cumberland and w antiquarian and archaeological...

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No. 76 SUMMER 2014

CUMBERLAND and WESTMORLANDANTIQUARIAN and ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Newsletter The Vikings in Cumbria

In his book, Archaeology in the Field (1953), O G S Crawford (an Honorary Member of CWAAS) claimed 1859 (the year Darwin’s Origin of Species was published and Sir John Evans and Sir Joseph Prestwich established the existence of Palaeolithic man) as marking ‘the triumph of the scientifi c method of observation and deduction over the authoritarian method which argues from the general to the particular, from statements in books to the facts of nature.’ At the CWAAS’s inaugural meeting, in 1866, speaking on the present position of antiquarian research in Cumberland and Westmorland, the Revd. James Simpson paid tribute to the labours of past historians but pointed out the better opportunities and greater means of knowledge now open to members, to learn ‘by careful inquiry, diligent search, and accurate observation.’ The degree to which archaeology has developed as a science today was brought vividly to light at the conference on the Vikings in Cumbria held at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle, on 14 and 15 March 2014. To deliver the keynote paper, on ‘Cumbria and the Isle of Man in the Viking Irish Sea’, introducing the conference, the organisers (Tullie House Museum, per Tim Padley, Curator of Archaeology, who chaired the conference, and Oxford Archaeology North) were most fortunate in recruiting Sir David Wilson, who, as Director of the British Museum, 1977-92, was

responsible for the last major exhibition on the Vikings and has since continued to write on the subject. Noting the large number of Scandinavian place names in Cumbria and Lancashire, the Vikings’ settlement of the area being serious after AD910 (the Vikings having been expelled from Dublin in 902), nevertheless he noted that very few Viking graves had been identifi ed besides such grave goods found at Hesket in the Forest in 1822, the objects found to the west of Carlisle Cathedral in 1988, and the six pagan graves found at Cumwhitton, near Carlisle, in 2004. Sir David’s lecture was preceded by the launch of Shadows in the Sand: excavation of a Viking-age cemetery at Cumwhitton (see page 2 for details), edited by

Rachel Newman. In a series of well illustrated and accessible chapters, supplemented by catalogues and further analysis of the fi nds including X-rays on a DVD, the circumstances of the fi nd, the excavation and the analysis of the fi nds are described and discussed. Two chapters, on the early medieval North-West and on Cumwhitton and the Viking world, provide invaluable contextual accounts. The volume provides a model for future excavation reports, of value to both the specialist and the interested layperson.

Article continued overleaf

Captions. Top: The speakers at the conference (from left to right): Adam Parsons, James Graham- Campbell, Caroline Paterson, Sir David Wilson & Rachel Newman, with Councillor Les Tickner (Carlisle City Council), a Trustee of Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, where the conference was held, and where the Cumwhitton archive will be deposited, with the presentation copy of Shadows in the SandCentre: Graves 2 - 6 after excavation, showing their close groupingBottom: The oval brooch from Grave 1 (Oxford Archaeology North)

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Rachel Newman introduced the Saturday sessions with an account of the discovery of one and then, crucially, a second oval brooch at Cumwhitton, leading to English Heritage being persuaded to fund the excavation. Though Viking fi nds have been recovered from the west coast of Cumbria and along the Eden and Lune valleys, only about 30 graves have been found in England; most recent fi nds include those at St Michael’s Church, Workington. Though the soil of Cumbria is inimi-cal to the survival of bone, except when burnt, the six inhumations found at Cumwhitton suggest their occupants were of an average height to those found in Scandinavia. Adam Parsons (Oxford Archaeology North) then spoke on the post-excavation techniques and analysis employed in study-ing the wide range of artefacts found (swords, spearheads, spurs, knives, buckles, strap ends, etc.), to identify, for instance, fragments of both Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian textiles and a woman’s workbox made of maple wood, revealing relatively wealthy individuals. Addressing the question of the degree to which the burials are Viking, Caroline Paterson (Stirling) noted that oval brooches (from Scandinavia) attached to fabric are rarely found in England; that the maple wood could have been from Germany; and that a buckle was modelled on Carolingian examples. The eclectic origins of the grave goods were noted; the folding knives in the four men’s graves were probably produced in the North-West while the ringed pins were probably made in the Irish Sea area. Though no teeth were found, to reveal the origin of those buried, it was believed the cemetery was that of a family and presumed they were of a pagan faith, albeit buried east-west. After lunch, James Graham-Campbell (University College, London) spoke more broadly on Viking burials, including the ship burial of c. AD831 at Oseberg, Norway, the grave including objects which have not survived at Cumwhitton. Sir David Wilson drew the conference to a close, speaking on Viking burials in Cumbria and the Isle of Man and concluding that the Cumwhitton cemetery dates from AD900 onwards (possibly as late as 925); that those buried were almost all contemporary; and that they may have come directly from west Norway. He noted that mound burials in Cumbria and the IOM date from a very early period, being succeeded by pagan burials in fl at graves in exist-ing Christian burial grounds (as at the Carlisle Cathedral site), Christianity being adopted within c. 30 years of arrival from Scandinavia. The degree to which the sciences allied to archaeology can nowadays be exploited to identify and interpret what indeed included ‘shadows in the sand’ leads one to wonder whether future scientifi c breakthroughs will permit further conclusions to be drawn. Appropriately, the paper archive of the excavations has been deposited alongside the artefacts at Tullie House Museum. The organisers are to be congratulated upon arranging such a thought-provoking, revelatory conference; very reasonably priced – the lecture theatre at Tullie House was packed. The founding members of the CWAAS would surely be heartened by the degree to which modern techniques of excavation and analysis can indeed be employed to produce information that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Adrian Allan

Shadows in the Sand: excavation of a Viking-age cemetery at Cumwhitton, Cumbria, Paterson, C, Parsons, AJ, Newman, RM,

Johnson, N & Howard-Davis, C Lancaster Imprints 22, 2014. £22.50, ISBN 9781907686160

Available from Oxbow Books

Grants for Schools (Update to May 2014) The Memorial Project Over 60 local schools signed up to the Memorial project, jointly sponsored by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria with CCHT and CWAAS, aimed at encouraging primary school children in the county to study the impact of the First World War on their local community. More recently, the schools have been contacted to invite them to participate in an exhibition at Rheged which will display the outcome of their work. The exhibition will take the form of a trail running through Rheged’s main building and will open in time for the start of the Summer Holidays. Rheged will construct a series of model memorials which will be covered with the many participants’ projects. In addition, more posters and projects will feature on areas of wall behind each ‘Memorial’. The fi nal product will be visually striking, will receive a lot of attention from visitors, and hopefully will make the pupils feel as though they have contributed to something very special. The project is supported by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery fund, who have provided funding for Rheged to build the wooden memorials and to employ a local artist to arrange and curate the selection of projects. Participating schools have been asked whether or not they wish to be included in the exhibition, and by early July they will need to have their projects complete and delivered to Rheged for inclusion in the exhibition, which will run from 17 July to 2 September. Rheged will also be running a major World War One-themed art exhibition - The Art of Remembering - from 20 September to 23 November, which will show artists’ responses to how the First World War has been memorialised. Bill Shannon


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Cumbria County History Trust (Update to May 2014) The relationship between CWAAS and CCHT is now entering a new phase as the original agreement to support the work of the Trust during its fi rst fi ve years comes to an end. At the CWAAS Council on 12 April 2014 it was agreed that continuation funding should be granted to CCHT over a further fi ve years but on a reducing basis, commencing with £10,000 in June 2015 and ending with a grant of £2,000 in 2019. At the same time, as part of a developing partnership between the two societies, it was agreed by both that there will be a report on one draft VCH Cumbria parish history at each CWAAS annual general meeting from now on, plus an update on current VCH activities in each CWAAS Newsletter. All CWAAS affi liated groups will be offered a free lecture on a relevant VCH Cumbria topic and CWAAS members will be offered reduced entry fees to any public CCHT lectures. Lowther Castle was the venue for the 4th CCHT AGM which was held on Saturday 5 April 2014 with an excellent turnout by members of the Trust. Tributes were paid to Richard Brockington who stood down as Secretary of the Trust after four years. Tiffany Hunt, a Trustee of CCHT since 2010, takes over from Richard as secretary. Af ter the formal business of the AGM was over there were presentations from Sarah Rose, who spoke of her work on Helsington, and Angus Winchester, who gave us an account and a virtual tour of Lowther Church and its adjacent mausoleum, described by Hyde & Pevsner as a ‘architectural monsterpiece’. The CCHT website (www.cumbriacountyhistory.org.uk) continues to grow and develop as a destination for everyone interested in the county’s history. Two new resources have recently been added to the website’s Themes page. The fi rst page devoted to lime kilns in Westmorland with information supplied by David Johnson. As well as accessing lists of all lime kilns in the baronies of Kendal and Westmorland, you can also view pictures of them. The second addition is a section devoted to hospitals in Westmorland. This includes an article by Paul Cheesbrough which covers the history of The Ethel Hedley Orthopaedic Hospital and Kendal Memorial Hospital, which was replaced by the Westmorland County Hospital. Bill Shannon

