The North Pennines from Prehistory to Present

The first comprehensive survey of the archaeology of the North Pennines, from Mesolithic to modern times. Traces of 10,000 years of human activity survive today, including flint scatters at Mesolithic campsites, earthworks of prehistoric and later settlements and field systems, and extensive remnants of the post-medieval ‘miner-farmer’ landscape.

The North Pennines from Prehistory to Present is the first comprehensive survey of the archaeology of the region, from Mesolithic to modern times. Sometimes described as ‘England’s last wilderness’, the area is a vast but relatively little-known swathe of the English northern uplands. It is a land of contrasts: lush green dales, high windswept moorland, purple with heather in late summer, turbulent rivers and dramatic crags. Traces of 10,000 years of human activity survive to be studied today, including flint scatters at Mesolithic campsites, earthworks of prehistoric and later settlements and field systems, and extensive remnants of the post-medieval ‘miner-farmer’ landscape. Aspects of the area’s past have been studied over many decades. Recently, since 2010, much new knowledge has been generated through the work of Altogether Archaeology. Initially a North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) project, largely funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this has subsequently developed into an independent charitable community group. The authors of this volume have been involved in its work from the outset. This wide-ranging overview weaves together the results of projects by Altogether Archaeology and others. Lavishly illustrated, it includes numerous newly processed lidar images, demonstrating the value of lidar imagery in archaeological survey. It should appeal to the general reader interested in the area, as well as to students and specialists.

Foreword - Stewart Ainsworth Introduction Chapter 1: Mesolithic: c.10,000-4000 BC Chapter 2: Neolithic and Early Bronze Age: c.4000-1500 BC Chapter 3: Late Bronze Age and Iron Age: c. 1500 BC-AD 410 Chapter 4: Roman: c.AD 71-410 Chapter 5: Early Medieval: 410-1066 Chapter 6: Medieval: 1066-1540 Chapter 7: Post-Medieval:1540-2000 Chapter 8: Towards the Future Appendix A: Radiocarbon Dating Appendix B: Lidar Appendix C: Locations References Index,

Foreword – Stewart Ainsworth

Introduction

Chapter 1: Mesolithic: c.10,000–4000 BC

Chapter 2: Neolithic and Early Bronze Age: c.4000–1500 BC

Chapter 3: Late Bronze Age and Iron Age: c. 1500 BC–AD 410

Chapter 4: Roman: c.AD 71–410

Chapter 5: Early Medieval: 410–1066

Chapter 6: Medieval: 1066–1540

Chapter 7: Post-Medieval:1540–2000

Chapter 8: Towards the Future

Appendix A: Radiocarbon Dating

Appendix B: Lidar

Appendix C: Locations

References

Index

Paul Frodsham, a Durham University graduate and Honorary Fellow, has worked as a professional archaeologist in northern England for 35 years, including a decade with the North Pennines AONB Partnership during which he set up the Altogether Archaeology project. He is now the group’s Archaeology Advisor. He has published numerous books and papers on various archaeological subjects, most recently co-editing Abstractions Based on Circles, a collection of papers on British prehistoric rock art in honour of Stan Beckensall, published by Archaeopress in 2022. Martin Green was a GP in County Durham for many years. Prior to his medical career he worked for an archaeology unit and then in astronomy research (in which he has a D.Phil). As retirement approached, he returned to archaeology. He is the Fieldwork Co-ordinator for Altogether Archaeology and has recently published several reports (available on the Altogether Archaeology website) and articles on the archaeology of the North Pennines. Greg Finch had a career in business after his D.Phil in English economic history. He has written widely on the history of northern England and elsewhere. His most recent book is The Making of the Hexhamshire Landscape (2022). He is a longstanding member of the North Pennines National Landscape’s Historic Environment Working Group, a member of the Council of the Surtees Society and Treasurer of Altogether Archaeology.

• By (author) Paul Frodsham
• By (author) Martin Green
• By (author) Greg Finch

"'[This volume] is an informed and illuminating tour though time and landscape, which offers so much more than ... I was expecting. It is welcome to see this distinct area get its own dedicated archaeology book... I recommend the book - and I recommend visiting the area to see it for yourself.' - Mark Brennand (2025): Current Archaeology 421"
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‘[This volume] is an informed and illuminating tour though time and landscape, which offers so much more than … I was expecting. It is welcome to see this distinct area get its own dedicated archaeology book… I recommend the book – and I recommend visiting the area to see it for yourself.’ – Mark Brennand (2025): Current Archaeology 421

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