The Past Harvests Project
The Past Harvests Project
Powderham Castle was once served by its own harbour where the River Kenn and River Exe estuary meet. Following recent flooding, these rivers had reclaimed lost ground, submerging much of the castle grounds and the marshland beyond. Thankfully, by the time of our visit in early February, the floodwaters had receded a little, granting us […]
Was life simpler for farmers in the past, in a world without huge, complex machinery, agribusinesses, agrichemicals and pesticides, genetic engineering, and the many and various interventions by central government, never mind international regulations? Yes, but our Past Harvests research project shows that life could still be very complicated in other ways. In 1759, […]
In early January, five members of the Past Harvests project team ventured across snow and ice for initial visits to Chatsworth House and Holkham Hall. The purpose of our visits was to meet with the archive teams of each estate and discuss the practicalities of assessing their impressive, often untapped collections. Both estates are situated […]