Cumbria Industrial History Society Spring Conference, 26 April 2014Cumbria Goes to War

Stuart Eastwood, curator of Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life, set the scene for the day when he described the First World War as the fi rst war to be fought on an industrial scale. Mass recruitment removed men from all the local industries, while there was a great shortage of equipment for the new recruits to use in training and on the battlefi eld. Farms not only lost their workers, their horses were also requisitioned. Women replaced men in many local industries. The Women’s Land Army was established and women played a particularly important role in the fast developing munitions industry concentrated at Gretna and Carlisle. Production at established fi rms such as Carr’s Biscuits and K Shoes became geared to the needs of the army. Coal and coke were needed for the railways and the local iron and steel industries at Ulverston, Barrow, Millom and Workington. The essential role of the railways was the theme for Peter Robinson’s talk. Trains were needed to move troops and supplies from the very fi rst days of the war. On 22 August 1914, 73 trains (one every 12 minutes) arrived at Southampton, carrying 17,000 men and 4,853 horses, plus their supplies, for embarkation to the continent. The constant and heavy use of the railways, with little time, manpower or materials for repair, meant that the whole system was worn out by the end of the war. All essential war traffi c was carried for free by the rail companies in the expectation of recompense after the war, which was not forthcoming. Barrow’s contribution to the war effort was summarised by Bill Myers in the title for his talk: Shells, ships and submarines - being the main products of Vickers, together with guns and gun mountings. During WWI, 64 submarines were built there. Less well known is Barrow’s pioneering role in the development of airships - held up by indecision over funding but eventually deployed for military use in 1917. According to Ian Gee, Windermere played a more signifi cant role in the evolution of aerial warfare. As early as 1911, local boatbuilder Arthur Borwick and businessman Edward Wakefi eld built the fi rst aeroplane in the British Empire to successfully take off from, and alight on, water - the Waterbird. Wakefi eld argued that the ‘hydroaeroplane’ would have a role in scouting and information gathering in the war. He faced opposition to his proposed development at Bowness from Beatrix Potter and Canon Rawnsley, but was supported in the House of Commons by Winston Churchill who coined the term ‘seaplane’. The base at Hill of Oaks became a Royal Naval Air Station for training new pilots during WW1. Thirty years later, Windermere was again the base for building aeroplanes: the Sunderland fl ying boats of WW2.

Helen Caldwell

Waterbird in fl ight. Photo taken by Frank Herbert (John Gordon Archive). Supplied by Ian Gee of The Lakes Flying Company Ltd.


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Annual General Meeting, 12 April 2014 Fortunately, a welcome warmer than the wet and windy day of the AGM was provided by the hosts, the Kendal Historical & Archaeological Society, for the Society’s annual general meeting held in the village hall and St Anne’s Church at Ings near Kendal.

After coffee, two presentations were given about research funded by the Society. Stephen Walker took members through the detailed but non-invasive survey work at Nine Standards Rigg, Kirkby Stephen, to demonstrate the elusive but signifi cant clues that suggest not only were the cairns man-made, but supporting landscape features could also be identifi ed that hint at human intervention. Further funding will be sought in order to test what ritual, agricultural or even industrial activities might have taken place over the centuries, perhaps from the Dark Ages onwards.

For the now isolated church of St Paul, Irton, Len Watson, drawing on work by Wardell Armstrong Limited, described an extension of the existing churchyard by a third of an acre that gave an opportunity to put down some trial trenches. A few seeds were found - oat, wheat, fl ax - as well as

a hazelnut shell, and all gave dates, with a high degree of probability, in the 7th to 9th centuries. As Rachel Newman, the chairman for the session, pointed out, these dates accord well with the cross, standing to the south of the church and stylistically dated to the 9th century, and give additional context to that elusive period. Following a welcome and plentiful lunch, the formal business of the AGM took place, with the President at his third and fi nal meeting being warmly thanked for his leadership. Special tribute was also paid to the memory of the late Keith Horsfi eld. The Treasurer took the meeting through some favourable fi nancial results, appointments of offi cers and elected members of Council took place, and Rachel Newman was welcomed as incoming President, the sixth woman in the history of the Society to occupy that position. At the conclusion of the meeting, the more intrepid members proceeded to nearby Staveley for a walk around the industrial village and the early church dedicated to St Margaret. Marion McClintock

St Anne’s Church, Ings, before recent remodelling (Ian Caruana)

Humphrey Welfare (Chair of the Publications Committee), Rachel Newman (President) & David Breeze (retiring President) (Ian Caruana)

Bewcastle – Past and Present For most Cumbrians, except perhaps CWAAS members, Bewcastle is rather off the beaten track. A new permanent exhibition Bewcastle – Past and Present aims to change this by showing the depth and interest of its history, wildlife and landscape. Developed by the Parochial Church Council in collaboration with the Hadrian’s Wall Trust, it was opened in March by local MP Rory Stewart. As Allison Roberts of the PCC says: ‘Bewcastle can boast over 2,500 years of human history - from the Bronze Age to the Roman occupation through Norman and medieval times, onto the Border Reivers’ rule of tyranny to the more peaceful farming community of today - and it’s all easy to explore.’ On a misty atmospheric day it was nice to retreat past the Roman fort, the Castle, St. Cuthbert’s Church and the Bewcastle Cross to shelter in the new exhibition centre in the churchyard. Large panels tell the many stories: Tell-tale fi ngerprints (Neolithic cairns), Edge of empire (a Roman fort north of Hadrian’s wall), Mystery remains (a Roman hoard), Silent sentinel (read the runes on the Cross), Royal gift (once owned by Richard III), In harm’s way (worship in the borderlands), Lawless lands (the Steel Bonnets – a Scottish horde), Bloody kin (were your family reivers?), Last wilderness (bogs and moors), Hardy residents (woolly mules), Military manoeuvres (Bluestreak and jets). A splendid end-wall mural by Kate Norris links them all. Do go, and learn about the many people who visited Bewcastle before you. Mike Lea

[The exhibition is open every day during daylight hours. It was designed and produced by Vertigo Creative Studio. See http://www.bewcastle.com/museum.htm]

Exhibition: Bewcastle - Past and Present (Mike Lea)


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World War One Centenary: From Fells to Flanders17 July – 20 December 2014, Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry, Kendal

At fi rst glance the Lake District seems far removed from the First World War, but further investigation reveals stories of technical innovation, industry and individuals who supported the

war effort.If you have information relating to this region’s contribution to the confl ict please contact James

Arnold, Assistant Curator Social History ([email protected]) www.lakelandmuseum.org.uk

May Walk – Helbeck 17 May 2014 It was a lovely sunny morning when over 30 CWAAS members and their guests met in Main Street, Brough, for a walk through the medieval landscape of Helbeck. Our leader, Mark Blackett-Ord, took us along a narrow path by the Swindale Beck, past two converted water mills, and through the fi elds to the point where we could see Helbeck. Straight ahead we saw the former common pasture lands and the linear village, and to the left the desmene lands overlooked by the hall above. The intake lands higher up the escarpment demonstrated the impact of land management over hundreds of years: the land used by the villagers had been grazed and was bare of trees, whilst the desmene land had a covering of ancient woodland. We continued walking through the fi elds until we reached the bridleway passing through the remains of Helbeck village. Heading up the bridleway we passed Swindale wood edged by the remains of an ancient banking, and as we climbed higher into the intake lands we had good views over Swindale and distant Stainmore. There was much to see as we walked: wild fl owers on the roadside and enclosures built in the

Victorian period. Mark described the way in which the landscape had changed in the 19th century from the medieval system to a Victorian estate – which also had an impact on tenant rights.

Lunch was taken by the ruins of Thornthwaite Farm, high on the fells, giving spectacular views to the east. Discussions here centred on the possible history of the lovely sandstone door surround.

After lunch we continued beyond the intake wall, itself a mixture of ancient and more recent building. Walking along the high fell we passed a limestone-pavement and picked our way through wild pansies in the springy grass – two hares were also seen running nearby. The view from the top of the escarpment was spectacular and we were able to see Fox Tower below the woods. Continuing steeply downhill we passed into ancient woodland,

through a carpet of wild fl owers, including bluebells, primroses and bugle. It was a steep climb up to the Fox Tower, a folly built in 1779 by John Metcalfe Carleton, with a spiral staircase leading to the top. The fi rst fl oor was once used as a banqueting house.

