At Bolton Castle, Wensleydale, we have been recording the roof of the surviving inhabited mediaeval wing, in advance of renovations. Among other things, we have recorded hundreds of graffiti cut into the leads and dating from the 18th century.
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Welcome to the Brigantia Archaeological Practice
Some recent projects
At Egglestone Abbey, in advance of the construction of a new farm building, the observation of old masonry led to the discovery of the remains of a large thirteenth-century gatehouse, the position of which had not previously been suspected. We were able to excavate and record the ruins in their entirety before careful backfilling, allowing the new barn to be built without disturbing the mediaeval remains, which remain for future generations.
A survey of Kingsdale on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park was commissioned by the Park Authority as part of the Farm Conservation Scheme. The aim was to establish what archaeology survives within one of the least well-documented parts of the Park. Work also involved a study of field walls and wall-furniture. Results were particularly interesting in upper Kingsdale where many new sites were identified, representing continuous settlement and farming from prehistoric times onwards. We have also undertaken similar surveys in the Malham and Dent areas of the Park.
A detailed survey and documentary search of Thorngate Mill, Barnard Castle, was undertaken before the conversion of the building to flats. The mill is one of the last remnants of a once flourishing local textile industry: built as a spinning mill, it has also at different times been a weaving mill, a factory producing a tiny motor-car, and a remaindered-book shop. Plans for the conversion of the building will take into account the historic features which have been identified.
At Marton, near Middlesbrough, we are excavating, in advance of housing development, an extensive area of prehistoric and Romano-British settlement. Iron Age activity is represented by a series of circular timber houses which disappeared shortly after the Roman conquest, to be replaced by a system of ditched enclosures, apparently as part of a cattle ranch. Most of the site has now been released for development, and while we continue to record the remaining archaeology we are beginning the post-excavation process of sorting and analysing the finds and records.
