‘SEEING THROUGH THE TREES’: THE COTSWOLD EDGE LiDAR PROJECT
In 2009, GlosArch (then GADARG) undertook a project to assess various features of possible archaeology that had been identified along the Cotswold edge by LIDAR. Of the eight sites assessed, six showed evidence of significant archaeology, whilst at two the investigations were unable to confirm anything of significance. The results of this work have been published as “Seeing through the trees” which can be downloaded below.
The report describes the eight site investigations carried out between May 2009 and June 2010, based on the LiDAR data produced by Cranham Local History Society’s survey in 2008. The project was made possible by a generous grant awarded to GADARG under the National Lottery “Awards for All” scheme, enabling us to meet all the costs of producing the LiDAR images, printing the report and purchasing a range of surveying and other supporting equipment. The report was presented to ‘Awards for All’ at the end of August 2010. Copies of the report covering the first year’s works have been distributed to GADARG members as a Glevensis-style monograph publication.
The grant paid for the raw LIDAR data to be processed (by the County Archaeological Service), for the equipment needed to assess the evidence on the ground and provided training for volunteers. The project provides opportunities for hands-on experience in interpreting the LIDAR images and recognising and recording potentially interesting sites on the ground through a range of activities such as field-walking, geophysics and earthwork surveying and, for those less keen on the outdoor aspects, through documentary research. Training and supervision is provided in all the techniques required.
Over the first year of the project, 69 people were variously involved in its activities. Of this number, 36 were GADARG members, 9 were new to the Group, 9 were from several different local history societies and there were representatives from the National Trust and Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service.