Last weekend marked the 26th anniversary of the rescue of Roy and Les from Sleets Gill cave. This rescue was special for many reasons… It was one of the first ever British underwater rescues from a cave, which combined mountain rescue and cave diving teams, working alongside the emergency services. What makes the story so Read more
From the Bronze Age onwards, blacksmiths were an integral part of any village. In the early eras of metal work, blacksmiths were highly esteemed, viewed almost as magicians. The skill of creating molten metal from rocks was a mysterious and astonishing craft. During the Iron Age, they would smelt iron from ore, and create everyday essential Read more
My grandfather was a dairy farmer and most of my early memories are being with him and my grandmother on the farm while they milked the cows, tended their vegetable patch and fed the chickens, so I have always felt an affinity for farming. Being so close to the animals at Ribe was a pure Read more
Wood is perhaps the greatest renewable resource that has been available to us throughout human history. Tree identification can be difficult, even with the bark and leaves on view, yet a skilled carpenter can use the patterns of the grain, colour, texture and smell to distinguish the type of wood. Historically, an axe is the tool of Read more
Recently, we traveled to Denmark on a research trip to Ribe, Viking Village. The first building that looms into view is…. The Long House! As your eyes adjust to the darker interior you begin to notice beams of light from the rafters and the wonderful smell of wood smoke that hangs in the air from the fire. Read more
We had a fantastic time at Muncaster Castle “Festival of Fools” over the May bank holiday. We had the privilege to meet “Twiggy” the new born roe deer on the evening before the event, when she was only four days old. To find out about Twiggy’s incredible rescue follow this link! For those of you unfamiliar Read more
One of our colleagues, Anja Phoenix has written a new Tale Trails story map based around Cawfields and Great Chesters Fort on Hadrian’s Wall. Kevin and I were happy to be included in the official launch last Friday, 17th April 2015. Border News were there to document the launch! You can watch their video here: Read more
We have been to the heartland of the Roman Empire. We customarily ate pizza, pasta, gelato & tiramisu. We drank vino, prosecco, beer, & cappuccinos. We enjoyed the twenty degree warmth, basking in the sunshine! But mostly we were left speechless by the stunning architecture and archaeological remains. We had a guided tour of the Read more