We walked down through the woods under dappled sunlight, smelling the wild garlic as we passed. There was a stop by a spring ‘St Mary’s Well’, and the site of medieval fi sh ponds was on our right as we approached Helbeck Hall. Mark explained that the hall was built on a limestone shelf and a house had probably stood on this site since the 12th century. The present house, a gothic construction of 1776, was built by Carleton after he inherited the estate. We walked along the house-front with its lovely red sandstone door and window surrounds. From here, there were open views down into the Eden valley. Our President, Rachel Newman, thanked Mark on behalf of the Society for arranging this interesting and enjoyable outing. The walk had taken us through a fascinating and little-known historical landscape and had been enhanced by excellent weather and by the variety of fl ora and fauna that we had seen. From the hall, we followed the track down to Brough and headed home. Jean Turnbull

Helbeck: Fox Tower seen through the wood-land, with the limestone escarpment in the background (Roger Pledger)

Downhill towards the bluebells, the woods and Fox Tower (Roger Pledger)

Sandstone doorway, Helbeck Hall (Roger Pledger)


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The Maryport Roman Settlement Project, 2014 During April/May 2014, Oxford Archaeology North, on behalf of the Hadrian’s Wall Trust, completed a second eight-week excavation season in the extramural settlement north-east of the Roman fort at Maryport. The work was largely carried out by volunteers, with well over 100 people being involved across both excavation seasons. Additionally, the site was regularly visited by parties of local schoolchildren, who were given the opportunity to dig real Roman features, whilst site tours and open days also proved extremely popular. In August/September 2013, a single building plot within the settlement was selected for investigation and the latest Roman remains were excavated. These were largely associated with a stone ‘strip-building’ fronting the main road, though features in the ‘back-plot’ to the rear were also sampled. The building may have been constructed in the

early 3rd-century AD, but had almost certainly gone by the end of the century. Its frontage may have been partly open to the street (or could be opened up), suggesting the possibility that its front room served as a shop. A heavy fl agstone fl oor in one of the rear rooms might indicate its use as a workshop, though this is currently uncertain. The data generated were rapidly assessed, in order to refi ne the strategy for the second season, and an interim report and updated project design were produced. In 2014, excavation was taken beneath the stone building to reveal evidence of earlier occupation phases. One of the project’s principal research aims was to record the full sequence of activity within the building plot, and this was achieved by the end of May. The dig also sought to shed light on land-use within the back-plot, since such areas have seen very little excavation. To this end, the exploratory trench opened there in 2013 was considerably expanded. On the street, two phases of timber structures pre-dating the stone building were found. The external walls of these buildings were in the same, or very similar, positions to those of the stone structure, suggesting that they may also have been strip-buildings. It was noteworthy that the boundaries between the excavated plot and those adjacent appear to have been carefully maintained throughout the settlement’s lifetime, with wall-lines shifting by only a few centimetres. Neither of the timber structures is yet dated, though the later phase may be of the mid-late 2nd-century AD. Establishing a chronology for the primary phase is of particular importance, since it could elucidate the date at which the Romans fi rst established a ‘permanent’ military presence at Maryport. Further investigation of the back-plot revealed numerous Roman features, a representative sample of which was excavated. Two deep, vertical-sided pits, partly excavated in 2013, were investigated further. One extended down over 3m below the modern surface and was probably a well. The other, together with two similar pits found in 2014, were shallower and bottomed well above the modern water table; it is possible these served as water cisterns. The site yielded a large assemblage of pottery and numerous other artefacts, including several items of jewellery and ceramic spindle whorls, probably indicating the presence of women. Overwhelmingly, the fi nds are indicative of an essentially ‘civilian’ milieu, with overtly military equipment restricted to an iron spearhead and a fragment of chain mail. Maryport is, of course, famous for its internationally important collection of Roman altars, displayed on-site in the Senhouse Roman Museum, and no archaeological dig there would be complete without the discovery of another specimen. In the last week of the excavation, the Maryport Roman Settlement Project duly delivered, but sadly the fragmentary altar recovered does not appear to have been inscribed. John Zant & Stephen Rowland, Oxford Archaeology North

Local schoolchildren excavating the back-plot to the rear of the street frontage buildings (Oxford Archaeology North)

Romans in RavenglassThe second season of the Lake District National Park Authority excavation at Ravenglass Roman

fort will run from Wednesday 3 September until Sunday 28 September

Open days will be held on 12, 13 and 27 September (there is no need to book)For further information contact [email protected]

Part of an altar found in a spread of earth and rubble behind the street frontage buildings (Oxford Archaeology North)


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CWAAS visit to The Maryport Settlement Project, 14 May 2014 A total of nine visitors (members and a few others) were shown around the excavations of the Maryport Settlement project by John Zant of Oxford Archaeology North on 14 May. The Settlement Project (distinct from the Temples Project) is funded by a private donation to Hadrian’s Wall Trust and is specifi cally designed to examine a single property within the civil settlement to the north of the fort. Last year’s work identifi ed a suitable property and established its overall plan and relationships with the surrounding properties and roads. Current work revealed two surfaces to the main road before natural boulder clay was reached. Underneath the building with its stone footings, traces of an earlier timber structure have been found. One of the aims of the project is to place the building in the context of its overall building plot and we were shown some of the pits and gulleys in the ‘back-yard’ as well as a ditch which may have marked both the rear of the property and the enclosure for the whole civil settlement. John Zant’s talk provoked lively discussion about the building: Was it stone or half-timbered? Was there an upper fl oor? What went on in the backlands? What happened in the post-Roman period? Since nothing seems to have happened on the site after the Romans until modern activity, probably associated with stone robbing, could some of the pits with no stratigraphic associations belong to the immediate post-Roman period? Ian Caruana

Captions. Top: General view of work on the buildingBottom: Discussing what we have just seen (Ian Caruana)

Cumbria Vernacular Buildings Group It is almost one year since CVBG was launched and membership has already passed 100. The second AGM will be held on Saturday, 20 September 2014, at Hawkshead, followed by a buffet lunch. Vicky Slowe, Director of the Ruskin Museum, Coniston, will lead a walk round the nooks and crannies of Hawkshead and across the meadows to the hamlet of Colthouse. The Quaker Meeting House there (1688-9) was preceded by the burial ground which retains outdoor seating. CVBG’s fi rst year has been busy and varied, with events arranged to give members the opportunity to investigate the wide range of materials and styles of Cumbria’s vernacular buildings and to gain experience in interpreting their historic and architectural development. There have been walks round Milburn and Alston; study days on The Hearth and Building Materials; a Christmas lunch at the Castle Dairy, probably Kendal’s oldest inhabited house; a tour of the Bastles and Peles of the Border; and a recording weekend shared with Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group in Sedbergh. By the time of the second AGM, almost 20 buildings will have been recorded. Forthcoming events include a visit to two restored tithe barns at Crosby Garrett and Great Musgrave (5 July); a tour of Furness villages, and a meal at Gleaston restored water mill (6 August); and a day in Yorkshire, visiting the Ryedale Folk Museum at Hutton le Hole (8 October). Membership is open to all who are interested in Cumbria’s traditional buildings. The annual subscription is £10 for an individual and £15 for two people at the same address. Group membership is £25. Members receive a quarterly newsletter by post, plus email updates, and a programme of monthly events and the opportunity to join small groups recording buildings round Cumbria.

Enquiries: June Hall, Chairman: [email protected], tel. 07547 081631 or Mike Kingsbury, Treasurer: [email protected]; www.cvbg.co.uk

Members of CVBG at Cross Farm cruck barn, Burgh by Sands, March 2014


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Saxon dates for fi nds at Irton A CWAAS grant enabled Carbon 14 dating to be carried out on four samples of charred plant remains (charred cereal grains, hazelnut shell and fl ax seed) which were found when Wardell Armstrong Archaeology Ltd. were commissioned to undertake an archaeological survey by Irton Parochial Church Council in May 2012. The fi nds were on land that was subject to a planning application for its change of use from agricultural land to that of a graveyard. The area to be investigated lies to the west of the church, on a sandy ridge above Irton Moor to the south with the River Irt on the northern side of the ridge. The reason for the study was that fi eld-walking and farming activity in recent times have found three volcanic tuff axes and many fl int artefacts both nearby and in the wider area. The fact that there is a 9th century cross in the old graveyard, the association of the church with Lekeley Priory in the 13th century, the proximity of Irton Hall, and there being the possibility of an early settlement in the vicinity, makes the site of great importance in west Cumbria. A geomagnetic survey was undertaken and three evaluation trenches were opened. Only one produced features related to the geophysics and that was the most northerly of the three on a line west of the church. A narrow ditch running east-west was found but with no fi nds. However, six circular or sub-circular posthole-like features contained various charred grains, a charred hazelnut shell, a fl int debitage fl ake, small pieces of what is probably daub material and very small iron working particles. The geophysics showed a possible ditch, enclosure or trackway in a second trench but unfortunately it was not visible in the excavation.

