1. Training and Trenches
A First World War centenary community archaeology project in the
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
June 2015

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Training and Trenches was carried out between January and July 2014 by the
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. The project was funded by the
Heritage Lottery Fund through their ‘Understanding the First World War’
programme.
Copyright © Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Contact:
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority,
Yoredale,
Bainbridge
North Yorkshire
DL8 3EL
herinfo@yorkshiredales.org.uk
http://www.outofoblivion.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/dalesarch
Cover illustration: Training and Trenches excavation open day at Giggleswick
School © YDNPA
Contributors –
James Spry: Principal Author and Editor
Miles Johnson: Rifle Range, Drill Hall, Training Trenches Survey, Editor
Robert White: Editor
David Johnson: Training Trenches Excavation
Hannah Brown: Geophysical Survey
Jenny Vaughan: Pottery
Michael Miles: Documentary Research

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Table of Contents
Table of Figures..............................................................................................................................iv
List of Tables...................................................................................................................................vi
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................vii
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
2 The Sites.................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Castleberg Drill Hall............................................................................................................. 2
2.2 Attermire Rifle Range .......................................................................................................... 3
2.3 Training Trench Earthworks................................................................................................. 3
3 Project Aims and Objectives....................................................................................................... 4
4 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 5
4.1 Documentary Research ....................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Surveys ............................................................................................................................... 5
4.2.1 Drill Hall......................................................................................................................... 5
4.2.2 Rifle Range ................................................................................................................... 6
4.2.3 Training Trench Earthworks – plane table ..................................................................... 6
4.2.4 Training Trench Earthworks – geophysical.................................................................... 7
4.3 Excavation........................................................................................................................... 7
5 Results & Interpretation.............................................................................................................. 8
5.1 Documentary research......................................................................................................... 8
5.1.1 Preliminary Research.................................................................................................... 8
5.1.2 Giggleswick School Archive ........................................................................................ 15
5.1.3 Imperial War Museum, London ................................................................................... 18
5.1.4 North Yorkshire County Record Office, Northallerton .................................................. 22
5.2 Surveys ............................................................................................................................. 23
5.2.1 Drill Hall....................................................................................................................... 23
5.2.2 Rifle Range ................................................................................................................. 28
5.2.3 Training Trenches ....................................................................................................... 31
5.3 Geophysical Survey........................................................................................................... 33
5.4 Excavation......................................................................................................................... 34
5.4.1 Excavation Trench 1.................................................................................................... 35
5.4.2 Excavation Trench 2.................................................................................................... 38
5.4.3 Excavation Trench 3.................................................................................................... 40

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5.4.4 Pottery Report............................................................................................................. 42
6 Discussion................................................................................................................................ 43
6.1 Drill Hall............................................................................................................................. 43
6.2 Rifle Range........................................................................................................................ 45
6.3 Training Trenches.............................................................................................................. 47
6.3.1 Trench Warfare ........................................................................................................... 47
6.3.2 Surveys....................................................................................................................... 51
6.3.3 Excavation .................................................................................................................. 52
7 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 56
7.1 Drill Hall............................................................................................................................. 56
7.2 Rifle Range........................................................................................................................ 57
7.3 Training Trenches.............................................................................................................. 57
8 Outreach .................................................................................................................................. 59
8.1 Documentary Research ..................................................................................................... 59
8.2 Surveys ............................................................................................................................. 60
8.3 Excavation......................................................................................................................... 61
8.4 Dissemination.................................................................................................................... 62
9 Legacy ..................................................................................................................................... 64
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................. 66

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Table of Figures
Figure 1. The location of the sites investigated as part of this project.............................................. 1
Figure 2. The road side exterior of the Castleberg Drill Hall. ........................................................... 2
Figure 3. The rifle range butts at and markers shelter at Attermire. ................................................. 3
Figure 4. Lidar image of two suspected First World War training trenches within the grounds of
Giggleswick School......................................................................................................................... 4
Figure 5. Walter Morrison as depicted in the 1920 publication ‘Cravens Part in the Great War’....... 8
Figure 6. Walter Morrison in his NCRC uniform............................................................................... 9
Figure 7. The 1/6th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment as depicted in ‘Craven’s Part in the
Great War’..................................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 8. ‘Craven’s Part in the Great War frontispiece................................................................... 11
Figure 9. The Giggleswick School OTC, 1910............................................................................... 12
Figure 10. The Giggleswick detachment at the OTC camp at Tidworth Pennings, Salisbury Plain in
1911.............................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 11. Members of the Giggleswick OTC during a Field Day, c.1917...................................... 14
Figure 12. The First World War memorial inside the Giggleswic School Chapel............................ 15
Figure 13. Cover of the 1914 Almanac.......................................................................................... 16
Figue 14. A copy of the Musketry Regulation handbook (not IWM copy)....................................... 21
Figure 15. The south gable. .......................................................................................................... 23
Figure 16. The roadside elevation. ................................................................................................ 23
Figure 17. The north gable............................................................................................................ 24
Figure 18. The soot line indicating the roofline of the (since removed) additional covered entrance
at the north gable. ......................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 20. The cast iron sweeping hatch into the flue.................................................................... 25
Figure 19. The outline of the footing of the covered entrance........................................................ 25
Figure 21. An internal view of the Drill Hall looking towards the elevated viewing balcony. ........... 26
Figure 22. The original stairwell leading up to the balcony. ........................................................... 27
Figure 23. The fireplace and engraved mantelpiece...................................................................... 27
Figure 24. The brass plaque war memorial ................................................................................... 28
Figure 25. Survey reduced from 1:100 field drawing. .................................................................... 29
Figure 27. The rear (left) and front (right) of two separate iron targets at the Attermire Rifle Range.
...................................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure 26. Fired lead bullets (left and center) recovered from the scree slope and a contemporary
empty lead case (right).................................................................................................................. 30
Figure 28. The plane table survey drawing.................................................................................... 32

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Figure 29. Greyscale data plot of the magnetometer data............................................................. 33
Figure 30. Archaeological interpretation of the magnetometer data............................................... 34
Figure 32. A finished shot of Trench 1 showing the undisturbed lychet subsoil. ............................ 37
Figure 33. The finished north-eastern profile of Trench 1 .............................................................. 37
Figure 34. The east facing profile of Trench 2. .............................................................................. 38
Figure 35. A close-up of the east facing profile of Trench 2, showing the upper and lower trench
fills. ............................................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 36. An east facing shot of the finished Trench 2................................................................. 40
Figure 37. The east facing profile of Trench 3. .............................................................................. 41
Figure 38. The finished east facing profile of Trench 3 showing the minimal depth of the earthwork
and the undisturbed lychet subsoil. ............................................................................................... 42
Figure 39. Nelsons reconstruction drawing of the Attermire Rifle Range structure. ....................... 45
Figure 40. The external face of the stop butt at East Weares rifle range. ...................................... 46
Fig. 41. Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban’s fortress attack design................................................. 48
Fig. 42. Sketch plan of Boer trenches from the Second Boer War................................................. 48
Figure 43. Aerial photograph showing the opposing trench systems between Loos and Hulluch in
July 1917. ..................................................................................................................................... 49
Fig. 44. Instructional diagram of font line trenches from the British War Office manual “British
Trench Warfare 1917-1918: a reference manual”.......................................................................... 50
Figure 45. The Quarry Hil South West survey at Redmires. .......................................................... 51
Figure 46. Cross section of a communication trench from the British War Office manual “British
Trench Warfare 1917-1918: a reference manual”.......................................................................... 53
Fig. 47. Cross section of a fire trench from the British War Office manual “British Trench Warfare
1917-1918: a reference manual”. .................................................................................................. 54
Fig. 48. Cross section of a fire trench in west soil from the British War Office manual “British Trench
Warfare 1917-1918: a reference manual”...................................................................................... 55
Figure 49. Research Assistant Michael Miles outside the Imperial War Museum in London.......... 59
Figure 50. Talking to members of the public during the rifle range survey. .................................... 60
Figure 51. The survey team at the training trench earthworks. ...................................................... 61
Figure 52. Students from Giggleswick School being shown how to record a trench by a member of
the Ingleborough Archaeology Group............................................................................................ 61
Figure 53. First World War re-enactors giving a lesson on trench warfare during the site open day.
...................................................................................................................................................... 62
Figure 54. The Training and Trenches talk at the Craven Museum & Art Gallery. ......................... 63
Figure 55. A screen shot of the ‘Yorkshire Dales Archaeology’ Facebook page and the Attermire
Rifle Range post. .......................................................................................................................... 63

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List of Tables
Table 1. Context register for excavation........................................................................................ 35
Table 2. Small finds register for excavation................................................................................... 35
Table 3. Pottery catalogue. ........................................................................................................... 43

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Acknowledgements
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority wouldn’t have been able to carry out the Training and
Trenches project to the standard that it did without the help of many different external groups and
individuals. Therefore the authority’s Historic Environment Team would like to thank the following
for their input into the project:
The Heritage Lottery Fund, the Council for British Archaeology, Gigggleswick School staff and
students, the Richard Whiteley Theatre, Ingleborough Archaeology Group, Ingleborough District
Scout Group, The Museum of North Craven Life, The Craven Museum and Gallery, Giggleswick
Primary School staff and students, the Yorkshire Dales Young Archaeologists Club, the Yorkshire
Dales Young Rangers, the National Parks Mosaic project, Leeds Royal Armouries, Anthony
Crawshaw and Bill Flentje, Archaeological Services WYAS, Finlay King and Emma Wilson, the
Cravens Part in the Great War website, the North Craven Historical Research Group, the Dales
Volunteers, the North Yorkshire County Record Office, the Imperial War Museum in London, the
Kirby Malham Local History Group, and all of the individuals who attended the project open day
and talks.
All of those involved have demonstrated how rich the community spirit is within and around the
Yorkshire Dales and the level of interest there is in the Dales’ historic environment.

