Tees Archaeology

A Romano-British settlement at Street House, North East Yorkshire NZ 7390 1965

2010-06-15T14:28:00.000+01:00

An archaeological report on the excavation of a roman building at Street House, near Loftus, undertaken in 2008. This 40 page report concerns the excavation of a building within an enclosure at Street House that has been dated to the fourth century AD.

The report contains reports on the pottery, jet working, plant macro-fossils and quernstones with a comment on the metalwork and glass. A discussion on the nearby parallels places the site in its context.

There are 16 illustrations and 4 photographic images. The site is to the south of a previously excavated Iron Age settlement and Anglo-Saxon cemetery.

Available for £3 (add £1 for p&p) from: Steve Sherlock – email stephen.sherlock @ntlworld.com for further details.

The memoirs of an undergraduate work placement

2010-06-11T15:22:00.003+01:00

Hi, I’m Kevin T. Horsley. I have been doing lots of stuff with Teesside Architectural Services for a while now. They are very nice, and I like doing work for them. I’m off now. Love and kisses. Bye.

The excerpt above is from the mind of Kevin Horsley - an undergraduate archaeology student who leaves Tees Archaeology today after an eventful 9 months being fully retrained in reading and writing....he had such a poor grasp of the ways of the world that we decided to `pad out` his description a little bit and we have re-edited his text to the following short article......

As an undergraduate archaeology student, working with a professional archaeology unit for nine months has been an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience. I have been able to take part in every aspect of working in a unit, and not only learn something new or build upon skills learnt at university, but also to thoroughly enjoy doing it, and in such an enjoyable and friendly place!

I could write forever about everything I have been involved in, but its probably best to pick some highlights from the past year. By far the most memorable aspects were the fieldwork, and in particular, the community projects. The Stockton Building Recording project, the Eston Hills Survey and The Heritage of Hart Project from which I was able to produce a full report, allowing me to see a project from conception to positive conclusion. And, of course, Stewart’s Park where I enjoyed working with other volunteers on a two week excavation, digging, surveying, and my personal favourite, planning! Doing commercial fieldwork and projects such as the building recording at Middlehaven, Middlesbrough and excavation at Wade’s Stone, North Yorkshire were also great opportunities to hone my skills.

But, even the office work was fun! I have had the opportunity to start a long-term desk-based survey of all the farms in the Lower Tees Valley, primarily using Tithe, Estate and early OS maps up to the present day. Simply working in the document store, archiving, and the bunker where TA’s finds are stored, was enjoyable as I got to see the full range of projects, post-excavation that Tees Archaeology have accomplished over the last forty years.

If anyone has the chance to work with Tees Archaeology, I would recommend they leap upon the opportunity! You wouldn’t regret it!

Tees Archaeology would like thank Kevin for this tissue of lies above and would also like to thank him for all his help and hard work in the last 9 months. We wish him all the best for the future.

Kevin has now been returned to his locked room and will spend his days dreaming of blue skies and highlighter pens.

Bridging The Gap

2010-06-03T15:37:00.002+01:00

A very sunny day and ideal conditions for a site visit to Thornton, Middlesbrough to inspect an old brick bridge spanning Stainton Beck.

The bridge is made of hand-made brick and is probably late 17th-18th century in date. It is likely to be an estate bridge of the former Thornton Hall which had been demolished by 1808.

Many of the field walls in this part of the village are probably estate walls perhaps from walled gardens, showing the interest the gentry had in horticulture in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Recent discovery at Stewart Park

2010-05-28T12:01:00.004+01:00

Tees Archaeology have recently excavated an early medieval unglazed pot at Stewart Park.

The household pot is probably Tees Valley Ware and is dated around 1200AD, it is unusual to find such an early and complete example.

Tees Archaeology on Flickr

2010-05-26T10:53:00.003+01:00

We try to tell the volunteers not to eat the items they excavate - but this little volunteer wouldnt listen !

We have decided to upload more photographs on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/teesarchaeology/

More photographs of Stewart Park 2010 are available for viewing and we will endeavour to upload new photographs at every opportunity.

If you have any photographs of Tees Archaeology in action and would like them added, please email ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk

Stewart Park Excavation 2010

2010-05-25T15:21:00.009+01:00

Tees Archaeology have spent the last week at Stewart Park excavating the sun baked earth.

They have successfully excavated the foundations of a Victorian 2 storey cottage, probably built in the 1860s by Henry Bolckow.

The theory is that when Henry Bolckow built Marton Hall, these cottages were built to rehouse the people who lived on the site of the current Hall.

The open day on Sunday 23rd was a great success with over 110 people touring the site and having a go at excavating in the `kiddie trench`.

Tees Archaeology would once again like to pass on our sincere thanks to all the volunteers who assisted in this project.

The excavation ends on Friday 28th May 2010 and we look forward to returning next year.

Stewart Park Open Day

2010-05-21T15:46:00.004+01:00

Tees Archaeology will be holding an open day at Stewart Park, Marton Village on Sunday 23rd May 2010.

This is to coincide with the excavation that is taking place at the moment.

You will have a chance to have a guided tour around the excavation and have a go at excavating in our trench - Adults and children are more than welcome.

Frances McIntosh the Finds Liaison officer of the Portable Antiquites Scheme will also be on site to identify items found by the general public.

The Open day is on from 11am to 4pm and Tees Archaeology volunteers are asked to arrive at 10am.

“Ship-shape and Hartlepool-fashion” - Research Project

2010-05-10T10:21:00.000+01:00

Whether you’re searching for the Mary Rose or a 19th century steamship lost in the Mediterranean, research is the key to success!

