The Past Harvests Project

The Past Harvests Project

News - The Past Harvests Project

Pinnacles of the Peak: Our Visit to Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall

Researchers on the Past Harvests project spent an exciting week in late March at Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. These two jewels of the Peak District contain incredibly...

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Posted by es970 on 24 June 2026


How Big is a Cornish Acre? Our Time at the Duchy of Cornwall Archive, London

Historians on the Past Harvests team have spent a rewarding few months delving into the rich archives of the Duchy of Cornwall. Located a short distance from Buckingham Palace, the...

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Posted by es970 on 10 June 2026


Gorse and Historic Land-Sharing

Nothing symbolises the difference between historic and modern forms of land use like the European Gorse (Ilex europaeus). Known variously as whin, furze or ling, it thrives on poor, sandy...

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Posted by es970 on 15 April 2026


The Tides of Time Wait for No-One: Our Visit to Powderham Castle

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...

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Posted by es970 on 25 February 2026


What was a Farm Worth?

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,...

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Posted by es970 on 16 February 2026


Snow, Archives, and Agricultural Histories: Our First Visits to Chatsworth and Holkham

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...

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Posted by Mark on 21 January 2026