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1 Introduction
The First World War centenary runs from 2014 to 2018. Across Great Britain and the globe
individuals, communities and various organisations will be undertaking a range of projects and
activities to commemorate the sixteen million plus people who died during the Great War. This
included around 10 million military personnel and 7 million civilians. 888,246 British military
personnel were killed, with a further 1.2 million from around the British Empire, and around 1.6
million British soldiers were wounded. In addition, there were approximately a further 107,000 war-
related deaths among British civilians, resulting from factors such as malnutrition and disease.
As powerful as these statistics are, they do not tell us about the impact of the Great War on a local
scale in Great Britain, with communities from every corner of the country greatly affected by the
event that changed the world forever. It is important to understand the people, events and
communities behind these statistics and bring the stories of our ancestors alive. Archaeological
research provides an effective and engaging means of doing this. The Training and Trenches
project focuses on the physical legacy of the First World War, asking what archaeology and
standing structures can tell us about the impact of the war in the Settle area of the Yorkshire Dales
National Park. It focuses on three sites – the Castleberg Drill Hall in Settle; a rifle range at the foot
of Attermire Scar; and a pair of suspected training trench earthworks within the Giggleswick School
Estate (Fig. 1). It used documentary research, archaeological survey, and a targeted
archaeological excavation.
Previous research into the physical legacy of the First World War on the Home Front has been
limited, particularly among small rural communities. Nevertheless, the archaeology and architecture
of the Great War is being increasingly recognised and appreciated, with buildings such as Drill
Halls and other training facilities coming to the attention of archaeologists and historians alike.
1
2
3
Figure 1. The location of the sites investigated as part of this project – 1. Castleberg Drill Hall; 2.
Attermire Rifle Range; 3. Training Trench Earthworks.

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Training and Trenches is a community project, supported by a £7,000 award from the Heritage
Lottery Fund as part of their ‘Understanding the First World War’ programme. The project began in
January 2014 with an application to the HLF by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
(YDNPA). The award was made in April, and the project culminates with the production of this
report, which will present to you the story of the project, the events that it included, the people
involved, and the results of the archaeological research.
2 The Sites
2.1 Castleberg Drill Hall
The Castleberg Drill Hall (YDNPA Historic Environment Record (HER) reference MYD59710) (Fig.
2), is a large stone building located at grid reference SD8211563547, on Castleberg Lane on the
eastern side of Settle. It is overlooked by the natural limestone outcrop Castleberg Crag to the
east. The Drill Hall has been used by the Settle Scout Group as their Scout hut since the 1930’s. It
has a kitchen and toilets and is available for private hire by the community. Although the original
form and structure of the hall remains, its internal makeup has been altered in order to provide
facilities for its current
usage.
Constructed in 1864 for
the North Craven Rifle
Corps (NCRC), the
Castleberg Drill Hall
provides an early
example of military
training in the Dales.
Drill Halls sprang up
throughout the country
from the 1860’s until the
beginning of the 20th
century and were
primarily used to aid the
training of the newly
formed local Volunteer
Forces, in addition to
offering a function
space for other local
organisations. Their
emergence resulted
from an increased investment in local military training in the aftermath of the Crimean War (1853-
1856) and the expansion of the British Empire throughout Africa and the subsequent Boer Wars
(1880-1881/1889-1902). A fresh surge in Drill Hall development came following the formation of the
Territorial Force in 1908. Two other drill stations are recorded in what is now the National Park at
Sedbergh and Reeth. Drill halls have been identified as representing an architecturally and
commemoratively significant part of our heritage which would benefit from further attention and
Figure 2. The road side exterior of the Castleberg Drill Hall.

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monitoring (Carmichael 2013).
2.2 Attermire Rifle Range
The rifle range at Attermire (YDNPA HER MYD36669) (Fig. 3) is located at grid reference
SD83856412, approximately 1.1 miles east of Settle. It lies at a height of approximately 330 metres
above sea level at the southern foot of Attermire Scar; a limestone cliff formed by the Craven Fault.
The rifle range was constructed in 1860 for shooting practice for the NCRC, who continued to use
the range up until the First World War. During the Second World War it was used by the local
Home Guard (Mussett 1980: 11). Following the abandonment of the range in the early 1950’s
(Mussett 1980: 11), it has been left relatively undisturbed by human activity. The cast iron targets
are located beside a well used public footpath, promoted as a circular walk from Settle and are
clearly visible. The site sits in an area of land that has not undergone any modern agricultural
cultivation and is used
entirely for pasture. Any
damage to the range
following its
abandonment is largely
the result of natural
degradation and animal
disturbance.
A previous small study
of the range was carried
out by Nelson (1998).
The rifle range is one of
two identified in the
Yorkshire Dales as
being used during the
First World War, the
other being just outside
the National Park near
Fell Lane, Ingleton in a
similar position against a
hillside (YDNPA HER MYD52805, SD71257360). Other nineteenth or early twentieth century rifle
ranges are known at Ellerlands, Castle Bolton (MYD43241) and Slei Gill, Arkengarthdale (MYD
43939). The date of the rifle range at Underbanks, Sedbergh (MYD33425), possibly associated
with Sedbergh School, is not recorded on the HER.
2.3 Training Trench Earthworks
The suspected training trench system (YDNPA HER MYD50937), located at grid reference SD
8112964469, is now within the grounds of the Giggleswick School Estate, having been purchased
by them in 1933. Unfortunately the previous owner(s) of the land has not been established. The
earthwork sits on the slope of Giggleswick Scar at a height of approximately 188 metres above sea
level. It is flanked to the northeast and northwest by Kelco Wood and to the southeast and
southwest by ‘The Mains’ road and the B6480 respectively. The field was until recently under
Figure 3. The rifle range butts at and markers shelter at Attermire.

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pasture and has likely been so since the early post-Medieval period. It was planted with
approximately 5,000 saplings in 2008 but the area of the earthworks was respected by this planting
and left unplanted. The underlying solid geology of the site is Carboniferous Limestone.
Giggleswick Scar, a major geological feature, was formed by the South Craven Fault. The
earthworks truncate a series of lynchets (presumed to be of medieval date) engineered into the
land. Little is known about these lynchets which represent a period of well established arable
agricultural activity in the Dales.
Very little is known about the history of the earthworks. An initial review of documentary sources by
the Giggleswick School Archivist revealed no mention of the trenches, which were first recorded by
the North Craven Historical Research Group in July 2006 and can be seen on recent vertical aerial
photographs and Lidar imaging (Fig. 4). They were provisionally identified as First World War
training trenches due to their characteristic ‘zigzag’ design. Training trenches represent a
significant yet until recently largely undocumented archaeological legacy of the Great War on home
soil (Cocroft 2013); with other examples at Redmires in Sheffield (Ullathorne 2006), Otterburn in
Northumberland (Brown 2009) and several on Salisbury Plain and Wiltshire (Brown & Field 2007).
Figure 4. Lidar image of two suspected First World War training trenches, the two parallel zigzag lines in the
centre of the image, within the grounds of Giggleswick School.
3 Project Aims and Objectives
The project had the following aims –
 To increase the public awareness and understanding of the three chosen sites and the
legacy of the First World War in the Settle area.

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 To demonstrate the important role that archaeological research can play in investigating the
impact of the First World War on British soil.
 To engage various local community groups and individuals with their local heritage and
provide them with original learning and training opportunities.
The project sought to achieve these aims by –
 Carrying out documentary research into the history of the three sites, as well as the wider
context of the First World War in the Settle area.
 Carrying out measured surveys of the three sites and geophysical survey and excavation of
the possible training trench earthworks.
 Comparing the results of the research to similar case studies throughout Britain.
 Presenting the results of the study to the local community and the wider archaeological
community, using a diverse range of dissemination channels.
 Directly involving members of the public in the excavation and survey stages of the project
and ensuring that adequate training is given.
 Organising a range of interactive learning activities for children that were relevant to the
project and demonstrating the importance of archaeological investigation and historical
research.
4 Methodology
4.1 Documentary Research
This involved the analysis of a variety of documentary sources that shed light on the history of the
sites in question and to place them within the wider context of the First World War in the Settle
region. These sources included guide books, diaries, and online databases.
The research was primarily carried out at three locations – the Giggleswick School Archive, the
North Yorkshire County Record Office in Northallerton, and the Imperial War Museum in London.
As the main objectives of the project were concerned with fieldwork and community outreach the
documentary research was not intended to be an exhaustive review and only specific and directly
relevant information was recorded over the three days of research, as well as information from
several online sources, including the Kirby Malham Local History Group website. In addition
various members of the public also contributed to the research throughout the course of the
project. A volunteer Research Assistant, Michael Miles, recruited from the Yorkshire Dales National
Park Mosaic programme, helped assist with the documentary research as well as with the
fieldwork.
4.2 Surveys
4.2.1 Drill Hall
A buildings survey, consisting of photographic survey and plan drawing was carried out by YDNPA
Historic Environment Team staff over one day, following the guidance set out in Understanding