ResultsSample 1 SUERC-49244 Oat grain 621 - 770 cal AD 95% probabilitySample 2 SUERC-49479 Flax seed 688 - 879 cal AD 95% probabilitySample 3 SUERC-49245 Hazelnut shell 777 - 968 cal AD 95% probabilitySample 4 SUERC-49246 Oat grain 661 - 773 cal AD 95% probability

These results indicate human activity near the church site at around the time of, and perhaps just before, the erection of the sandstone cross. Rumour persists regarding the existence of a medieval settlement which now has a little more evidence to support the notion. Text & photographs by Len Watson

Captions. Top: Irton church and the Wasdale fells Bottom: The Irton Cross

Forthcoming CWAAS EventsAll members welcome (booking not required)

The urban walk will take place in and around the town of Alston on Saturday 4 October 2014

Contact Rob David: [email protected]

The South-West Cumbria History & Archaeology Society is hosting the joint lecture on 4 October 2014 at Cockermouth. Hugh Doherty, Lecturer in Medieval History at the

University of East Angia, will speak on the subject of A King of Scots in Copeland: The joy of studying twelfth century charters

The Dorothy Charlesworth Lecture will be held on 7 November 2014, hosted by the Carlisle Affiliated Group. Humphrey Welfare, Chair of Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage

Site Management Plan Committee, will speak on the subject of Not Just a Wall: understanding the earthworks of Hadrian’s Walll

For further details see fl iers in mailing or visit cumbriapast.com


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A second Late Bronze Age Metalwork Hoard from Rampside, Cumbria In late March 2014 a local metal detectorist from the Furness area reported the discovery of a second Late Bronze Age hoard from the south-west coast of Cumbria. This will be known as Rampside II Hoard, Treasure number 2014T205. If declared Treasure it is hoped that this second Late Bronze Age assemblage from the Furness peninsula will also be acquired locally. The Dock Museum (Barrow-in-Furness) has stated interest in acquisition. The new hoard consists of eight artefacts ranging in date from c. 1400-800BC: two socketed axes, one large spearhead, two small fl at chisels (found in one of the socketed axes), a rapier blade fragment (discovered inside a hollow-head spearhead fragment which in turn was lodged in the other socketed axe) and a sword chape fragment (in two fragments). The fi rst hoard, recorded as LANCUM-428850, Treasure Number 2013T958, was featured in the last issue of the CWAAS

Newsletter. The eight artefacts in this hoard are in much better condition than the contents of the fi rst one. The large fi llet-defi ned spearhead is complete but comes in two fragments: the edges along the break are rough and the body of the spearhead is slightly bent. It looks as if it was purposefully bent and the tip broken off before deposition. The sword chape survives only incomplete. It was also broken in two pieces, but the edge wear suggests that the breaks were old. The hoard also included two socketed axes: one undecorated axe, probably an Irish type (Dowris type, Dungiven variant) and a decorated axe of Ulleskelf type. Ulleskelf type axes are rare; only four examples are known from the north of England. Two of them share our axe’s characteristic indented waist and simple mouth mouldings. They were associated with

a palstave, a socketed gouge and a socketed axe of Fulford type. This is an imported association given that there was also a Fulford-type socketed axe in the fi rst hoard discovered from Rampside. The other axe from Rampside II has fewer defi ning features, but its less slender and generally more baggy shape suggests an Irish type. There were smaller items of metalwork inside the sockets of both axes: two small wood-working tools, possibly chisels, inside the Ulleskelf type axe and a probable rapier/dirk blade fragment inside the Dowris type axe. Small items of metalwork are often found inside sockets of socketed axes. This was either for the possible safe-keeping of smaller items of bronze, perhaps for recycling, or else, if it was a votive deposition, to render the axe useless as it would now no longer be possible to haft it. The latter seems more likely in this case, as the spearhead from Rampside II shows signs of ritual destruction: it was bent until the tip snapped off, which is suggested by the break and the slight curve in the upper part of the head.

If you have any artefacts you would like identifi ed and/or recorded contact: Dot Boughton, FLO (Cumbria & Lancashire), Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Castle St,

Carlisle, CA3 8TP, 01228 618760; [email protected]

Captions. Right top: Rampside II Hoard (image kindly supplied by the fi nder). Left: Ulleskelf type axe with two chisels found inside socket. Right middle: Dowris type axe with spearhead/rapier fragments found inside socket. Right bottom: View inside Dowris type socketed axe


10

Recent Medieval and Early Medieval Ecclesiastical Discoveries in Cumbria Work carried out by Greenlane Archaeology in 2014 has revealed previously unknown and signifi cant remains relating to two ecclesiastical sites in Cumbria. The fi rst came about as part of a programme of building recording prior to alterations to the listed Priory Close in Cartmel. Externally this appears to be largely Georgian and there are a number of impressive decorative features of this period inside, although mullion windows to the rear betray its earlier origins. The building has been described by a number of local historians, but never subject to detailed investigation. Its history is not well understood and it is not clear who built the lavish house that now remains. What was agreed, however, was that it contained remains of medieval structures relating to the Priory, which is immediately adjacent. The building recording revealed not one but two sections of medieval buildings, both extending into the adjoining properties, connected by a tall wall, which seems likely to have originally formed a boundary between the inner and outer courts of the Priory. Onto this were added later structures, almost certainly post-Dissolution and probably 17th or 18th century in date. It is clear that the southern-most of the two medieval structures, which is more likely to be the latest, continues into a large building fronting onto the street beyond, while the other, which is smaller and has an enormous fi replace on one side, is perhaps earlier. Their original purpose is uncertain, although the larger later building may have been a guest house while the earlier smaller building perhaps formed part of a kitchen range or more functional building. It is also unsure how they fi tted into the supposed reorganisation of the Priory that is thought to have taken place in the 14th century, when the cloister was moved from the south side of the church to the north. Only further investigation of the adjoining properties would reveal the full story. A bench, present in the building, is supposedly a pew from the Priory church. While this potentially contains some medieval fabric it is largely a later fabrication, having been made up of a number of re-used pieces. A longer-term project has been a programme of monitoring at St Bridget’s Old Church, Beckermet, during renovations and the excavation of new draining trenches. The renovation work required the re-rendering of the whole of the exterior, which revealed a number of phases of alterations. The earliest of these is presumably medieval or earlier - the church is fi rst recorded in the 12th century, having been appropriated by Calder Abbey in AD1160, but the site clearly has earlier origins as two of the most impressive cross

shafts in the county still stand in the churchyard. A later phase of medieval building, comprising

at least part of the nave and the chancel, was shown by the presence of blocked mullion windows with cusped heads and a blocked door with chamfered surrounds. The building was clearly then modifi ed and probably extended in the 18th or early 19th century, and further alterations, mainly comprising the addition of new windows and insertion of a barrel-vaulted ceiling, were carried out in the late 19th century. No evidence was found for a cross-head said to have been situated beneath the render in the east wall, although a number of re-used, probably medieval, fragments of worked masonry were built into the walls. However, monitoring the excavation of the drainage trench recovered two small fragments of early medieval cross; one decorated with spirals and similar to one of the

two standing crosses, the other apparently the boss from the centre of an otherwise lost cross-head. A date of 9th to 11th century is likely for these pieces. In addition, built into the top of the navewall were a number of fragments of a fi nely carved Romanesque font in red sandstone. Initial examination suggests it is late 12th century in date, and so was it perhaps produced as a result the infl uence and patronage of Calder Abbey? What is unclear is why it was used in the wall top, apparently when alterations were made in the late 19th century and why there is no previous record of it. It is hoped that funding can be obtained to provide for conservation, research, and presentation of these items, in what turned out to be an even more interesting church than was already thought.

Daniel W Elsworth, Greenlane Archaeology

Fragment of stone cross with scroll decoration(Greenlane Archaeology)

Early bench situated within the large fi replace in the earlier of the two medieval sections present within the building (Greenlane Archaeology)


11

Landscape Studies weekend, 17-18 May 2014 The follow-up weekend to the joint Society of Landscape Studies/CWAAS study day at Newton Rigg in September 2013 attracted around 30 participants, over a windy, sunny weekend. The fi rst day was led by Ian Whyte and we enjoyed a fi ve-mile walk across the palimpsest landscape around Ravenstonedale, starting at the cross stump and Gilbertine ruins near the church. The walk then traversed a complex countryside, looking at the effects of soil types on farming and pastoral practices, featuring multi-period boundaries, built remains such as limekilns, walls with rabbit smoots, pillow mounds, kennels, cultivation terraces, drove roads, remains of deserted settlements and quarries for both building stone and limestone. In the afternoon session we looked closely at the well-researched planned village of Maulds Meaburn and the tofts leading off from the green with its boulder-built, cattle-excluding boundary wall and surviving back access lane and hedged boundaries; the convenience of the planned village was obvious, with its pinfold, smithy, and green for common use. Several documentary sources point to origins, perhaps relating to William Rufus’s settlement of this area with pioneering farmers or peasants. Then Great Asby and the fi eld patterns surrounding it were examined in some detail, with its curved access ways (‘rattrall’) which can be traced on the 1:25000 OS map. There was no real green apparent in this village - did it ever have one, was it encroached upon? With the expanse of common land around the settlement, it is possible a little encroachment was connived at or even encouraged as it raised revenue after fi nes had been levied by manorial courts for the offence. Hence, parish perambulations and the traditions of ‘Sod Hall’ fi nes, in time, becoming rents. The proceedings at times were interrupted by boisterous young cattle. The mixed backgrounds of the participants was a bonus as we learned much about the special interests of fellow-walkers (animal bone specialist, archaeologist of lime burning industry, building researchers) as we walked along. This was a wide-

ranging and satisfying day with many questions about the landscape still to be answered.

