4. Water
The lack of large bodies of drinkable water for people and animals places one of the strongest constraints upon inhabitations in the Yorkshire Wolds – how did different groups negotiate their use of, and access to, water? What did water mean to prehistoric and early modern populations? What were the major period of change in naturally available water, and how did artificial water sources transform the possibilities of both farming and human habitation on the Wolds?
Below are set out a number of research questions and strategies that are associated with the theme Water.
Neolithic c.4000 – 2200BC
4.1 What role did local water resources play in influencing Neolithic patterns of landscape use? As for later periods, given the restricted bodies of water on the Wolds, how did this influence both arable production and pastoralism during the period?
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NeolithicEfforts should be focused upon plotting potential prehistoric palaeochannels in the Wolds and its environs by lidar or other remote sensing methods, followed by appropriate ground investigations, palaeoenvironmental analyses and scientific dating. Investigations should include the exposure of buried land surfaces in dry valley locations, accompanied by appropriate micromorphological and palaeoenvironmental analyses. Ground interventions close to any potential water source (rivers, streams, ponds, dew ponds, etc) in the Wolds, or fed by water from the Wolds, should plan for the recovery, assessment and analyses of Neolithic archaeology and palaeoenvironmental remains in order to better understand patterns of mixed-agricultural farming during this period. The spring line on the western escarpment face of the Wolds was the reason for many medieval villages to be located here, and the locations of Neolithic settlements might also have been influenced by the proximity of springs. If no Neolithic archaeology is encountered, this information should be highlighted and shared/disseminated. ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Bronze Age c.2200 – 800BC
4.2 What role did local water resources play in influencing bronze age patterns of landscape use, and as with the Neolithic period how did the availability of water impact upon the arable and pastoral economy?
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Bronze ageEfforts should be focused upon plotting potential prehistoric palaeochannels in the Wolds and its environs by lidar or other remote sensing methods, followed by appropriate ground investigations, palaeoenvironmental analyses and scientific dating. These last should include the exposure of buried land surfaces in dry valley locations, accompanied by appropriate micromorphological and palaeoenvironmental analyses. Ground interventions close to any potential water source (rivers, streams, ponds, dew ponds, etc) in the Wolds, or fed by water from the Wolds, should plan for the recovery, assessment and analyses of Bronze Age archaeology and palaeoenvironmental remains in order to enhance our understanding of mixed-agricultural farming during this period. The spring line on the western escarpment face of the Wolds was the reason for many medieval villages to be located here, and the locations of Bronze Age settlements might also have been influenced by the proximity of springs. The absence of Bronze Age archaeology should be recorded.ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Iron Age c.800BC – AD43
4.3 What role did local water resources play in influencing Iron Age settlement patterns and landscape organisation, and as with earlier periods how did the availability of water impact upon the arable and pastoral economy?
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Iron ageEfforts should be focused upon plotting potential prehistoric palaeochannels in the Wolds and its environs by lidar or other remote sensing methods, followed by appropriate ground investigations, palaeoenvironmental analyses and scientific dating. These last should include the exposure of buried land surfaces in dry valley locations, accompanied by appropriate micromorphological and palaeoenvironmental analyses. Ground interventions close to any potential water source (rivers, streams, ponds, dew ponds, etc) in the Wolds, or fed by water from the Wolds, should plan for the recovery, assessment and analyses of IRON AGE archaeology and palaeoenvironmental remains in order to better understand patterns of mixed-agricultural farming during this period. The spring line on the western escarpment face of the Wolds was the reason for many medieval villages to be located here, and the locations of Neolithic settlements might also have been influenced by the proximity of springs. the absence of Iron Age archaeology should be recorded.ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Romano-British AD43 – c.410
4.4 How were relations with water transformed during this period and how did this impact upon the relationship between Wolds communities and the wider world? What was the role of the sea and Roman maritime relations, in both practical and symbolic areas of practice (e.g. from trade-routes to favoured gods and myths, foodstuffs to ship/boat technology)? Did Roman techniques begin to harness, modify and utilise the Wolds springs, streams and rivers in new ways, what were the impacts of their farming practice on hydrology and drainage and can we differentiate the water facilities of rural and urban sites?
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RomanThe Roman etymology of Bridlington (‘safe harbour bay’) suggests significant use of the east coast ports and Humber landing sites for maritime trade and travel but the Roman component of these settlements, harbour and port infrastructure, should be investigated in a more rigorous manner: desk-based assessment of grey literature, allied to Roman texts, place-name evidence, and imported material culture, will produce a more fulsome understanding of relations between the Wolds and the sea. Targeted investigations of non-navigable waterways and use of standing bodies of water such as the meres, will also help us better understand if and how the Roman were able to overcome some of the prehistoric constraints of water on the Wolds (e.g. bridges, fords, drainage, portability and potability of water). Depictions of marine or aqueous themes in material culture (e.g. mosaics, intaglios) or presence of marine/freshwater fish and mollusc species as foodstuffs will also help chart changing cultural dynamics with sea and river in the Roman period. ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Early Medieval c.410 – 1066
4.5 What is the role of water in this changing landscape, in terms of both practical use and manipulation, control over rights of use, as well as sacred associations in both Pagan and Christian belief systems and burial or ritual practices?