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Historic Buildings: A guide to good recording practice (King 2006). A photographic record was
made (exterior and interior) of all accessible and visibly significant parts of the building, including
both detailed shots and general photos. The cellar was not accessible at the time of the survey
and is not described in this report. Photographs were made with a Canon G7 camera, taking digital
still images in jpeg format. Wherever possible, images made use of a scale. Upon completion of
the survey, images were backed up to the YDNPA server.
A measured plan of the Drill Hall was made at 1m above main floor level at a scale of 1:100 using
traditional tape measurement. While the survey was in progress, the plan was annotated with
details and architectural/archaeological observations arising from the investigation. Additional
descriptive notes were made both at the time of the survey and from the photographic archive.
4.2.2 Rifle Range
A rapid earthwork survey was completed of the remains of targets, an earthwork target stand and a
mantlet at the base of Warrendale Knotts near Attermire Scar. The full area of the rifle range,
which included several shooting platforms, stretched over an area of several hundred meters to the
south of the butts at Warrendale Knotts. The survey was restricted to only the target zone, and the
full area of the range was not surveyed as it would have proved prohibitive in time costs. However,
it is hoped that future visits can improve the survey by examining some or all of the firing locations.
The drawn survey was produced in the field using a targeted tape and offset method from a single
baseline by YDNPA Historic Environment Team staff with assistance from Anthony Crawshaw and
Bill Flentje, following the guidance set out in With Alidade and Tape: Graphical and Plane Table
Survey of Archaeological Earthworks (Jones 2002). Additional data was also captured onsite and
added to the plan. The field drawing was captured at a scale of 1:100, and is reproduced here at a
reduced scale. A digital photographic record of the site was also made.
4.2.3 Training Trench Earthworks – plane table
A plane table survey of the earthworks was undertaken. The plane table survey was undertaken by
YDNPA Historic Environment Team staff and three volunteers, over one day, following the
guidance set out in With Alidade and Tape: Graphical and Plane Table Survey of Archaeological
Earthworks (Jones 2002). Prior to the survey the area of the earthworks had been recently
strimmed by Dales Volunteers and therefore the contours of the land were clearly visible. The
survey stayed within this strimmed area. The weather conditions were very favourable for survey
work, with no ground moisture and clear skies throughout.
Survey flags were used to delineate the following features – upper zigzag, lower zigzag, upper
lynchet, lower lynchet. This enabled the survey to be carried out in stages and ensured that ground
contours were followed accurately. The survey employed the use of a traditional plane table
instrument which was positioned and levelled over a site grid point, two 50m tapes and a survey
staff, as well as using ranging poles to improve the accuracy of the survey.
Prior to the survey a grid of 10 x 10m grid squares was laid out over the survey area. This covered
the extant of the two zigzags revealed by the strimming and the corresponding lengths of the upper
and lower lynchets. This covered an area of 0.39ha. The drawing was produced at a scale of 1:200
and then reduced for the final digital image. Some additional smaller features (e.g. wooden

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sleeper) were drawn in by eye.
4.2.4 Training Trench Earthworks – geophysical
A magnetometer survey was undertaken by YDNPA Historic Environment Team staff and PhD
research student Hannah Brown from the University of Bradford, over one day, following the
guidance set out in Geophysical Survey in Archaeological Field Evaluation (Jones 2008).
Magnetometer survey has been shown to be very successful in detecting cut features as well as
being sensitive to ferrous responses (Aspinall et al. 2008). Due to poor weather conditions and the
nature of the earthworks, an earth resistance survey was not deemed appropriate. At the time of
survey, the site was under mixed vegetation, including thistles, nettles and grasses; this was less
dense in the centre of the survey area, which had previously been strimmed but was beginning to
grow back. The extent of the survey area was therefore determined by the density and height of
vegetation, and the presence of small trees in the surrounding area.
The survey was conducted over an area of 0.32ha, using 20 x 20m grid squares previously laid out
for the plane table survey as 10 x 10m grids, with a Bartington Grad601 dual sensor fluxgate
gradiometer. This instrument has a vertical separation of 1m between sensors and is sensitive to
0.03nT over a range of 100nT. A sampling interval of 0.25m was employed, along traverses
spaced 0.5m apart and orientated approx. northwest-southeast i.e. roughly parallel with the long
edge of the lynchets. Data was collected in a zig-zag manner.
The data was subject to minimal correction processes using Geoplot 3.0. A zero mean traverse
function was used to correct variation in sensor alignment, and a de-stagger function was applied
to reduce variations in sample position caused by adverse ground conditions and topography.
4.3 Excavation
A targeted excavation of the suspected training trench earthworks was undertaken, based on the
results of the plane table and magnetometer survey, following the guidelines of practice set out in
the IFA Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Excavation (2013) document. This was primarily
carried out by members of the Ingleborough Archaeology Group, directed by Dr David Johnson,
and supervised by YDNPA staff. Volunteers from other organisations and members of the general
public also took part. The strategy adopted for excavation had in mind the aims of the project as a
whole as well as the allotted time frame and manpower available and was carried out according to
a Written Scheme of Investigation prepared by the YDNPA (Spry 2014).
Topsoil was removed using hand tools and all spoil was stored on Visqueen sheeting with separate
piles for each trench. As work proceeded, excavation was undertaken mainly by trowel in softer
and more sensitive material but by controlled mattocking in consolidated training-trench backfill.
Each trench was photographed prior to excavation, after the first photo-clean and on final
completion of work. Where it was deemed necessary, intermediate photographs were also taken
and logged.
Single-context recording was used throughout; and each trench was either planned at a scale of
1:20, if any surface features were visible within the trenches (Trench 2), or had long-section profiles
drawn, at a scale of 1:10, where the main interpretive detail rested within the profiles (all three
trenches). All artefacts were allocated a small finds number, bagged, and logged by context.
Trenches were duly backfilled and re-turfed on completion of work in each trench.

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5 Results & Interpretation
5.1 Documentary research
5.1.1 Preliminary Research
Prior to and in between the three main research days, the Project Manager and Research Assistant
carried out a programme of research using several other available online sources, in addition to
generic web searches. The purpose of this research was to provide some background information
relating to the war effort in the Settle area and our three sites. In reality many sources could have
been deemed relevant to this search, however several key topics and sources did stand out and
warranted being included here. The research focused on three key themes – Walter Morrison, the
Craven Territorials, and the Giggleswick School Officer Training Corps (OTC).
Walter Morrison
Throughout the project and during several conversations with members of the public, the name of
one man came up time and time again. This man was Walter Morrison (Fig. 5). Morrison was an
English Liberal and Liberal Unionist politician who inherited the Malham Tarn Estate from his
farther in 1857 and went on to become one of Craven’s most prominent and best-loved figures. His
legacy is evident through the district and this is none more so when looking at the physical and
socio-historic legacy of the First World War – indeed a look at his contribution to the local area
covers a great deal of the background information for this project. A series of essays on Morrison’s
life written by the
Kirby Malham
History Group,
available online at
http://www.kirkbym
alham.info provides
a good
understanding of
his legacy.
Presented here,
using the
information
provided by these
essays, is a brief
outline of
Morrison’s life
which shows how
important he is to
this story.
The Dalesman
Walter Morrison
was born in
London on May
Figure 5. Walter Morrison as depicted in the 1920 publication ‘Cravens Part in the
Great War’ (http://www.cpgw.org.uk/).

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21st 1836, the son of James Morrison, a Liberal MP for Ipswich who made his fortune in
haberdashery, before moving into banking. James bought the Malham Tarn estates when they
were sold in 1852 by Lord Ribblesdale, and bequeathed it to his son Walter when he died in 1857.
It soon became Walter Morrison’s favourite home. He graduated from Oxford University with a BA
in 1857 and an MA in 1862, became an MP, first for Plymouth in 1861-74 and then the Liberal
Unionist MP for Skipton 1886-92 and 1895-1900. Clearly a well educated and highly intelligent
man, Morrison had many interests and pursuits, and appropriately for us this included archaeology.
Following its formation in 1865 he became the Honorary Chairman of the Palestinian Exploration
Fund and was a member of its governing body right through until 1919. He was actively involved in
the planning of all expeditions by the Fund and was a generous benefactor all his life culminating in
giving the Fund their current premises in central London in 1911. In addition, Morrison was a
member and financer of the Settle Cave exploration committee. The committee ran excavations at
Victoria Cave in Settle for several months each year between 1969 and 1978; excavations have
revealed a site with a rich natural and cultural history spanning from the Upper Pleistocene to the
Roman period.
Morrison became a remarkable contributor to the local area surrounding his Malham Tarn Estate,
in addition to pursuing his various business interests. A patron of Kirby Malham church, he restored
the Church End House in 1866 for use as the vicarage, provided the premises and set up the
Malham Moor Subscription School in 1872 and was a governor of Kirkby Malham School. In 1874
he built the Kirkby-in-Malhamdale United School and master's house, and donated £10,000 for a
Readership in Egyptology to his old Oxford College. He was a Governor at Giggleswick School for
60 years and Chairman of the Governors twice during that period. A notable material contribution to
the school was funding the construction of the school’s magnificent chapel to commemorate the
Queens Diamond Jubilee in 1897, at a cost of £70,000. The chapel subsequently contains a
memorial (also funded by Morrison) commemorating those students who were killed during the
Great War.
The North Craven Rifle Corps
In 1859, shortly after taking residence at Malham Tarn
Estate, Morrison helped form the North Craven Rifle Corps
(Fig. 6); one of many local Volunteer Rifle Corps formed
throughout the country in response to a Secretary of State
for Wars initiative due to the threat of war with France. On
12th May 1859, a letter was sent to the Lieutenants of the
counties of Britain authorising the formation of Volunteer
Rifle Battalions. These volunteer battalions, of which locally
formed Corps were part, stood as a safeguard for home
defence in the event of a French invasion (Mussett 1980:
11). An inaugural meeting held on July 6th 1859 at the
Settle Court House resulted in the formation of the NCRC,
with Walter Morrison and John Birkbeck as Secretaries.
Volunteers were expected to pay for all or at least part of
their equipment, £3 8s 0d for a rifle and £2 1s 0d for the
uniform. By the end of the year there were around 40
Figure 6. Morrison in his NCRC uniform
(http://www.kirkbymalham.info/).

