I can hear you complaining already! But hold on a minute, we may be about to take a step forward in my long search for it. A very good friend of mine (and an excellent scholar) John Clayton, has been looking at the latest LIDAR imaging of the area between Townhead and Bracewell and has been getting some very interesting and entirely new indications in his results. In case LIDAR foxes you, sufficient to know as much as I do, it's a technique for scanning the ground from the air using laser beams and measuring the differences in the reflections. Like a very powerful RADAR system that can 'see' through foliage like trees and crops and give a very accurate image of the surface of the ground itself. It's too early to start making guesses but from what I have seen so far it is going to alter our picture of 'Dark Age' Barlick and give us something to think about.
Another thing which has got me thinking is a book published this month by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, written by Keith Boughey it looks at the work done by Welbury Holgate of Earby and his sisters who excavated a ring cairn on Hare Hill between Earby and Thornton. What Keith has done is examine their excellent records and draw up a modern report. It makes fascinating reading and convinces me yet again that our Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age ancestors, within the limits of their technology and knowledge, were a lot smarter than we have previously given them credit for. 'Life and Death in Prehistoric Craven' clearly shows that around 2000BC our ancestors were trading with others far beyond our region and had firm beliefs about the treatment of the dead, particularly young children and mothers. Further, there is evidence that the initial use of the site of the monument dates back to around 3,800BC and even earlier Mesolithic flints are amongst the finds.
I know that not everyone has the knowledge to interpret these findings but the bottom line is that, as I have said so many times, there is evidence of occupation and society that we can recognise and understand far earlier than is evident on the surface. The only reason why we haven't had evidence of this before now is that we haven't looked hard enough! Keith Boughey and John Clayton are making progress through dedicated hard work. Let's also recognise the hitherto unpublished work of a baker in Earby, Welbury Holgate of 5 Water Street and his sisters who did such sterling work over 80 years ago. I have little doubt that to some, their obsession with the site must have seemed eccentric to say the least.
We already knew that we live in a very special area with an ancient history. What I am reporting now shows that our history is more ancient than we knew. I can't help wondering whether there are still descendants of the same people living here today.....
Water Street in 1900 from Keith's book.
