The uses and functions of ponds within early landscapes in the East Midlands are addressed by a new paper. Ponds are a neglected historic feature of the landscape. They vary in their dates of construction, many being related to the open fields of the pre-enclosure period where they formed an integral part of the farming system. Accounts of early enclosures also record their construction. Ponds provided water for livestock and draft animals, they linked with drainage systems and they also had miscellaneous functions such as being used for retting cloth and providing manure from pond cleaning. The present paper draws on both the field evidence of surviving ponds but also map and documentary ma

Just to the west of Peterborough lies the Roman town of Durobrivae. This town is one of the so-called ‘small towns’ of |Roman Britain and extended to 44 acres within the walled area. Until recently the only detail we had of the interior of the town was from air photographs and very limited 19th century excavations and recordings made by Edmund Artis. At the end of the summer of 2016 however, a team of people from Cambridge University, London University and the NVAT undertook a detailed set of geophysical surveys to see how the ground and its hidden archaeology would respond to various electronic, magnetic and radar surveys. The results from this pilot study were astonishing. Click here to re

The NVAT are one of several organisations who have joined together as part of the ‘Nenescape ‘ project in bids to get funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund .The various bids cover a wide range of projects concerning heritage, wildlife and environment, that are aimed at raising awareness and improving access to the countryside around and along the river Nene between Northampton and Peterborough. Working together with Nene Park Trust, NVAT members have collaborated with a bid called ‘Walking in Time’. As well as improving access to the Nene Park for walkers from the centre of Peterborough, the project includes the creation of a ‘Heritage Audit’ of all the historical sites and artefacts lo

As Peterborough Cathedral heads towards it 900th birthday – it has hit the national headlines because it is struggling financially. This is a common problem among English Cathedrals the BBC reported over the weekend. The Bishop of Peterborough has instructed a team including experts from beyond the Diocese itself to advise on what can be done. The debates will include the challenge of competing interests – Cathedrals house rich archaeology and history with stories to tell about the development of English history as well as art and architecture over the last 1000 years. And at the same time trying to develop their role as centres of Christian worship in an increasingly secular society. What a