At the request of Defence Estates, the Ministry of Defence’s Army Training area at Warcop, Cumbria, was surveyed as part of the National Mapping Programme (NMP) between July and September 2002. An area of approximately 74 square kilometres was mapped as a first stage in enhancing the management plan for the training area.
The land rises from the valley of the River Eden over to the Pennine hills. Numerous becks dissect the fells and moorland areas, which are covered in blanket peat. Most of the area lies within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and some parts are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The NMP project has discovered new sites, in addition to accurately mapping known sites, some of which were already scheduled. The mapping enabled Defence Estates to produce and implement an Integrated Land Management Plan, including a conservation plan for the archaeology within the military training area.
The data provided the foundation for further fieldwork and ground survey that could evaluate the condition of the archaeological sites and produce an integrated record within a Geographic Information System (GIS) .
Archaeological Features
Large areas of the training estate are currently used for pasture, primarily sheep grazing, but there has been settlement in the past, ranging from the Bronze Age to post medieval. Some of the features relating to the army's use of the training estate are also of interest.
There are several possible prehistoric settlements at Warcop. Some sites lie at the base of limestone ridges, which would afford them some shelter, whilst others are in more exposed positions, such as at Stow Gill. Here a possible prehistoric settlement survives as low stone walls. There are hut circles, a group of enclosures and a field system.
The Scordale Valley was extensively exploited for lead during the 18th and 19th centuries. Some mines were also worked for barytes and some were reopened for this purpose in the 20th century. There are extensive industrial remains surviving, such as mine shafts, spoil heaps, tramways, buildings, with their associated crushing mills and systems of leats and dams.
Warcop Army Training Estate was established in 1942 as a tank gunnery range; it was refurbished in 1994 with new ranges and is still actively in use for military training. Features associated with this military activity include a firing range, targets, trenches and bunkers as well as numerous shell grazes.
The images used on this page are copyright English Heritage unless specified otherwise. For further details of any photographs or other images and for copies of these, or the plans and reports related to the project please contact the English Heritage Archive.
For further information on a project or any other aspect of the work of the Aerial Survey team please contact us by email via the link above.
