Epic Epiacum's Big Launch Day

We had a fantastic and wonderfully sunny day/evening up at the Village Hall to launch Epic Epiacum Ltd this last Tuesday (May 22nd). Elaine Edgar is the owner of a farm near Alston (just up the road from here) called Castle Nook/Whitley Castle (Epiacum). There is a link to a local paper, The Journal, here which describes Elaine's plans for Epiacum and here in the Hexham Courant.

"The name Epiacum is possibly a contraction of epi-acumen meaning 'surrounding the point', which could refer to the fort's outstanding tactical position surrounding the summit of a small hill. The modern name means 'the castle in the white clearing'"This is quoted from the excellent website Roman Britain.The name, Epiacum, is debated ...it could also been the property or estate of Eppius - a Romanised Celtic/British name.

Elaine is "the wife of a farmer" (her words) and sitting on their farm is an unexcavated Roman fort.
I first got to know Elaine as we are Governors for the federation of local primary Church of England Schools. Through those meetings we got chatting and given that she has a Roman fort at her fingertips...I naturally got interested!

"Whitley Castle, or Epiacum, at Castle Nook Farm has not been explored by archaeologists apart from one small dig in 1957. The foundations of the fort's buildings are preserved, including the barracks, commander's house and bath house. Elaine Edgar claims it is the "best preserved roman fort" with everything "lying intact". She said, despite being unexcavated and "virtually unknown", the fort is "very visible in the landscape"." (Quoted from the BBC article.)

Through  the Area of Natural Beauty North Pennines I started to attend the guided tours and walks that have been (and still are) taking place around the fort. Paul Frodsham, is the main archaeologist, who works for AONBNP and he has been instrumental in setting up a volunteer led programme for budding local archaeologists called 'Altogether Archaeology'. Through this programme they have been conducting molehill surveys at the fort. I had to miss last year's as I was committed elsewhere but I did manage to attend one day this year. I found some shards of pottery. Other people have found some other artefacts too which show up on this BBC Look North short film here of that molehill survey day.

Elaine very kindly invited me to join the steering group which is advising the Directors of Epic Epiacum earlier this year. It's been Elaine's vision to create a visitor centre at Epiacum to welcome all visitors there, improve access and tell them more about the farm, the landscape, the history, the fort and much more besides. (The history is not all Roman as there are tell tale signs in the landscape which date back to the Bronze Age.) Through her unstinting efforts Epic Epiacum Ltd has just been awarded some money from the Heritage Lottery fund to make the fort more accessible to school parties and tourists as well as the many walkers who follow the Pennine Way footpath around the margins of the fort. By creating improved access and interpretation facilities we hope that future visitors will be able to appreciate just what a unique and astonishing place this is (quoted from EH website).
Paul Frodsham has also been working with *Stewart Ainsworth of Time Team fame and English Heritage. As such the fort has now been extensively surveyed by English Heritage and its reports begin here. *Stewart's first contact with Whitley Castle was over thirty years ago. He has stated that he enjoys being in contact with this part of the world for the warmth of its people and for the richness of an apparently bleak landscape (when it is anything but!)...he is shown in two of the photos above in the cap and blue jacket.

There are many things I could tell you about Epiacum/Whitley Castle but for now
I'll restrict myself to these:

• the fort has seven defensive ditches (!!!) - that's a very high number...
• the fort/farm sits on a Roman road called the Maiden Way
• the fort was there (most likely) to exploit the mining of lead and silver
•  the fort/older farm steading was the birth place of Northumbrian historian, John Wallis/Wallace, in the eighteenth century. Apparently he stated that being born on a Roman fort inspired his love of history...

Anyway returning now to recent history (last Tuesday night)..the launch to the local community and a wider audience in the evening was a resounding success! Many thanks, Elaine and everyone, for creating such a wonderful atmosphere, presentation, organisation, buffet (as provided by the very scrumptious Blue Sheep Catering of Alston)!

Looking forward to helping you now and in the future!

PS - A new website is being created for Epic Epiacum and you can follow Elaine on Twitter @epiacum
You can also become a Friend of Epiacum to be invited along to special events and training opportunities. Ask Elaine for more details!

Cars: Love 'em or loathe 'em!?!

Cars: Minis - Haltwhistle Carnival 2008

Not sure where I stand on this subject. As long as a car looks reasonably OK and gets you from A to B....then I don’t have a particular issue with it.