18. 10 | P a g e
active members, with Morrison appointed the Corps’ Lieutenant. By 1860 he had funded the
construction of the Attermire Rifle Range for shooting practice and competitions, and the
Castleberg Drill Hall in 1864 as a place to practice drill and meet socially. He became the Major
Commandant and Lieutenant Colonel in 1865, going to the School of Musketry at Hythe for
training. The NCRC was championed throughout the local community, holding regular shooting
matches such as that in 1860 held on Morrison’s Malham Tarn Estate; when over 100 men from
Settle, Skipton and Ingleton competed for a silver bugle donated by him.
The Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment
Following the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 the NCRC were reformed as the Craven
Territorials. With Britain and France now allies, these new Territorial Forces acted as a reserve of
trained units for the regular Field Force in the event of war, and became the foundation for today’s
Territorial Army (Mussett 1980: 11). At 6pm on Tuesday 4th
August 1914 they were mobilised and
absorbed into the 1/6th
Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment (Fig. 7), traveling to
France between 12th
and 15th
April 1915. They first saw action during the battle of Aubers Ridge in
May 1915, and fought in the Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916) among many others.
Demobilisation began in early 1919. Morrison gave £1000 to equip the regiment with shirts, socks
and boots and he worked tirelessly throughout the war attending war charity sales, recruitment
meetings, and fund raising for hospitals and relief funds.
Figure 7. The 1/6th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment as depicted in ‘Craven’s Part in the Great
War’ (http://www.cpgw.org.uk/).
Following the 1/6th
Battalion, the 2/6th
Territorial Battalion formed at Skipton in September 1914,

19. 11 | P a g e
were mobilised for war and travelled to France in January 1917, serving throughout France. They
were disbanded in France on 30th
January 1918.
During September 1914, 100 men were also recruited from Settle to form Tunstill’s ‘Craven
Legion’. They eventually became ‘A’ Company of the 10th
Battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s
(West Riding) Regiment; travelling to France in August 1915, and serving in France and Italy.
‘Cravens Part in the Great War’
To thank those men
from the Skipton
Parliamentary Division
who served in the war,
Morrison funded the
publication and free
distribution of a book
‘Craven’s Part in the
Great War’ (Fig. 8). The
book lists details, mostly
with photographs, of
over 1,500 men who
died, and contains an
article entitled ‘Craven in
Flanders’, the war record
of the 1/6th Battalion of
the Duke of Wellington’s
Regiment. It also
contains an article on
Tunstill’s Craven Legion.
A full digital version of
this book is now
available at the Cravens Part in the Great War website (http://www.cpgw.org.uk), along with a
database listing the names of those from Craven who served in the First World War. Making such
material available on line for all to see is a vital part of ensuring the legacy of these men and all
who contributed to the war effort. It is hoped that the site and its extensive database continues to
grow and receive the support it deserves.
One presentation of the book took place in Malhamdale on Saturday 24th
September 1921 and
aged 85 Morrison unexpectedly turned up to make the presentation. Too frail to get out of his car, it
turned out to be his last public appearance as he died in December of that year.
The Giggleswick School Officer Training Corps
Another key source was the 1980 publication ‘Cadets at Giggleswick’ by N. J. Musset (1980). This
book documents the history and growth of the Giggleswick School Officer Cadet Force (Fig. 9) –
later Combined Cadet Force – from its inception at the beginning of the 20th
century up to the time
of the book’s publication in 1980. The following information is taken from this book, with a full
Figure 8. ‘Craven’s Part in the Great War frontispiece
(http://www.cpgw.org.uk/).

20. 12 | P a g e
reading of the entire text strongly recommended in order to understand the history of this
successful organisation.
Pre-war years
Walter Morrison began as a Governor at Giggleswick School in 1864. This was five years after he
formed the NCRC and the same year that the Castleberg Drill Hall was built. Morrison’s affiliation
with both the school and the NCRC likely helped facilitate the relationship between these bodies
following the formation of the school’s Rifle Club. School cadet units were first formed in 1860,
although at Giggleswick not until 1906 when Giggleswick School teacher Mr A. V. Holliday formed
a Rifle Club at the school, a year after taking commission in the Settle Volunteers. At first shooting
practice took place in the covered playground and in 1907 a sub-target machine was presented by
Mr J. G. Robinson. Competitions against other schools began in 1908. Also in 1908 a miniature
range was constructed in the partially covered cloister behind the old school. The first recorded use
of the Attermire Rifle Range by the school is on Friday 23rd
June 1911.
Figure 9. The Giggleswick School OTC, 1910 (Mussett 1980: 15).
In 1907, the Secretary of State Lord Haldane implemented a major reorganisation of the army,
which included the establishment of an Officer Training Corps, designed to provide Officers for the
new Territorial Force. There was a Junior Division for schools and a Senior Division for universities,
with annual training camps, coordinated training and Proficiency Certificates. The Giggleswick
Officer Training Corps was formed in 1910 with school chaplain, the Rev. C. F. Pierce undertaking
command and forty nine boys joining. Within a year this number had reached sixty four and it rose
rapidly at the outbreak of war. They paid 7/6d subscription per term and rifle club members paid an
additional 2/6d. Uniform fees were thirty shillings and cadets bought their own boots. Bayonets
were issued and were either carried in scabbards or were fixed to the rifles. Initially each cadet had
a long Lee Enfield type rifle and a few .22 inch rifles for use on the miniature range; more of these
were issued in 1913. The cap badge depicted the school seal and bore the school title on the scroll
beneath, with officially approved badges of rank worn by Officers and N.C.O’s. The standard of
training delivered by these N.C.O’s throughout the country was such that several helped drill village
volunteer units following the formation of Pals Battalions in 1914.
The OTC training was assisted early on by a Sargeant Naden of the NCRC and by the end of the
first year the N.C.O’s were able to take drill sessions themselves; with a Section Shield awarded

21. 13 | P a g e
each term for the most efficient section, based on theoretical knowledge and musketry skills. The
Giggleswick OTC attended annual camps throughout the country (Fig. 10) where they would take
part in drill training, musketry practice and field days, and they formed part of the 20th
Battalion who
travelled to Windsor Great Park prior to the Royal Review by King George V – the OTC’s Colonel in
Chief – on Monday 3rd
July 1911. At the end of camps, cadets would be given a train ticket and had
to find their own way home, still adorned in full military gear and carrying their weapons. Annual
inspections of OTC battalions were undertaken. Captain Windsor Clive of the War Office General
Staff commented on how much had been achieved by the Giggleswick OTC since its inception
during their first inspection on Saturday 15th
July 1911. Subsequent inspections nearly always
received positive reviews.
Figure 10. The Giggleswick detachment at the OTC camp at Tidworth Pennings, Salisbury Plain in 1911
(Mussett 1980: 17).
The First World War
During the First World War the Giggleswick OTC had many changes in personnel as Officers and
N.C.O’s were called up for service, and there was a succession of Cadet Officers during this
period. This meant that different members of school staff came in to help run the OTC and with
several staff away on active service temporary appointments were made. However this resulted in
the employment of older staff who were less able at instructing more physical activities. Eventually
however, Sgt-Major J. W. Perrett of the Wiltshire Regiment took charge of the OTC training for a
three year period and help came from Officers from several other regular units. This included the
return of ex-pupil and Northumberland Fusilier Captain Alan Angus who had been at the school
from 1908 to 1913, being head boy in his final year. Whilst recovering from injuries sustained in
France, he spent a full term with the OTC before returning to France at the beginning of 1918, and
became “indispensable to the OTC” (see below).

22. 14 | P a g e
Figure 11. Members of the Giggleswick OTC during a Field Day, c.1917 (Mussett 1980: 38).
As well as a sharp rise in OTC membership during the war, members of staff were also
encouraged to take part in some form of military training, including drill and shooting, with the staff
troop becoming known as ‘The Gorgeous Wrecks’ – a pun on the ‘GR’ royal monogram displayed
on their red arm-bands. Following an £80 donation from Walter Morrison a new uniform and kit was
adopted during the spring term of 1917 and greater time was given to military training as the war
progressed. With the War Office declaring that all cadets aged over 18 should carry out a minimum
of ten hours training a week, the Attermire Rifle Range and the indoor range were used more and
more. Regular competitions were arranged, with silver shooting spoons awarded. There were no
national annual camps during the war; however a camp was arranged for northern schools, which
the Giggleswick OTC attended. The emphasis on this increased level of training was on drill and
musketry along with the introduction of signalling. This was supplemented by route marches and
field training sessions in the local countryside (Fig. 11), during which the OTC concocted their own
marching songs, with the following sung to the tune ‘The Church’s One Foundation’ –
We are the rag-time army,
The G.S.O.T.C
We cannot fight, we cannot march,
So beastly bored are we!
But when we get to Berlin
The Kaiser he will say:
“Mein Gott! Mein Gott!
What a jolly fine lot
Are the G.S.O.T.C!”

23. 15 | P a g e
During the winter poor weather meant that
training was often interrupted, however the
time was filled productively. Poignantly this
included listening to accounts of the war given
by old boys or members of staff returning on
leave. In addition to ‘Letters from the Front’
published in The Chronicle these accounts
helped the cadets stay in touch with the
realities of war and what they were training for.
The Chronicle noted that over 300 OTC
members were eligible for service during the
First World War. Giggleswick lost one school
master – 2nd
Lt. H. F. Dyer, D. W. R – and 122
old boys during the war; or 17 per cent of ex-
pupils who fought (Fig. 12). This compares to
251 or nearly 20 per cent from Sedbergh
School. Those from Giggleswick fought with
the West Riding Regiment, as well as others
including the Durham Light Infantry and the
Canadian Infantry.
5.1.2 Giggleswick School Archive
Settle Pamphlets Vol. XXXVII
This volume includes several small articles
relevant to the project and local military
training. There is a Settle roll of honour
including men from Settle, Giggleswick and surrounding villages and towns who served in the
Great War, and an essay entitled ‘Early Days of the Settle Volunteer Corps’. As the title suggests,
this details the beginnings of the Settle Volunteers Corps, or North Craven Rifle Crops. The essay
details a shooting event in October 1860 where a silver cup valued at £20 was competed for at the
Attermire Rifle Range. Local tradesmen and innkeepers raised a fund to enable the men to procure
their cartridges at a reduced cost and local residents offered competition prizes. It details how the
Corps eventually became part of the 2nd
West Yorkshire administrative Battalion with the Skipton,
Burnley, Guiseley and Ingleton Corps. From 1861 onwards there was a requirement for each man
to take part in 24 drills a year.
The information taken from this pamphlet demonstrates how much the Rifle Corps was a locally
driven organisation, as no doubt they were throughout the country. The donation of competition
prizes and fund raising for cartridges shows how people throughout the local community wanted to
contribute to this training. With such strong support for local military training it is therefore no
surprise that these volunteer regiments produced well drilled and efficient soldiers. It is important to
view the Attermire rifle range within this socio-historic context as it helps us appreciate the
significance of its preservation and interpretation to the local community today.
Figure 12. The First World War memorial inside the
Giggleswic School Chapel.

