THE history of the beautiful Yorkshire Dales will be brought to life later this month in a special event organised by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

A day school will be held in Grassington in association with the Yorkshire Archaeological Society to look at some of the latest information to be unearthed about the area.

The event, on the theme of ‘Archaeology and the Historic Environment in the Yorkshire Dales’, is the eighth in a series of annual day schools. It runs from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday, April 19, in Grassington Town Hall and tickets are selling fast, according to Robert White, the YDNPA’s Senior Conservation Archaeologist.

“The day involves a series of experts from English Heritage, the National Park Authority, commercial companies and local societies discussing some of the results of recent archaeological and historical surveys and research in and around the National Park carried out by the YDNPA and others,” he said.

“As in previous years, this one looks like being a full house.”

The topics covered this year include:

• How bones excavated 30 years ago can reveal how the garrison of the Roman fort at Bainbridge was fed
• A study of Iron Age and Romano-British querns looking at how the use of state of the art scientific dating techniques is questioning accepted theories about the formation of limestone pavement
• The archaeology of twentieth century military activity
• Sheep creeps and hennery piggeries with the aid of a mouse – a report on a pioneering, innovative approach to using volunteers to identify and record archaeological sites.

The day school usually attracts an audience that ranges from university students and lecturers to local history societies and interested individuals.

It costs £10 (£7.50 for full time students and YAS members) which includes refreshments but not lunch. Anyone wanting further information or to book a place should telephone 01969 652353.

There will also be poster displays of other recent work and bookstalls staged by local societies and specialist booksellers.