20. Bank Lane Wednesday 22nd September 2010

Despite ominous weather forecasts, we enjoyed a beautiful day today for our second session in the fields off Bank Lane. The task was to draw up the preliminary Gazetteer of features in which we compiled a rough plan of the site, and gave each visible feature an ID number and GPS reference.

We split into 3 teams, and as ever, found that the aim to complete our mission by the end of the day was, in the event, far too ambitious. Still, we made excellent progress, and as we became more familiar with the site, were getting faster at the recording process. Our new volunteers, Jennifer, Margaret and Paul, appeared to enjoy themselves and cottoned on quickly to the surveying.

Far too much hilarity at lunch-time © Jane Lunnon

It is becoming very clear that this has a very different feel to High Close, yet some features seem familiar in character. There are some very substantial earthworks, some of which appear to continue under the walls into neighbouring fields, which is very intriguing.

Alan and Paul ponder over the intricacies of the earthworks © Jane Lunnon

There is still some more work to do on the Gazetteer next week and we hope for continuation of good weather.

Jane Lunnon.

19. Wednesday, 15 September 2010

The wind blew, the rain poured and a grey autumn mizzle surrounded us as we arrived at the car park in Grassington this morning. 5 brave souls turned up for the first autumn session of 2010 field surveying for the YDLRT project. Continuing on from our survey of High Close in the spring, Roger took us to Bank Lane Field and introduced us to the next phase of the project.

Undeterred by a little bit of weather!

Here we had two fields (and possibly a third) to survey, which, like High Close, are dominated by complex earthworks, virtually impossible to date at this stage.

While Paul helped Roger set up the GPS to establish the fixed reference points, the 4 others split into two pairs, one per field; and battling against the gusts of wind and the rain, attempted to make a start on creating a gazetteer of features.

Vera checks the plans.

During the lunch break we sought shelter by a wall, under a tree, which occasionally shook the excess water from its leaves all over us. We decided to call it a day and headed for the tea shop

Jane Lunnon