Heritage From the Air | Series 1 Montage | VIDEO

Over the last year we have been exploring some of the wonderful historic sites of Furness from above in the first of our Heritage from the Air series.

Series one of ‘Heritage From the Air’ has seen us take to the skies above Birkrigg Stone Circle, Heathwaite Medieval Farmstead, Gleaston Castle, Aldingham Motte and Aldingham Moated Manor. Each episode giving a greater sense of this wonderful heritage and their surroundings.

To round off series one we now have a special montage using footage from the first 5 videos. Hit the play button below to watch and enjoy Furness Heritage from the Air:

Birkrigg Stone Circle from the Air | VIDEO

Birkrigg stone circle is one of the best known and preserved prehistoric sites of the Furness Peninsula. We took a look at this and the whole of Birkrigg Common in our past blog post Birkrigg Common, Prehistoric Landscape to Quaker Burial Ground but in this post we did something a bit different. We took to the air to view the stone circle in all its glory!

This wonderful video gives you a birds eye view of the ancient site and certainly gives you a different and unique perspective:

Video footage Copyright © Furness Hidden Heritage 2017, all rights reserved.

Luckily the sun was shining on the day this was filmed which helps to bring out all the humps and bumps around the circle. You can clearly see the slight mound just outside the inner circle and you can get a better idea of where the outer circle is and how it is shaped.

You will also notice a large sunken path/ditch beside the circle. It is unclear exactly what this is but it could be as old, if not older, than the circle itself and may have formed a processional way to the site.

Birkrigg Stone Circle is a true gem of the Furness Peninsula and is one of our favourite sites to visit. We hope you enjoyed his special aerial video and it has encouraged you to visit this wonderful site.


Keep an eye out in the future for more videos like this along with more written blog posts.

Furness Heritage Sites by Night

The heritage sites across Furness are beautiful and captivating by day but of the night they become even more awe inspiring!

In this post I will showcase a variety of images taken at nighttime of different heritage sites from across the area. All these sites can be easily viewed at night and they truly are stunning! So take a moment and enjoy these 5 starry photos.

Birkrigg Stone Circle

A magical site in the day but visiting the ancient stones of a night-time brings a whole new dimension to this amazing place. Well worth a visit if you are willing to brace the cold!

Ulverston Canal

The mile long stretch of water is quite the tranquil setting and it is even more so come the night. Silence takes over with just the faint sounds of night-time wildlife and the lapping of water.

Dalton Castle

This small but imposing Medieval peel tower is a lasting reminder of Dalton's ancient heritage and is a great attraction to look around. Come the night though it seems that little more impressive in front of the star filled sky. 

Gleaston Castle

The ruins of Gleaston Castle that lie in a field just outside the village are lovely by day but by night become something even more enchanting. The stars above, the clouds passing by and the fiery orange glow from the distant towns burning up the horizon! 

Furness Abbey

Furness Abbey is the jewel in the crown of Furness heritage and is stunning, tranquil and dominating in the day but at night it becomes spell binding and magical with stars glistening above and the moon lighting the earthy red stone. You can't enter the site of a night but you can see the ruins from the road that rings around it, that is where this photo was taken from. Although I strongly advise visiting in the day for a proper look around inside.

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The final three sites featured here are attractions or privately owned and thus are not accessible by night. Dalton Castle is open for viewing inside on a selection of days throughout the summer and is certainly worth a look, it can though be viewed from the outside whenever. Furness Abbey is open to view inside on Saturday and Sunday during the winter and 7 days a week in the summer but can be seen from the roadside. Gleaston Castle is privately owned and is not accessible to the public at all but is easily viewed from the road that runs by it.
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All images Copyright © Iron Shepherds Living History/Stuart Appley

Birkrigg Common, Prehistoric Landscape to Quaker Burial Ground

Set to the East of Urswick village stretches Birkrigg Common, a vast amount of scrubland and limestone outcrops free for the public to explore. Well used by walkers and cyclists the Common has much to offer including an ancient past hidden amongst the bracken. Throughout Neolithic times and into the Bronze Age (roughly 4000BC to around 2500BC) the site of Birkrigg was used for ritual and funeral activity. The remains of some of this activity can still be seen today, some being much more obvious than others.

To help you locate the different features there is a handy aerial plan at the bottom of the page. Much more efficient than trying to list directions!

One of the most evident pieces of ritual activity at Birkrigg is the wonderful stone circle that lies to the far east of the common. The circle consists of a ring ditch with an outer and inner circle of stones. The inner circle is clear to see but the outer circle is a little more sparse, although you can still determine where it was. The stone circle dates back to the Bronze Age period in Britain and was used throughout that time. It was also modified through out its life; the interiors of these concentric circles were paved with cobbles at some point and there were several cremations deposited within its boundaries. Although this stone circle is plain to see there once was another on Birkrigg that is no longer visible, not as a circle of stones anyway.

A ridge runs along the highest point of the common with limestone outcrops lining either side and upon this ridge are the remains of a Bronze Age burial cairn. In Neolithic times a stone circle stood here. The circle was at some point in filled and became a location for the deposition of various items. Later, in the early Bronze Age, it was covered by the cairn that is visible today. Two bodies were buried in this cairn that now looks like nothing more than a small mound (see left).

There are three other burial cairns that can be found along the ridge as well. These cairns aren't quite as noticeable as the one above but they can still be found if you look hard enough. They are of a similar size and shape to the pictured but some are covered in bracken and longer grass.

Across the road you can see a Disc Barrow, another Neolithic Monument. This raised earth platform with an inner ditch would have been used for burials and forms quite an impressive structure. (see right)

Elsewhere on the common there is evidence of more Bronze Age activity. To the North East of Birkrigg there is an area known as Appleby Slacks. Here there is a large circular enclosure, it can just about be seen amongst the bracken with a raised earth perimeter and a sunken interior. During archeological excavations in the past three hut circles have been found with in the enclosure suggesting domestic settlement. Near to the enclosure there is also a Late Bronze Age bowl barrow. When excavated the barrow was found to contain three cremation urns along with several flint objects believed to date to the Late Bronze Age.

There are so many other prehistoric sites dotted around Birkrigg, many difficult to find, but several can easily be seen! If you visit the common you should definitely take the time to visit the stone circle. It may not be the scale of Stonehenge but it is certainly worth a look!

As well as all the prehistoric heritage that covers the common there is also some later history hidden off the beaten track. In a period between 1654 and 1767 a total of 227 people were buried in a plot of land adjacent to the farm on Birkrigg. Enclosed by four limestone walls the land today look like nothing more than a field but it is, in fact, the burial ground of many local Quakers. Amongst the people buried here there is a woman by the name of Margaret Fox. She was born in Dalton-in-Furness in 1614 and later married the Barrister Thomas Fell, this made her the Lady of Swarthmoor Hall. She went on to be a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. Swarthmoor Hall became a center for Quaker activity and Margaret retained control of the Hall after her husband's death. She went on to marry George Fox, another founding member of the Quakers. Upon her death in 1702 she was buried among Friends at the burial ground on Birkrigg. If you wish to visit the burial ground it can be easily found just off the road before the farm yard on your way to Sea Wood.

 

Now, just for fun here's a little bit of local folk law. It is believed that sometime in the past a traveling circus came to town. An elephant was part of this circus and while here the elephant unfortunately passed away. It is rumored that one night the circus folk dragged the elephant's body up to Birkrigg and buried it somewhere on the common. If this is true then it means Birkrigg is not only the resting place for Neolithic, Bronze Age and Quaker people but also that of a circus elephant! If it's not true, what on earth did they do with it? If you've heard any other versions of this story please let us know! We would love to hear from you!

Next time you visit Birkrigg Common, be it for a leisurely stroll, a cycle on the open terrain or to play a game with the kids take a moment to think of all the history that the site holds and why not go for an explore to find some of the hidden heritage!

Check back for the next blog entry all about Market Place in Dalton on 29th October!

Aerial plan of sites -

Image courtesy of Google Maps