NAS NE, supported by Tees Archaeology and Hartlepool Museums & Heritage Service, is inviting anyone with an interest in ships and the sea to take part in “Ship-shape and Hartlepool-fashion”.

This international research project aims to discover the histories of nearly 2000 ships built in Hartlepool between 1836 and 1961; to track their voyages, learn about their crews and passengers, and discover their final resting places.

There is a huge amount of “hidden” information about these ships just waiting to be discovered, but we need your help to track it down – much of which can be done from the comfort of your own home!

All we would ask you to do is first complete and return a Project Volunteer Form (please email gary.green@hartlepool.gov.uk for a copy of the form)

We will then provide you with the names of two Hartlepool-built ships and ask you to track them through a run of digitised Lloyd’s Registers (covering the period 1930-1945), available on the PortCities Southampton website (http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/), recording any significant changes of information, for example, new owners, or a new Captain etc., on a project-specific recording form (also available as a download).

Then simply send your completed recording form back to us and we will add the data to the ‘Hartlepool-built’ website – with your contribution fully acknowledged of course.

For more details please follow this link to the NAS NE webpage
http://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/projects/shiphape.php

Saltburn Guided Walk April 1st 2010

2010-04-13T15:20:00.006+01:00

Rachel Grahame and Gary Green of Tees Archaeology, and Beth Andrews of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, led a walk to explore the rutways cut into the rock on the shore under Huntcliff near Saltburn as part of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust project 'Alum, Alchemy and Ammonites'

The event was attended by 26 people who enjoyed a sunny walk along the shore to Bird Flight Goit and back, looking at a building eroding out of the cliff thought to be the Saltburn alum house, and many examples of rutways on the rocky foreshore

For more events related to the project go to http://www.teeswildlife.org/events.htm

For more information on rutways go to http://www.teesarchaeology.com/new/saltburn.html

Redcar Library - Saturday 20th March 2010

2010-03-25T09:58:00.005Z

On Saturday 20th March 2010, Redcar Central Library held A Local and Family History Festival, in conjunction with the North East Festival of Learning.

Stalls from all over the North East presented the residents of Redcar with an array of learning opportunities and Tees Archaeology were no exception.

The day was a great success with people enjoying a quiz, trying their hands at pottery reconstruction and the odd game of Anglo Saxon Taefl !

Tees Archaeology Dayschool 2010

2010-03-24T10:27:00.003Z

The 2010 Tees Archaeology dayschool will be changing venues this year.

We will be presenting our Dayschool from Middlesbrough College on Saturday 13th November 2010 and the Dayschool will take the theme of Maritime Archaeology.

We obviously have a lot of details to finalise, but will keep you fully informed here, on our website and will be posting out Dayschool booking forms to everyone on our mailing list.

If you would like to book or would like more information please email ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk or telephone Tees Archaeology on 01429 523455

Digging up Life: A six-week course from the Centre for Life, Newcastle.

2010-03-24T10:20:00.003Z

Digging up Life: A six-week course from the Centre for Life, Newcastle.

A popular, bite-sized series for archaeology enthusiasts returns to the Life Science Centre from May 13 2010 and runs every week until 17 June with the field trip taking place on Saturday 26th June. The cost for the course is £30 with an additional charge of £10 for the field trip.

Designed for adults and young people (from around 14 years old) who are interested in unearthing the treasures of the past, Mini Archaeology is a six-week course of evening lectures, held 7-9pm in the Life Theatre.

Life has teamed up with Durham University's Department of Archaeology whose archaeologists, all experts in their particular field, will deliver each of the six sessions. Areas covered will include Anglo-Saxon Kings, Rock Art of Northern Britain, the Iron Age and the Reformation.

The first lecture looks at "The earliest inhabitants of Britain" presented by Dr Mark White, Reader and Head of Department while colleague Dr Ross Barnett, Research Associate, will look at "Lions, leopards and lynx" and ask if they could have been the native big cats of Britain.

The course will end with a field trip investigating the archaeology of Northumberland through the ages. It will be led by Ian Colquhoun and Peter Rowley-Conwy.

Further course details at http://www.life.org.uk/life-science-centre/whats-on/events/mini-archaeology.

For more information, or to book, contact Niamh Lightfoot, tel 0191 243 8223 or visit http://www.life.org.uk/.
Life Science Centre
Times Square
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 4EP

Located right next to Newcastle train station.
http://www.life.org.uk/life-science-centre/get-in-touch

Mini archaeology will be followed by Mini Medical School which returns by popular demand in September 2010.

FULL COURSE DETAILS

Thursday 13 May
Dr Mark White: The earliest inhabitants of Britain Dr Ross Barnett: Lions, leopards and lynxes - native big cats of Britain?

Thursday 20 May
Peter Rowley-Conwy: Pioneer farmers in northern Britain Greger Larson: Dead dogs, dead pigs: the DNA of domestic animals

Thursday 27 May
Chris Scarre: Stonehenge
Margarita Diaz-Andreu: Rock art of northern Britain

Thursday 3 June
Sarah Semple: Anglo-Saxon kings, kingship and gold Anwen Cafell: Human skeletons: stories from beyond the grave

Thursday 10 June
Tom Moore: The Iron Age: pre-Roman people in Britain Claire Nesbitt: Talking to the Wall? Excavating the Roman legacy in northern England

Thursday 17 June
Mike Church: Archaeobotany and experimentation in northern Britain Pam Graves: The archaeology of churches: before and after the Reformation

FIELD TRIP
Saturday 26 June - Ian Colquhoun, Peter Rowley-Conwy, Cost £10.