On the second day the party was led by Dave Went of English Heritage who in the morning gave us a tour de force on the landscape above Alston, demonstrating the patterns of settlement and links between shielings, farms, tenants, miners of lead, coal and quarriers and burners of limestone, and the documentary sources such as the Vipont and Hilton family records. The amazing power of Lidar to capture the character of the various layers of landscape from the air was demonstrated in a dramatic way as we tramped the fi elds and variously dated settlement remains with Lidar printouts as our guide.

The group was conducted around the landscape of Whitley Castle in the afternoon and we were shown a whole series of bastle and later semi-bastle ruins, some barely footprints, others incorporated into later farmsteadings, around the Roman fort, at Whitlow and Holy Mire. Perhaps one detail that stood out in the fort proper was the presence, detected during a detailed English Heritage survey, of several almost invisible longhouse footings among the Roman humps and bumps; in one of these almost vanished farmhouses, the early Northumberland historian, John Wallis, had been born.

Thanks are due to all those organisers who made this weekend such a success - Harry Hawkins, Brian Rich, Tony Robinson and the leaders Ian Whyte and Dave Went. The fi ne weather did of course help!

Text & photographs by Rod Grimshaw

Top: One of the series of bastle houses at Whitlow below Whitley CastleBottom: the ditch system of defences outside Whitley Castle Roman fort

The group with Ian Whyte discussing the probable Gilbertine ruins next to Ravenstonedale church


12

A Mine of Information A year-long project to catalogue the records of two key mining business companies, The Hodbarrow Mining Company Ltd., and the Millom and Askam Hematite Iron Company Ltd., has recently been completed at Barrow Archives and Local Studies Centre. Funded by the National Cataloguing Grants Programme and the Kirkby Trust Fund, the project aimed to reduce the services cataloguing backlog (the collections amounted to 13 per cent) and to make these industrial heritage collections of both local, national, and even international importance, more widely available to researchers. The collections, made up of about 3,500 individual documents, date from 1829 through to 1974, and include records from both parent and subsidiary companies. They provide a signifi cant documentary memorial to the area’s industrial heritage, portraying the complex history of the companies and the resulting impact they had on local and national society, economics, and politics, and consist of a varied range of records typically found within business collections of this type. Essential corporate records relating to the administration of the company such as the Memorandum and Articles of Association, minute books and share records; key fi nancial records including ledgers and accounts; legal records including title deeds for the land, minerals and property owned by the companies; production records that portray the manufacturing processes of products; sales and promotional material; staff records (though unfortunately little that provides individual employee names); various maps and plans; photographs; and vast amounts of correspondence can all be found within the strongrooms at Barrow archives. When arranging and describing company archives it is important to capture and refl ect these central business functions in the catalogue, to ensure the preservation of contextual links between records and allow for intuitive navigation within the catalogue. This will allow researchers from diverse disciplines to quickly identify relevant records within the collections. It is envisaged that the records may be used by local historians, genealogists, geologists, business historians, schools and many other groups and individuals, all of whom will benefi t from discovering, learning, and interacting with the cultural, social, and political heritage that has been preserved within the collections. The cataloguing project also involved the promotion of both the collections and the archive service to the wider research community. A successful talk on the history and impact of the businesses was given by Project Archivist, Sally Cholewa, to a group of members from the Friends of the Archive Service and the Cumbria Industrial History Society (see FOCAS article on page 13 of this Newsletter). A display of important and interesting records was also produced to provide direct interaction with the collections. This resource can be used and adapted for future talks and exhibitions. The Hodbarrow Mining Company Ltd. collection can be found online on the Cumbria Archive Services Online Catalogue (CASCAT) at http://www.archiveweb.cumbria.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=BDB+21 The Millom and Askam Hematite Company Limited online catalogue will follow once the last parts of the subsidiary company records have been fi nalised. Sally Cholewa

Photographs of Hodbarrow Mine by Mike Davies-Shiel

The photos shown on the right are just two of Mike Davies-Shiel’s 200 images of Hodbarrow taken in the 1960s while iron ore was still being mined there, and recording the effects of the mine closure and subsequent fl ooding. All these images, plus his comments as transcribed by Cumbria Industrial History Society volunteers, form part of the photographic collection which is being made available on the Cumbria Archives catalogue, CASCAT (use the search term WDMDS/PC). There are currently some 6,000 entries covering a variety of subjects and more will be added in coming months. These photographs were taken on 19 February 1968 when Mike and John Marshall went underground at Hodbarrow. Helen Caldwell

Captions. Left: The Underground Manager, Mr RB Davis and two men in the mine shaft cage, going down. Right: ‘A bogie man!’


13

Friends of Cumbria Archive Service (FOCAS) About 160 users and well-wishers of Cumbria Archives are members of FOCAS (The Friends of Cumbria Archives). For the past 22 years the Friends have provided our excellent archive service with both moral and fi nancial support. We represent the views of archive users in council and government consultations. When the archive service bids for special funds we write in support and if appropriate contribute towards matched funding. Over the years we have supported the cataloguing of the British Steel archive at Whitehaven, the Thomas Mawson archive at Kendal, and the county-wide Manorial Records project. When signifi cant Cumbrian archives are put up for sale we help to buy them, for example the third volume of Lady Anne Clifford’s diary, and more recently various estate records relating to droving. We support work in schools, provide small grants for researchers from amongst our membership who are studying Cumbrian history, and purchase those little extras that help to improve the visitor experience at the four archive offi ces. These have included some of the facilities in the refreshment rooms, the purchase of digital display screens and the blackout curtains in the education room at Carlisle Archive Centre. CWAAS is indebted to Cumbria Archive Service which stores and makes available the raw materials for many of the publications of our Society, and contains the records that are fundamental to our

understanding of the history and archaeology of our county.

FOCAS members benefi t from a quarterly newsletter which incorporates information on the latest deposits at our archive centres, a members’ day (11 October 2014) and occasional visits to less well-known archives in Cumbria, as well as, of course, a warm glow from knowing that they are supporting an organisation during a period of cuts to local authority services. Our membership benefi ts from the active involvement of our President, Lord Inglewood, and our Patron Claire Hensman, Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum. The more members we have the more support we can give to Cumbria Archive Service. Rob David, Chair

If you would like to join us please see our website (www.friendsofcumbriaarchives.org.uk) or contact our Membership Secretary, Lorna Mullett ([email protected])

Captions. Top right: Members being shown the recently catalogued mining collections at BarrowBottom right: A visit to Keld Chapel as part of a day looking at the history and archives of the Shap areaLeft: A FOCAS-organised performance of music from Cumbria’s archives by Gladly Solemn Sound in Troutbeck Church (Chester Forster)

Art GeneArt Gene has been awarded an HLF award of £97,400 to mark the First World War Centenary in Barrow. ‘Fort Walney Uncovered’ will be led by Art Gene and involve the local community to discover and interpret the remains of a British Army training camp in the North Walney Nature Reserve. Artwork will be produced and installed on site for interpretation and to tell the history of Fort Walney. Their work will include a digital map and smart phone app to guide visitors to the site.