24. 16 | P a g e
Lambert’s Settle Almanacs 1913-1916
These volumes contain great snippets of
information related to local military
training and the Great War (Fig. 13). The
1913 and 1914 volumes list the
Commanding Officers and overall
numbers of the Duke of Wellington’s 1/6th
Battalion West Riding Regiment (F
Company) for the years ending 31st
October 1912 and 1913 respectively. In
1912 the company consisted of 112 men,
and in 1913 it had grown to 124 men. The
1913 volume also includes –
“New Morrison Challenge Cup won by
Pte. R. M. Tomlinson.
The following Officer and N.C.O. are in
possession of School of Musketry
Certificates, Hythe, being attached to the
Regular Forces for a period of 3 to 5
weeks:-
Lieut.-Colonel Birbeck, J. P
Sergt. J. W. Lambert”.
Similarly, the 1914 volume includes –
“New Morrison Challenge Cup won again
by Pte. R. M. Tomlinson, by 3 points.
The following Officer and N.C.O. are in
possession of School of Musketry Certificates, Hythe, being attached to the Regular Forces for a
period of 3 to 5 weeks:-
Lieut.-Colonel Birbeck, J. P
Sergt. J. W. Lambert.”
The New Morrison Challenge Cup was a continuation of Walter Morrison’s legacy at the rifle range
and demonstrates how committed the local community remained to rifle range training and
competitions over time. There is also an evident pride in mentioning those men in possession of
School of Musketry Certificates. A School of Musketry was established at Hythe, Kent in 1853 and
qualified reserve Officers – including Walter Morrison – to be able to instruct the practice and
theory of musketry, and thus return to their regiments and train their soldiers.
In the 1913-1914 volume there is an essay entitled “To Arms…To Arms”. This poetic piece
demonstrates the feeling throughout the Settle community towards the men who volunteered for
war service. Particularly touching extracts include –
Figure 13. Cover of the 1914 Almanac
(http://www.plongprestonheritage.org.uk).

25. 17 | P a g e
Page 3. “Craven can hold its head up in Pride, for the sons of the Yorkshire Highlands have now,
as their fathers did of old, nobly responded to the trumpet’s blast.”
“But the parents’ hearts, though anxious, are filled with laudable pride.”
Page 4. “And we are all proud of these Young Heroes.”
This is referring to those men from the 1/6th
and 2/6th
Battalions, as well as those in Tunstill’s
Craven Legion and it is evident how proud the community was of the businessmen, skilled
workmen, and agriculturalists who were so willing to serve their country and their protect their
community.
However, there is also mention of the ‘exceptions’ to this movement. These, the essay remarks,
were the able bodied young men who prefer the ease and comfort of home, and should be
decorated with the “Order of the White Feather.” During the First World War there emerged a
significant pacifist movement in Britain which objected to the war. This included approximately
16,500 men who were recorded as conscientious objectors following the introduction of
conscription in January 1916, many of whom were Quakers. Their opposition to involvement in the
war was based on several issues, including religious faith, non-religious belief in the sanctity of life,
and a practical belief that war is wasteful and ineffective. The promotion of justice and human rights
was at the core of their motivation. As the story of sixteen men held at Richmond prison – the
‘Richmond Sixteen’ – in 1916 demonstrates, this stance would result in harsh penalties, including
ten years hard labour, and in some cases execution (Brown 2014). Choosing to be a conscientious
objector was not a decision taken lightly and those men who refused to sway from their beliefs
demonstrated significant courage. As a result of the stance made by these men and the hardships
they endured, public opinion changed and during the Second World War conscientious objectors
were less harshly treated.
However, for the course of the Great War much of British Society was not sympathetic to the
pacifist cause. One of the most significant demonstrations of this was the introduction of the Order
of the White Feather in August 1914, where women were encouraged to present those men who
had not volunteered for service with a white feather as a mark of their perceived cowardice. As the
following extract from the Almanac demonstrates, such men were treated with contempt among
parts of the local community –
Page 4. “Whether they stay at home from greed or cowardice or laziness is immaterial.”
“…they put Self before Country…there are still specimens of humanity to be seen at whom the
finger of scorn will be pointed to their dying day…”
The sense of community spirit is further emphasised by an update on the War Relief Fund in the
1914-1915 volume (p.253), where a committee was nominated to deal with this fund. Not
surprisingly, Walter Morrison was voted in as President and Mrs John Birbeck was nominated as
Vice-President. The meeting – in the Victoria Hall on the 19th
August – also discussed the
rendering assistance to the families and dependants of local service men, in particular with clothing
and general assistance. Also mentioned is a £500 donation from Walter Morrison and the intention
to send Christmas parcels to every local serviceman. There is also mention of the Belgian Relief
Fund (p.3), with concerts held at Hellifield and Long Preston to raise money. The Commission for
Relief in Belgium - or Belgian Relief Fund - was an international organization that arranged for the
supply of food to German occupied Belgium and northern France during the First World War.

26. 18 | P a g e
This volume also displays evidence of how local people were thinking about the morality of the war.
There is mention of an open conference at the Adult School in Settle, with one talk titled “What
should be the attitude of Christians towards War” and another “Christianity and War” (p.27). It is
interesting to come across such evidence despite the government’s overbearing attempts to
maintain support for the war effort – and the potential consequences of pacifism outlined above –
and demonstrates how omnipresent the war was in the lives and minds of people on the home
front, and how its consequences were clearly playing on their consciences.
The 1914-1915 volume contains a small article about the Settle and Giggleswick Volunteer
Training Corps (VTC’s), or “Village Guards”. Significantly there is mention of drills taking place at
Giggleswick School –
Page 231. “…the Governors of Giggleswick School placed their large Covered Playground at the
disposal of the Volunteers. They have also had the use of the School Playing Field and the
privilege of practicing shooting at the Miniature Range. The members of the Corps have obtained
an advanced stage of drill and military experience.”
After Great Britain declared war on the German Empire in August 1914, there was a wave of
concern regarding a possible German invasion of the British Isles. This resulted in un-sanctioned
‘town guards’ being formed throughout the country. Eventually, by July 1915 the VTC’s were given
the legal status of Volunteer Regiments and in August 1916 they were included in the County
Infantry Regiment system. The unauthorised formation of these guard units is a testament to the
initiative of local people and their eagerness to make a direct contribution to the war effort and how
those men left at home were still willing to train in preparation for defence of their country if need
be.
In this specific case the contribution made by the school in terms of donating its facilities is further
evidence of the sense of the communal war effort among the Settle community, adding to the
history of the school, its buildings and its grounds. The VTC was also permitted use of the school’s
Miniature Range, a facility otherwise reserved for the school’s Officer Training Corps. Being given
access to these facilities helps explains why these volunteers “obtained an advanced stage of drill
and military experience.”
5.1.3 Imperial War Museum, London
Private Papers of Captain A Angus (Imperial War Museum Private Paper)
This collection of papers from Captain Alan Angus comprises accounts of his services with the
Northumberland Fusiliers including the Battles of Messines (June 1917) and Langemarck (August
1917) during which he was wounded, hospitals in Etaples and London, followed by a period as
OTC instructor at Giggleswick School during the autumn term, where he used to be a member of
the school’s OTC as well as being the school’s head boy.
Two specific extracts from these papers were noted –
Page 3. “Daily routine consisted of a march up to the Fenham end of the Town Moor where we did
physical training and infantry drill. The latter was left in the hands of those of us with OTC
experience.”

27. 19 | P a g e
Here Captain Angus is describing part of his Officer training at East Boldon (Tyne and Wear) with
the 2nd
Reserve Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. The second sentence provides insight into the
importance assigned to OTC training during the period. Those men with OTC experience were
singled out during training to lead exercises. As well as providing a ‘head start’ for those men who
went on to serve in the Great War, being a member of an OTC was seen as a commitment to a
high standard of training and the development of important leadership skills. It shows the
contribution of OTC students from Giggleswick School to the war effort before they had even left
British soil.
Page 20-21. In 1917 spent two “delightful” months as an officer instructing OTC’s, as ordered by
the War Officer for injured service men. “…in the country they had no notion of what rationing
meant”.
He does not go into any great detail about his time at the school, and only mentions that he
instructed parade drills. Nonetheless, it shows that the society was aware of the need to train
schoolboys for their increasingly likely role in the conflict. A solider straight from the front line would
have also been able to teach the schoolboys about trench warfare itself.
That he mentions he had such a “delightful” time he wanted to return the following term
(unfortunately he was ordered back to serve in France) allows us to speculate on how many similar
scenarios were welcomed at other schools throughout the war. Furthermore, his reference to
rationing in the countryside – or lack of! – gives us a delightful insight into how the war possibly
affected people from different parts of Britain in different ways.
The Officers' Training Corps year book and diary, 1913 (Douglas 1913)
This booklet provides a fascinating and comprehensive insight into the training undertaken by
23,000 (as of 1913) OTC students in the years preceding the outbreak of war. The book delivers a
detailed instruction covering all areas of military service, including use of compass and maps,
musketry, morse signalling, field kitchens, knots, camp tent roll, cleaning a rifle, using flags, judging
distances, camp life. A detailed term-by-term programme presents a strict timetable of activities,
giving a sense of military organisation and efficiency that would have helped prepare the
schoolboys for life in the army. Such a thorough and disciplined programme is further evidence of
the importance placed in the role of OTC’s and how well prepared these young Officers would have
been for war.
In particular musketry training is covered in some detail, with details on how to aim, the effect of
wind, light and rain on bullets, and scoring. This emphasis placed on musketry training coincides
with the evidence of the Giggleswick OTC practicing at the Attermire Rifle Range and helps build a
picture of the activities taking place at the rifle range; activities that proved crucial in preparing
young men for life on the front. This advanced training needed supervision, perhaps a
dissemination of knowledge and skills taking place between experienced local riflemen - e.g. the
NCRC and the Village Guard – and the OTC schoolboys.
Instructions for the training of cadets in R.A. officer cadet schools (War Office 1917)
This 1917 War Office manual details the training to be undertaken by Royal Artillery Officer Cadets.
It includes physical training, dismounted drill, gun drill, driving drill, gun sights and testing, knotting

