unravelled - both truly ancient and medieval.
 
We began this season by revisiting that wonderful trench containing ancient bowl furnaces. It's a complicated set of features, with tumbled stones and features overlaying these subtler and smaller - and older - very special discoveries. When the first one came to light we thought we were dreaming: a neat, stone-lined, once clay-covered bowl in the old ground, complete with roasted residue wrapped around the (long-vanished) bellows' air hole. Then there was another ... and another ...
 
... and the scene now continues as we extend into the fascinating landscape immediately around it. This multi-phased archaeology provides a rich challenge, with iron age slag and medieval features, one on another, all lurking beneath a once innocent-looking level patch of grass. Our Iron Age settlement was certainly a place full of industry and life, both 2,000 years ago and again just a few hundred years ago. We're just beginning to uncover it - keep watching this space to read about our discoveries as we find them.
 
Come and See Us
 
We frequently set up displays at heritage days and special events - do come along and see what we've found and have a chat. Our next display will be at Ripon Library between 2-4.30pm as part of their Local & Family History afternoon on Thursday 2nd December 2010. We look forward to seeing you.

Talks etc
We've spent some of the summer talking with and taking part in various heritage days and archaeology conferences - our thanks to the Historic Metallurgy Society (HMS) for their wonderful conference and the reconstruction fest of iron furnaces: much learned and good questions to follow up ... And also to the Northern Mine Research Society for inviting us to talk and for your hospitality. Not forgetting the AONB and their Nidderdale Heritage Day that brought us all together. Good contacts made, old friends met again and steps taken for future activities and research ...Thank you to all of you.

Two Day Event  Monday & Tuesday 8 & 9 November 2010. We will be surveying the site of the 16th century Smelt House at Dacre and two other neighbouring sites that are probably associated with it – join us for one day or both at your convenience.
 
And please remember that we are always very happy to give illustrated talks about our Project and our exciting findings in Nidderdale. Do contact us if you would like to arrange a talk.
 
New members are always welcome. Just contact us to check venue and times.
 
All the very best,
 
Gill
 
Gillian Hovell
Secretary, Iron-Age (Nidderdale) Project

As ever, may we remind you that the site is an exposed hillside and waterproofs/suncream and stout footwear are definitely required.
May we stress that the site is private property with no public right of way - visitors must be accompanied by a group leader at all times.