Art Gene would like to hear from anyone with stories or memories to share of the Fort Walney site. Perhaps you played there as a child, looking for artefacts, or had a relative who trained there when

it was a military camp. If you have something to share, please contact:Nick Owen at Art Gene, 01229 825085 or email [email protected]

Stop Press!Rob David's CWAAS publication

In Search of Arctic Wonders: Cumbria and the Arctic in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries has been shortlisted for the 2014 Lakeland Book of the Year award


14

CWAAS 150th Anniversary1866-2016

11 September 2016 marks a signifi cant milestone in the history of our Society. On that date, 150 years ago, a group of enthusiasts for the history, archaeology and ‘old customs’ of Cumberland and Westmorland met at the Crown Hotel in Penrith and founded the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. The Society intends to mark this anniversary year with a series of special events and a book. Council has asked me to co-ordinate the events which will take place during 2016. We hope that as many members as possible will both take part in, and contribute to, these activities. If you have ideas as to how we might further commemorate this anniversary or feel that you could contribute to any of the planned events please contact me (see contact details below). At the moment we have a range of events in mind which will be spread across the year. Currently I am working on:1. an anniversary conference which will focus on particularly interesting eras of our past and highlight the contribution of Society members and activities to our understanding of them .2. an anniversary dinner which will include the launch of the anniversary volume outlining the history of our Society over its fi rst 150 years.3. an equivalent of the May Fell Walk with an enhanced picnic.4. an evening cruise on one of the lakes.5. a classic coach tour of signifi cant archaeological and historical sites (probably in the Penrith area) which will be presented to participants both as they were understood 150 years ago and today.6. an exhibition which will tour museums, libraries and archive centres in the county and which will focus on the history of the Society and the people associated with it, and their contribution to our understanding of our county, through a range of objects connected to the Society.7. an industrial archaeology day in Furness which will refl ect the signifi cant contributions of members of CWAAS to our understanding of Cumbria’s industrial past.8. a lecture sponsored by the Society which will reveal the signifi cance of CWAAS for the history of the county, and which will be made available to all the affi liated groups. The programme for the year will appear in the form of a souvenir booklet towards the end of 2015. In the meantime members will be kept informed of progress and dates as they are confi rmed through the Newsletter and the website. The fi rst request for help: the souvenir booklet, the Anniversary volume and the Anniversary exhibition need photographs of Society people and activities. If you have taken photographs at Society events, or have inherited ones from a more distant past, and would be willing to lend them to us could you please contact me. It is surprising how many events there have been for which we cannot fi nd photographs in the Society’s archive, so what you have may be exactly what we are looking for. Thank you very much. Rob David Tel: 01539 726134 [email protected]

Top: The Crown Hotel, Penrith, in the late 19th century (Cumbria Image Bank)Bottom: The site of the former Crown Hotel, 2014 (Lorna Mullett)

Clear Waters: an oral history of Lake Windermerea history of Windermere and other lakes as told by local scientists and residents

Travelling Exhibition Itinerary23 May - 31 August 2014: Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal

3 September - 15 October 2014: The Lakes Aquarium, Lakeside18 October 2014 - 4 January 2015: Lancaster Maritime Museum, Lancaster

7 January 2015 - 1 of March 2015: Cumbria Archive Centre, Carlisle4 March 2015 - 29 April 2015: Whitehaven Archive Centre, Whitehaven

2 May 2015 - 31 May 2015: Kendal Library, Kendal

For details: please contact the Freshwater Biological Association:Telephone: 01539 487700 or [email protected]


15

Kate Hodgson, F.S.A., 1889-1974, President 1948-51 The Collingwoods come close to being royalty in the Society and are still nationally recognised for their achievements in the arts, philosophy, and archaeology. In their time the Hodgsons would have been noticed in much the same way within this county and like the Collingwoods the family has supplied two Presidents to the Society. Katherine Sophia (Kate) Hodgson was the daughter of Thomas Hesketh Hodgson (President 1909-15) and Elizabeth Wilkinson of Newby Grange. Both Kate’s parents were from clerical families, Elizabeth’s father being Master of Peterhouse. Family members were also prominent in Cumberland public life. T H Hodgson had been a civil servant in the Admiralty before he inherited Newby Grange from his uncle W N Hodgson, MP in 1876. Both were JPs. Kate must have been immersed in archaeology from her early life. She is said to have worked on her fi rst excavation at the age of fi ve and to have claimed to learn archaeology on the banks of the Nile! Whatever the truth she would certainly have been aware of both her parents’ activities with the Cumberland Excavation Committee (CEC) between 1894 and 1903. She contributed, jointly with her mother, her fi rst note to Transactions in 1910 and joined the Society in 1918. Her formal archaeological education was at the Institute of Archaeology in London (dates not known) and presumably at a period before degrees were awarded by the Institute. There is a gap in her run of publications for 1936 when she was also listed as resident in London (CW2xxxvii, 1937). Was this when she was at the Institute? She was elected F.S.A. in 1949. Miss Hodgson’s importance to the Society lies in three main areas – her research, her activities with the parent body and her work with the Carlisle Regional Group. Her earliest recorded and published work was for the CEC on Hadrian’s Wall in the 1930s and she was a named author on reports on Turf Wall turrets (CW2 xxxiv, 1934, 130-7), Castlesteads Roman fort (CW2 xxxiv, 1934, 159-65), Watchcross camp (CW2 xxxvi, 1936, 170-2), Bewcastle fort (CW2 xxxviii, 1938, 195-237). Within the latter she was main author of the report on the Roman pottery. Later she collaborated with F G Simpson on the wartime rescue of Cardurnock Milefortlet (CW2 xlvii, 1947, 78-127) and returned with the CEC’s 1950s campaign to identify Hadrian’s Wall structures at the west end of the Wall (CW2 lii, 1952, 14-16). By the end of the 1930s her interests were moving towards prehistory. As member of the Society’s Prehistoric Committee she was allocated responsibility for the Border District (CW2 xliii, 1943, 167) and this became a background to much of her fi eldwork, notably the area around Broomrigg (Ainstable) fi rst described by her in 1935 (CW2 xxxv, 1935, 77-79) and later subject of several excavation reports (CW2 l, 1950, 30-42; lii, 1952, 1-8). Publication of her fi nal excavations at Broomrigg and in the White Lyne Valley were completed by her collaborators (CW2 lxxv, 17-29). She was also on the staff of R G Collingwood’s excavation at King Arthur’s Round Table in 1937 (CW2 xxxviii, 10). Latterly her published work focused on recording fi nds including three important collections of Bronze Age pottery (CW2 lvi, 1956, 1-17). Kate was extremely active in the service of the Society. She had been a member of the Excavation and Prehistoric Studies Committees, became a member of Council in 1936, President from 1948-51, and chaired Council between 1955 and 1965. She was made an honorary member in 1962. When the Regional Groups were established just after the war, Kate was a founder member of Carlisle Regional Group and its chairman from 1949 to 1966. During her time the group was active in a number of research projects and she and Robert Hogg (at Tullie House) became points of contact in the Carlisle area for new discoveries exemplifi ed by the reporting and rescue work at Brampton Roman tilery T H Hodgson died in 1917 and Kate continued to live with her mother at Newby Grange until she died in 1935. After this she lived briefl y in London, in Wetheral, and from 1950 until her death in 1974 at Ridge House in Brampton. Her companion at Ridge House was Miss Claudine Murray who outlived her by many years. Miss Murray was left a life-time interest in Miss Hodgson’s estate which then passed to the Society. Obituaries in Cumberland News 5 April 1974, p.11; The Times 2 April 1974. Photo and tribute in CW2 lxxiv, frontispiece This piece was expanded from the short presidential biography prepared for the 150th Anniversary volume. The Society would welcome any additional material relevant to Miss Hodgson’s life story particularly a picture of her in her younger days, information on her early life, whether her photographs survive, and a copy of the Times obituary.

Ian Caruana

CWAAS Carlisle Regional Group at the gates of Rose Castle in August 1956. Kate Hodgson is front row, 4th from the right (Adrian Allan; copy held at CAS (Carlisle), DSO 1/101)


16

BOOKSHELFPubs & Patriots: The Drink Crisis in Britain During World War I

Robert Duncan, Liverpool University Press, 2013. Hardback, 262pp, b&w illus. £70, ISBN 9781846318955

Robert Duncan’s book is a welcome addition to the topic of drink and wartime Britain in the period 1914 - 1918. Additionally, it is the fi rst scholarly monograph on a subject that has particular local interest due to the virtual nationalisation of the drinks industry in north Cumberland and south-west Scotland in World War I. The chapter devoted to the ‘Carlisle Experiment’ will create the most local interest, but it also has a useful survey of the contemporary debates surrounding the control of drinking and why it was perceived as such a problem, particularly in relation to munitions production. It is hard to resist the conclusion that working-class drinking was perceived as the ‘problem’ rather than among other sections of society. The introduction of the Central Control Board to regulate the fl ow of alcohol in Britain also struck a huge political nerve as opponents of state intervention saw this as a means of introducing political structures into society that would be diffi cult to remove in peacetime. Reformers saw the CCB’s work as a means of radically overhauling pubs and confronting the male, heavy drinking culture by replacing it with a softer feminised ‘café’ version that would attract a more genteel clientele. Opponents – and particularly the still infl uential Temperance Movement - saw these moves as tempting wider sections of society into the drinking habit. Undoubtedly the ‘problem’ of women drinking struck a particular resonance in the Carlisle area due to the high number of female munitions workers. Duncan concludes that the drink crisis was vastly overstated and caught up in debates over national effi ciency and the degree of state intervention in society. Certainly the impact of the state in the Carlisle and Gretna area was considerable - not only disrupting the local economy, but also challenging cultural assumptions about leisure and who had access to it. The State Management Scheme is still attracting interest locally and those with any interest in this connection will fi nd the book engrossing. It is rewarding reading, too, for those interested in British society in World War I, and in the history of leisure. Chris Brader

Why National Parks?Ian O. Brodie, Wildtrack Publishing, 2013. Softback, 144 pp. £14.50,

ISBN 9781904098522 Ian Brodie’s book is not a history of national parks or of the national

park movement. Instead it seeks to examine their validity in the 21st century and whether they are still fi t for purpose given that so many of the people concerned with their management have, the author argues, little sympathy with their basic aims and ethos. In order to understand the present circumstances and condition of national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty some knowledge of their origins and development is necessary.

