The next stage in the Other Stones – Other Meanings project was for the children of Youlgrave Primary School to visit stones and sites identified by the local community. The children were accompanied on these visits by archaeologist Alice Ullathorne and writer David Fine. Exploring the theme of Water in Middleton, the reception class and year 1 visited:

• the old clapper bridge;
• the sheep dip and pens;
• the fishing dams;
• the pump house;
• the site of the cotton mill.

Continuing with the same theme, years 2&3 visited:

• the old spring and village pump house;
• a water trough carved directly into rock;
• Hardy’s Mine: an artificially extended natural cave;
• the old hall ice house;
• ‘The Gift’; old public taps in the village.

Working under the theme of Lost and Found, the older children explored:

• Gibb Hill and Arbor Low;
• the Gipsy Stone;
• Bateman’s Tomb.

Returning to the classroom, and working with writer David Fine, the children generated group and individual poems reflecting on their experiences, not only describing the sites, but reflecting on their thoughts and feelings, often influenced by the cold conditions on the days of the site visits.