Visit the Wylye Valley Arts Trail Saturday 28th May to Sunday 5th June

Don't miss the sixth Wylye Valley Art Trail, a nine - day festival of visual arts in and around the Wylye Valley, South Wiltshire. 
 
It's a unique opportunity to see the wide range of art being carried out in this area. Visit open studios, exhibitions and galleries, meet and talk to artists and craftspeople. 

Much of the work on view is for sale and many of the artists and craftspeople involved will work to commission.

Everything you need to know is on the website http://www.wvat.co.uk/home.htm

Storytelling Event at Ancient Technology Centre Cranborne Sat 9th April

‘The Harper’s Trade’ Storytelling with Nick Hennessey
An energetic and enthralling performance, turning on the simple power of word and song.

Ancient Technology Centre Cranborne Sat 9th April In every song there is a story, and in the the heart of every story there is a song. Singer, songwriter, storyteller and musician Nick Hennessey explores the common ground between the spoken word and the song, the note and the phrase, drawing together Finnish epic, British ballads and his own compositions. An evening of powerful stories and rich images held on the shimmering note.


For tickets contact Pascale Barnes on 01725 517618 or p.d.barnes@dorsetcc.gov.uk

New Church Conservation Trust Leaflets reveal special places of worship in the AONB

These new leaflets will allow you to explore the churches in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust in the AONB and further afield.

See http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/publications/

Conference on the Archaeology of Cross Channel Neolithic 6th to 8th May 2011

Bournemouth University is to host a major international conference on 6th May to 8th May organized by the Prehistoric Society and Bournemouth University Archaeology Group in association with the Neolithic Studies Group and the Société Préhistorique Française Archaeological work on both sides of the English Channel / la Manche in recent years has started to throw new light on the origins and development of early farming communities in the Channel coastlands (and further afield in Britain and Ireland) during the fifth and fourth millennia BC, and on the issue of cross‐Channel contact.

Further details and on‐line registration can be found at:
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/conservation/conferences/cross‐channelneolithic

New online video showing how we can respond to climate change in Cranborne Chase includes impact on heritage

The AONB including yours truely contributed to this Natural England project. It aimed to identify the local responses required to safeguard our natural environment and our enjoyment of it.
They looked at four specific Character Areas in England, including Dorset Downs and Cranborne Chase, that represent contrasting habitats and landscapes that are likely to be affected by climate change.

The full video has been uploaded to the video uploaded to http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/regions/south_west/ourwork/climatechangeproject.aspx

Check out the photos from the Historic Environment Action Plan Project Launch

Images from the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Historic Environment Action Plan Launch can now be views on Flicker

Use a Vision of Britain Website - to access historical maps, statistical trends and historical writings between 1801 and 2001

I have found the Vision of Britain website an excellent resource in accessing historic parish level census data and understanding the history of ancient parishes boundary changes. The searchable section on historical travel writing is also extremely useful.