Chapel House Wood Project

Chapel House Wood is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, situated on private land, within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The area was first surveyed by Arthur Raistrick in 1960 and 1965 and later by Stewart Ainsworth in 1977.
 
Members of the Upper Wharfedale Heritage Group have been involved in the current research project since 2002, under the guidance of Dr Roger Martlew of the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Research Trust and in conjunction with the Earthwatch Institute and the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The aims of the project were to further record the earthworks in the complex field system of Chapel House Wood and to excavate specific features in order to identify function and chronology.

Accurate scaled plans of the field system, including all observable features were recorded and photographed before excavation of the following structures:

Wood-drying Kilns - Two suspected lime kilns, on excavation, proved to be wood-drying kilns, associated with lead smelting or woodland management in the Mediaeval or post-Mediaeval periods.

Ritual Site - this structure, originally thought to be a hut circle, was identified as a late prehistoric ritual site, dating from the Iron Age or early Roman period. It is the first example of its type to be identified in the Pennine Region and is comparable to sites in Cumbria.

Northern Settlement Site - The features excavated here suggest a farmyard area. One feature is an oval shaped structure of unusual layout with a suspected central hearth. There is also an enclosed area thought to be a small garden, where numerous pieces of abraded pottery, notably Samian Ware and 1 sherd of Dales Ware were found.  Other finds included iron nails, a hobnail or stud, a copper alloy pinhead, pieces of lead ore, 4 fragments of Roman glass bangles and imported fineware, 2 carved stone pieces and numerous animal bones.

These artefacts suggest that the site was occupied in the Roman to early Mediaeval periods. The fragments of glass bangles and imported fineware suggest a relatively high status site. The presence of the lead ore suggests mining nearby, but as yet, no evidence has been found for processing on the site.

One of the carved stone pieces is a mould for casting metal ingots - probably silver, extracted from the lead. Only about 20 examples of these ingot moulds are known in this country. Although some Roman examples are known, most are from dated contexts related to post-Roman or Viking settlements.

Numerous fragments of querns, both upper and lower stones, were found in the floor of the most northerly structures. Apart from one saddle quern, most were beehive or bun types, with the exception of the disc quern, which is usually found only in the northern Pennines and Scotland.

Southern Settlement Site - The detailed survey of the southern end of the site showed a narrow trackway running between building platforms and a two bay structure on the floor of a natural ravine. The gradiometer survey showed significant magnetic anomalies, which still await investigation. 

A suspected ring groove underlying the gravel floor of one of the building platforms suggests the possibility of an earlier timber hut.

The complex site of Chapel House Wood was previously ascribed to the Romano-British period, but evidence has shown that this can now be extended to include earlier and later periods. Further work to confirm this and to establish the dates for occupation of the two adjacent settlement areas will continue in the future.

Further details for participation in the project, either in the field or in processing the archaeological finds please contact the Yorkshire Dales Landscape Research Trust here

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