An archaeological dig has resulted in significant finds being discovered on a Redesdale farm, including 2,000-year-old jewellery. The excavation, which took place at Rattenraw Farm from 22nd July – 2nd August, was organized as part of Revitalising Redesdale’s ‘Lost Redesdale’ community archaeology project. Fifty-three volunteers took part in the dig, with people of all ages, from six to eighty picking up a trowel and digging in.
Finds included fragments of Iron Age pottery, a whet stone for tool sharpening, part of a quern stone for grinding grain, ironworking slag and over 50 coloured glass beads from a necklace or bracelet. The type of artefacts found are typically associated with the late Iron Age and Romano-British period and are approximately 2,000 years old.
The excavation also revealed areas of extensive stone paving, consisting of large flag stones, positioned on top of an earlier cobbled stone floor, suggesting the settlement was lived in by successive generations and was altered and updated over time.
The excavation follows on from archaeological surveys that have been carried out on the farm over the last 18 months, thanks to support from the owners and led by members of the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group (NOWTAG).This work provided the first accurate record of the Iron Age/Romano British settlement as well as making a number of new discoveries elsewhere on the farm.
The excavation was directed by Richard Carlton of the Archaeological Practice, who said, “The investigation has confirmed the results previously carried out on similar enclosures in Redesdale, such as by Beryl Charlton & John Day in the 1970s, but has also found significant differences, including a richer array of finds. The significance of these, in terms of dating the site and understanding its function, will be more apparent following full analysis of artefacts and other materials found there, but it certainly has the potential to make a very significant contribution to the understanding of the later iron age in this part of the Borders. The excavation was made particularly enjoyable and worthwhile by the participation of many local people as well as the encouragement and full support of the landowners.”
Revitalising Redesdale Heritage and Engagement Officer, Karen Collins, said, “It has been a very exciting dig. We uncovered features we had not expected to see such as the stone flagged flooring and finding the beads was a real highlight. It has gone beyond all our expectations and everyone involved is understandably very pleased with the results! I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who gave their time and energy in making this such a success.”
Chris Jones, Historic Environment Officer for Northumberland National Park, said, “The work of all those involved in the survey and excavation on Rattenraw Farm has added considerably to our knowledge of past human activity in the area. This excavation has provided us with an insight into what life might have been like for the people who lived here over 2,000 years ago. It shows what can be achieved through the hard work of local people and other volunteers from further afield and how this might inspire a love of the rich and fascinating archaeology we have in the National Park in particular.”
The excavation was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and Northumberland National Park Authority as part of the £2.8m Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership scheme. Further excavations and other archaeological activities are planned throughout the Landscape Partnership scheme, which runs until December 2022.
To get involved or more information, please contact Karen Collins, Revitalising Redesdale Heritage and Engagement Officer, on 07741 194309 or email karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk.
River restoration work starts this week at Smoutel Ford, West Woodburn. Revitalising Redesdale Partnership will rebuild the historic bridleway across the Rede valley, allowing walkers and riders to enjoy trails between Monkridge Hill and Otterburn for the first time in decades.
The river crossing at Smoutel Ford was lost because so much stone and gravel was removed from the river during the 1950s. Revitalising Redesdale’s work will reintroduce about 1400 tonnes of boulder and cobble sized stone to the river bed to create the Ford and associated features. The aim is to reinvigorate the river flow in this over-deepened part of the channel. This will provide healthier habitat for fish, river flies and our iconic Rede species, the endangered freshwater pearl mussel.
The contractor team, led by Groundwork North East & Cumbria, have developed the project with strong support from local landowners. The project has been made possible with funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council, through an active partnership led by Natural England and Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
This work will restore the Rede along one of the most degraded stretches where there are not enough gravels upstream to sustain the natural riverbed. As well as improving access for people across the river, this action will benefit river ecology beyond the 300m restored length. The Smoutel Ford project will be completed in October 2019 with further associated work planned for 2020. Additional riverside projects are taking place across the catchment as part of Revitalising Redesdale Programme 2018-2023. Together they aim to protect and enhance the area’s landscape for wildlife and people.
For more details please contact Nick Lightfoot, Programme Officer info@revitalisingredesdale.org.uk Tel: 02080261194, or visit our website www.revitalisingredesdale.org.uk to find out more about Revitalising Redesdale, volunteering opportunities and events.
Discover the World of Bumblebees and Honeybees!
What’s that buzz? Learn about bees, discover their importance as pollinators and find out how you can help them.
