Bedale Archaeology & History Society

Bedale Hall and Zoom, Bedale

About

Bedale Archaeology & History Society - PROGRAMME FOR 2025

Meetings are held at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday in the month, most in Bedale Hall and on Zoom and some on Zoom only.

Bedale Archaeology & History Society - Programme 2025

7 Jan. - AGM + John Gully, from prizefighter to coal-mine developer - Tony Wood, historian  Zoom

4 Feb. - Roman Chester-le-Street - Robert Bishop, local historian and photographer[1]  Zoom

4 Mar. - Ripon Military Camps in WWI - Antony Prince

1 Apr. - Harrogate’s saviour – Edward Wilson Dixon:  the story of Harrogate’s water supply and the building of Roundhill Reservoir[2] - Graham Seel

6 May - St Hild and the Synod of Whitby - Rev. Dr Greg Hoyland FRSA FHEA[3]

12 June - Oswald Iding of Northumbria AD604-642, King & Supersaint - Prof. Dr Dyno Keatinge  (2nd Thursday)

1 July - Guided walk along the section of the trackbed of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in Preston Park, Eaglescliffe - Dr Emma Watson, Tees Archaeology

2 Sep. - Excavating Bronze Age Homes: The Must Farm Pile-dwelling Settlement[4] - Chris Wakefield, Cambridge Archaeological Unit

7 Oct. - Boundary stones – discovering hidden history in the landscape[5]  - Hilary Jones, The Milestone Society

4 Nov. - Seeing the Dead:  New Insights into Roman Gypsum Burials in Yorkshire - Maureen Carroll FSA, Professor Emerita of Roman Archaeology, University of York  Zoom

2 Dec. - Ancient DNA and kinship analysis at the Iron Age cemetery at Wetwang Slack, East Yorkshire - Prof. Ian Armit, Chair in Archaeology, University of York  Zoom

Most talks take place in Bedale Hall and on Zoom at 7.30 pm on the first Tuesday in the month.  Some talks are Zoom only and June’s meeting is on the second Thursday.

[1] See https://robertbishop.uk/galleries/ for some of Robert’s gorgeous photos.

[2] At the turn of the 20th century Harrogate faced the prospect of what the local press described as a ‘water famine’.  Ironically, there was a real danger that the taps would run dry in this increasingly popular Spa town.  However Harrogate’s newly appointed Chief Water Engineer, Edward Wilson Dixon, initiated and oversaw a scheme to build a new water supply for the town:  Roundhill Reservoir, near Masham.

Graham was a history teacher for 34 years.  He was Head of History at The Manchester Grammar School, The Grammar School in Leeds and finally St Paul’s School in London.  He has published widely on a variety of topics, including a well-received book revising the traditional view of ‘Bad King John’ (King John:  an underrated King, Anthem Press, 2012).  He is currently working on WWI memorialisation in stained-glass windows in North Yorkshire churches.

[3] A welcome return visit from a popular speaker

[4] In 2015-16 a team from the Cambridge Archaeological Unit uncovered one of the best-preserved Late Bronze Age settlements ever discovered in the UK.  The stilt houses above a river & surrounded by a palisade were destroyed by fire, causing the buildings & their contents to collapse into the water & to be preserved for thousands of years in silt.  The astonishing artefacts discovered include textiles, weapons, tools & bowls still containing meals.  This talk tells the story of this incredible site and how it has helped us to a better understanding of life almost 3,000 years ago.

[5] Hilary’s illustrated talk will explore why boundary markers were set up and what they say about your local area. From parish boundaries to lighthouses and castles, marking the boundary was, and remains, part of our hidden history. Hilary is vice-chair of The Milestone Society, a charity that conserves our wayside heritage of milestones, boundary markers and traditional fingerpost.  She worked in transport planning and highways, is now retired and lives in Wensleydale.  Her talk in March 2024 on The Richmond to Lancaster Turnpike was very well received.

For the Zoom link for any of these talks please e-mail bahsoc@outlook.com

The annual subscription is £12 per adult (schoolchildren and full-time students free) and is due in January.  New members are welcome and non-members are very welcome to attend meetings, whether in person or on Zoom, for a charge of £3 (schoolchildren and full-time students free).