Guided Walk Alum Quarries Mulgrave Woods - Saturday 24th April 2010

2010-03-11T11:12:00.001Z

For the Cleveland I.A. Soc., Simon Chapman will be leading a walk on Saturday 24th April to look at alum quarries in Mulgrave Woods. The meeting place is in the car park at East Row, near Sandsend, outside the former cement mill at 11 am. (NZ 861125).

This circular walk will be over 4 miles in length along well-defined tracks with some moderate gradients but may be muddy in places. There are three sites of alum quarrying, the site of an ironstone shaft, and a number of drifts into the hillside seeking cementstone.

In addition, the ancient and recently conserved ruins of Mulgrave Castle may be visited.

Hopefully, tea and biscuits will be provided at the walk's conclusion, but please bring a packed lunch and some good weather.

Look forward to seeing you there,

Simon Chapman

The Tall Ships Races Hartlepool 7-10 August 2010

2010-03-09T10:55:00.001Z

HARTLEPOOL will be centre stage when it hosts The Tall Ships Races 2010 in August.

Labelled England's biggest free event this year, organisers are pulling out all the stops to make sure it is a huge success and lives in people's memories for years to come.

Up to one million visitors are expected to attend the four-day jamboree.

The ships are expected to arrive in Hartlepool on Saturday 7 August after sailing from Kristiansand in Norway in the second and final race.

They will stay until Tuesday 10 August when they will bid a grand farewell in an impressive Parade of Sail.

For further information please visit http://www.hartlepooltallships2010.com/

Saltburn Alum Guided Walk - Thursday 1st April 2010

2010-02-10T10:41:00.001Z

Saltburn Alum Walk - Thursday 1st April 2010

The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust have a new 2 year project, supported by the Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, about the alum industry of East Cleveland. As part of this the Trust is running a series of free guided walks.

For further details about the walks or the project please contact Beth Andrews on 01287 636382 or email beth.geo@gmail.com

Join Tees Archaeology for a walk to explore the rutways cut into the rock on the shore under Huntcliff and the remains of Saltburn's Alum House. This walk includes areas of uneven rocky foreshore which may be slippery.

The walk will last for approximately 3 hours and will be led by Rachel Grahame of Tees Archaeology.

Meet at Cat Nab car park, Saltburn (NZ 668 215) at 9.50am on Thursday 1st April 2010.

Historic Market Towns of the North - Dayschool

2010-02-04T10:58:00.005Z

Cleveland & Teesside Local History Society and The University of Teesside Centre for Regional and Local Historical Research are holding a joint Day School at the Europa Building, University of Teesside on Saturday 20th March 2010.

The dayschool will consist of six 45 minute lectures from Robin Daniels, Barry Harrison, Mark Whyman and Gill Cookson.

Tickets are now on sale for £12, £8.50 and £6

Lunch is provided at a cost of £4.50

For further details please email j.grimwood@tees.ac.uk

or visit the news page at the Tees Archaeology website to download a booking form.
http://www.teesarchaeology.com/new/home_page.html

Guided Walk - Yarm Sunday 18th July 2010

2010-02-03T09:41:00.001Z

Discover the medieval town and find out if there was ever a castle at Yarm.

No pre booking is necessary, please meet at Yarm Town Hall at 9.50am. the walk will last approximately 2 hours and will be led by Robin Daniels.

Guided Walks Norton 6th & 12th May 2010

2010-01-22T10:30:00.000Z

Thursday 6th May 2010 & Wednesday 12th May 2010

Saxon and Medieval Norton
Guided Walk

2.00pm - 4.00pm

A 2 hour guided tour of the Saxon and medieval features of Norton Village led by Robin Daniels.

No pre-booking is necessary, please meet at Norton Library at 1.50pm.

Guided Walk Sunday 28th March 2010

2010-01-22T10:21:00.000Z

Sunday 28th March 2010

Cowpen Bewley Medieval Village
Guided Walk

10.00am to noon

Examine the layout and
buildings of one of the best preserved
villages on Teesside with Robin
Daniels.

No pre-booking necessary.

Please meet at the Activity Centre of Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park, off the A1185 Seal Sands Road, Billingham at 9.50am

WEST HARTLEPOOL COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL

2010-01-18T10:36:00.011Z

A recent enquiry revealed this information.

The medal is approximately 4 centimetres in diameter, and weighs approximately 26 grammes.

A small hole is pierced at the top, between the legend and the rim. Comparison with other examples indicates that this hole was intended for suspension of the medal from a ribbon.

Judging by parallel examples (see below), the medal is composed of some species of white metal alloy. There are traces of rust on both sides of the medal (primarily on the obverse), suggesting a ferrous element in the alloy.

Obverse :
Head of Queen Victoria, facing L, wearing a simple crown (i.e. without arches such as those seen on the Imperial State Crown and King Edward’s Crown), the rear part of her head being draped with a (widow’s) veil; the whole encircled by the legend
IN COMMEMORATION OF THE JUBILEE OF QUEEN VICTORIA 1887.
At the base of the neck are the words WATTS, BIRM. This latter probably indicates the Birmingham-based engraver of the original, from which multiple copies were then reproduced. I have not been able to identify this particular artist ~ further specialist research would be required.

Reverse :
Shield bearing the arms of West Hartlepool, flanked by 18 & 70, set within an octofoil; the whole encircled by the legend MAY WEST HARTLEPOOL PROSPER.

OBSERVATIONS
Hartlepool Museum Service has at least 3 examples of this medal in its collections.
Shown below are side-by-side comparisons of a Museum Service example with that brought in by the querent.