28. 20 | P a g e
and lashing, director and plotter, equipment, signalling and telephony, map reading, model range,
horse management, harness fitting, riding, military law and organisation, anti-gas measures.
Minimum training was 38 hours per week (p.1).
Although the Officer Cadets were training full time in comparison to the part time OTC, the depth of
skills and drills covered was very similar. This helps explain Captain Angus’ claim that those with
OTC training were chosen to lead Officer training exercises and this level of preparation should be
credited to the local schools and facilities at which many received their initial training.
The training manual also included anti-gas measures. By 1917 gas attacks on the Allied Power’s
trenches were commonplace, and although not the most deadly, mustard gas was very effective at
disabling soldiers, causing blisters, soreness in the eyes, internal and external bleeding, and
vomiting (Sidell et al. 1997). Gas attacks would often accompany artillery fire to support trench
attacks and became a prominent and effective part of the enemies’ arsenal. The inclusion of anti-
gas measures in the training manual shows how the increasing use of chemical warfare was
dictating the training undertaken by soldiers at home.
Musketry regulations. Part II: rifle ranges and musketry appliances, 1910 (War Office 1914)
This book, first produced in 1910 and re-printed with amendments in 1914, was the General Small
Arms Training Manual for British Forces just prior to WWI. It includes chapters on Range Site
Selection & Construction, Target & Appliance Construction & Use (Fig. 14). This is a very detailed
record of how to select and construct different types of rifle range sites and how to conduct training
at them. For example, the selection and construction of four different range types is included –
Page 2.“Classification range: general type of range constructed for the execution of classification
practices.
30-yards range: A range with the service cartridge at 30 yards, and provided with such protection,
either natural or artificial, as to dispense with the need of a danger area.
Field Practice Range – specifically constructed and provided with suitable apparatus for the
execution of field practices under conditions approaching those of service.
Miniature range – for use with .220 ammunition only.”
Further information extracted from the source includes –
Page 7-19. “Classification range: firing right must be obtained over an area having a depth of not
less than 2,500 yards behind the targets, with a width of 250 yards beyond the flank lines of fire at
the targets; this width is to be increased to 500 yards a from 1,000 to 2,500 yards behind the
targets.
Value of a hill background is usually overestimated because: it is regarded solely as a natural stop
butt for bullets fired accidently with undue elevation, and not in relation to the trajectory of
ricochets. Its height is measured from the level of the targets, whereas its effective height is the
perpendicular from its summit to the line of the sight produced. Ricochets from ground rising
slightly usually range further than from level ground. If the line of sight is uphill, they will travel still
greater distances.

29. 21 | P a g e
A hill background having an elevation of 200 feet will only be effective if: its face is nearly vertical,
and the targets are close to its foot, or, the targets are about 1,600 yards from the foot of the
slope.”
These extracts demonstrate the complex criteria that
needed to be considered when selecting a rifle range site,
with health and safety clearly a matter of concern. Also,
albeit 50 years before, it also gives an insight as to why the
Attermire location may have been chosen (discussed in
detail in survey results below), with the location of the rifle
range both within the immediate vicinity of Warrendale
Knotts and the wider remote landscape, providing minimal
chance of harm coming to an un-expectant member of the
public.
Officers Training Corps (Junior Division) public school
officers, and other members of the staffs record of war
service, 1914-1918 (Montague Jones & Steers 1919)
Compiled in 1919, this book was written by Major B
Montague Jones, who was the then Honorary Secretary of
the OTC, and his assistant Major D. H. Steers. It provides a record of every Schoolmaster who as
well as providing the OTC with Officers and Instructors, had also served in the Great War
themselves. The record accounts for every OTC and public school in the country, including six for
Giggleswick School –
“Quick, L-Corpl, E. K. Oct. 1915-July 1918. Temp. C. F. (4th
Class) Home Service, July 1918-Dec.
1918, Rifleman, L.R.B., Home Service.
Claughton, 2nd
Lieut. W. T A. Cadet School, Gailes, April-July1916. 2nd
Lieut 29th
Bn, Roy. Fus.,
Aug—Nov 1916. France 21/11/16 – Feb 1917 with 20th
Bn. Roy. Fus. Feb 1917-28/5/17 Home
Service. 28/5/17 – July 1918 France with 20th
Bn. Roy. Fus. Invalided home.
Teversham, Corpl, T. F. Dec 1915 – Apr 1916, 26th
Bn. Roy. Fus. Home Service. France 4/5/16 –
9/9/16 (invalided home). Transferred 11th
Ban. Bedford Reg. Mar 1917. Discharged as medically
unfit for further service 11/4/18.
Haswell, 2nd
Lieut. P. Cadet School July 1918 – Oct 1918. 2nd
Lieut. R.G.A. France 31/1/18 with
331st
Siege Battery. St. Quentin and Amiens (March, April 1918). Computing Officer, 4th
Army
Calibration Section, July – Nov 1918.
Parkinson, Rev. C T. Oct. 191 – July 1918. Temp. C.F (4th
Class). France June 1916. Attd. 18th
Divisional R.F.A. Somme July-Nov 1916. Arras May 1917. Third Battle of Ypres July-Nov 1917. St.
Quentin, Amiens Villers-Brettoneux 1918. Cadet School July – Nov 1918. St. Johns Wood (R>F>A)
with a view to a combatant commission.
Watkins, Air-Mech. L. R.A.F. Sept 1918. Home Service.”
This book is an important reminder of the sacrifice made throughout different sectors of society and
Figue 14. A copy of the Musketry
Regulation handbook (not IWM copy).

30. 22 | P a g e
how school boys and their old school masters became part of the same collective. We add more to
our understanding of the impact that of the war had on different people in the Settle area, with the
Giggleswick School Masters undoubtedly respected members of the community.
History of the Service Battalions of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) in the
Great War 1914-1918 (Isles 2007)
Getting to know the Craven Territorials (NCRC/ 1/6th
DoW) was a key part of this project.
Therefore, reading about the history of the regiment that they became a part of helps us
understand arguably the most important part of their Great War story: their time serving on the front
line. A section entitled “Wonderful Territorials” refers directly to the 147 Brigade in the 49th
division,
including the 1/6th
Battalion. Talking about the West Riding territorial force, the section states –
Page 33. “The patriotic action of the force in those early days of the war helped largely to relieve
the military situation not only in France but throughout the Empire.”
“…the men quickly won for themselves the recognition of army commanders, and also general
officers more closely identified with their work.”
Page 44. “…people wondered in April 1915, how the Territorials of the West Ridings would acquit
themselves in this epic war, all doubts were quickly set aside……Shortly after their arrival in
France, they proved beyond all doubt that wherever a Dukes’ unit is represented, whether it be new
or old, they are a body to be reckoned with…..The long training of these men…stood to their
advantage in the hard days that were to follow.”
The section also mentions the sense of duty felt by ordinary business and professional men to train
themselves during peace time, and how they were apt at holding very difficult sections of trenches.
It is evident from these passages how much respect the Duke of Wellington’s territorial forces
earned from their peers and how efficient and dedicated they were at their soldiering duties. This
respect was received from both Commanders and general Officers alike, helping to relieve the
military situation “throughout the Empire”. This ringing endorsement helps set aside any
reservations as to the fighting ability of territorial soldiers.
Crucially, the “long training” and how it “stood to their advantage” is an implicit reference to the
activities that would have taken place at the Castleberg Drill Hall, Attermire Rifle Range, and –
potentially – practice trenches at Giggleswick School. We know that those men who joined the 1/6th
Battalion were training at the Drill Hall and rifle range when part of the Craven Territorials and
NCRC and here we have direct documentary evidence of how well this training paid off when it
came to serving in theatre. It is a further example of how seriously preparations for military service
were taken during this period, as well as the enormous deep-rooted contribution of local rural
communities on the war effort.
5.1.4 North Yorkshire County Record Office, Northallerton
The visit to the Record Office was less productive than the other two outings; however it did reveal
some information relating to the memorial chapel in the Church of St Alkelda in Giggleswick; the
memorial being dedicated to those men who died in the two world wars. Among the Gigglesiwck
Parish Records (1919-1923), this included correspondence in 1919 between Austin & Paley

31. 23 | P a g e
Architects and the Rev J. P. Brocklehurst regarding the construction of the memorial chapel, in
addition to a bill of alterations to the building in June 1920, from Brassington Sons & Co. Ltd.
Letters were also found detailing donations made towards the construction and upkeep of the
memorial chapel. This included a one letter from a Mr C. Robinson in 1920 to the church, where he
is promising a donation of £100, or approximately £2,100 in today’s money.
As with other war memorials throughout the country, the Giggleswick memorial chapel stands as a
reminder of those men who lost their lives during both world wars. Its demonstrates how insistent
we are as a society to commemorate and remember the sacrifices made by our fellow countrymen
and at the time of its construction, the brothers, sons and husbands of local village people.
Substantial financial contributions made by local people such as Mr C. Robinson made this
possible. Similar to the generosity of men such as Walter Morrison during the war, it is evident that
the communal war effort at home did not just cease on November 11th
1918.
5.2 Surveys
5.2.1 Drill Hall
Exterior
In structural terms, the Castleberg Drill Hall appears to be a relatively uncomplicated building.
Castleberg is located on steeply sloping ground to the east side of Settle, and the building has
evidently been sited on a substantial platform excavated into the hill-slope. The gable ends of the
Figure 15. The south gable. Figure 16. The roadside elevation.