Although national parks throughout England, Wales and Scotland are discussed there is a focus on the Lake District as this area formed the arena for so many of the early protagonists in the conservation and national park movement, and also for so many of the issues. The author claims that the nature and purpose of national parks in Britain is widely misunderstood

today. He challenges the mistaken assumption that we accept and understand why we need to protect some of our landscapes. This book provides a challenge to orthodox views on the success and future of our designated landscapes. In the process it casts some interesting light on the rise of various outdoor and conservation movements within the Lake District. Ian D. Whyte

Kendal Through the AgesNorman Holloway, Amberley Press, 2014. Softback, 96 pp, colour & b&w illus.

£14.99, ISBN 9781445618401 Norman Holloway’s fi rst book, Kendal Through Time, was a great success. Each page contained old and new photographs of the town, accompanied by short pieces of helpful text for those interested in Kendal and its history. This new volume follows the same format and includes a large number of previously unpublished old photographs of Kendal accompanied by carefully-posed modern scenes of the ‘now’ and ‘then’ variety. The text sitting alongside the photographs outlining the history of the buildings and the streets in which they sit has been well researched.The author is a Kendalian and has a love of the town and a long-standing interest in its history, making this book much more than ‘yet another’ book of photographs of old Kendal. Jean Turnbull


17

New from CWAAS!North-West England from the Romans to the Tudors

Essays in Memory of John Macnair ToddEdited by Keith J. Stringer

A book review will be included in the Autumn edition of the Newsletter

Politics and Religion in Restoration CockermouthMichael A. Mullett, CWAAS, 2013. Softback, 96pp. £7.50, ISBN 09781873124642

Over the past four decades, Prof. Michael Mullett has established for himself a formidable reputation as a historian of Europe’s reformations, and in particular of the radical ideas and groups which developed thereon. In this book, though, he makes a welcome return to some of his earliest research, on relations between boroughs and the Crown during the post-Restoration period. He traces political and religious life in Cockermouth from the republic of the 1650s to the aftermath of the so-called ‘Glorious Revolution’ in 1688, a fascinating period skilfully reconstructed by Mullett. In particular, Mullett’s work links together well with another recent CWAAS production, Robert Wordsworth’s excellent edition of the minutes of the Cockermouth Congregational Church, which, under George Larkham’s pastorate, features heavily in Mullett’s account. Add to this account Anglicans, Quakers, and an all-pervasive fear of Catholics, and the scene is set for the development of a two-party political system of Whigs and Tories during the 1670s and the 1680s which Mullett traces from the local perspective of Cockermouth. It must be said that the title slightly plays down the broader signifi cance of Mullett’s work, with him saying interesting things about, for example, Sir Daniel Fleming of Rydal, a character who is perhaps more readily associated with Westmorland than with Cumberland. Now that Mullett has uncovered the local context of the elections and the political trading of this period in Cockermouth, I hope that a student will pick up Mullett’s mantle and fi nd out what the borough’s members were doing at Westminster, using sources such as the Commons Journal and other parliamentary diaries. Given that one of the powers behind Charles II’s throne, Sir Joseph Williamson, was a native of Bridekirk and held estates in Cumberland, this could be very interesting indeed. James Mawdesley, University of Sheffi eld

A History of KendalAndrew White, Carnegie Publishing, 2013. Softback, 288pp, b&w illus. £18.50,

ISBN 9781859361504 Every so often a book is published which fi lls a need not fully realised before. A History of Kendal is just such a book. Written by a serious historian with a depth of knowledge and a readiness to devote years to meticulous research, it is at the same time very readable. In the introduction, Dr White states ‘Kendal’s great fame is disproportionate to its modest size’, and, beginning with the origins of the town, he has steadily worked his way through the centuries to the present day. Dispelling some long-held myths on the way, he has fi lled the book with solid facts, snippets of information and anecdotes. Whether one is well-read in local history or a complete beginner, this is the ideal guide book, covering an enormous sweep of history. Included are the trades for which Kendal was, and is, famous; education and philanthropy; health and welfare; transport; leisure activities; churches and chapels and times of war and peace, poverty and plenty. By the end of the book, the reader will be astonished at the way this small market town has consistently punched above its weight for centuries. Dr White has done Kendal proud, and his book is a must for all those of us who love the old town. Patricia Hovey

Musgrave Church Field and Tithe BarnMusgrave Church Field Trust, 2014. Softback, 20pp, colour & b&w illus. £4

Copies from Mike Lea (email: [email protected]; tel. 017683 42353) or from The Old Bookshop, 22 Market Sq, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria The opening of the restored Musgrave Church Tithe Barn in June 2013 was reported in the Newsletter in Summer 2013. This book is further proof - if any were needed - of the energy and commitment of the members of the Musgrave Church Field Trust (MCFT). It is a lovely book, full of information and colour and black and white illustrations – including contemporary photographs, reproductions of historical documents, drawings (new and old) and sections of old maps. The text sets the history of the church fi eld in the wider history of the Eden valley and of the villages of Great and Little Musgrave. There are sections on fl ora and fauna, the river Eden, and of local customs – such as the rushbearing (still carried on in Great Musgrave today). The section describing the restoration of the tithe barn, and of subsequent school visits to the site, demonstrate the benefi cial impact the work of the MCFT has had on the local community. Jean Turnbull


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CWAAS Research and Grants Committee At its meeting on 4 March 2014 the Research and Grants Committee considered four applications for grants, of which three were for new research. The largest sum granted was a contribution towards the cost of the analysis of environmental material from a kettle hole at Sizergh excavated by Levens Local History Group as part of ‘The Dig in the Park’. It was considered that the results had the potential to add signifi cantly to knowledge of the prehistory of Cumbria. The Lunesdale Archaeology Society was granted £500 for a geophysical survey of an area to the south of the Roman fort at Low Borrowbridge, Tebay, where the proposed sale of the farm in which the fort is located has added urgency to the proposed research. A further grant was made for research into the history of Cumbrian Newspapers in north Cumbria over the last 200 years, work which will add considerably to the history of news-gathering in the county. A fourth application was declined as it did not fall within the criteria for applications. The next meeting of the Committee is on Thursday, 16 October 2014. Any application should reach me by Wednesday, 1 October 2014. Harry Hawkins, Secretary

Clare Fell Bursaries The Clare Fell Fund was set up ten years ago to offer bursaries to young people to foster their interest in archaeology by helping them to do something they would not otherwise be able to do. To be eligible for a bursary, applicants must be under the age of 25 and either wish to undertake a specifi c project to help to pursue their interest in the archaeology of Cumbria or be a young person living in Cumbria who wishes to undertake a project relating to the archaeology of another area. The sort of activities which the Fund is intended to support includes gaining excavation or fi eldwork experience, travel and research expenses in connection with project work (whether at school or university level), with preference being given to applications in the fi eld of Prehistory, though no archaeological period is excluded. Group activities for school students are not excluded. The Fund is treated as a Designated Fund in the Society’s accounts, which in January 2014 was worth £64,372. The problem is, in recent years we have not had suffi cient applications. As a result, a number of options are being explored by the Standing Committee, in particular to modify the requirements slightly to include all people setting out on the study of archaeology, irrespective of age; and to use a part of the fund to embark on a marketing programme to raise awareness of the fund among the target group. In addition, the idea has been mooted of the society entering into a partnership with an appropriate university, not necessarily within the region, to part-fund an AHRC doctoral award. No decisions have yet been taken, and ideas from members would be welcomed. In the meantime, any young person who is interested in applying for funding under the current arrangements should download the application form on the website, under Grants and Bursaries/Clare Fell Bursary. Bill Shannon

