Where spelunking and speleology meet

Not really, but I love those words, spelunking and speleology. Rolls off the tongue better than "archaeological site recording at a listed artificial commercial cave site".

I was recently back at the Hell-Fire Caves to make some additional notations to my laser scan data. Thanks to fellow PG Charlie Goudge for bed, board &; survey assistance (and photos!). Her granny joined us half way through for a visit, which was a first. More fieldwork should feature grannies.

The more times I'm in the "Childrens Cave", the creepier it gets

Autodesk is amazing

Just downloaded a host of Autodesk programmes for free via the University's licensing agreements with the company. After only a few minutes, I had my 3D laser scan data of the Hell-Fire Caves in an accessible format. Whoop whoop. Too much excitement. Some of the views even look quite painterly and pretty.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) were kind enough to send me the raw data over the last couple of months (thanks Lee!) (following our fieldwork last year) and it's been an interesting learning curve getting a handle on data that so massive!

A painterly view of the Hell-Fire Caves laser scan data using Autodesk

TV debut: PhD research on Hell-Fire Caves

Catch me on the telly 8pm "Underground Britain" Channel 5 (20th November)

http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/c77ydj/underground-britain--series-1---5-central-england

Will be chatting about the history and archaeology of the Hell-Fire Caves of West Wycombe, and a 3D laser scan conducted with the British Geological Society (BGS).

No news is good news

In the invigorating world of research, sometimes there is just very little to report. I've been reading, do you care? Probably not. I could jazz it up - I've been annihilating the appalling work of so-called academics in my quest for intellectual superiority. More interesting, but not completely true. I'm just researching all about the Hell-Fire Club of Sir Francis Dashwood and tumbling through the myths and truths about his life and everything relating to the infamous club he founded (alledgedly, it might have been someone else, but it was probably him, for this club, not the others - see - it's just swings and roundabouts with this lot of 18th century shenanigan-meisters). 

Me in the Hell-Fire Caves along with mannequins showing Dashwood and his friends #totallyprofessional

I have bee enjoying re-reading Francois Rabelais the 16th century satirical French rascal. He is hilarious and rude and crude and perceptive all at the same time. Plus, he is easy to read, unlike so much of what we researchers have to digest. I'm looking at how his imagining of the Abbey of Theleme relates to motifs used by Dashwood in his building programmes at Medmenham and West Wycombe.

Other news?

• I'll be posting my Public Archaeology idea soon here: https://publicarchaeology2015.wordpress.com/. You can get involved in the project by reading the posts and commenting - we want your ideas!
• I'm working on the Academic Assignment Tutor Programme with the University and a local secondary student.
• I saw Steven Seagal and his Blues Band in Clapham recently... you couldn't make it up!
• There were some strange days in Devon that featured the Gnome Reserve, Watermouth Castle and the Museum of Witchcraft - more on that soon.

And, just for fun, another throw back thursday shout out to my by-all-accounts-awesome great-grandfather Cantwell who was the archaeologist in Limerick, Ireland (and raises my awe meter readings with all his publications in the Royal Irish Academy).

Archaeology Swag  Great Granddaddy pipe-smoking on site

Guest Blog

Check out the guest blog post I wrote for the British Geological Survey!
http://britgeopeople.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/laser-scanning-hell-fire-caves-by.html

First 3D laser scan image of Hell-Fire Caves and Berkeley Archaeology

The first glimpse of the Hell-Fire Caves 3D laser scanning results are here! Lots more to come in the following weeks and months.

Hell-Fire Caves 3D Laser Scan BGS / A Tierney

The recent testing of the REACT Reflector went really well, the students responded with enthusiasm. Mark Horton coming along probably helped with that as he got the secondary school students leaping with excitement before taking them on a whirlwind tour of Berkeley Castle and the excavation trenches.

Key words that students used to describe the Reflector

And our work with Berkeley still isn't done. As part of the Green Apple Scheme-funded Community Engagement project, I am putting a temporary exhibition in place at the Jenner Museum, Berkeley Castle, St Mary's Churchyard and the Community Library. The posters produced have been designed by University of Bristol students and reflect topics that arose from our community engagement outreach efforts back in May/June. Posters go up on Saturday, just in time for the Festival of Archaeology.

#Awesome

My life in pictures from the last month and a half

Fantastic fieldtrip to survey the Hell-Fire Caves

Had fun making a wordle of two chapters of my dissertation, on the Irish Hell-Fire Clubs

Hoped across the sea to visit the folks and survey the Hell-Fire Club of Dublin, Montpelier

Hell-Fire Club Chapter Meeting, West Wycombe

On my recent trip to the Hell-Fire Caves, I was lucky enough to attend and present at a private Chapter event. One of the organisers gave insight into the clubs views, see the video here:

Hell Fire Club, Caves at West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

What a walk through the caves is like on a typical tourist trip. A small LED torch was used to help the camera focus due to low lighting. The visit was edited down for time, but all the major tunnels are included, as shown on the map.

More super survey (team)work

Laying out some lines for Resistivity Survey:

There have been a few days of survey at Medmenham and a trip out the Hell-Fire Caves at West Wycombe - the data is being processed at present - here are some images, courtesy of James Ashwell, one of the volunteers who has so kindly helped me out (along with Tiffany and Lindsay - thanks to you all!)

Here's James, hard at work in the blazing sun:

Another day of survey

Thanks to James and Lindsay, pictured, for helping me out on another great day at Medmenham and the Hell-Fire Caves!