32. 24 | P a g e
building face north/south, with the (visually)
principal elevation containing five large
windows and facing west. The main
entrance to the Drill Hall is in the north gable
and accessed by ascending steps from the
roadside. The ground floor level of the Drill
Hall is at eye-level from the roadside, with
access to the cellar from a door at the
roadside.
The design of the Hall, the materials chosen
and the finish of the work shows that the
Drill Hall comprised a significant investment
and was clearly constructed to give a formal
appearance.
The construction of the walls is of sandstone
in roughly coursed rubble for the south
gable and east elevation (which is largely
masked by the hill-slope) (Fig.15), and in
roughly-shaped coursed blocks for the
roadside elevation (Fig. 16) and north gable
(Fig. 17). The dressed rock faced quoins are
substantial and neatly cut. A pronounced
string course (evident as chamfered slabs)
runs around the building at 2m above road
level. Above this line, the walling is set back slightly, and is probably indicative of a slightly
narrower wall thickness above the cellar, although the cellar interior could not be accessed to
confirm this.
A decorative mount for a
square gas lamp is sited on
the corner between the west
elevation and the north gable
and was clearly intended to
light the access to the
building.
A modern reinforced door is
sited in the west gable,
presumably giving access to
the cellar. The door appears
to be inserted; presumably the
original access to the cellar
was internal only.
The window openings are
sandstone segmental arches
cut in ashlar with rock-faced
exterior facing. The arches
Figure 18. The soot line indicating the roofline of the (since removed)
additional covered entrance at the north gable.
Figure 17. The north gable.

33. 25 | P a g e
rise to slight points. The
windows have six large
lights, with the upper
(arched) areas providing
the opening parts of the
window. All of the windows
have internal horizontal
protective iron bars.
The roof burden is in
diminishing stone slates
and is of a visually dark
grey, coarse slate material
with roughly dressed edges.
The material is likely to be
local Helwith Bridge slate
(greywacke). A substantial
chimney is visible at the
south end of the building,
apparently built in the same
style as the quoins, with cut
joints and rock-facing.
The main entrance is set
centrally in the northern
gable. It is a broad doorway
that houses a double
painted timber door, which
is set into a sandstone
ashlar surround with
segmented ashlar arch over.
Both the edges of the door
surround and the facing
edge of the arch are
chamfered. The highest
(arched) section of the main
entrance is taken up by a
two light window.
The lower parts of the
exterior north gable wall
have been rendered and
painted, indicating that at one stage a covered entrance to the Drill Hall had been constructed over
the stairs from the roadside. A slight soot mark indicates the location of the roofline for the covered
entrance (Fig. 18). This was evidently not an original feature of the Drill Hall, because the (probable
shed) roofing had partially covered the formal ashlar arching to the main entrance. The outline of
the footing of this construction is visible as the impression of a single-skin (probably brick) wall in a
concrete pad which forms the standing immediately adjacent to the main entrance (Fig. 19).
Figure 19. The outline of the footing of the covered entrance.
Figure 20. The cast iron sweeping hatch into the flue.

34. 26 | P a g e
Cut into the rendering and evident as a darkened area in the higher stonework, is a channel for a
subsequent modification, a flue – presumably relating to a (non-original) coal-fired boiler or stove
within the cellar. There is a cast iron sweeping hatch into the flue, which has a decorated cover
bearing the name of the foundry ‘Manby & Bro, Skipton’ (Fig. 20).
The majority of the steps are large cut millstone grit blocks, with concrete modifications/
replacements in the area around the main door. The lowest of the steps show small drilled holes
indicating that a gate was affixed at the roadside entrance to the Drill Hall. There are
corresponding holes drilled into the quoins, two of which show iron stubs, where the gate housing
was removed. A reasonable assumption might be that the gates were removed during World War
II, although it is also possible that the removal related to the construction of the covered entrance.
No documentary evidence to confirm or disprove either possibility this has been seen. The gate is
likely to have measured circa 2m in height, judging from the height of the upper hinge fixing.
To the east of the main entrance on the north gable end is evidence of an inserted and
subsequently blocked smaller doorway. It is presumed that the door was inserted to provide
access to the back of the Drill Hall once the covered entrance had been created. The blocking
appears relatively recent, presumably following removal of the cover over the entrance stairs.
Interior
Internally, the Drill
Hall appears to
retain (with
relatively minor
modifications) the
original layout of
1864. The hall is
open to the roof,
with an elevated
viewing balcony
overlooking the hall
from the south end
(Fig. 21). This is
clearly part of the
original design –
with the intention of
facilitating
inspection and
oversight of drill
performed in the
open space of the
‘drill floor’ by the
NCRC. A narrow enclosed stairway in the south east corner of the building provides access to the
balcony (Fig. 22).
The space underneath the balcony has subsequently been infilled to provide storage rooms and
w/c’s. These appear to be relatively modern (later 20th
century) additions to the Drill Hall. The
Figure 21. An internal view of the Drill Hall looking towards the elevated viewing
balcony.

35. 27 | P a g e
principal feature masked by the infill is a
substantial fireplace located on the south gable
(Fig. 23). The fireplace is built in substantial ashlar
blocks, with a chimney opening of circa 1m, and a
substantial projecting hearthstone. The fireplace
was evidently intended to provide heat for the
whole of the internal space of the Drill Hall.
The fireplace was modified with a hand cut timber
mantelpiece, inscribed (also by hand) with
“OPENED IN SCOUT JUBILEE YEAR BY MRS
BEAVER”.
Scout Jubilee year (1957) celebrated 50 years of
the scouting movement and the centenary of
Robert Baden-Powell’s birth. The summer of 1957
saw many major commemorative scouting events.
In terms of understanding the sequence of
modifications at the Drill hall, the mantelpiece also
indicates that the infill modifications almost
certainly post-date 1957, probably by a number of
years.
Figure 23. The fireplace and engraved mantelpiece.
The balcony overlooking the drill floor has also been modified, with a small kitchen inserted at its
Figure 22. The original stairwell leading up to the
balcony.

36. 28 | P a g e
west side. This has had the effect of blocking the western part of the viewing area, with the void
moved. The original dimensions of the open balcony are probably indicated by the limit of a
‘picture rail’ sited at first floor level, which now terminates in blank wall space, rather than at the
edge of the viewing platform.
The roof trusses are of a slightly unusual kingpost form with a wooden truss and raised wooden tie-
beam, and iron kingpost, with supporting iron struts. Raised tie beams are not entirely unusual in
buildings that provided communal open space in this period. The additional space afforded by the
raised tie beams may have been seen as beneficial for the practise of drill.
There are a number of probable original ironwork fittings within the building, both on the roof truss,
and the main door, as well as protective internal bars to the windows. These are likely to be
original.
A small war memorial in the form of a hand engraved brass plaque is sited on the supporting joist
to the balcony. It bears the names of six individuals killed in the war of 1939-45 (Fig. 24).
The inserted and subsequently blocked doorway is visible internally, as a slightly proud area of
walling.
Figure 24. The brass plaque war memorial.
5.2.2 Rifle Range
The targets were clearly sited at the remote location at the base of Warrendale Knotts for reasons
of safety, with any shot carrying over Warrendale Knotts having to travel an extra 2,550 meters
before the possibility of encountering a settlement. The large area of flat and agriculturally marginal
land between Stockdale Lane and the targets allowed for shooting stands at a wide range of
distances and the longevity of the firing range does suggest that Warrendale Knotts did prove to be
a safe location for the targets.
This substantial feature comprises an earthwork and stonework mound, which as depicted in
Nelson’s 1998 illustrations represents the remains of a shooting butt (Fig. 25). The mound is

37. 29 | P a g e
partially composed of a collapsed building (mantlet) at its southern end, but largely made up of a
solid, rubble-filled structure. The remains of this feature are now ruinous and tumbled, potentially
the result of limited stone removal, perhaps natural degradation of the remains, although perhaps
also because of the use of more destructive ordnance, including armour piercing shells during the
second world war.
Figure 25. Survey reduced from 1:100 field drawing.
Brown = C19 metal targets, Grey = Helwith Bridge slate roof to mantlet. Pale grey = rubble. Scarp for C19
target stand at western edge of plan (1).
Examination of the mound confirms Nelson’s reconstruction as a built, stone-faced structure. While
most of the wall facing no longer exists, there is evidence of the outer wall line visible on both the
northern and southern sides of the structure. The western side of the mound is characterised by
more tumbled walling and the remains of two very large Helwith Bridge slate flagstones, which
evidently formed the roof of the mantlet. There is a substantial void beneath and adjacent to one of
the flagstones, indicative of the collapse of the mantlet.
Affixed to and scattered around the main earthwork are the remains of seven iron targets, which
are not in their original positions, and probably of earlier origin than the mantlet.

38. 30 | P a g e
The scree slope
behind both
platforms is
heavily
fragmented,
providing an
unusually fine
scree, almost
certainly caused
by decades of
bullet impact.
The fine scree
clearly contains
many traces of
lead bullets,
most noticeably
of Martini-Henry
type, which was
Figure 26. Fired lead bullets (left and center) recovered from the scree slope and a
contemporary empty lead case (right).
Figure 27. The rear (left) and front (right) of two separate iron targets at the Attermire Rifle Range.