Obverse

Reverse

Amongst the range of designs employed for the royal head on Victoria’s Golden Jubilee medals, this particular one (or variants thereof) appears to have been relatively common. A cursory trawl of the websites E-Bay.co.uk and E-bay.com (accessed 28 July 2009) yielded examples from Australia and Canada, as well from as the United Kingdom.

Australia

Canada

United Kingdom

The fruits of this search included a parallel example of a Golden Jubilee medal issued by a civic authority, in this case, the Borough of Croydon (London) :

Queen Victoria (born 1819) ascended the throne in 1837. She died in 1901, having celebrated both her Golden Jubilee in 1997, and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

The significance of the date of 1870 on the reverse of the medal is not immediately obvious.

Although the town of West Hartlepool might be deemed to have been born in 1845, when construction of the docks commenced, its existence did not achieve formal recognition until 1854, when the West Hartlepool Improvement Act received Royal Assent. This legislation brought into being the West Hartlepool Improvement Commission, which comprised Ralph Ward Jackson and other local worthies. The Commission was empowered to make decisions concerning the running of the town, and was responsible for “paving, lighting, watching, draining, cleansing, regulating and otherwise improving the town of West Hartlepool and part of the township of Stranton, in the County of Durham, and for providing a cemetery and for other purposes.”

In 1870, a new Extension and Improvement Act was passed in Parliament, which extended the town’s boundaries. Three years later, a petition was presented to the Privy Council requesting that the town be granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation, but this was rejected by an official enquiry.

Finally, in her Golden Jubilee year of 1887, Queen Victoria granted West Hartlepool its desired Charter. In the November, the town became an incorporated borough and the Improvement Commissioners were replaced by the first West Hartlepool Town Council. However, the Jubilee fell in June, at which time Borough had not yet officially come into existence. The design of the reverse perhaps reflects this situation : the motto “May West Hartlepool Prosper” could be seen as expressing the hope for incorporation, while the 1870 Act was still considered important enough to deserve commemoration.

Our sincere thanks to JH for her excellent research.

Historic Billingham Guided Walk

2010-01-05T11:56:00.001Z

21st January 2010

Historic Billingham Guided Walk

Robin Daniels of Tees Archaeology will be leading a guided walk lasting approximately 1 hour 30 minutes around historic Billingham.

If you are interested in attending, please meet at the entrance to St Cuthbert’s Church at 10.00am on January 21st 2010.

15th December 2009 AQA Archaeology AS level

2009-12-15T11:34:00.001Z

Prior Pursglove Sixth Form College at Guisborough are offering the AQA Archaeology AS level starting September 2010 and then the A2 (to make the full A Level) starting September 2011.

There are 2 exams in the first year (AS) and coursework in the second (A2) year together with an exam.

“The Guisborough area, including the Tees Valley and the North York Moors is an area rich in archaeology of all periods.

From the Bronze Age burial mounds on the moors, to the Norman villages many of us live in; and not forgetting the industrial archaeology of the area which made many of the settlements of today.

There are few opportunities for people of this area to attend structured courses about archaeology and this course is led by somebody who has been involved in the archaeology of the area for many years.

As the head of Tees Archaeology, the local authority archaeological service for the area, I welcome this course and we look forward to working with the tutor and participants.“

Robin Daniels – Tees Archaeology

For further information please contact Caroline Anderson at Prior Pursglove Sixth Form College on 01287 280800 or email k.quinn@prior.pursglove.ac.uk

14th December 2009 - New Website Content

2009-12-14T11:53:00.002Z

2 new pages have recently been added to the Tees Archaeology website.

These are a new and more detailed page relating to Kilton Castle and a new page based on Scheduled Monuments in Redcar & Cleveland.

We are also repairing all the little errors within the website, but this is taking a lot longer than expected, so please bear with us and if you notice any errors please contact us.

A concert of Traditional and Medieval Music and Stories

2009-11-30T11:20:00.001Z

Tees Archaeology Dayschool - Saturday 7th November 2009

2009-11-25T16:25:00.009Z

This years dayschool was a great success, with over 130 people attending a series of lectures and a performance by Misericordia. In addition, we also had a display of archaeological finds and a number of bookstalls (which reported healthy trading on the day!).

Next years dayschool is already being prepared and will take the theme of Maritime Archaeology.

Further details will follow.

Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Afternoon in Hartlepool

2009-11-25T16:23:00.000Z

Frances McIntosh the Finds Liaison Officer for the North East will be at Sir William Gray House in Hartlepool on Tuesday 12th January from 2pm until 4.30pm. She will be there to identify and record archaeological objects found by the public so if you have an objects which you think date to pre-1700 found in England and Wales then bring them along.

To find out more about the Portable Antiquities Scheme you can go to www.finds.org.uk

If you would like to contact Frances separately then her contact details are as follows-

Frances.mcintosh@durham.gov.uk

0191 370 8843

Frances is based at Durham County Council and works only two days a week.

Archaeology Exhibition in the APSE Hartlepool Art Gallery December 2009 - February 2010

2009-11-25T16:18:00.002Z

Dug up from the Past

From a prehistoric woolly rhino bone to your granddad’s clay tobacco pipe this is a chance to discover the rich archaeology of Hartlepool through the ages.

Displays will include finds from the Prehistoric Submerged Forest, Roman Catcote and Medieval Headland Hartlepool.

The exhibition will be held in the Hartlepool Art Gallery, Church Square, Hartlepool, Tuesday - Saturday only.

For further details please telephone 01429 869706.

