Archaeology is the study of past human societies and their environments through the analysis of evidence left behind. Although some of this evidence is underground, it can also be seen in standing buildings, street patterns, designed gardens, discarded objects, views and landscapes. Collectively these are often called ‘heritage assets’. Recording and understanding this evidence connects us to the past but doesn’t prevent change happening; in fact it helps us manage what we value for future generations.
The interactive map for the Calstock Parish Heritage Project allows you to view archaeological and historic buildings information for the parish, as well as the historic 1880s Ordnance Survey map and the information found on the 1840s tithe map. By adding your own information to the map we can build up a record of what people value.
How to use the map
First things first! Your internet browser should be updated to at least Internet Explorer 8, but recent versions of Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari will also support it. You can download Internet Explorer 8 here. You also have to make sure that Javascript is enabledon your computer. Click here for a simple guide on how to do this.
To open the map click on the link on our website homepage, or here. It will open in a new browser window so you can keep these instructions open at the same time.
You should then see a screen with an Ordnance Survey map of Calstock Parish with lots of coloured dots on. On the right side of the screen there should be three boxes; this is how you control what you see, get more information, and log in if you want to add anything to the map.
Getting started Simply click on any of the coloured dots and a description of that heritage asset will come up on the right. For more information click on ‘View on Heritage Gateway’ and this will take you to the Cornwall Council Historic Environment Record (HER) for the asset. If you want to look at, for example, all the Roman sites in the Parish, click on ‘Search the archaeology’ and choose by period. We will be adding all of the listed buildings in the Parish very shortly.
Zoom in and out using the vertical scroll bar on the left of the map. You can move the map around by holding down the left mouse button and dragging.
Looking at different maps On the right of the screen is a box headed ‘Base maps’. By clicking the boxes next to each map title you can turn the layers on and off. When you click on the Tithe map button a transparent pink layer will appear over the modern OS map, with the historic field boundaries marked by black lines. Clicking on a field will turn it blue, and information about it from the Tithe record will appear in a box on the right. There is also the option below this box for doing a more detailed search by owner and occupier. Below these instructions is a description of each layer, or hover your cursor on the ‘?’ next to each title on the map screen.
Adding information Although we hope that people will find the map and heritage information interesting, we would like to know more about what you think is special about Calstock Parish and needs valuing, and perhaps understanding further. You can add ‘Community Archaeology’ and ‘Special Places’.
You need to be a registered user to add your own information; this is really quick and easy to do. It means that we can keep track of where the information comes from and importantly it allows us to be able to contact you for more information about the site or find. All personal data (name and e-mail address) submitted when you register is subject to Cornwall Council’s Privacy Policy, which can be downloaded here. Your personal data will be stored on a secure server and never passed on.
Community Archaeology This layer is for you to add your own local knowledge about where you know there is a historic site or a find that is not shown on the map. To add a point simply login and click ‘Add’. You will then have the option of adding archaeology or a ‘special place’ (see below). Follow the on-screen instructions, and once the point has been added click on it to use the option to add a photo.
You will be given a drop down box with a list of the types of sites you can add; this is the Heritage monument thesaurus and ensures that all sites are recorded in the same way and the data can be passed up to Cornwall Council for inclusion in their own HER (see above).
Special Places You can use this layer to tell us about anything you really care about in the parish. This could be a view, a tree, a building, or a site – anything that matters. We would like to use this information to look at what really counts, and perhaps add to documents such as parish plans. We know that it’s not just designated and legally protected sites that people care about; the landscape is living, breathing, and constantly evolving and it’s made up of more than just the protected areas.
As with the ‘Community Archaeology’ layer you need to be registered to be able to add your points onto the map. The same policies apply to your personal data as above.
To add a point simply login and click ‘Add’. You will then have the option of adding archaeology or a ‘special place’. Follow the on-screen instructions, and once the point has been added click on it to use the option to add a photo.
Your point will show on the map as a red square or star. We will look at what you’ve added and approve it; the point will then turn yellow.