23rd June – Elsdon Village Hall, Elsdon, 10:00 – 14:00
Tickets – Adults: £10.00 ; 14-18 years: £5.00
Click here for booking and further details
Photo credit: Chris Gomersall/2020VISION
Bioblitz – Wildlife recording day
A day of recording all the flora and fauna we can find!
7th July, 9:00 – 16:00 – Otterburn Castle, Otterburn. Tickets: Free!
Click here for booking and further details
Archaeological Excavation of Iron-Age/Romano-British Settlement
‘Lost Redesdale’ Community Archaeology Project invites you to take part in an excavation of an Iron-Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement.
From 10:00 – 16:00 at Rattenraw Farm, Otterburn
Week 1: 22nd – 27th July
Week 2: 30th July – 2nd August
Join in for as many days as you wish. No previous experience necessary, all training provided. Click here for booking and further details
Hold the Date!
Survey of Stone-built Mounds on Fawdon Hill
2ndJuly: Archaeological survey,
3rd – 4th July: Excavation!
Full details TBC. Please contact Karen Collins on 07741 194309 or email karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Bat Safari & Introduction to Bat Detectors
Enter the hidden world of Otterburn’s Bats on this guided bat walk with Wild Intrigue. Learn how to use Magenta 4 bat detectors to identify these elusive mammals, a skill which residents of Redesdale can then apply at home as part of the Hidden Redesdale Bat Detector Loan Scheme.
From 21:30 – 22:30 on the following dates/locations:
4 July – Otterburn Castle, Otterburn
10 July – Corsenside Parish Hall, West Woodburn
20 July – Jubilee Park, Bellingham
23 July – Elsdon Village Hall, Elsdon
24 July – Byrness Village Hall, Byrness
Click here for booking and further details
The Last Black House of Catcleugh
Find out about the fascinating history of Catcleugh Reservoir and visit the Black House.
7th July, 4th August, 1st September, 13:30 – Catcleugh Reservoir Entrance.
Tickets: £8:00
Click here for booking and further details
Do you have a story to tell about Catcleugh or Redesdale?
Revitalising Redesdale have commissioned Northumberland writer Rachel Cochrane to write a radio play about the lives of the workers who built Catcleugh and their families.
As part of her inspiration, Rachel would like to gather stories from the local community relating to Redesdale and Catcleugh.
Can you help? Or do you know someone who could?
To share your stories, please contact Karen Collins, 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Volunteering Opportunities
The best way to help us revitalise Redesdale is to volunteer on our projects. See below for a our current requirements:
- Verge Ambassador: Are you passionate about Redesdale’s roadside wildflowers?
- Battle of Otterburn Document Researcher: Help us uncover the details of this enigmatic and unique conflict!
- OS Transcriber: Are you fascinated to dig into the historical geography of Redesdale?
- Lidar Landscapes Surveyor: Join us in discovering lost Redesdale!
- River Monitors: seeking enthusiastic people to help with river recording
Click here to register and find out more about volunteering with Revitalising Redesdale
Revitalising Redesdale is thrilled to announce six awards from its local Community Heritage Fund for projects designed to celebrate the area’s rich cultural heritage, landscape and wildlife. Supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, this is a crucial part of the Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership’s vision to empower and enable local people to take the lead on these aims. Anyone can apply for between £500 and £2,000 to deliver projects that provide public benefits and take place in Redesdale area.
The awards are decided by a panel of local representatives, and applications are now open for the next round with a deadline of midnight on September 11th, 2019.
So far in 2019, funding has been assigned to Border Bloodshed, an exploration into tumultuous history of Tudor Redesdale, a time when these lawless and unruly lands were beset by reivers and enigmatic conflicts. Meanwhile, the Heads and Tales project will protect, display and tell the mysterious story of three horse skulls found in the belfry at St Cuthbert’s Church Elsdon.
Wildlife thrives in today’s less turbulent Redesdale, so local business, Wild Intrigue, is connecting people with nature through the recently launched Hidden Redesdale. The funding isproviding opportunities to discover, record and conserve species through training and equipment loan schemes. There’s an exciting programme of events across the valley too, starting in May with an introduction to camera trapping and bat safaris in July. One ongoing battle is the campaign to save Redesdale’s Red squirrels. Supported by the Community Heritage Fund, North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels group will work with local schools to teach children about red squirrel conservation, as well as stepping up its own grey squirrel control efforts.
