The Castleton Historical Society
AGM 15 January 2015
WHAT’S GOING ON
PROJECTS
Heritage Lottery Fund - Medieval Hospital Project
Seven years of persistence paid off this summer! Every year since 2007 there’s been fieldwork on Spital Field
on the outskirts of the village, aiming to locate the medieval Hospital of Blessed Mary of the High Peak. This
community project has been supported by an HLF grant to Castleton Historical Society, and has been led by
Colin Merrony from Sheffield University’s Department of Archaeology.
On occasions, as the fieldwork drew to a close, the project seemed destined to fold due to lack of evidence,
then something would be found to make it worthwhile returning next year; a wall, a (disembodied) skull, lead
smelting hearths, and then in 2013, significantly, some
burial cuts. So in June 2014 it was with high hopes that the
troops gathered yet again on the Spital Field for what has
become an annual dig. And happily the optimism was
justified, as the previous year’s burial cuts were excavated
to reveal two well-preserved adult skeletons, and in the
course of the four week dig evidence of perhaps another
ten burials was found. Indications are that these are
Christian burials, those excavated all being oriented eastwest with the head facing east. Six burials including those
of two babies have been removed for detailed analysis at
Sheffield University. Given its location, the burial ground is
likely to have been associated with a nearby hospital
infirmary and chapel. The individuals buried here were
probably poor locals or travellers and they could have lived
and died here at any time during the 400 years following
hospital foundation in the 12th century.
In the continuing quest for structural evidence, a line of
stone, possibly the foundations of a substantial wall, northeast of the burials and parallel to the main Castleton-Hope road was also found, close to a deep and beautifully
constructed drain. The significance of all these findings will be discussed by Colin Merrony in his talk to the
society in May this year.
Further detailed information can be found on the CHS website and it is hoped to continue with excavations this
year so if you want to get involved please contact Angela Darlington.
www.castletonhistorical.co.uk
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Heritage Lottery Fund – First World War exhibition
We’d like to thank everyone again for the contributions to the WW1 Display at the Centre in August – also for
the positive comments from locals that added to those from visitors. We were really pleased with the outcome.
This HLF funded project also helped to support the production of “Oh What A Lovely War” earlier in the year.
The Darnbrough Room has been booked again for next August so that we can put the display up once more,
hopefully alongside some new material. Have any members discovered any other interesting bits of
information we could use?
Outing to look at Aircraft Wrecks
On a damp May morning we set off from Fairholmes under the watchful eye of our guide Roger Waddington
and climbed to the first wreck a Gloster Meteor Mk4. The pilot baled out while on a practice flight in 1950. The
second wreck was a Boulton-Paul Defiant N1766 which crashed in 1941. The aircraft’s engine was recovered in
1980. From there we walked onto Alport Castles for a cosy lunch stop in a bird hide, then back to Fairholmes
alongside Derwent reservoir. Norman Fisher provide valuable background information on the aircraft.
The Trustees would be happy to receive any suggestions for future outings from Members.
Detectorists
The first outing for the CHS metal detector took
place in October in the grounds of Losehill Hall.
The mission was to discover the location of Peter
Outram’s missing mole traps. It proved a steep
learning curve for the CHS team and moderate
success was achieved, discovering 3 of the 4 lost
traps along with sundry other less remarkable
finds.
www.castletonhistorical.co.uk
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Research : Castleton and Its Old Inhabitants by Kay Harrison
New research paints a fascinating portrait of village life here
in Castleton over the last few hundred years. Much of this
research has come from the British Newspaper Archive and
also our Parish Records. The Newspaper Archive in particular
revealed an absolute treasure trove of unheard stories
including the Barmaster’s son who shot himself dead after a
funeral, a young Nag’s Head servant who ended her life after
becoming pregnant, and an old cavern guide who hanged
himself inside Peak Cavern. Tales reflect family and village life,
which changed forever with the coming of the railway. To
read this illustrated village history look on the Castleton
Historical Society website, selecting “Castleton & Its Old
Inhabitants” on the top black menu. Chapters are currently
being added monthly and an updated version may become
available in a book at a later date.
Robert How, Barmaster, with daughter Martha, in 1858.
Future Research
We have ongoing plans to digitalise our vast archive of photographs, the Graveyard Survey, (done in the 1980s)
possibly to include taking photographs of our rapidly crumbling gravestones, transcription of Censuses etc,
and the digitalisation of many of our Archive documents.
All members are invited to join in with research projects that can be individual or group projects and
join with others members on Wednesday afternoons in the Centre. Please contact a Trustee in the
first instance.
Garland Costume Conservation
Following on from last year the Society has obtained a grant from East Midlands Museum Service for the
funding of conservation works on the two King’s Garland Costumes. This will be carried out this year together
hopefully with the plans to update the Garland Display case.
Museum
Along with the general on-going maintenance of the museum displays, the Society in conjunction with the Peak
Park will be reviewing the Seasons Display Case this year. It is felt that that this display is in need of a radical rethink and as such needs careful consideration. Once the concept has been established funding options will be
looked at, but it will take time to sort out.
www.castletonhistorical.co.uk
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Retail
The sales from our selling space within the Centre continue to provide a major contribution to the Society’s
income.
Membership
There has been a small increase in the membership over 2014 and we particularly welcome a new younger
member Kseniya Shrimpton. The Trustees would like to encourage more younger people to join and have
agreed that under 25 yr. olds and in full time education may join for free.
Website
The website and blog continue to be updated with the latest information on the projects, programme and
research and the Trustees which to thank Val Burgess for her valiant efforts in this regard.
2015 Programme
The programme for the coming year includes talks on topics such as Castleton’s Hospital Update,
Goosehill Hall, the millstone trade, building and living in a medieval monastery, medieval stained
glass, natural history: a geologists view around the Castleton area.
A detailed programme is provided to members.
Feedback
If you have any suggestions or questions please contact one of the Trustees.
(Peter Harrison, Kay Harrison, Maria Kenyon, Jean Adamson, Brian Moorhouse, Angela or Alan
Darlington).
Collated by Alan Darlington with thanks to Kay Harrison and Angela Darlington.
www.castletonhistorical.co.uk
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