Personally I wish there were fewer and less fast cars around. Bring on electric cars say I! The good news is that there are more and more electric car charging points within the nearby Northumberland National Park. There are also some to come in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - the North Pennines. Just look out for those blue topped twinkling stainless steel poles at Walltown Quarry, Once Brewed Information Centre, Housesteads and other places!

Before moving to the countryside I tried to avoid using cars full stop. I have always been lucky enough to be able to live in urban areas where I could rely on reasonable public transport. Better still I lived in places where I could walk or cycle around. This would allow me to stay healthy and indulge my interest in history. Most buildings in London and in Newcastle upon Tyne catch the eye. For example in the latter there is the Quayside, Grey Street, Blackfriars, the University area, Jesmond and so on. I was extremely lucky to have lived, walked, cycled in all those places. I still do when I can.

But cars – petrol and diesel - hmm. My husband and I have two cars. He has a diesel Ford Focus Estate and I have a small red petrol engine Peugeot. We’ve had the Ford since we moved into the area eight years ago and to be honest it is not looking its best.

The right hand wing mirror is hanging off by a piece of gaffer tape. The locks do not work too well (to put it mildly). The right hand driver window no longer functions, the children have put stickers on the back windows plus the dog has proclaimed overall residency in the boot. The Ford is nominally white but proudly wears a camouflage of mud, grime and dust. By ‘eck we love it!

Mine is still in reasonable nick. I do my best to stop the children turning it into a rubbish tip. The one thing that still manages to confound me is the sticky finger bodywork marks. I look and I sigh. Frequently. And so the clean or not so clean motor car is a necessary evil out here in the sticks as is walking on the pavement-free country roads once in a while. I’ve now got used to the constant driving but I do miss my daily walking routine. We have one of the national cycle routes nearby (Route 72 is at the end of the road) and so there is also the option of cycling and walking in the clean, fresh air when time allows.

It’s also quite easy out here not to leave your car locked. Lots of people do it. I like the tradition but tend to lock mine as a matter of course. Sadly countryside crime is on the rise these days whether it be farm equipment, oil in tanks, wood, cars, bicycles...going missing. Touch wood (or rather not touch wood!!) nothing has happened to us as yet.

A friend of mine’s car was broken into whilst she left her car parked at Gatwick Airport the other week. She’d forgotten that she’d left a bag on the back seat. Her car window was smashed and the car stolen. The police eventually recovered the car but she had to drive round with the window boarded up for a week until it was repaired. Chic or what? Luckily she was insured.

My husband, Nigel, used to drive in and out of London to go about his work as he could not rely on the train service. Several times his scuba diving kit was stolen from his car. Again he was insured thankfully. (He had been diving up at the London scuba club. He didn’t leave his gear in the car for the fun of it!)

Back in Jesmond, on the outskirts of Newcastle, about ten years ago we were visiting my parents one weekend. It was a super part of Newcastle (and still is). Nevertheless our car was stolen from outside their door one Friday night due to its proximity to city bar life and the nearest motorway. The police found it some days later, joyridden and burnt out. Our car insurance allowed us to replace it quickly within a couple of days. No harm done ultimately.

Given the choice though would I still have a car? Although I would prefer a life without them I think they are here to stay. We’ve got used to them. I’d like to give an electric car a go. I think it would be tremendous fun.

And finally...Michael Caine has become associated with cars. Think of the “Italian Job” and “Get Carter”. He starred in the latter film as a Geordie gangster. The film was all shot up here (in more ways than one). When I used to go to school in Newcastle we used to drive past the iconic Trinity Centre Multi-storey or “Get Carter” concrete car park which became a star in its own right. It was recently pulled down last year. See the BBC film about it being demolished here. Most people in Gateshead are delighted to see the back of it and the whole area is being redeveloped. Interestingly pieces of the car park have been auctioned off and snapped up. The car park, itself, has become a historical treasure trove. So there you have it: motor car, film star, concrete (the last of which was invented by the Romans) all bound up in an artefact for the enjoyment of the past, the present and the future! How good is that?

This is a sponsored post. Helping me to set up my Latin/History Courses - coming mid March. 

P.S.: Take a look at Heather Athey's blog she was in the thick of the Foot and Mouth crisis ten years ago. Well worth a read!