Project Outline

Website

• An exciting new web site telling the story of the quarrying industry in Rossendale and the people who worked in it and lived in its shadow. The web site will achieve this through text, pictures, sound, video and innovative animation and visualization techniques.

Centre for Virtual Environments, University of Salford

• VETS3D, part of the University of Salford is developing an interactive visual interpretation of the machinery and processes involved in the quarrying industry in Rossendale. This will include videos and 3D models of some of the processes and scenarios that would have been found at that time in history

Archaeology Conservation by local stone masons

• Lee Quarry Saw Shed - visit mobile.valleyofstone.org.uk on your mobile phone
• Facit Quarry Incline Chimney

Conservation and improved access by volunteers

• Hands on access work by volunteers and Groundwork Contract Services, including clearance work, strim back overgrown pathways, to create a heritage trail at Thurns Head Quarry.
• Thurns Head Quarry - Monthly maintenance inspections.
• Quarry Huts at Thurns Head and Cragg Quarry.
• Flagstone wall sections consolidated - Cowm.
• Cowclough Rake cleared (Access to Thurns Head)

Inclusive access to Valley of Stone

• Programme of 16 inclusive guided walks running April - November each year, 2 per month. Walks include tramper suitable ones and signed walks using qualified signer for Deaf and hard of hearing.
• Interpretation boards at key sites.
• Town Trails 30 plaques placed on key buildings and structures

Tactile sculptural trail - Mid Pennine Arts

• Accessible Tactile/sculptural trail developed linked to the quarrying heritage - preferred site Lee Quarry, Partner Mid Pennine Arts

Training for volunteers, including young people

• Dry Stone Walling level one certificates in drystone walling
• John Muir Discovery awards/work with community groups
• First aid training linked to access to countryside, 1 course for 12 people per year
• Volunteers trained in delivering pc/website based presentations to reach groups unable to physically access quarries

Oral history project, training local people in oral history techniques and interviewing

• 20 oral history volunteers trained in oral historical techniques
• Recordings to be archived and made available for the web site and arts production by Horse & Bamboo theatre research

Heritage Video project by Community Action Rossendale

• 14 x short films / videos suitable for distribution on DVD or via the web on various aspects of the Stone Industry / VoS Project
• 30 young people trained in film and video editing techniques - resulting in AQA qualifications for those both completing the training and contributing to one of the VoS film projects

Innovative Visual Theatre production by Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company
Year 1

• Five Artists, or arts groups, responses to the Valley of Stone project and the associated oral history, which will be collected to create an exhibition at The Boo on December 2008
• Each artist will lead a community based project in their own art discipline

• Educational theatre production developed by Horse & Bamboo to tour local schools and communities

Conservation & Management of Sites

• Groundwork to produce a 10 year Management and Maintenance Plan for key sites

Delivery Partners include: (See "Partners" page)
Groundwork Pennine Lancashire
Horse & Bamboo Theatre Company
Community Action Rossendale
Mid Pennine Arts
Salford University Virtual Environments
Heritage Recording UK