Curating our cultural heritage

Dale Mine after consolidation and (Inset) before

South West Peak Cultural Heritage Officer CATHERINE PARKER HEATH looks back on four years of achievement

The last four years have been a whirlwind of activity for the South West Peak Landscape Partnership Scheme’s Barns and Buildings (BB) Project and Small Heritage Adoption (SHA) Project, both supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. As the projects come to an end, it is a good time to take a look back at what has been achieved. The BB Project has enabled the restoration of Reapsmoor Chapel and Schoolroom and Hobcroft Barn (aka Littler Barn), as well as a number of minor repairs to field barns such as Waterhouse Field Barn, which featured on BBC1’s Countryfile in May last year. The SHA Project has enabled heritage assets to be repaired or consolidated, including the ore bins at Dale Mine, a sundial at Butterton, and a limekiln in Gradbach. In total, over 35 heritage assets have been adopted. Over 100 trained volunteers have recorded over 200 field barns Volunteers recording and more than 630 Waterhouse Farm field barn heritage assets, and our 15 trained volunteers have carried out building surveys on a number of field barns. Trails have been created focussing on the barns of Warslow, the historic letterboxes of Buxton, the evidence from the past 10,000 years along the Upper Dove Valley, and the remains of the private zoo, close to Hen Cloud and The Roaches in Staffordshire. Existing trails at Under Whitle Farm, Sheen and around the lost industries of Quarnford have also been updated. Many of these trails are now available through ArcGIS Story Maps. As well as volunteers, local schools and scouts have got involved with both projects, and archaeology students from the University of Sheffield have gained experience through work placements. This last year in particular has focussed on legacy. A number of self-sustaining volunteer groups are being developed, including the Peak District Limekiln Group and the Peak District Milestone Group, so the good work can carry on beyond the scheme. For further details about any aspect of the BB and SHA projects, contact the SWP Cultural Heritage Officer, Catherine Parker Heath at catherine.parkerheath@ peakdistrict.gov.uk

Three-year-old Riley McGill is delighted to find the Grade II listed Victorian Penfold letterbox opposite Buxton Opera House on the Buxton Letterbox Trail