Last updated at 11:45, Thursday, 05 July 2012

ON one of the wettest June afternoons on record, the Old School at Nether Wasdale was packed with people eager to listen to the National Trust archaeologist Jamie Lund.

Mr Lund spoke about archaeological discoveries in Wasdale which he titled “Nether Wasdale from The Stone Age to The Atomic Age”. He began by describing some results of the Historic Landscape Survey undertaken for the National Trust in 2009, which identified a remarkable collection of prehistoric remains on the higher fells to the north west of Wasdale in the areas known as Town Bank, Stockdale Moor and Wasdale Common. This collection of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains, which includes burial monuments, settlements, route ways, field systems and boundaries, represent some of the best-preserved examples in Britain.

The most impressive of the Neolithic monuments is known as Sampson’s Bratfull, a long burial cairn, but evidence of Neolithic living is harder to find. It is possible that the houses constructed by the Neolithic communities are lost below those constructed during the Bronze Age, of which there are many including ring cairns, round barrows, hut circles and Burnt Mounds.

It was during the Bronze Age period that the clearings in the woodland created during the Neolithic period were expanded to create large open areas for cultivation and a more settled way of life.

In the second part of his talk, Mr Lund described very recent discoveries along the 7km pipeline being developed by nuclear industry contractors between Wastwater and Hollins Bridge on the western boundary of Wasdale. An Environmental Impact Assessment was made prior to planning permission being granted. Among other things, this identified 26 archaeological sites which included areas of former ridge and furrow cultivation, relict hedge banks and clearance cairns in areas previously under the plough. It also included trackways, bridges and marker stones as well as industrial sites such as charcoal burning platforms and pot ash pits.

One of these 26 sites, an iron smelter or ‘bloomery’ beside the outflow of Wastwater, stood out in terms of interest and significance. Bloomeries were early, unpowered iron smelters that were once commonplace throughout the Lake District. This has now been fenced off before the work starts on this section of the route.

In addition to the Environmental Assessment, an archaeologist is required to be on site whilst the work progresses to ensure that any new discoveries are recorded and excavated. So far Burnt Mounds and an early medieval (possibly Viking) longhouse have been found and excavations of these have taken place.

Mr Lund said a final archaeological report of all the discoveries plus results of tests on samples taken will be published when the work is complete.

First published at 11:11, Thursday, 05 July 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk