The
Aggregates Industry in the Trent Valley – A History and Archaeology
English Heritage and ALSF are
funding a £36,000 six-month research project based at
ARCUS, University
of Sheffield, to investigate the emergence and development of the
sand and gravel extraction industry in the Trent Valley. The main aims
of the project are:
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To produce a popular
publication on the history and archaeology of one of the most
significant, yet little-researched, industries in both the region and
the UK as a whole
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By means of nine case-studies
(three each from the upper, middle and lower Trent Valley regions) -
including interviews with former and present employees and industry
representatives – to construct a social and business history of the
aggregates industry in a regional and national context
-
To explore the technological
development of quarrying techniques and machinery (including
transport) through documentary and photographic research, targeted
field visits and interviews with representatives of the industry
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In broad terms to assess the
archaeological legacy (industrially and otherwise) of over seventy
years of commercial sand and gravel extraction.
-
To explore the often
conflicting demands of mineral extraction, agricultural land-use,
archaeology, nature conservation and recreation
The project will be managed by
Mr. James Symonds, (J.Symonds@sheffield.ac.uk)
who will be responsible for producing the text of the publication, and
research will be undertaken by Dr. Tim Cooper (T.N.Cooper@sheffield.ac.uk).
Mr. Ian Thomas of the National Stone Centre and ECUS of the University
of Sheffield will be consulted during the course of the project.
A summary project design will be
available for download shortly (1mb download, Adobe pdf format)