The talk will follow Dr. James Wright’s investigative walk along the locations from Alan Garner’s Weirdstone Trilogy (The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, The Moon of Gomrath and Boneland) with a special focus on archaeological sites. It will include prehistoric burial mounds, ancient standing stones, medieval houses, Victorian copper mines and the seventeenth-century farm which was the inspiration for Highmost Redmanhey.
Interwoven within the presentation will be a consideration for Alan Garner’s own published fieldwork and research within the world of archaeology.
Alan Garner said of the Walking the Weirdstone project. “This is just to say thank you for being the first to give the subject a proper treatment. Up till now it has attracted only those that get the sizzle but ignore the steak… there’s little to dispute.”
For further information about Dr Wright's research project, here is a website that describes his work: https:\\triskelepublishing.com/weirdstonewalk/
Refreshments will be available after the talk with an opportunity to talk to the Speaker
Dr James Wright FSA
Based in Nottingham, James Wright is noted for his public lectures on the archaeology of buildings. He is a specialist in medieval buildings and fortifications. His company, Triskele Heritage has offered a variety of archaeological services to a diverse range of clients, providing expertise in archaeological services, public talks, broadcasting and publications since 2016.
Hailing from Staffordshire, James graduated from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Nottingham, he began his career working for Trent & Peak Archaeology before retraining as a conservation stonemason under the master mason Mark Stafford with formal qualifications obtained from Weymouth College. He then combined both disciplines as
Archaeological and Historic Buildings Assistant at Nottinghamshire County Council between 2004-2010, where he ran the Castles of Nottinghamshire Project. He then went on to work as a buildings archaeologist and historic stone specialist for the Museum of London until the autumn of 2016.
He was part of a team that won Best Project at the British Archaeological Awards for his work leading the historic building recording at Knole (Kent) – a building that he has been working on for a decade.
Wright returned to the University of Nottingham as a doctoral researcher funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council in a Collaborative Doctoral Award with the National Trust on Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire. Alongside his research, James has also taught undergraduates in the Department of Archaeology – principally in medieval and early modern archaeology,practical archaeology, archaeology in society and buildings archaeology. James has worked in several areas of the heritage sector with experience as a field archaeologist, conservation stonemason, community archaeologist, historic stone specialist, archival
researcher, historic graffiti specialist and buildings archaeologist.