Cash to reveal moors secrets
Published Date:
22 August 2008
By Alex Fredman
A £27,000 funding boost is to be used to help document the archaeological recording and research of sites unearthed following the Fylingdales Moor fire in September 2003.
The £26,900 project, which is being funded by English Heritage, will also be used to produce advice on lessons learnt from the fire and subsequent restoration projects as well as guidance on disaster planning for moorland environments which contain historic sites.
It will be managed by the North York Moors National Park Authority and Blaise Vyner, an experienced local archaeologist and private consultant who has been involved in the site since the initial post-fire archaeological survey, will carry out the project.
Although devastating, the fire uncovered a huge concentration of previously unknown archaeological sites dating from the early prehistoric era through to Second World War practice trenches.
After a rapid period of archaeological recording and mapping of the sites, a programme of regeneration was carried out to prevent further damage to the moorland from erosion by wind and rain.
This is now considerably advanced with a healthy covering of heather and other vegetation on the moor and little remaining signs of fire damage.
Graham Lee, the national park authority's senior archaeological conservation officer, told the Whitby Gazette: "We already knew Fylingdales was an area of national importance for its archaeology but the fire revealed much more than we understood to be there.
"As the moorland regenerates, the archaeological sites are being covered so it is important we draw together all the information gleaned from these sites for interested parties to access and learn from at a later stage.
"We also need to look back at lessons learnt so we can provide advice to others looking to develop counter-disaster proposals for the management of moorland rich in archaeological or cultural heritage features.
"We are therefore very grateful to English Heritage for giving us the means to undertake this vital work."
Dave Went, project officer with English Heritage, added: "The Fylingdales fire opened up a whole new chapter in our understanding of the history of the moor.
"But it also presented huge challenges to the archaeologists who had to respond by recording this new evidence quickly and effectively and by making sure all the right steps were taken for the long-term preservation of the remains.
"Making the lessons we learnt during this project more widely accessible means other archaeologists, faced with similar disasters, will be able to draw on Yorkshire's experience.
"English Heritage is delighted to be able to support this important work."
The full article contains 428 words and appears in Whitby Gazette Friday newspaper.
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Last Updated:
21 August 2008 1:10 PM
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Source:
Whitby Gazette Friday
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Location:
Whitby