Ribble valley Archaeology (RVA) held a very successful archaeology and local history day, hosted by Rimington Memorial Institute, on Saturday 9 April.
Since its formation, a year ago, RVA has mainly been investigating the Roman road which runs from Ribchester to Elslack and then on to Ilkley and York, but particularly the very scenic section which runs through Downham and Rimington. This has included excavating test pits, which have confirmed the location of the road, where dug, and the pits have given some indication as to its construction. It is intended to investigate the road further in 2022 along with some other potentially interesting sites, including a possible lost medieval chapel. Local landowners have been very supportive as has been the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership (PHLP), which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
At the open day there were two PowerPoint presentations; one about the stretch of road from Ribchester to Elslack and one more specifically about RVA’s investigations and the role of archaeology, particularly in carefully recording evidence of the dig. There were pictures, reports, and large scale copies of the 1846 tithe map, which proved particularly interesting to those attending. Visitors could look at the village website, https://www.rimington.org.uk/ and listen to oral heritage recordings including Christine Thistlethwaite’s inimitable dialect poems. For younger visitors there were opportunities to ‘dig’ for ‘finds’ and make pots, Roman style, to take home.
Further information about RVA can be found at http://www.ribblevalleyarchaeology.co.uk. The Visitor Information Centre at Platform Gallery has copies of Rimington Heritage Trail leaflets.