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Early medievalThere are suggestions that this period sees the earliest landscape manipulation, drainage or canalisation of water sources (e.g. at Rudston) yet the importance of major riverine routes for particular groups like the waterborne Great Army, might dictate their relative avoidance of the Wolds. The relationship between pragmatic, agricultural and sacred or supernatural powers of waters such as the Wolds-edge springs, and particularly the Gypsey Races, should be further targeted through strategic investigations of Early Medieval sites AND water sources, WITH CONSIDERATION OF how they were modified, manipulated AND used for secular and sacred purposes (e.g. baptismal tub fonts). It is recommended that further placename research be conducted to investigate proximity to or relationships with water.ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 High Medieval c.1066 – 1540
4.6 How did the use of water change in the Medieval period, particularly in relation to mills, wells, water-rights and responsibilities (meres and streams) for stock, domestic housing and village use, specialist use of spring-water (e.g. potentially sacred or healing properties), and drainage/canalisation? What was the relationship between reliable sources of water and permanent or seasonal settlement, pastoralism and craftwork? HOW was the ideological perception of the seasonal flows of streams such as the Gypsey Races captured and represented in local folklore, superstition and place-names?
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MedievalThe study of medieval hydrology in this region has tended to focus on larger-scale bodies of water: maritime and estuarine use along the East coast and River Hull or Humber, or specialist use of wetlands (the Vales of Picking and York or Holderness). This now needs to be complemented by more local landscape, documentary, cartographic and environmental studies which inform understandings of how the population made use of water in the Wolds for domestic, agricultural and craft purposes. To what extent might the paucity of monastic structures in the Wolds reflect the lack of major river courses? Interdisciplinary research should be particularly rewarding as this era marks a major threshold in the volume of documentary evidence. The synthesis of small ‘windows’ of research is key, especially where contemporary sources of water (e.g. village ponds/meres, springs and itinerant watercourses such as the Gypsey Races) might be subject to change, allowing insights and investigations into this period. ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Post-Medieval c.1540 – 1901
4.7 How did new farming methods affect local hydrology in this period: for example, stream networks and alluviation; ditching and cleaning to maintain water-courses; drainage methods on wetter soils; piped water and wells for domestic and farm use; water mills and their location; rights over and use of surviving meres/ponds; invention of dew ponds and their impact on stocking arrangements and field systems; increased arable cultivation causing colluviation etc? What was the perception and meaning of Wolds water during this period, and how did its peculiar behaviour in areas such as the Great Wold Valley (namely, the Gypsey Race) affect place-names, colloquial terms (e.g. ‘roaring holes’; ‘waters of woe’), folklore and superstition?
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Post medievalInterdisciplinary research, combining geohydrological analysis with studies of enclosure maps and other cartographic sources, folklore, early topographic descriptive accounts and literary sources (e.g John Clare’s poetry, written during enclosure of the open fields and settlement shrinkage or desertion) would greatly elucidate one of the distinctive constraining features of the Wolds and the legacy of the behaviour of the springs and streams upon wider landscape organisation as well as belief. There is particular scope for the involvement of community researchers in these tasks. Further research into the perception of the Gypsey Races as ‘waters of woe’, contrasted with the notion of the ‘mineral spring’ healing qualities, would raise appreciation of this valuable yet mercurial resource. Longitudinal studies of water sources could also inform contemporary farm management, drainage and flood risk strategies, while social history research on seasonal workers in agriculture could shed valuable light upon their water management impacts.ActiveYorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022 Modern 1901 – Present
4.8 How have the challenges of increased water consumption arising in particular from increasing domestic and industrial demands and the shift from a livestock-based to arable agrarian economy, impacted on the natural groundwater of the Wolds and its surface appearance? What is the impact of this on water-based or dependent wildlife? What methods have been used in the 20th-21st century to address issues of supply, drainage and flood-risk? What major weather and ground-water events have shaped historic and contemporary relations with water on the Wolds (such as water-spouts, springs AND floods)? How are contemporary water features (e.g. dew-ponds, troughs and drinking fountains, wells and springs, water-courses and ponds or meres) perceived, used and cared for in the Modern landscape? Are there any key cultural events, rites, monuments or markers which help curate the significance of this scarce commodity on the Wolds? What are the likely impacts of future climate change upon the Wolds historic and natural environment and how can the negative impacts of this process be mitigated?
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20th centuryThe modern hydrological infrastructure has been able to redress many of the natural constraints imposed on human inhabitation by the relative scarcity of water on the Wolds, but rarely has the development of this structure been subject to proper archaeological study and recording. An analysis of Edwardian technological innovation, discourses on health and wellbeing, coupled with an evaluation of more modern plumbing and potability standards, could help create fascinating studies of Wolds pipelines, sanitation schemes and water purification facilities. Coupled with studies of energy provision and telecommunications, such studies would reveal how it is possible to sustain the Wolds communities of today, whilst also throwing into sharper relief the constraints of water in the past. In addition, such studies should prioritise the recording of redundant or retired hydrological features, systems and facilities; distinctive structural remains of the 2oth century (e.g. mills installed by German prisoners of war); and the legal and folkloric rights and proscriptions (often retained in parish or estate records), cultural beliefs and rituals (from folklore accounts or local studies work) which have disappeared during the Modern era. By far the greatest challenge for the future will be to adapt to climate change, and further study of the potential impacts of this accelerating process and discussion of appropriate mitigation strategies to minimise impacts upon the Wolds’ historic and natural environment would be extremely valuable.Yorkshire Wolds Research Framework04/09/2022
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