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Mary C Fair |
"In the Footsteps of Mary Fair"
It all began last summer - May 2004. Our history society has meetings indoors in the winter and from May to July we have a monthly walk, exploring evidences of the past to be seen within our area. Our first walk of 2004 was to retrace the steps of Mary Fair, which she recorded in an article (CWAAS 1938 Vol XXXVIII), entitled "A Group of Remains round Eskdale Green".
The remains she found were of diverse dates and kinds:
- A tumulus or barrow
- Parts of a trackway, in parts well paved and in others sunken between large boulders
- A ruined farmhouse of late 16th or 17th century date
- The site of an iron ore bloomery (not dated by Mary Fair)
- Other remains of buildings and walls of unknown date.
All the members who did the walk were fascinated by the remains we had found and it was decided to let the Lake District National Park archaeologist, John Hodgson know about them. After he had visited and seen the sites for himself he suggested that we should apply for a grant to have them investigated using modern techniques of surveying and recording. This we decided (with some trepidation) to do. Oxford Archaeology North agreed to be in charge of the landscape survey, geophysical survey etc. and they also decided that it would be a sensible idea, while we were about it, to enlarge the area to include most of Muncaster Fell.
Now, as we are preparing for our initial public meeting, writing letters to schools and to societies which might be interested, making posters and contacting local newspapers, we realise the enormity of what we have taken on. However, we expect to find a group of people who are interested enough to volunteer to help us. There will be various activities in which they can join:
For those who like the outdoors:
- Field walking
- Helping with geophysical survey (to include training)
- Helping with landscape survey (to include training)
- Possibly helping with the photographing of the sites
- And probably other things we have not thought about!
For those who like to stay indoors:
- Documentary research which will include visits to various Record Offices and Libraries to find original documents relating to our sites
- Hep with all the administratve work which we realise will be an ongoing part of the project
- Helping with the organisation of other groups of volunteers
- And probably things we have not thought of!
The grant we have received comes from the Local Heritage Initiative fund of English Heritage and we have already received a lot of help from Susannah England the NW representative. She was at hand while we were filling in the formidable application form for the grant and will, we are sure, be there to hold our hands throughout the project. So we have until February 2008 to rediscover and record all the sites with 21st century instruments which Mary Fair recorded in her notebooks, using photographs, drawings and early 20th century surveying techniques and which she wrote about in 1938. We hope that we can add to her findings in a way of which she would approve.
