Saturday 25 May 2019

Today was an Archaeology “Family Fun Day” at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, organised by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust as part of their “Stories in Stone” project.

Stories in Stone is part of a programme of community and heritage projects developed by the Ingleborough Dales Landscape Partnership, led by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. (http://www.storiesinstone.org.uk/ )

Upper Wharfedale Heritage Group had been one of the community archaeology groups from the Dales invited to take part. While UWHG put up an information stall at the main event taking place at the playing fields, the Embsay-with-Eastby Churchyard Project team set up at St Oswald’s Church, which is about half a mile away. 

We suspected we might be too far from the main event to get many “customers” but in the end we saw quite a few visitors – some booked in advance, but the majority were passing through (the churchyard is on the Pennine Way).  

We ran two sessions demonstrating RTI photography and our two little groups seemed impressed with the results and the technique. They asked lots of questions and we took them inside the church to look at our information and display stand. Most of them lingered a long time to have a chat about the project and we were certainly kept busy all day. 

We had a nice visit from Tony Johnson, a photographer from the Yorkshire Post, who of course was interested in our use of RTI. He took loads of photos of us demonstrating the technique, and one of them has appeared in Monday’s edition of the newspaper (27^th May 2019) www.pressreader.com/uk/yorkshire-post/20190527/281543702398968

We would especially like to thank the lovely ladies of St Oswald’s who were very welcoming and hospitable – and make lovely cakes!

Jane Lunnon