Embedded Files
News
Our Annual General Meeting was held on 25th April 2025 after Anthony Dawson's excellent talk on the Leeds and Selby Railway. Minutes will be sent out to members in due course, but to summarise:
Charges for Membership and visitor fees are unchanged for 2025-26.
Amendments to Constitution were accepted.
Membership year now runs from August 1st each year.
Elections to Committee posts were carried out.
Healthy year-end accounts were presented and accepted.
The Talks Programme for 2025-26 was presented and accepted. Venue is unchanged.
Our other web-pages have been updated to reflect the latest changes.
PontArc have had displays at two further events since CBA Yorkshire's Autumn Showcase in Wakefield Town Hall on 19th October 2024. We attended the Civic Society's Community Showcase event at Pontefract Town Hall on 15th March 2025, and the workshop on Aerial Archaeology organised by Sheffield University/Hunter Archaeological Society and YAHS on 29th March 2025.
Robert, Phil, Diana, David and Wendy have guided visitors through work done at sites such as Pontefract's Counting House, Darrington Windmill and Millhill Field, the Hermitage and Great Heck among others. A few of our books were sold along the way too.
Fieldwork Updates
TEMPLE NEWSAM
In Summer and Autumn 2024, PontArc have supported South Leeds Archaeology with their fieldwork at Temple Newsam, and our earth resistance geophysics equipment was used in April 2024 to survey the grassed area around the amphitheatre to the north of the House. It was hoped that evidence of a former gatehouse and driveway to the centre of the north wing might be found. Unfortunately, our results showed no conclusive targets for such structures. However, Sheffield University also conducted ground penetrating radar surveys there and interpretation of their results may be more informative.
A painting by James Chapman from c.1750 of the east facing side of Temple Newsam House shows near identical equestrian type buildings on either side of it. The northern stable block still stands (now the cafe, gift shop, offices etc.). However, the existence of the southern building - possibly a riding school - has been doubted. PontArc's resitivity equipment was again used to survey the area of the "lost building" in June and August 2024, and buried wall features matching the outline of the extant stable block were identified. Excavations will follow!
SLA conducted a small dig close to the north west corner of the House on September 14-15th 2024 to investigate a sub-circular high resistance target found in the April 2024 geophysics - the "red blob" in the adjoining image. Phil and Shirley attended from PontArc. An unexpected cable trench was safely found and navigated around and a quadrant of the high resistance feature was revealed. This turned out to be an area of cracked and de-laminating sandstone - now thought to be natural geology. The remains of a suspected wooden post that were found in situ may well be the remains instead of a tree from former ornamental gardens. These are shown in some old postcards of the North wing of the house. Phil's 3D model of the opened trench can be seen on Sketchfab here: https://skfb.ly/pqSVV
2025
A new SusTrans cycle path installed across the region of the "lost building" has confirmed the presence of some building footings (at least).
A resistivity survey was carried out near the north entrance to the estate on 13th May 2025 as a training exercise for new fieldworkers. The aim was to find evidence of a former driveway directly between the lodge gates and the main north entance to the house. The image of results shows definite features worthy of further investigation...
LATEST...
The excavations on parts of the "lost building" (a possible riding school from c.1740) which began in June 2025, revealed traces of walls, robber trenches and an angled drain - view 3D models of Trench 1 at the following Sketchfab links:
A new phase of excavations began on 14th July and finished on 11th August 2025. Various 3D models of the work in progress are available to view on Sketchfab.com (search for PontArc Phil), but the final two models can be seen from these links:
https://skfb.ly/pzWXH
https://skfb.ly/pzXLB
With Trenches 2 and 3, the full depth of the "lost building" wall foundations, internal and external walls, robbed wall lines and flooring levels were found below the much disturbed ground surfaces.
PontArc members Mark, Kathryn, Lotta and Phil have contributed greatly to SLA's project.
GREAT HECK
A small project team from PontArc was formed to help the South Yorkshire Boat Club at Heck Canal Basin investigate their site for traces of the Heck Bridge and Wentbridge Railway that was built and was briefly operational between 1826 and 1831.
Some initial geophysics (resistivity again) was conducted in May 2024 in an open grassy area of the site to see if any features from the construction phase or a later filled-in dock might remain. Further resistivity surveying was carried out on 25th July 2024, but this did not reveal any promising target features.
A "have a go" dig in the area of the second/missing dock over the weekend of 7th and 8th of September 2024 was planned to co-ordinate with the Boat Club's annual Open Days, and in support of this a talk/discussion on the Heck and Wentbridge Railway history was held at the Friends Meeting House in Pontefract on Thursday August 29th 2024 for the project team and interested PontArc members. Richard Hemsworth from the Boat Club gave a talk on the history of the canal basin and Phil went through some of the practical arrangements required for the dig and display event.
Phil, Robert and Keith from PontArc also accepted an invitation from Richard to attend a further talk at the Boat Club on 30th August 2024 and a very pleasant evening was had. PontArc fielded questions from interested Boat Club members and showed a range of artefacts, pottery and clay pipe fragments - all of the types which might be expected to be found.
LATEST...
The dig on the September 2024 Open Days went ahead as planned in the Paddock area and was enjoyed by all who participated. We had the luxury of Keith's air tent for a HQ and a further gazebo loaned by other PontArc members Richard and Diana was used to house the information and display stand. Once again, the Boat Club were tremendous hosts and their display stalls and other facilities were very welcome.
A large 8 x 6 m area was de-turfed prior to the open days, but owing to the limited number of lead diggers and the heaviness of the ground, serious excavation was restricted mainly to a 3 x 2m area. Younger participants enjoyed removing the topsoil in some of the other pre-marked squares, and as all the finds were in this layer, they were quite happy with everything they got - including an old paint roller and a small plastic turtle toy! A keen Boat Club member got involved with their machine digger and speeded things along in the main area of interest. New member Charles and PontArc dependables Chris, Mark, Richard, Diana, Keith and Robert all proved their worth too though.
Under the topsoil (and much bonfire ash) we found alternating bands of clay and sand, all devoid of human-influenced artefacts, and all of which looked quite natural. However, a comparative test pit dug in undisturbed ground in the nearby wood looked markedly different, so it is possible that the clay in the Paddock area had been brought in deliberately for use in the construction of the second/missing dock. Further geological advice will be sought and more fieldwork at a later date is likely. Again, keep in touch with Phil if you want to be involved.
The main excavation area was 3D modelled by Phil on 14/9/24 and the result can be seen on Sketchfab here: https://skfb.ly/pqSUV
Check back here regularly for further news and updates...
Google Sites
Report abuse