What are the Treasures of Cumbria? Treasures of Cumbria is a new heritage project developed by the Cumbria Museum Consortium (Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, Wordsworth Trust and Lakeland Arts). The Consortium is asking residents and visitors to refl ect on what makes Cumbria special, whether that lies in heritage, the county’s landscape, its food, its people, the farming community or its resilience in overcoming obstacles. At the heart of the project is the Treasures of Cumbria website (www.treasuresofcumbria.org.uk). Ninety-nine treasures have been gathered on the site so far, ranging from the Crosby Garrett Helmet to Derwent Water to the Dacre Bears. The Consortium would like to see more. They are looking for experts across the county to share what they believe are the historical highlights of Cumbria. All that is required to create a treasure is a photograph and a paragraph or two in response to the questions ‘What is your treasure?’ and ‘Why is it a Treasure of Cumbria?’ A ‘dig deeper’ section is provided for more detailed information, with a limit of 9-10,000 words. The Consortium wants to emphasise personal connections to the county’s history and heritage on the site. They hope this will inspire people who might not normally engage with heritage, culture and the arts to get involved. As well as a strong online digital presence, Treasures of Cumbria provides offl ine opportunities for people to get involved with the project through lectures, workshops and projects. If you would like to fi nd out more about Treasures of Cumbria contact Mary Ferguson, Treasures

of Cumbria project co-ordinator on 01228 618778 or [email protected]

Britten’s War RequiemCumbria Choral Initiative’s Millennium Chorus and Orchestra

Soloists Elizabeth Traill (soprano), Nicholas Hurndall Smith (tenor) and John Lofthouse (bass)Conductor: Ian JonesKendal Parish Church

Saturday 8 November, 7.30 pmTickets £14 (students free) from 01539 724449 or at the doorSupported using public funding by Arts Council England

www.cumbriachoralinitiative.org


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DEADLINES by which Copy should reach the Editor:Spring Issue: 1 February • Summer Issue: 1 June • Autumn Issue: 1 OctoberArticles should not exceed 500 words except by arrangement with the Editor

The Editor reserves the right to edit articlesViews expressed are not necessarily those of the CWAAS or the Editor

Registered Charity No. 227786

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS(Information supplied by Adrian Allan, Honorary Membership Secretary)

Current Membership Rates: Ordinary Member: £25; £3 addition for Family Member; Associate Member in full-time education: £6; Institutional Member: £28 per annum;

additional for hardback Transactions: £10

A REMINDER : Membership Subscriptions for the year 2014 - 15 are due on 1 July 2014You can join or renew on-line at cumbriapast.com (‘Membership’ tab). Members who renew

by banker’s order / direct credit are requested to ensure they are paying the correct rate. All payments should be in pounds sterling, by direct credit to Barclays Bank plc, Kendal

Branch Business Centre, Sort Code 20-45-28, Account No. 00305103; or by cheque payable to ‘CWAAS’, and sent to Adrian Allan, Hon. Membership Secretary, CWAAS, The Golden

Fleece, Carleton, Carlisle, CA4 0AN. Payments via European banks should quote: IBAN: GB93 BARC 2045 2800 3051 03 or SWIFTBIC: BARCGB22

I will be very happy to answer any queries members may have concerning their subscriptions; I may be reached at my postal address (noted above) or by email at [email protected]

Any member wishing to contact another member whose address they do not know should contact the Membership Secretary, who will forward their letter or email to the person concerned.

New Members, 1 February to 31 May 2014:County is Cumbria unless otherwise stated.Ordinary MembersDr Kerry-Ann Adamson, EdinburghMrs Susan Beachell, PenrithMr Mark Brockbank, Monte Carlo, MonacoMr Jeremy Disley, Langley Park, DurhamDr Harriet Harris, Cambridge, Cambs.Mrs Jan Hicks, Orton, PenrithMr John Kaye, UlverstonMr Paul Newsome, Keighley, West YorkshireDr Sarah Rose, Lancaster, Lancs.Mr Nigel Sidaway, AspatriaMr Richard Stevens, WigtonMr Howard Wood, Kirkby Stephen

Family MembersDr Elizabeth Greene and Mr Alexander Meyer, Ontario, CanadaMr Richard Platt and Dr Jane Platt, High Hesket

DeceasedThe Society regrets to record the death of the following members:Mr D M Milligan, Windermere (LM)Dr Richard A H Robinson, Barnt Green, Worcestershire (OM)

USEFUL CONTACTS (see also cumbriapast.com)President: Rachel Newman, 24 Portland Street, Lancaster, LA1 1SY. Tel: (day): 01524-541000. Email: [email protected] Secretary: Mrs M E McClintock, MBE,

Westlands, Westbourne Drive, Lancaster, LA1 5EE. Tel: 01524 67523 Email: [email protected]

Treasurer: Dr W D Shannon, 12A Carleton Av., Fulwood, Preston, PR2 6YA.Tel: 01772 709187Email: [email protected]

Librarian: Mr I D Caruana, 10 Peter St., Carlisle, CA3 8QP. Tel: 01228 544120 Email: [email protected]

Society Webmaster: John Steel, see http://cumbriapast.com for web and Facebook

Membership Secretary: Mr Adrian Allan, The Golden Fleece, Carleton, Carlisle CA4 0AN. Tel: 01228 521900 Email: [email protected] Editor: Prof C Richards, 1 Bobbin Mill,

Spark Bridge, Ulverston, LA12 8BS. Tel: 01229 861626

Email: [email protected] Transactions Editor: Prof I D Whyte, 3 Juniper

Croft, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, PR6 7UF. Email: [email protected] or

[email protected] Newsletter Editor: Dr J Turnbull,

61 Bellingham Rd., Kendal LA9 5JY. Tel: 01539 722439 Email: [email protected]


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CWAAS Forthcoming Events (see cumbriapast.com and flyers)

CWAAS Affi liated Groups: Summer and Autumn 2014Visitors welcome. See cumbriapast.com for updates

or contact the relevant secretary for further information

• 4 October, Urban walk, Alston • 4 October, Joint lecture, Cockermouth. Hugh Doherty, A King of Scots in Copeland: The joy of studying twelfth century charters• 7 November, Dorothy Charlesworth Lecture, Carlisle. Humphrey Welfare, Not Just a Wall: understanding the earthworks of Hadrian’s Wall• 11 April 2015, Annual General Meeting, Carlisle Archives Centre

The CWAAS is on Facebook! Join us - hear all the news fi rst! Click on the Facebook panel on

www.cumbriapast.com

FOCAS Saturday 11 October, 2014

Annual Members DayCarlisle Archive Centre

A variety of presentations about Cumbria’s public and private archives and current

research using them For information: [email protected]

Cumbria Industrial History SocietySaturday 18 October, 2014

The Industries of Brampton and Neighbouring Area

Brampton Community Centre For information: www.cumbria-industries.org.uk

Lake District National Park AuthoritySunday 2 November, 2014

Annual Archaeology Conference Theatre by the Lake, Keswick

For information: www.lakedistrict.gov.uk

Regional Heritage Centre(incorporating the former Centre for

North-West Regional Studies)• 13 September, afternoon event, Tomorrow’s Heritage? An architectural tour of the University campus

• 8 October, afternoon event, Conscientious objection and the pacifi st tradition in the First World War (Friends’ Meeting House, Lancaster)

• 1 November, study day, Monastic Heritage in North West England

For full details see: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/cnwrs/

Tel: 01524 593770 or email: [email protected]

Carlisle Affi liated GroupChair: Susan Dench (Tel: 01228 524600)

Secretary: Robert Bramwell (Tel: 01228 544384)Tullie House Museum, Carlisle, 7.15 pm

• 10 October, Ted & Stella Davis, Draining the Cumbrian Landscape• 7 November, Dorothy Charlesworth

Lecture, Humphrey Welfare, Not Just a Wall: understanding the earthworks of Hadrian’s Wall

Penrith Affi liated GroupChair: Michael Mullett (Tel: 01768 840903)

Secretary: Christine Bretherton (01768 867581)Friends Meeting House, Penrith, 2.00 pm

• 12 October Warren Allison, Greenside Mine and its Penrith Link• 10 November Ian Lewis, Cumbrian War Memorials

South-West Cumbria History & Archaeology Society

Chair: Myrna Cook (Tel: 01946 825364)Secretary: Len Watson (Tel: 019467 24634)

Egremont Market Hall, 2.00 pm

• 2 August, Guided visit to Stott Park Bobbin Mill (time tbc)• 24 September, Guided visit to Papcastle excavations (1.45 pm)• 27 September, AGM, Bill Myers Cumbria in World War I• 4 October, joint lecture, Hugh Doherty, A King of Scots in Copeland: The joy of studying twelfth century charters

Please contact the Secretary for further details of guided visits

Kendal Historical & Archaeological Society

Chair: Alison Ewin (Tel: 01539 729710)Secretary: Kevin Grice (Tel: 01539 722006)

Shakespeare Centre, Kendal, 7.30 pm

• 13 September, Day-long walk around Crosby Ravensworth & Maulds Meaburn Meet outside Crosby Ravensworth Church at 10.30 am• 6 October, Sir Martin Holdgate, Appleby Castle and Town - a turbulent tale• 3 November, Jamie Lund, Dig in the Park - a presentation of recent archaeological work at Sizergh


cumberland and w antiquarian and archaeological...

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