What Do You Think?

This site is very much work in progress.

The First Post

This site is being set up to provide more Internet access to the Boston Spa Archaeology and Heritage Group.

The idea is to provide regular updates to our activities which can be shared with the wider heritage community.

More detailed reports and information will continue to be provided by our website.

York Meeting 23rd November

Just received details about a meeting organised by the The Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past at The King’s Manor, University of York:

Looking Ahead

This is the time of year when we start planning the activities for next year.  The programme group will be meeting shortly to brain-storm ideas for meetings, speakers and days out.

If you have any ideas or contacts you can recommend or suggest contributions you might like to make, we would appreciate your input by leaving a comment.  Let’s hear from you.

Clifford Local History Group Meeting

 

Just received information from Malcolm
Click on this link for a larger image … Clifford History group poster

October 2011 Meeting

Tonight we enjoyed three excellent presentations.  Malcolm updated us on the on-going investigations surrounding Dam House.  Don’t forget to look at Dam House in our projects section.

Liz gave a fascinating talk about chimneys and we hope to add the chimneys of Boston Spa to this site in the near future.  In the meantime have a look at Chimney Pot Spotting

Speaking personally, Paul’s talk was the most fascinating because although I have visited Lotherton Hall many times, especially with the grand children, I haven’t considered the historical/archaeological background before in the way that was presented tonight.       ——  Thank you Paul.

Damage to carvings at Jackdaw Crag

There has been some recent serious damage to the historic carvings down by the river at Jackdaw Crag.

View of carvings from a 1930's postcard

The river cliffs are a designated Local Geological Site. They are also an archaeological heritage feature known and valued by local people, with carvings of a fox and mounted huntsman, soldiers (thought to have been carved by first world war soldiers stationed in the district) and various heads and busts of unknown date.

Photograph taken this week

This image shows the carvings in their present state.  Thoughtless vandals spray painted some of the carvings back in 2009.  Fortunately the paint is gradually wearing away without causing serious damage to the underlying rocks.

What has happened this week is that a rectangular surface has been set in amongst the carvings creating irreparable damage.

The land is owned by the Parish Council who have certainly not given permission for this work to be carried out.

If you feel as angry about this latest vandalism of a historical landmark in Boston Spa, please add your comments which will be forwarded to the Parish Council.  You might also consider making your views known to the local press including the Wetherby News.

West Yorkshire Community Heritage Forum

Two members of our group attended the second meeting of the above forum held at the Bridge Arts Gallery (Castleford Heritage Trust) and hosted by Alison Drake.  Speakers included Simon Tomson from the Pontefract and District Archaeological Society, who described the Friary excavations on the site of the old hospital in Pontefract; Paul Boothroyd from South Leeds Archaeology , who talked about finds from a local primary school; Jacqueline Ryder talked about Clarke Hall in Wakefield and currently the subject of a council spending review and finally Rachel Walker spoke about the Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole.