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Welcome to SWAAG

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SWAAG is a group of enthusiasts in the northernmost Yorkshire dales who are contributing to the knowledge base of the history of our dales through archaeological and related activity.

SWAAG, affiliated with the Swaledale Museum, began work in July 2009 under the guidance and supervision of Tim Laurie FSA, the leading expert on prehistoric landscapes in the area.

Our work programme covers a wide range of activities: desk-top research on documents, Google Earth, aerial and site photographs; site surveying, mapping and drawing; linking geology to historic land use; recording ancient and relict vegetation and trees; field-walking; excavation; recording and analysis of finds and publishing reports.

Our first survey focused on a group of previously unrecorded Iron Age/Romano-British settlements in Swaledale. We have surveyed two other multi-period sites and commissioned a geophysical survey on the spectacular site of Maiden Castle. We plan over time to study a wide range of sites from prehistoric through Romano-British to medieval and lead mining. Please explore the website for our archaeological report, Tim Laurie’s publications, photographs and records of wonderful trees and fungi, and general Historic Environment Records.

SWAAG welcomes new members. Please see the membership form on the website. Our walks and meetings are open to all, so please come along to see if you would like to join us.

Remember, if you are interested in research, surveying, mapping and drawing, excavation, finds analysis, botany, geology or just walking beautiful countryside year-round, please contact us using the contact page or complete and return the Membership Form. You can find more membership information here.

Peter

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Available as e-Book or Paperback
The E-Book can also be read on your computer using
Adobe Digital Editions

Save 15% on SWAAG publications:
First go to this page and note the coupon code
Second go to this page and use the coupon on checkout.
Last day of offer: 18th May.

SWAAG Publications are available here

View sample maps (pdf) created by the techniques described. Zoom in to them to see their quality.

29/04/12 SWAAG 2012 Digs and other Activities

27/02/12 The Hagg Farm Site 101 Dig Report is now available as a pdf download.

23/02/12 The combined report for Cogden Hall and Grinton East Mound is now available as a pdf download.

13/02/12 View SWAAG's Botanical records on Google Maps set against a variety of Google backgrounds: Terrain, Satellite, Map or Google Earth.

04/02/12 SWAAG Most Recent Image added to Home page. Scroll down to view it.

31/01/12 Browse OS maps down to 1 in 10,000 Street View

19/01/12 Landscape Surveying using Handheld GPS Receivers now available on Lulu.

04/01/12 The Stockdale Fault John's latest geology web page

23/12/11 Neddy Dick and his Lithophone

20/12/11 Cogden Hall Magnetometry Images

10/12/11 Swaledale Geology Pages are now being developed by John Russell.

28/11/11 SWAAG Daggerstones Report is now available as a full colour printed version.

17/11/11 Five Tree sketches and one watercolour added to Jocelyn's Artwork pages.

11/11/11 Tim Laurie's Swaledale Woodland Project

10/10/11 Swaledale Project pages updated

SWAAG is being archived by the British Library's UK Web Archive

after clicking the link, click an archived date e.g. 14 Jun 2010

SWAAG Database: This is the most recent of 400+ records uploaded by SWAAG members.

SWAAG ID	523
Date Entered	17/05/2012
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Tree Site Record
Record Type	Botanical HER
Site Access	Public Footpath
Record Date	16/05/2012
Location	Stainmore. Sleightholme Beck, The Trough and Trough Scars
Civil Parish	Not known
Brit. National Grid	NY 96546 12094
Altitude	332m
Geology	Deep ravine cut through Great Limestone by Sleightholme Beck. Lower woodlands below intake wall.
Record Name	Gilmonby CP. The Trough. Limestone woodland with yews.
Record Description	Species-rich woodland, both native and planted, within and on vertical limestone cliffs on both sides of the ravine cut by Sleghtholme Beck known as The Trough. The highlight of the woodland here are the fine cliff yews, and other native trees on the cliffs but also fine planted beech trees and a group of very tall silver firs which rise vertically for a height of 32m (110ft) from the stream side to be level with the top of the limestone cliffs.
Species	Yew
Scientific Name	Taxus baccata
Image 1 ID	2879 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	The Trough. Woodland and Sleightholme Beck.
Image 2 ID	2877 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description
Image 3 ID	2878 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	Silver Firs by the stream. These trees are 32m (110ft) in height.
Image 4 ID	2880 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description
Image 5 ID	2881 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description
Image 6 ID	2882 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description
Image 7 ID	2883 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description
Image 8 ID	2884 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description
Image 9 ID	2885 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description
Image 10 ID	2886 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description
Image 11 ID	2887 Click image to enlarge
Image 11 Description
Image 12 ID	2888 Click image to enlarge
Image 12 Description	Black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum) fern on roots of fallen beech.
Image 13 ID	2889 Click image to enlarge
Image 13 Description	Native oaks (Qu.robur) are co-dominant with yew and ash at the top edge of the limestone scar on the western side of the Trough.
Image 14 ID	2890 Click image to enlarge
Image 14 Description
Image 15 ID	2891 Click image to enlarge
Image 15 Description
Image 16 ID	2892 Click image to enlarge
Image 16 Description	View from the west side of the Trough across Trough Heads towards Seven Hills (Glacial moraine) with ash trees and large yew on cliff.
Image 17 ID	2893 Click image to enlarge
Image 17 Description	Early purple orchids (Orchis mascula) at Trough Heads.

SWAAG Recent Image Database:
This is the most recent image uploaded by a SWAAG member. See more here.

Most Recent Image:	Photo by:	Click image to enlarge
Marske Waterwheel Waterwheel. Late C19. Wooden wheel with cast-iron axle. Waterwheel designed to be overshot (although no evidence that the pentrough was ever constructed), with wooden buckets, sole plates and spokes. Cast-iron axle at ground level. Wheel is set in rubble-lined wheel race. The waterwheel, which stands in isolation, is said to have been built to generate electricity for nearby Skelton Hall, but the scheme was never implemented, a waterwheel being less well-suited for the purpose than a turbine, and construction of the Hall, which is still partly a mere shell, was never finished.	Stephen Eastmead

SWAAG: Calva Hill from the West Hagg pre-historic site, by Jocelyn Campbell
Click image to see more.

SWAAG's first archaeology walk with Tim Laurie. Photo: © Tim Laurie 2009
Heather or ling thatched barn above Daggerstones, Healaugh.