Heritage of Hart Project

2009-11-24T15:49:00.003Z

From Monday 12th to Friday 16th October, the Heritage of Hart Project ran from St. Mary Magdalene Church, in Hart.

A partnership between Hartlepool Borough Council, Tees Archaeology and Hart History Group and Hart Parish Council, the aim of the project was to create a ‘snapshot in time’ record of the buildings and boundaries within the historic core of Hart that people, in fifty, or even hundreds of years later, can come back to.

On Saturday 17th an open day was then held in St. Mary Magdalene Church to promote the achievements of the weeks worth of surveying, joined by a range of other stalls from Tees Archaeology, Hart History Group, Teesside Archives, Portable Antiquities Scheme and a special stall set up by the children of Hart Primary School who had worked alongside the Countryside Rangers during the project; with many visitors learning and enjoying the rich history of one of the North East’s richest heritage sites.

Even though it only lasted a week, the project was successful in not only recording the built history of the village to a detailed extent, but also in its attraction of volunteers and interest from local residents throughout the many activities that took place in the Village of Hart.

Tees Archaeology Dayschool 7th November 2009 - UPDATE

2009-10-28T11:32:00.003Z

With the recent postal strikes, we have decided to allow potential attendees to pay for and collect their tickets on the day of the dayschool.

If you wish to attend the dayschool, please contact us with your requirements and we will arrange for your tickets to be collected from the reception area on the day.

Cheques and cash are permitted methods of payment.

Please contact Ian Jones 01429 523455 or email ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk

Our Work Experience Student Michael (age 16) reports on human remains found at Hartlepool Headland

2009-10-27T10:32:00.002Z

The site which the human remains were found is believed to be in the area of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery which was discovered in 1833. The front garden was later excavated by the Time Team in 2000 when they found a grave containing the body of a young lady, possibly a nun.

Earlier this year a drain was laid in the back yard, a human pelvis was found and the police were called. The builders also unearthed various long bones including femurs and smaller bones such as ribs and phalanges (finger and toes).

The remains were collected and brought back to Tees Archaeology. I was giving the job of cleaning them using a basin filled with warm water. I used a tooth brush to remove the dirt. Once they were clean I put them in a box and took them down to the wet room where they are kept until dry. They will then be marked to stop them getting mixed up with other bones.

Odin's Glow Archaeological Walk - Saturday 17th October

2009-10-14T14:47:00.004+01:00

STOP PRESS !!!!!

Odin's Glow Archaeological Walk
At Roseberry Topping - Saturday 17th October 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Steve Sherlock from Tees Valley Archaeology will lead a guided archaeology walk up Roseberry Topping on Saturday 17th October.

The walk will visit archaeological and historic sites and participants will be told about the history of this enigmatic site.

Please meet at the car park at Newton under Roseberry at 2pm Please wear appropriate footwear Walk of up to 2.5 hours around the hill and up to the summit of Roseberry Topping
Places limited, please book in advance - contact 01642 496424
FURTHER DETAILS AT THE ODIN`S GLOW WEBSITE

http://www.odinsglow.co.uk/

Hart Heritage Open Day

2009-10-14T11:53:00.004+01:00

Saturday 17th October 2009 - OPEN DAY

Church of St Mary Magdalene, Hart Village.

10.00am to 4.00pm

Two free guided walks at 11am and 2pm (meet at Church) walks should last approximately 1.5 hours.

Displays of finds from Hart and information about the Hart Heritage Project.

Bring your finds for identification.

Family activities.

Work Experience

2009-10-08T11:53:00.003+01:00

We recently had a charming young man spending a week with us on school work experience.....

here is a brief comment on his week he spent with us

"During my week at Tees Archaeology I have enjoyed several things the most been drawing a Macehead this is because I didn’t realise how good an artist I was if I just took my time and thought about what I was doing. In the time I spent doing it I learned several things about drawing that I didn’t know before like the fact that drawings are put to half scale when they are put into archaeological journals so even if your drawing wasn’t great it looks better scaled down so it doesn’t seem as bad."

No need for this to be half-scaled...an excellent drawing.

Thanks to CG for all his help and glad you enjoyed your week with us....

Tees Archaeology Dayschool - Saturday 7th November 2009

2009-09-25T11:49:00.005+01:00

Not long to go now until Tees Archaeology present their annual Dayschool.

The theme of this years dayschool is Lost and Found : Finds and the stories they tell.

We will be returning to the Ebsworth Building, University of Durham - Stockton Campus for a series of lectures , with the addition of a musical interlude.

Tickets are available now and are priced at £10 (£7 concession) and this includes refreshments during the day. Buffet Lunch is also available and this costs an extra £5 but must be pre booked.

Please click on the photograph above for further details or alternatively contact ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk or call 01429 523455 and we will happily send a booking form to you.

Saltburn Rutway Survey

2009-09-04T16:00:00.005+01:00

Survey work at Saltburn has continued this year with another foray around the bottom of Huntcliff to try and map all the surviving rutways before they are completely eroded away by the sea.

Rutways are tracks cut into the rock of the foreshore to enable horse-drawn carts to be taken along the beach, and probably date to the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

This year we have determined that the maze of rutways close to Old Saltburn gives way to only two or three routes leading further east towards Skinningrove, fuelling debate over whether the rutways were used primarily to service the Saltburn alum house, collect seaweed and ironstone from the shore, or as a route between the two settlements.

A message about a bottle

2009-08-24T15:54:00.006+01:00

Tees Archaeology have recently had the chance to identify and find out some information of the bottle photographed below.

