East Peak Area ‘Industrial Treescapes’ Project
Many of our local woodlands are now havens for wildlife and peaceful places to go for a walk. A hundred and more years ago the scene would have been very different. These were working woodlands providing timber, charcoal, oak bark, birch brooms, potash and a whole range of other products needed by local industries. It is still possible to see traces of these former uses by looking at the woodland’s history, archaeology and ecology.
SYBRG (South Yorkshire Econet) have received funding from the East Peak Innovation Partnership to run ‘Industrial Treescapes’ training workshops for local volunteers in two areas (Silkstone and Wharncliffe). The series of workshops will give local people the hands-on skills to investigate the industrial past of their local woodlands. There will be two full day workshops and one half day workshop in the series plus some support for volunteers who are carrying out their own surveys. Topics which will be covered are:
- an introduction to investigating surface archaeological features such as pits, platforms, boundary banks and routeways that may be found in a woodland. Pointers will be given on assessing whether the features are associated with the industrial past and historic management of the woodland or incidental to that management.
- an introduction to investigating the forms and management of local trees and shrubs and how these reflect their past uses and the history of a wooded landscape.
- an introduction to carrying out surveys of woodland features and in using archival material to inform and interpret the survey data.
The workshops will be taught as a mixture of indoor talks and outdoor site visits to local woodlands where features will be identified and recorded (appropriate stout footwear and wet weather gear needed). Refreshments and information packs will be provided but people will need to bring a packed lunch and site visits will be by car share.
The workshops will run in Silkstone on 24th January, 7th February and 28th February and in Stocksbridge on 31st January, 14th February and 6th March 2012. Pre-booking is essential and places are limited so preference will be given to those who can attend all the sessions in either of the areas. Workshops now full.
A copy of the draft survey pack sheets is available to download here if you would like to test it out.
Contact Christine Handley tel: 0114 272 4227 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information or to give your comments about the survey pack.
This project is funded by the