To help people explore the fascinating history and wildlife, Redesdale Ramblers will encourage locals and visitors to discover Corsenside on foot by developing trail leaflets and improving route markers. In the ancient capital of Redesdale, Elsdon Parish Council are reinstating the historic circular seat to provide the perfect resting point on the village green.
If you have a great idea for how to celebrate Redesdale – its history, its wildlife, its people, Revitalising Redesdale encourages you to apply to the Community Heritage Fund by the 11th September.
What the recipients think:
North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels will be engaged in a two-part project to enhance current wild-life diversity in the valley and to better equip young people to take this responsibility into the future: Resources are provided to increase the effectiveness of red-squirrel conservation along the Rede and to run a First School teaching programme entitled ‘Red Squirrels; Survival Through the Seasons’. – Adrian Rawlins, North Tyne and Redesdale Red Squirrels
Hidden Redesdale is an opportunity for residents of this region to discover and help conserve the wildlife on our doorstep. We’re excited to offer a series of free training events where attendees can not only learn new skills in discovering wildlife, but can meet like-minded people in the community too. Thanks to the Revitalising Redesdale ‘Community Heritage Fund’, we’ve been able to offer a brand new service to the area too, equipment loan schemes, where after attending our training sessions residents of Redesdale can loan camera traps, bat detectors and moth traps to discover the ‘hidden’ wildlife in their very own gardens. – Heather Louise Devey,Wild Intrigue
The team at St Cuthbert’s Church is absolutely delighted to have Revitalising Redesdale’s support for our Heads & Tales project. No-one knows for sure why three horses’ skulls were placed in the bell tower at the church, but they are a unique and intriguing part of Elsdon’s heritage and have stimulated many theories over the years. It’s very exciting that we will now be able to display and interpret the skulls properly in a bespoke new case, and we will be using their mysterious story as inspiration for other community myth-making and storytelling events and activities in the village this summer, including new creative writing, a film about the church, and potentially the creation of a brand new Elsdon legend! – Beryl Charlton, St. Cuthbert’s Church Elsdon
This funding will allow me to develop a project designed to celebrate the important role which Rededale played in the history of Tudor England. It will gather information about Redesdale held in archives and make it available to the public through an interactive website, which will also include routes of circular walks, activity packs, and a wealth of colourful information bringing the region’s rich history to life. – Neil Murphy, Northumbria University
Students who designed and constructed a brand-new piece of public architecture in Northumberland have been joined by community representatives and partners at its unveiling.
As the most recent addition to Kielder Water & Forest Park’s Art & Architecture Programme, The Nick is the latest in the series of creative projects that have been developed through the partnership between the Park’s Development Trust and Newcastle University’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape.
Situated at the highest point of Forest Drive, The Nick provides varying levels of shelter and seating alternatives from which different aspects of the landscape can be viewed. It was funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund through the Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership, Forestry England and Newcastle University, with support from James Christopher Consulting and D.G. Walton and Son.
The piece is oriented along an axis connecting the villages of Byrness and Kielder, reflecting and highlighting the importance of Forest Drive in connecting the Rede and Tyne valleys and communities.
A group of seven students from the University took part in the creation of The Nick, working with members of the Redesdale community throughout 2018, generating ideas and developing the proposal and design. The structure’s design captures different elements of this remote landscape; focusing the eye on the nearby flora that makes up this rare peat upland ecology and framing the distant fells, culminating in a stunning view towards the head of the North Tyne valley. The students prefabricated much of the artwork in the university workshops before transporting and assembling its individual parts to create the finished piece at Blakehope Nick.
The Nick was commissioned by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust through its Art & Architecture programme, which is supported by Arts Council England, working with the Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership, Newcastle University and Forestry England.
Alex MacLennan, Recreation and Public Affairs Manager, North East for Forestry England and one of the members of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, said: “The Nick is another fantastic example of partnership working to enhance the wonderful surroundings of the Park through art and architecture. It encourages visitors to stop, look around and fully experience the raw wilderness of the area – this ties nicely into our centenary, 100 years of Forestry as you really get to see how the vision back in 1919 has today turned Kielder into such an iconic area in the UK. It’s been great to once again work with the students of Newcastle University to create something truly unique.”
Graham Farmer, Head of Architecture, Newcastle University, said: “The Nick is our seventh permanent Testing Ground project and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with various project partners to deliver it. The Nick presented a really interesting design challenge for our students and they had to develop a sensitive response appropriate to the remote and ecologically sensitive site whilst also celebrating the unique qualities of the location and landscape at Blakehope Nick. Their design approach has resulted in a structure that is both practical and engaging and it is a project we are all very proud of.”
Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership representative, Maria Hardy said, “The Nick is an inspiring place to pause at the top of the watershed between the North Tyne and Rede valleys, to appreciate the landscape of managed forests and wild heather moors viewed through the frame of this unique architecture. The project has given students an opportunity to learn community consultation skills and is the first step in our aspiration to strengthen artistic connections between Kielder and Redesdale.”
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Using money raised by the National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund
In September 1919 the Forestry Commission was founded to restore the nation’s woods and forests following the First World War, and the passing of the Forestry Act.
Celebrate 100 years of forestry at Kielder between 10th – 12th May, with a weekend full of free events!
www.revitalisingredesdale.org.uk
Our new site is the hub of information about Revitalising Redesdale. You will find the most up-to-date news, links to our social media, and mailing list sign-up on the Homepage.
Put your Redesdale on the map
We are really excited to unveil the new Discover page! Here you can add stories and multimedia to an interactive map to share the Redesdale you know with others.
Don’t miss a single event
Our improved What’s On page shows all our upcoming events in one easy-to-navigate place.
Find out what we are working on
Read all about the twelve projects that make up Revitalising Redesdale on the Projects page.
This project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Your brief on what the team and partners have been getting up to.
Repair works to Scheduled Monuments completed
The repair and consolidation works to Ridsdale Ironworks Engine House and High Rochester Roman Fort have been completed, ensuring these important historical sites are conserved for future generations. We are now developing interpretation for the sites.
Lidar Landscapes
The Redesdale Lidar Landscapes project has gone from strength to strength, with 34 volunteers participating to survey 100 square km of Redesdale Lidar data. We are delighted to announce that the project is now being extended, with the new target to survey over 200 square km. To date, exciting new finds have included previously unrecorded Roman marching camps, medieval villages and Iron Age settlements. Who knows what else we might discover?! If you would like to be involved please get in touch with Karen.
Footpath improvements carried out at Padon Hill and Byrness
As part of the Walk and Cycle Redesdale project, improvement works have been carried out along sections of the Pennine Way at Padon Hill, Blakehopeburnhaugh and Byrness, including soil reversal and drainage works to combat boggy sections of the path, new steps on steep sections and improved way marking. In addition, way marking and strimming have been undertaken along the public bridleway and forestry commission tracks at Byrness, creating a way marked circular route up the Spithope valley. A guided walk of the circular route will be held on the 12th May, see details below.
‘The Nick’ to be revealed to the world
Students from Newcastle University have finished the creation and installation of a new interpretive structure at Blakehope Nick, on the Forest Drive between Byrness and Kielder. ‘The Nick’ will officially be opened at an event in May. Keep an eye out for updates.
Restoring Redesdale’s Peatland
The peatland programme continued with restoration work at Steng Moss during winter 2018/19. Located at the top of two river catchments, the Rede and the Wansbeck, the aims of these works were to reduce erosion, reduce and delay the loss of water from the system and to conserve the important bog habitat. This was done by blocking artificial ditches, known as ‘grips’, using peat dams to hold water on the site and by re-profiling the sides of the grips to make them shallower, helping to reduce erosion and allowing the bog flora to grow and hold the peat in place.
With the help of Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumberland National Park volunteers, as well as students from Northumberland College, we have also removed many self-seeded Sitka spruce trees. These non-native Sitka spruce have a cumulative drying effect on peat and reduce the availability of light, through shading. This can result in damage to the surrounding vegetation and eventually the peat, reducing its ability to store carbon, regulate water and its suitability for its unique wildlife.
River Improvement Project
In February, the River Rede was the focus of the Tyne Catchment Partnership. The group visited the upstream works on tributaries of the Lisles Burn delivered by the River Project Team at East Woodburn in January. These include log jams with brash bundles and sediment ponds, to help slow the flow in high rainfall events and reduce sediment entering the Burn and River. The Team also completed some grazing management fencing and water troughs on the Miller Burn near Otterburn. On 20th March, our colleagues at Groundwork NE & Cumbria and Tyne Rivers Trust volunteers will be planting riverside trees at Otterburn.
Volunteering Opportunities
Transcriber- Ordnance Survey Place Name Books
The Ordnance Survey Name Books (OSNBs) are the records of fieldwork done by Royal Engineers surveyors as a basis for First Edition Six Inch maps and subsequent maps. As well as surveying, they collected information about places and place-names from local informants and consulted histories and directories of the county.
OSNBs survive for most of Scotland, but for only the four northernmost counties of England, including 104 books for Northumberland parishes. Many entries contain fascinating insights into the landscape, antiquities, buildings, and industrial and social history of the mid 19th century. For example, in rural Northumberland we hear of gentlemen’s residences, busy village schools and chapels, Post Offices despatching letters at 3.15 prompt, wells, mills, and archaeological sites generally labelled ‘camps’.The Northumberland Name Books project, launched in May 2016, seeks to make this valuable resource available to researchers and the general public through a website. The few remaining to be transcribed include Elsdon, a very large parish covered in two books and a total of 404 pages. Transcribing involves typing the content as seen into Excel workbooks, following the detailed guidelines provided. If anyone would like more details or is interested in volunteering to be involved in this, please contact Karen.
Upcoming Events
Introduction to Newts and Other Amphibians
Saturday 6th April, 6pm-8.45pm & Sunday 7th April 8am-9am
Otterburn Memorial Hall, NE19 1NP
This two-part event, designed to give a good understanding of newts and other amphibians, will cover species identification, their ecology and survey methods.
For booking and more event information: https://www.nwt.org.uk/events/2019-04-06-introduction-newts-and-other-amphibians
Catcleugh Discovery Day
Wednesday 10th April, 1pm-5pm
Byrness Village Hall, NE19 1TS
Discover the story of the workers who built Catcleugh reservoir, explore the last remaining Black House and find out how you can get involved in an exciting new radio play production about Catcleugh.
To book contact Karen Collins on 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Afternoon Tea at Byrness
Wednesday 10th April, 5pm-7pm
Byrness Village Hall, NE19 1TS
Join us for an informal afternoon tea to find out about our projects and events, share your stories and ideas and find out how you can get involved.
To book contact Karen Collins on 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Volunteer thank-you event: Arms and Armour
Saturday 13th April, 2pm-4pm
Elsdon Village Green
As a special thank-you to our volunteers, we are offering an introduction to warfare in the late fourteenth century— there’ll be swords, armour, polearms and bows – all available for handling plus a chance for basic spear drill! John Sadler and Beverley Palin will be providing an interactive introduction to the subject with lively discourse, storytelling and even period music, much clashing of swords and a chance (for those who wish to) to join in.
The event is free of charge and will be followed by an afternoon tea at Elsdon Village Hall, which will also be open to the wider community to come along and find out more about Revitalising Redesdale projects and have an informal chat.
To book contact Karen on 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Afternoon Tea at Elsdon
Saturday 13th April, 3.30pm-5.30pm
Elsdon Village Hall, NE19 1AB
Join us for an informal afternoon tea to find out about our projects and events, share your stories and ideas and find out how you can get involved.
To book contact Karen Collins on 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Guided walk- Byrness, Spithope and the Pennine Way
Sunday 12th May, 10.30am
Byrness Village
Celebrate the Forestry Commission’s Centenary with this circular walk along recently improved Forestry Commission trails through the Spithope valley and back along the Pennine Way.
7 miles. Moderate. £5 per person.
To book visit: https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/events/walk-byrness-spithope-and-the-pennine-way/event-3588/
Archaeological survey of Farmstead Settlement
Sunday 26th, Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th May, 10am-4pm
Rattenraw Farm, Otterburn, NE19 1LH
Take part in a detailed survey of a farmstead settlement and learn new archaeological survey skills. No previous experience needed, all training provided. Attend just one, two or all three days.
To book contact Karen Collins on 07741 194309, karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Discover the World of Bumblebees and Honeybees
Sunday 23rd June, 10am-2pm
Elsdon Village Hall, NE19 1AB
What’s that buzz? Learn about bees, discover their importance as pollinators and find out how you can help them.
For booking and more event information: https://www.nwt.org.uk/events/2019-06-23-discover-world-bumblebees-and-honeybees
Revitalising Redesdale is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thank you all National Lottery players!
A report has been produced for the archaeological survey of an Iron Age/Romano-British settlement at Rattenraw Farm, which was carried out on the 6th-8th October 2018. The report has been compiled by volunteers from the North of the Wall Tynedale Archaeology Group (NOWTAG) and details the findings from the 3-day, Level 3 survey, which was undertaken by volunteers as part of our ‘Lost Redesdale’ community archaeology project. Read the report here:
Rattenraw Level 3 Survey final report 7 Nov
We plan to carry out further investigations on this site, including excavations, so watch this space for more details!