BENSLEY BROTHERS GLASS BOTTLE

“Hamilton” type bottle

DESCRIPTION

Length : approximately 17 centimetres

Maximum diameter : approximately 6.5 centimetres

Minimum diameter : approximately 3 centimetres

Weight : approximately 323 grammes

Material : moulded glass; clear, green-tinged

On one side, the bottle bears a moulded design. It is detailed below, the lettering, etc. being arranged top to bottom, with upper case used as on the artefact.
The lettering above the shield curves upwards

whilst that below, curves downwards

BENSLEY BROTHERS

TRADE MARK

West Hartlepool armorial shield, surmounted by the crest of what appears to be a “Sea-Hart” (cervine head & upper body + piscine tail) facing L and holding an Anchor in its fore-hooves

Motto ribbon beneath shield : E MARE EX INDUSTRIA

WEST HARTLEPOOL

OBSERVATIONS

Artificial mineral waters were invented by Joseph Priestley in 1772, and soon became popular. The Swiss aerated mineral water manufacturer, Jacobs Schweppes, is accredited with beginning the commercial manufacture of mineral waters at his Bristol site in 1792.

Carbonated drinks bottles were stoppered with corks, but if the cork dried out, it tended to shrink, thereby releasing the gas pressure in the bottle, so that its contents went “flat”. To overcome this problem, a bottle with an ovoid body, which had to be stored on its side and thus kept the cork moist, was introduced. The earliest was patented by William Hamilton in 1814 – hence, such bottles are referred to as “Hamiltons”, or (more colloquially) as “Hammies”. The design remained popular, particularly for soda waters, until at least 1916, even though one disadvantage of this pointed-base design was that the bottle could roll around and might fall off a table or shelf.

Scrutiny of a number of local directories yielded the following entries (or lack thereof) for a relevant firm named Bensley Brothers, of West Hartlepool :

Morris, Harrison, and Co.’s Commercial Directory and Gazetteer of the County of Durham 1861 ~ no entry found

Kelly’s Directory of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool 1885 ~ no entry found

Kelly’s Directory of Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland and Westmorland 1894 ~ Bensley Brothers, mineral water manufacturers,
46 Stockton Street, West Hartlepool

Ward’s Directory of Darlington, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Thornaby and their surrounding villages 1900-1
~ James Bensley, mineral water manufacturer, 46 Stockton Street, West Hartlepool

Ward’s Directory of Darlington, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, Redcar and Coatham, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Thornaby and their surrounding villages 1912-13 ~ no entry found

Kelly’s Directory of Durham and Northumberland 1929 ~ no entry found

Kelly’s Directory of Durham and Northumberland 1934 ~ no entry found

Further research would, of course, be required, but the above data initially suggests an approximate date for the bottle of circa 1890 – 1900.

The design of the West Hartlepool coat of arms, as shown on the bottle, is also of interest. The “official” version of the arms ~ or, at least, that found most prevalently (see below) ~ has as its crest a hart emerging from a pool, with what appears to be intended as a block-built wall at each end of the pool.

In contrast, the arms depicted on the bottle feature a “Sea-Hart”, complete with fishy tail, and there are no walls flanking the pool. Whether this design variation was deliberate ~ perhaps to avoid conflict with the civic authorities ~ or whether it was the consequence of careless draughtsmanship would require further research to determine.

Tees Archaeology would like to thank JH for all her hard work researching this bottle.

Visit to the bunker - Wednesday 19th August 2009

2009-08-20T09:41:00.006+01:00

We had the pleasure of a visit from approximately 20 members of the Headland Local History group yesterday, who came to take a look around our archaeological store based in the grounds of Sir William Gray House.

The underground bunker was built in the grounds of Sir William Gray House in 1937 amid fears of the outbreak of World War 2.

The massive concrete structure, measuring 40 feet by 30 feet and buried 20 feet underground was used as a report centre from where air raid patrols and rescue activities were co-ordinated.

Hartlepool was a primary target during the war as the enemy were constantly trying to target the shipyards and steelworks.

In the early weeks of the war the air filtration system, which was installed because of the threat of gas attacks, had to be powered by bicycle until an electric motor was eventually obtained to run it.

During an air raid they had to take the telephone calls on one of 3 telephones in the middle room and report any casualties or damage.

Young messenger boys on bicycles took messages throughout the town. Mr Boagey who visited on a previous Heritage Open day recalls the time spent in the bunker – especially the time a bomb exploded nearby and sent him from the top of the bunker steps to the bottom.

The staff slept in the Gray Art Gallery (now called Sir William Gray House) and operated both day and night shifts, with a small team of staff always on duty in the bunker.

One night a bomb narrowly missed the bunker and landed on the nearby greyhound track killing 2 firewatchers, (Now Morrison’s Supermarket) ; with the bomb blast blowing Mr Boagey out of his bed in Sir William Gray House.

If it had been dropped a split second sooner it would have exploded directly on top of the bunker.

The bunker was sealed after the war and was eventually re-opened in 1982 when it was used as a storeroom by the workers who were rebuilding the tramshed in the grounds of Sir William Gray House.

At this time the toilets still had a blast flap on the bottom of the door which would have opened and reduced the pressure from any bomb blast.

The electrics were also improved at this time and the bunker was then sealed for a further 10 years.

In 1992 new toilets and sinks were installed for use by
School groups as the bunker was converted into an education centre.

The bunker originally had a steel sub-frame which was removed in 1996 to increase floor space.

The bunker is now used as the archaeology store for Tees Archaeology.

Farndale, North Yorkshire, Mesolithic Project

2009-08-14T11:34:00.007+01:00

The Mesolithic Project at Farndale, North Yorkshire is now complete.

