Celebrating the first 70 years

GUIDEline boundary word image by Malcolm Pointon (aged 11) The Peak District National Park marked its 70th birthday in April last year. Cultural Heritage Manager ANNA BADCOCK describes some of the ways in which it was celebrated

We celebrated our momentous anniversary as the first UK National Park with numerous events and activities. Our ‘70 people 70 Years’ programme has featured a range of people who have been involved with the National Park since its conception – from wardens to fell runners, commissioners to campaigners – including our very own ACID editor Roly Smith. Mark Gwynne Jones’ ‘Voices from the Peak’ project has created a series of audio journeys through the wonderful landscapes of the area – take a listen and lose yourself in these atmospheric soundscapes. Two 70th anniversary projects with a particular heritage focus were the GUIDEline boundary arts project and Vestiges, a celebration of life and discoveries of the antiquarian Thomas Bateman (last year was also the bicentenary of Bateman’s birth, see ACID 2021). The GUIDEline project is being delivered by artists from the Buxton-based Glassball Studio. GUIDEline is exploring the nature of the National Park’s boundary, creating a greater understanding of the how the boundary was created and, through a series of collaborative public artworks, responding to the complexities of what a boundary is. The project is providing innovative creative engagement opportunities for residents and visitors alike to discover and share personal responses to an emerging story at a seminal point in the Park’s history. Did you know that the legal definition of the National Park boundary is not just a map but the written description of its route? Words taken from the description were 3D-printed, and laser-cut from plywood, and sent out to schools as part of the ‘Boundary Words’ activity. Families were encouraged to explore their local area and use the words to interact with the boundary. In collaboration with artist Allison Lloyd a series of ‘Contouring the Boundary’ walks

offered participants to opportunity to experiment with photography and to look at landscape through new eyes. The GUIDEline project will continue throughout this year, and more information on activities and how to take part can be found at: https://guideline.org.uk/ The Vestiges project – funded by a University of Manchester Cultural Engagement grant and the donation of staff time from the Universities of Manchester, Sheffield and Bradford – brought creative writers and artists into collaboration with the National Park Cultural Heritage team, archaeologists from the contributing universities, and Sheffield’s Weston Park Museum. Poems, artworks and a digital StoryMap explore the life, work and character of Thomas Bateman and his prolific excavation of Peak District prehistoric barrows. At the time of writing a pamphlet is being produced to showcase some of this work, and the project links to the forthcoming Bateman exhibition at Weston Park Museum to be held from April 1 – September 4 this year. Last year’s Derbyshire Archaeology Day was held for the first time on a digital platform, and attendees generously raised more than £1400 to contribute to the repair of Bateman’s Tomb in Middleton. Our thanks to all who attended the two sessions and for your generous donations. We hope Bateman’s legacy sparks the enthusiasm of our next generation of archaeologists, historians and landscape explorers.

3D-printed words taken from the National Park boundary description, from the GUIDEline project The GUIDEline ‘Contouring the Boundary’ walk. Image by Cora Glasser White Peak by Rose Ferraby