Tarset Archive Group (TAG) was run by volunteers in the community and worked between 2003 and 2023, surveying and recording many different features in Tarset.
The main aim was to set up a digital archive for the area, for which we collated and recorded a large amount of new information.
Photograph: Old Sidwood House, location of wild parties, gambling and visiting 'actresses'!
This included digitisation of all data held, and both archaeological and biodiversity site records were mapped onto GIS.
The Tarset Site Gazetteer which was compiled by Dr Michael Money, a key member of the group, identifies nearly 600 sites with all information updated from its initial 2006 Tarset Atlas. Many of the new sites of interest were discovered by TAG from air photographs and surveyed by field walking.
Photograph: An early survey above Cleugh Head, 2005
Photograph: On the Emblehope recce, the Old Schoolhouse, 2007
The Tarset Site Gazetteer 2016 has now been digitised and is available here.
The Tarset and Greystead Biological Records 2015 As an adjunct to the GIS records, TAG also produced a booklet listing all recorded species in Tarset, which was compiled by Bill Burlton, commissioned by the group and is available here.
TAG worked by setting up projects open to all and in line with community interests. We also commissioned and produced work, like the Tarset photograph archive which Simon Fraser shot over a two year period, and published local feature card sets drawn from this.
Photograph: A project programme from 2005
In 2006 we published the Tarset Atlas of Archaeological and Historical sites. This drew on and expanded the number of sites recorded in the Archaeological Practice's Historic Village Atlas (section for Tarset and Greenhaugh), published by the Northumberland National Park in 2004. TAG's Atlas has since been updated first as a Gazetteer, and was also mapped onto GIS.
In 2009 we published a set of cards, Bastles in the Upper Tarset Valley, to coincide with the Bastle Weekend. This event was the culmination of a major project on the area's many bastles - the fortified farmhouses that typify Tarset's violent reiving period.
In 2010 we opened Tarset Castle for a heritage open day, with an accompanying exhibition in Tarset village hall.
TAG’s exhibition boards about Tarset's Bastles and Tarset Castle are available for loan on request.
In 2023, records from our annual verge flower survey around the parish were collated for TAG by Bill Burlton, giving a snapshot of the species recorded in the opening and closing years of the survey. This publication is available here.
Other exhibitions and open days were run from time to time, usually bi-annually.
Photographs: TAG Open Day, 2016
In 2011 TAG was invited by the Forestry Commission to design new information boards for the Sidwood bastle trail. These were designed and produced by TAG with funding from the FC and Tarset 2050 CIC, and installed in 2012.
For the first time an information board was also installed for the Iron Age settlement in Sidwood, with funding assistance from the Northumberland National Park, and permission from English Heritage.
Photograph: TAG with FC staff and also Guy Opperman, Beryl Charlton, Stuart Evans (NNPA) and Mike Ritchie, at Shilla Hill Bastle, prior to the trail opening ceremony in Greenhaugh
Photograph: The trail was opened by Hexham M.P. Guy Opperman in August 2012, suitably equipped with an ancient sword, courtesy of The Heritage Centre, Bellingham
TAG did not undertake any conservation action itself except in very exceptional circumstances, but it did actively lobby to protect heritage under threat.
Amongst other things, it lobbied the Forestry Commission for protection of the lichens on the sheep stells at Sidwood, and the state of bastles under their care (Shilla Hill and Boghead). Both bastles have since been conserved and feature on the bastle trail.
It helped raise funding to renew the old railway gates at Thorneyburn Crossing, a project with the NNPA.
TAG was responsible for English Heritage placing Tarset Castle on the heritage-at-risk register in 2008. This initiated conservation planning and a decision by Historic England in 2015 to 'conserve by record', with archaeological investigation carried out by Durham University Archaeological Services, and work to strengthen the river bank by the Tyne Rivers Trust.
Two reports provided by Durham University Archaeological Services are:
Some of the excavation conclusions are disputed.
Photograph: Excavation work on Tarset Castle, 2015
Work to investigate the deterioration of Tarset Castle’s slopes was completed in 2015 as result of a link-up between TAG and Durham with Newcastle University engineering departments.
‘Green engineering’ proposals were also agreed for the base of the deteriorating slope. Unfortunately these did not prove resilient to winter flood conditions.
In the absence of any further work, the landowner approved more work to build revetments at the base of the slope to divert the flow, to be carried out by G.W.Moore and Sons with the approval of DEFRA. The revetments have withstood the flows of the river in spate so far.
These include:
Photograph: Elephant hawk moth, July trapping 2014
Photograph: Parrot waxcap
Photograph: Some of the waxcap varieties found on a Tarset field
Photograph: Lichen
Download: Four-page PDF of Fungi in Sidwood photographed for TAG by Simon Fraser with Gordon Simpson © Simon Fraser.
These included hay meadows, verge flowers, grasses, fungi, trees, winter birds , bumblebees and old water mills
Photograph: Gatehouse Watermill
A very, very long battle (lasting 14 years!) to conserve the wild flowers in our verges and prevent cutting (except on critical sight-lines) before seed has been set, was eventually achieved with the help of the Northumberland National Park and the co-operation of Northumberland County Council.
Results of two of the verge survey years ( 2004 and 2018) have now been collated and tabulated, and are available for reference (see above, under Projects and Activities)
Photograph: Grasses at Diamond Cottage
Photograph: Greenhaugh meadow
After 20 years TAG has now ceased to be an active group.
Any remaining documentation of unfinished work etc. has been digitised and copies are lodged at Woodhorn and at the Heritage Centre, Bellingham.
TAG would like to thank all the farmers who let us roam across their land, and the many experts who generously gave us their time over the years, encouraging and informing our interests and helping make being a member of the group the fun it always was.
Jan Ashdown, TAG founding co-ordinator
Photograph: A TAG Geology walk stops to examine the old lime kiln above High Green
Photograph: Meeting at Tarset Castle
Photograph: NNPA ranger, Shaun Hackett, showing moths to young enthusiasts
Photograph: Opening up trenches for the Burdonside/Goften excavation