39. 31 | P a g e
in common use in the later C19 (Fig. 26). A limited number of examples of .22 bullets which
Nelson attributes to practice during WW2 were also seen. Many of the remains of bullets were
altered beyond recognition in the process of hitting the scree.
The iron targets are of similar design to other mid - late C19 iron shooting targets, some of the
faces of the targets show a typical concentric circle target pattern, overlying (Fig. 27). They are
clearly pock-marked from use, although generally in surprisingly good condition. One of the targets
contains three large holes, presumably made through use of armour piercing munitions.
5.2.3 Training Trenches
The plane table survey of the training trenches clearly identified the extant and form of the upper
and lower zigzags and their relationship to the two lynchet platforms (Fig. 28). The two lynchets run
parallel to one another in a southeast-northwest direction, at right angle to the natural slope of the
land, and extend beyond the survey area. The break of slope and slope between the positive and
negative part of both lynchets is clearly visible.
The survey shows that the apexes of both zigzags are very sharp rather than ‘wave-like’ or
crenelated. The basic zigzag shape of both earthworks is consistent with military training trenches
of either late 19th
of early 20th
century date. The upper zigzag runs approximately southeast to
northwest, following the direction of the upper negative lynchet. It is 39 meters in length and
averages 2.5m wide. The north-western end of the zigzag extends beyond the average width of
the earthwork and terminates into the break of slope of the upper lynchet. The south-eastern end of
the zigzag ends within the surface of the negative lynchet at around the centreline of the earthwork.
The upper zigzag earthwork is shallow with a gradual slope to its centre, which is less than one feet
deep on average. Running down most of the southwest face of the zigzag is a low lying mound of
earth that subtly mirrors the shape of the zigzag.
The lower zigzag runs approximately southeast to northwest, following the direction of the upper
negative lynchet. It is 61 meters in length and averages 2.5m wide. The north-western end of the
zigzag ends within the surface of the negative lynchet, on a line with the other southwest facing
apex points. The south-eastern end of the zigzag terminates within the surface of the negative
lynchet in a ‘Y’ shape. This shape has formed as the result of an extra length of negative earthwork
extending from the south-eastern most apex of the zigzag towards the break of slope of the
lynchet. The lower zigzag earthwork is shallow with a gradual slope to its centre, which is less than
one feet deep on average. Running down parts of the southwest face of the zigzag are low lying
mounds of earth that subtly mirror the shape of the zigzag in places.
A small rectangular segment of wooden sleeper is recorded two-thirds along the length (NW-SE) of
the zigzag, sitting on the edge of the earthwork. This sleeper appears to be at least embedded into
the topsoil, although its relationship to the zigzag earthwork is unknown. Modern chainsaw marks
are recorded on its surface.

40. 32 | P a g e
Figure 28. The plane table survey drawing.

41. 33 | P a g e
5.3 Geophysical Survey
Despite poor survey conditions affecting the quality of the data, the topography of the site is visible
and the two zigzig earthworks are clearly evident as negative anomalies (Fig. 29). The result
geophysics plot shows these earthworks as measuring approximately 2.5m wide x 8-10m in
segment length and 35m in total length, are parallel, reasonably regular, and are similar in form,
with 3.5 right-angular V-shaped segments each (Fig. 30). The zigzag anomalies are well defined
and roughly 5nT more negative than the background levels for this site, suggesting that the
trenches have been backfilled with material that is significantly less magnetic than the topsoil or
that they may contain wood or voids. G marks the position of a very strong positive anomaly (with
associated negative response) which stems from a discrete ferrous source. As identified in the
plane table survey, this is the exact location of a wooden sleeper segment. The positive component
may suggest that there is some ferrous metalwork associated with it. The plot does not clearly
show the extension of the lower zigzag beyond this point, although a ferrous response – alongside
a small negative anomaly – is visible at what would be the southern extremity of this earthwork, as
identifies during the plane table survey. In addition, the plot does show slightly more disturbance in
this section of the earth compared to the parallel area on the lynchet above, where the plane table
survey does not show any earthworks. Whereas the southern section of the lower zigzag is well
defined in the plane table survey, its lack of clarity in the geophysical survey may suggest that the
ground disturbance is not as substantial – or deep – as the rest of the earthwork.
Figure 29. Greyscale data plot of the magnetometer data.
In addition, a number of other strong, discrete anomalies, indicative of ferrous sources, are
distributed across the site. While these may be generated by modern debris, some may be of
archaeological interest given the context of the military training activities assumed to have taken
place on this site. Towards the eastern end of the site (e.g. around H) several anomalies are

42. 34 | P a g e
interpreted as possible archaeology; these are areas of increased magnetic response, the
anomalies of which are more amorphous than those elsewhere on the site.
Whereas the magnetometer survey has been very successful in defining the shape of the
earthworks – excluding the southern section of the upper zigzag – it has also provided some more
ambiguous positive and negative anomalies; with the relationship of these to the main earthworks
unclear. The geophysics has also not clearly identified the parallel low lying mounds shown in the
plane table survey and it has also failed to provide any detail on the internal structure of any
possible training trenches. However, by confirming the zigzag shape and the less magnetic nature
of the earthworks, the survey does support the plane table survey interpretation of these being First
World War training trenches.
Figure 30. Archaeological interpretation of the magnetometer data.
A = Slope of the top lynchet; B = Lower zig-zag; C = Upper zig-zag; D & E = Northeastern tips of lower zig-
zag; F = Small positive anomaly; G = Strong positive anomaly (sleeper); H = Positive anomaly, possible
archaeology.
5.4 Excavation
Following a review of the plane table survey and geophysical survey results a decision was made
to start the excavation by opening two excavation trenches.

43. 35 | P a g e
Context Register
Table 1. Context register for excavation.
Small Finds Register
Table 2. Small finds register for excavation.
5.4.1 Excavation Trench 1
This was laid out at the north-western end of the upper set of zigzag training trenches, where the
zigzags appeared to terminate on the lip of the upper cultivation terrace riser. It was aligned NNW-
SSE on the long axis, and extended 4m by 2m. The objectives for this trench were:
 To determine the cross-sectional form of the training trench – its width at the top and the
base, its depth, and its profile.
 To determine if any original structures within the training trench had survived, such as
shoring (timber or corrugated iron).
 To seek dating evidence to tie use of the training trenches with World War I.
 To investigate the possibility, given that the zigzags seemed to terminate on the lynchet lip,
that there may have been access down into the training trench at this point either by cut
steps or a ramp.
Trench 1
101 = Topsoil 103 = Subsoil (lynchet)
102 = Subsoil lens
Trench 2
201 = Topsoil 205 = Training trench, cut
202 = Subsoil (lynchet) 206 = Training trench, northern cut
203 = Training trench, upper fill 207 = Training trench, southern cut
204 = Training trench, lower fill 208 = Natural
Trench 3
301 = Topsoil 302 = Subsoil (lynchet)
Trench 1
No. 104 = Clinker No. 105 = Glazed pot, mid-13th
– 14th
century
Trench 2
No. 101 = Iron bolt (modern) No. 107 = Iron bolt (modern)
No. 102 = Iron fragment, very corroded No. 108 = Rabbit bone (intrusive)
No. 103 = Clinker No. 109 = Iron nail, corroded
No. 106 = Iron metal plate, very corroded No. 110 = Iron fragment, very corroded
Un-stratified find = Pot, Cistercian ware, 16th
century
Trench 3
No. 111 = Pot, Red earthenware No. 114 – 120 = Charcoal specs
No. 112 = Pot, Gritty ware No. 121 = Pot, Gritty ware
No. 113 = Pot, Buff No. 122 – 124 = Charcoal specs

44. 36 | P a g e
 To test the hypothesis that the upper lynchet riser may have been faced with stone rather
than merely earth.
The upper set of zigzag training trenches seemed, under the turf, to terminate at the lip of the
upper lynchet riser so Trench 1 was laid out to investigate both the nature of the riser and the end
of the zigzags, and it encompassed the full cross-section of the assumed training trench.
Three contexts were recognised in Trench 1 (Fig. 31).
Figure 31. The south west facing profile of Trench 1.
Context 101 was a uniform layer of reddish brown medium sand topsoil with an average thickness
of 140mm covering the entire trench. It was fine grained and friable, probably of loessic origin, and
contained less than 5 per cent content of angular sandstone pieces with average long axis less
than 100mm. The majority of this stone was seen on the lynchet tread rather than on the riser
which was completely stone-free, and outside the training trench. One small piece of clinker (sfn
104) was logged in this context.
The excavation trench was divided longitudinally with a smaller sondage cut 1m wide down the
centre, later increased to 1.5m to take it back to the north-east edge of the trench. Within the
sondage a subsoil layer (Context 103) was recognised, again uniform in characteristics and also
reddish brown medium sand though sufficiently different from (101) to give it a separate context
number. It, too, was friable and also very low in stone content (less than 10 per cent). Its thickness
varied from 150mm within the training trench zigzag to 450mm outside but no evidence of cuts for
the training trench was found (Fig. 32); indeed the subsoil had hardly been disturbed at all and its
nature is probably due to the effects of long-term medieval ploughing. To ascertain the full
thickness of (103) a series of bores were made using a fine steel pin – average depths of over
300mm were reached before bottoming onto stony material, probably the natural layer. One pot
sherd (sfn 105) was logged within this context.
A small lens of subsoil (102) was identified towards the north-eastern end of the sondage, at the
interface of (101) and (103), and it took the form of material transitional between topsoil and
subsoil. No finds were logged in (102).
It was abundantly clear at the end of work on Trench 1 that this set of zigzags had not been dug to
any significant depth at all, and the subsoil was basically untouched (Fig. 33).

45. 37 | P a g e
Figure 32. A finished shot of Trench 1 showing the undisturbed lychet subsoil.
Figure 33. The finished north-eastern profile of Trench 1 showing the minimal depth of the earthwork.