This 2 week project, held in July and August, was looking for evidence of Mesolithic settlements on the North Yorkshire Moors in the Farndale area.

The project was very successful and a possible cairn, gully and small pit was discovered along with numerous flint.

A team of hardy volunteers helped this project and we would like to thank them for all their hard work and also thanks to the staff of the Farndale estate.

The weather was quite variable, but we do hope to return to the area in the future.

Hartlepool Built - Summer Update

2009-07-28T11:53:00.001+01:00

Latest news: Summer 2009

Over the next few months we will be holding a series of Roadshows. If you have any information to add to the site, why not come along? You can have a cup of tea and a chat and we can scan any photographs or documents while you wait so there is no need to part with them.

The next Roadshow is at the Headland Library, Borough Buildings, Hartlepool, on September 12th from 10 am till 2pm

We have had a fantastic response so far. We would like to thank everyone who has attended and brought us photographs, information and documents. We will add them to the site as soon as possible.

Progress so far... Our small team of willing volunteers has so far added very basic information for every ship onto the site. We are currently adding name changes and once that is complete we can begin adding the photographs. Coming soon - crew lists and end histories! If you need information but can't wait for it to appear on the site, don't forget you can contact us. We are happy to provide whatever information we can and there are no fees apart from postage and copying.

Hartlepool Built Roadshow - Saturday 27th June 2009

2009-07-14T14:56:00.002+01:00

The Hartlepool Built team held a roadshow at the Wingfield Castle in Hartlepool on Saturday 27th June 2009.

This was a chance for former shipyard workers or their families to share their memories and photographs of their time in the Hartlepool Docks.

Around 50 visitors attended the roadshow and their photographs and stories will be added to the Hartlepool Built website. http://www.hartlepoolbuilt.co.uk/

If anyone has any memories or photographs of the Hartlepool Shipyards or ships, please contact us.

Perfect chance to go for a walk on the beach

2009-07-02T11:49:00.003+01:00

With the superb weather we are experiencing at the moment, it has never been a better time to stroll along the beach...

At Crimdon there are some excellent examples of pill boxes and coastal defences.

In 2006 Tees Archaeology produced a booklet entitled `The Home Front - Teesside Defences During World War II` . This 32 page booklet features details of most of the wartime defences in the Teesside area.

If you wish to receive a free copy, please send an email to ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk

The booklet also feature a pack of field guides to identify and provide information on pillboxes.

Cannonball Find

2009-06-24T10:27:00.006+01:00

A small cannonball was recently discovered during a barn conversion in Wilton Village.

The cannonball is approximately 9cm high and has a flattened edge. We are not sure if this has been fired or if it was faulty.

It has been kindly donated and is now in the possession of the Hartlepool Museum Education team and will now be used as part of a pirate resource box, which will be loaned to local schools.

Preston Park - Week two

2009-06-17T10:02:00.006+01:00

We are into the second week and have five trenches open with an assortment of paths and vegetable beds.

The paths have been cut a long way down into the ground and filled with ash and brick to make hard, well drained surfaces.

Various finds include early field drains, complete bottles, cow horns and the usual mix of pottery as well as a Victorian Toy Soldier.

Wednesday 17th June 2009 - The rainclouds came to visit the site along with a few schools, we might leave the watering can in the office next time.

Maritime Enquiry

2009-06-16T16:21:00.005+01:00

Excerpt taken from The Mariners Mirror Vol 68 Number 3 - August 1982

If anyone can shed any light on this please contact us at tees.archaeology@hartlepool.gov.uk

many thanks

June Guided Walks

2009-06-16T10:19:00.003+01:00

Tees Archaeology are holding 2 guided walks at the end of June 2009.

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Seaton Carew Beach Guided Walk. Tuesday 23rd June 2009.

Meet at Seaton Carew Bus Station at 10am, walk will last approximately 2 hours, leader Gary Green.

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Marske Mill Guided Walk. Wednesday 24th June 2009

Meet at Countryside Centre, Saltburn Valley Gardens at 1.30pm, walk will last approximately 1.5 hours, leader Gary Green.

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No need to book, just bring suitable footwear and clothing.

Work Experience

2009-06-15T11:26:00.003+01:00

Tees Archaeology have the pleasure of the company of a young gentleman from a Hartlepool school, who is spending a week with us on Work Experience.

He will take part in the excavation at Preston Park and have a insight into all of the duties at Tees Archaeology.

Hopefully he will stay awake all week and we would like to thank him for his interest and help.

Guided Walk Sunday 7th June 2009

2009-06-10T10:56:00.002+01:00

9 people arrived for a very pleasant 2 and a half hour walk between Cowpen Bewley and Greatham. The weather was fine and the walkers did not get attacked by the Greatham Gnat at Greatham Marsh.

Preston Park Kitchen Garden

2009-06-10T09:49:00.002+01:00

The Hall and gardens at Preston Park were built in 1825 and we are trying to find information about the layout of the Victorian Kitchen Garden so that Stockton Borough Council can consider how to restore it.

The photo shows the JCB opening trenches in the garden, The White wall at the back used to be heated and had glasshouses along it.

Comments please !!!

2009-06-09T20:37:00.003+01:00

Underneath each post there is the opportunity to leave a comment about any item that has been posted.

Simply click on the word `comments` (most posts will say `0 comments`) and simply type in the box that opens.

To prevent any abuse or risque comments, the comments will have to be verified by Tees Archaeology, so it may take a day for the comment to appear.

Tees Archaeology reserve the right to amend or delete any comments.

Please leave any suggestions or general comments or even items or posts you would like to see.

