The history of Pendle Hill (Lancashire, England) is to be pieced together for the first time with the help of archaeologists. Pendle Forest History Group is teaming up with staff from Lancaster-based Oxford Archaeology North, who will provide training in research and field-surveying techniques. But the archaeologists are leaving their excavating tools at home as the team aim to uncover secrets without digging a single hole. They are using old records, maps and aerial photographs to identify historic sites around the villages of Barley, Newchurch and Roughlee and are calling for help from people who have ever found anything unusual in the area.
     Work has already started on the legendary hill, where it is believed people have lived since the Stone Age, as part of The Landscape Stories project. Only a limited amount of physical investigation has been carried out in the and the information collected by the group will be a valuable addition to Lancashire's Historic Environment Record, the definitive record of all the historic monuments.
     Joan Parsons, chairman of Pendle Forest History Group, said the area was 'littered' with possible finds. "From our house in Spen Brook you can see where a very big stone circle has been moved which has previously been recorded on the old maps. We're hoping to look at things like burial grounds. Flint arrowheads, stone axeheads, bronze barbs for spears have been found and recorded in little brochures but not further afield and it has just got lost. English Heritage do maps of interest but it is a bit bare around here." The work is part of a wider project being co-ordinated by Pendle Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty team.

Source: Lancashire Telegraph (31 July 2009)