Your brief on what the team and partners have been getting up to.
Pie ‘n’ Peas Supper Evening
Join us to celebrate Revitalising Redesdale’s progress during our first year, with an informal meal. Find out more about the historical and natural heritage projects, and how you can be involved.
The event will be from 19:00 to 21:00 on Thursday 29th November, at the Rede, Tyne & Coquet Sports and Leisure Centre (directions). Booking essential: 07552269363 / nick.lightfoot@naturalengland.org.uk
Upcoming volunteering opportunities
The best way to volunteer with Revitalising Redesdale is to register as a volunteer with one or both of our core delivery partners:
Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumberland National Park
Survey of ancient settlements in Redesdale gets off to a flying start!
October has been a very exciting month for our archaeology projects. Not only have we now completed an archaeological survey of an Iron Age/Romano-British settlement and field systems, we have also kicked off our Lidar survey of the valley by finding exciting, previously unrecorded archaeological sites at our initial workshop!
The 3-day archaeological survey at Rattenraw was carried out by a team of volunteers and enthusiasts, led by Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group (NOWTAG) and built on a previous survey of the site carried out in February this year. The results of the survey have revealed what is believed to be three roundhouse structures, together with two areas of stock enclosure and a probable entrance. Excavations at the site are now being planned for Spring/Summer 2019.
Lidar Landscapes
The Lidar Interpretation workshop took place on the 17th October and was attended by over 25 volunteers from the local community and beyond. This was an initial start-up workshop to explain to potential volunteers how this exciting new technology can reveal Redesdale’s hidden archaeology and how they could directly be involved in making new archaeological discoveries. Exciting new finds were even spotted during the workshop, including probable Iron Age/Romano-British settlements, an Iron Age hill fort and an enormous Roman marching camp!!
The Lidar survey is now underway and will help us to determine where to focus future archaeological investigations, which will take place over the course of the next 4 years.
More Space for RedeFest!
There’s now more useful space for stalls at Redefest and other community events! The spoil mound left from building the community building at Brigantium in Rochester was recently leveled. In October, a team of Redefest committee members, friends and family did a great job helping finish up leveling the ground after the digger and sowed some ground cover – but this area will still need more TLC in the spring. If you’d like to help look after this site do get in touch!
Peatland Progress
We’ve been removing invading Sitka spruce seedlings – both large and small – from peatland in Redesdale with the help of Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers.
These non-native Sitka spruce have a cumulative drying effect on peat and reduce the availability of light, through shading. This can result in damage to the surrounding vegetation and eventually the peat, reducing its ability to store carbon, regulate water and its suitability for its unique wildlife.
Get involved at: https://www.nwt.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer
Want to help us investigate Redesdale’s rich history? We are running a historic documents research training workshop on Wednesday 5th September, 7-8.30pm at Otterburn Memorial Hall.
This training workshop will provide an introduction to historical research and will cover how we can use historic documents such as chronicles, paintings, maps and ballads to help us find out more about Redesdale’s heritage. We’ll also take a look at written records from contemporary works to the views of modern historians. We will be looking in particular detail at the documents that might shed some light on the events and location of the Battle of Otterburn.
You don’t need to have any previous experience and the workshop is free of charge, although booking is essential. Teas, coffees and biscuits will be provided.
Suitable for ages 12+. Under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult.
To book your place, please contact Karen Collins, Revitalising Redesdale Heritage and Engagement Officer, on 07741 194309 or email karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Are you interested in archaeology and the historic environment?
Would you like to take part in exciting and meaningful volunteering and help us discover more about Redesdale’s fascinating past?
Take a look at these exciting new volunteering opportunities as part of Revitalising Redesdale Landscape Partnership. With roles for all abilities, this is a great way to indulge a passion for history, learn new skills, meet like-minded people and contribute to our understanding of this beautiful and enigmatic part of Northumberland.
Click on the links below to see more information about the different roles.
Historical researcher- Battle of Otterburn
For further information on all these roles, please contact Karen Collins, Heritage and Engagement Officer, on 07741 194309, or email karen.collins@nnpa.org.uk
Latest News & Events
Great Days Out in Redesdale
July 18, 2023
Explore Redesdale with four itineraries for a great day out – Revitalising Redesdale designed to help visitors to Redesdale plan their visit
Read more
