LANDOWNERS in the region are being offered expert help to to develop environmental work without damaging important historical sites.

North-East scientist Tom Gledhill, who studied biochemistry at university, has joined the Rural Development Service (RDS) North-East as a historic environment advisor.

RDS operates the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP), which provides funding to protect and improve the countryside and develop sustainable enterprises.

Mr Gledhill, who lives in Weardale, County Durham, will ensure that none of the schemes, ranging from hedgerow-planting to creating ponds, damage historical features, such as ancient settlements.

Before taking the job, the 41-year-old spent a number of years working around the country on archaeological sites on short-term contracts, including with North-East councils and English Heritage. He also completed a PhD at Sheffield University, looking at the history of woodland management in North Yorkshire.

To illustrate how the region could be home to unknown historic sites, Mr Gledhill points to work he carried out with partner Ros, funded by the Countryside Agency, English Nature, the Society for Medieval Archaeology and the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, to investigate the medieval charcoal-making industry in upper Teesdale, County Durham.

He said: "There was very little known about how medieval people made their charcoal and in Teesdale we found charcoal-making pits that were much earlier than previously-known sites. When we surveyed the site, we found 376 pits in just seven square kilometres.

"We believe they may have been farmers who brought their livestock to the area to graze for part of the year and carried out charcoal-making while they were here - perhaps it's an early form of farm diversification."

Another example came about when, with the help of the Friends of Killhope, the couple secured funding from the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and Durham County Council for a survey in Weardale, also involving local volunteers.

Mr Gledhill said: "When we carried out investigations over a 15sq km area, we found evidence for something like 15 settlements and accompanying fields. There were also slag heaps left by medieval iron and lead industries - it was quite an industrial heartland for the period."

One of the key ERDP schemes he will deal with is Environmental Stewardship, which has replaced the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and provides funding to farmers and land managers to help conserve wildlife, maintain and enhance landscapes, protect the historic environment and natural resources and promote the countryside.

Mr Gledhill said: "One of the challenges we face is that, in many cases, we simply don't know the archaeology is there. During my work in Weardale, about 1,000 sites of archaeological features were recorded in an area where only 20 were previously on record.

"If you multiply that across the whole of the North-East, potentially there's an awful lot out there that we don't yet know about.

"Most of it isn't under any threat and there are many ways of managing the land that would not disrupt the historic environment, but it's useful for us to get to know where these sites are, not only to ensure they are protected, but also to help us learn more about our history.

"If there are changes that a farmer or landowner wants to make - such as planting a new woodland area or creating a new pond - we can advise them on how to achieve it without disturbing or damaging the archaeology.

"You need to strike a balance between the beneficial improvements people want to make with preserving the historic environment. Generally speaking, farmers and landowners are very supportive - often their families have farmed the land for generations and they have a real interest in the area and its history."

For more information about RDS schemes, go to www.defra.gov.uk

Published: 29/11/2005