Overview

This book presents the story of the construction of the 17th century historical landscape used in the BBC2 television series 'Tales from the Green Valley'. On one level it is the tale of a bizarre social project carried out by some 400 muscular historians, re-enactors, international volunteers, cavers and mountain climbers. On another it provides a detailed account of the development of a valuable experimental history project with wide educational and research applications, on a minimal budget. It catalogues a unique restoration of a derelict historic farming landscape, from buildings and field boundaries to woodlands and weed patterns, and describes its current management, on a social farming basis, with livestock co-operatives and adopted orchards.

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9781905223138

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Stuart Peachey graduated from Reading in 1977 with a BA Hons, in Human Geography doing his postgraduate teaching qualification at St Paul's College Cheltenham 1978-79. His other qualifications vary from mountain leadership to food hygiene. Interested in military history from an early age, after arriving at Reading he was recruited to a new English Civil War Unit based at the University. When asked in 1983 to run a living history in Gosport he found there was no suitable venue and suggested that they built one from scratch. Recruiting a team of 35 volunteers who worked 15 hours a day for up to 15 days they constructed a hamlet which the council decided to retain. The funds accidentally raised by this project were used to buy the Green Valley site where over nearly 20 years over 500 volunteers from 28 countries have toiled to restore and maintain an early 17th century agricultural landscape. Stuart carried out the majority of the supporting historical research and the organization of the site development in parallel with careers in lecturing, commercial banking and the Yorkshire Dales National Park. He has written or co written over 110 small specialist publications on period food, agriculture, living history topics and the English Civil War and contributed to a substantial number of radio and TV programmes and magazines on historical matters. In 1987 he co founded Historical Management Associates Ltd which has developed a publishing arm, runs period feasts and carries out consultancy work among other activities. In his spare time he is an active mountain walker and caver and father of three boys.

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