Catcote Revisited

2009-06-09T20:29:00.003+01:00

A reconstruction model of Catcote, Hartlepool was recently removed from the Museum of Hartlepool and returned to Sir William Gray House. It will now be used by the Museum education team and is an excellent way for children to see what life was really like.

Newsletter Number 13

2009-06-05T11:53:00.001+01:00

Tees Archaeology have recently completed production of their 13th newsletter which features articles and etails on previous and forthcoming projects. If you wish to receive a free copy, please email ian.jones@hartlepool.gov.uk and we will send a copy to your postal address.

You can also view the newsletter on the Tees Archaeology website www.teesarchaeology.com

Fish Suppers all round ???

2009-05-21T16:16:00.001+01:00

Whilst recently researching Seaton Carew, we discovered this little snippet of information....

"In 1342 John de Carew acknowledged that a whale which had been cast ashore at Seaton Carew was a royal fish, and belonged of right to the Bishop of Durham; he paid a fine of 100 marks for dividing it among his friends"

Discoveries at Stewart Park

2009-05-20T09:36:00.000+01:00

Our excavation at Stewart Park has unearthed some very interesting features including brick footed buildings which date from the beginning of the 19th century and also A hollow way which separates the two rows of the medieval and later village and different surfaces have been found at the base of this routeway, hollowed out by the passage of people and animals over centuries.

The excavation ends this Friday and we would like to pass on our thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this excavation very successful.

The photographs above show the above features and also some medieval pottery.

Excavation at Stewart Park

2009-05-08T11:55:00.000+01:00

The first of this years excavations starts on Monday 11th May 2009 in Stewart Park.

This excavation is fully subscribed for volunteers, but we would love to see you at our Open Day on Sunday 17th May 2009 between 10-4.

We will be publishing photographs of the finds from this years excavation so please keep visiting the blog for further details.

Hartlepool Built

2009-05-08T11:42:00.001+01:00

Friday 1st May saw the launch of the website www.hartlepoolbuilt.co.uk

This website contains details of every ship built in Hartlepool and West Hartlepool from the 1830s to the 1960s when the last of the shipyards closed.

The amount of information available on individual ships varies but where possible includes ship specifications, owners, masters, crew lists, photographs, plans and any other information that helps us build a full history of the vessel.

This website has been developed using information from a wide range of resources, including the N.E England Maritime Archaeology Research Archive (NEEMARA).

The archive holds a wide range of maritime reference material, from professional archaeological reports and policy documents, to general shipping and shipbuilding books and magazines.

If you are researching a ship, or a seafaring ancestor and cannot find all the information you need on this site, please contact us as we may have more information that is not yet available online.

We are always seeking more information to add to the Hartlepool Built website, if you have any relevant photgraphs, objects or memories of any Hartlepool-built ship we would love to hear from you.

Post : Reference & Information Service, Central Library, 124 York Road, Hartlepool, TS26 9DE
Telephone : 01429 263778
Email : infodesk@hartlepool.gov.uk

www.hartlepoolbuilt.co.uk

2009-04-17T11:32:00.000+01:00

Tees Archaeology have been very busy in the last 6 weeks reorganising their office space.

Catcote 1960`s

2009-02-27T11:35:00.000Z

The Catcote archive from the 1960`s series of excavations is currently being re-catlogued in preparation for it to be added to the Single Point of Access website.

The Catcote archive should be added in late spring.

Please visit www.teesmuseum.com

The Tees Valley Museums Online resource has been developed with funding from the MLA's 'Renaissance in the Regions' and Middlesbrough Council.

The site gives access to the museum collections of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland & Stockton-on-Tees authorities.

There is a large selection of records for each museum service currently available. Over the next few years more data sets will be added with the eventual aim of making all collection holdings available online.

Additions to the team

2009-02-27T11:25:00.000Z

At the moment, Tees Archaeology have been joined by a regular maritime volunteer researcher, an archaeology volunteer and a work placement who are greatly helping Tees Archaeology with maritime enquiries, adding new details to our Historic Environment Record and re-organising our archaeology archive.

Their work and effort is greatly appreciated we would like to pass on our sincere thanks for their hard work and enthusiasm.

Lecture - Mesolithic Project

2009-02-27T11:24:00.001Z

Tees Archaeology presented a lecture on the Mesolithic Project 2008 at Mickleby Village Hall in North Yorkshire on Thursday 26th February. The lecture was attended by over 20 people and was enjoyed by everyone.

RED DEER ANTLER

2009-02-17T11:17:00.000Z

An enquiry was taken recently relating to a bone found on the beach at Hartlepool near the site of the Submerged Forest. The bone is in fact a Red Deer antler and could be 4000 years old. The antler is now in the Museum of Hartlepool collection.

MIDDLETON STRAND WRECK

2009-02-17T11:13:00.000Z

We have recently had 3 enquiries reporting the re-emergence of the Middleton Strand Wreck in Hartlepool. Recent sand loss has revealed more of the wrecked vessel than previous. We have no details on the name or date of the wreck, but any information would be gratefully received.

2009-02-17T10:31:00.000Z

At our recent dayschool in November 2008, John Lord gave an excellent demonstration of flintknapping.

John Lord Flint Knapper from teesarch on Vimeo.

2009-02-12T10:09:00.000Z

The Blog will hopefully be updated on a regular basis.

If something urgent or particularly unusual occurs, then readers of this blog will be the first to know !!!

2009-02-10T13:44:00.000Z

10th February 2009 and Tees Archaeology have finally joined the 21st century with the introduction of their very own blog. The aim of the blog is to demonstrate exactly the events and work that is taking place in Tees Archaeology from week to week.