Heritage Rankings and Cornwall

Cornwall Mining Landscape © David Gill

The RSA Heritage Index (2020) allows the ranking of local authorities through the analysis of data around key themes: Historic Built Environment, Museums, Archives and Artefacts, Industrial Heritage, Parks and Open Spaces, Landscape and Natural Heritage, Culture and Memories, and a general category.

Cornwall is ranked at 46 for local authorities in England. It is particularly strong in the general category (9), Culture and Memories (31) and Landscape and Natural Heritage (81). Surprisingly it did not have a strong showing for Industrial Heritage (229) even though the UNESCO World Heritage status has a focus on the mining heritage (‘Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape‘); the image of the Crowns on the north Cornish coast is a reminder of the dramatic setting for some of this industrial heritage. There is marked fall in the rankings for Museums, Archives and Artefacts (from 185 to 280), but a modest increase for the Historic Built Environment (from 169 to 137).

© David Gill

The Hurlers, Bodmin Moor

The Hurlers, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

The Hurlers are located on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. Parts of three circles can be identified.

The site is in the care of English Heritage and is managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust.

Top 10 Heritage Sites for Norfolk

Galleries at the bottom of Pit 1 at Grimes Graves (2015) © David Gill

I have been thinking about my Top 10 heritage sites in Norfolk. This is very much a personal choice, and the locations are placed in (rough) chronological order. I have tried to include a variety of types of heritage site. How can you decide between Norwich Cathedral and Norwich Castle? Or between Felbrigg and Blickling? Castle Rising and Castle Acre?

Grime’s Graves. You can descend into the Neolithic flint mines.

The Roman fort at Burgh Castle © David Gill

Burgh Castle. One of the best preserved Roman forts of the Saxon Shore.

Norwich Cathedral © David Gill

Norwich Cathedral. The cathedral is an architectural gem and dominates the city.

Binham Priory © David Gill

Binham Priory. Part of the Benedictine priory is still in use as the parish church.

Castle Rising © David Gill

Castle Rising. This well-preserved keep is dominated by a series of earthworks.

Oxburgh Hall © David Gill

Oxburgh Hall. The moated hall at Oxburgh contains fabulous tapestries.

Felbrigg Hall © David Gill

Felbrigg Hall. The 17th century front to the house is a gem.

Holkham Hall © David Gill

Holkham Hall. One of the most magnificent houses and Grand Tour collections in Norfolk.

North Norfolk Railway, Sheringham Station © David Gill

The North Norfolk Railway (The Poppy Line). The journey between Sheringham and Holt provides views of the coast as well as the Norfolk countryside.

Sandringham © David Gill

Sandringham. The Royal residence sits in the middle of extensive landscaped grounds.

Lanyon Quoit

Lanyon Quoit © David Gill

Lanyon Quoit is located near to Madron in Penwith. The remains formed part of a neolithic chambered tomb.

The stones were re-erected in 1824.

Ding Dong Mine sits on the skyline. This forms part of the UNESCO Cornwall & West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.

The Tin Coast and Poldark

The Crowns Engine Houses at Botallack © David Gill

The BBC Drama Series ‘Poldark‘ is set in Cornwall in what is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ‘Tin Coast‘ includes the Crowns Engine Houses at Botallack in the care of the National Trust.

Heritage locations used in the filming of the series have been listed by Visit Cornwall.

Grime’s Graves: Canon Greenwell’s Pit to open

Canon Greenwell’s Pit, Grime’s Graves © David Gill

English Heritage has announced that it will opening up Canon Greenwell’s Pit at Grime’s Graves. A short video is available from the BBC (“Neolithic flint mine to open to public for the first time“, BBC News 11 March 2017). Access will be by guided tour. Pit 1 will continue to be open.

Canon William Greenwell (1820-1918) excavated at Grime’s Graves in 1868, following earlier work at the flint mines at Cissbury in Sussex.

Celebrations at Grime’s Graves

A shared archaeological heritage links Grime’s Graves to the Hoshikuso obsidian mine in Japan, which are now twinned pic.twitter.com/v84SE6BILf

— English Heritage (@EnglishHeritage) July 15, 2016

 

World’s First Twinned Archaeological Sites

Grime’s Graves © David Gill

Last night (14 July 2016) we attended a ceremony to celebrate the World’s First Twinned Archaeological Sites: Grime’s Graves in Norfolk and the Hoshikuso Obsidian Mines in Japan. There was a warm welcome from the Mayor of Thetford.

Grime’s Graves © David Gill

We were given a tour of one of the pits, and then a walk round part of the site to Canon Greenwell’s Pit (not open to the public).

Grime’s Graves, Canon Greenwell’s Pit © David Gill

This was followed by speeches, and a signing ceremony between the two archaeological sites.

Grime’s Graves © David Gill

Grime’s Graves © David Gill

The party of Obsidian Ambassadors then sang to us, followed by further music suited to a perfect summer evening.

Grime’s Graves © David Gill

• The Online Resource for Japanese Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (ORJACH)
• Grime’s Graves (English Heritage)

Roman Mines at Dolaucothi

Dolaucothi © David Gill

Heritage sites engage with the emotions. What was it like for the original residents?

At the National Trust site of Dolaucothi you can join a guided tour, put on your hard hat and explore the workings of the Roman gold mine. And on some of the trips you can slide into some of the shallower workings to experience what it must have been like to extract the ore underground. Some of the workings may in fact go back into the pre-Roman period.

It is also possible to trace the line of the aqueduct bringing water to the ore processing areas.