North Pennines historic site to transform visitor experience
The team behind a Roman site in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark has received funds to improve how people experience and enjoy their visit.
Epiacum Heritage and Castle Nook Farm, on Alston Moor, have received a grant of £32,777 from the Defra-funded Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, managed by the North Pennines AONB Partnership. The project, called Ancient Routes, will provide a new visitor trail and enhanced interpretation, and will be in place for the 2022 visitor season.
The new permissive access route starts at the South Tynedale Trail and follows old tracks and pathways to take in the site of the Romano British settlement and the Roman Fort. Visitors will also be able to see reconstruction images of life in Roman times, and drone images of the site as part of the new interpretation.
On the trail, new kissing gates and finger posts have been installed, and a guide for the trail is in production. Volunteers have worked to remove sections of wall to allow for trail access, and they will also be building wildlife boxes. The project also includes a survey of Wellhouse Bastle, a former dwelling dating from the Border Reiver period and other historic features in the landscape. These surveys will inform what further archaeological work may need to take place to conserve these monuments for the future.
Epiacum Roman Fort is an important Roman site and has been described as the most significant archaeological monument in the region.
Steve Bentley a Trustee with Epiacum Heritage CIO said: “This is a great opportunity for us to share more about what is special here at Epiacum and to help improve the overall experience for our visitors. We’re really pleased to be launching the new trail and to share the new images and interpretation of the site.”
Chris Woodley-Stewart, Director of the North Pennines AONB Partnership, said: “Supporting this work at Epiacum and Castle Nook Farm will help the Trustees and the farmer improve public access to and understanding of local nature and heritage, improve the conservation value of the land and help to consolidate a historic feature (a bastle). We are really pleased to be able to support this work through Farming in Protected Landscapes because it is a good fit with multiple programme objectives for people, heritage and nature.”
The two-year Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is managed in the North Pennines by the North Pennines AONB Partnerships and offers grants to farmers and land managers to carry out projects that support nature recovery, mitigate the impacts of climate change, provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and cultural heritage, or support nature-friendly, sustainable farm businesses.
More information can be found on the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s website here: https://www.northpennines.org.uk/what_we_do/farming-in-protected-landscapes/
