Archaeological dig begins on new cemetery site
A search for archaeological remains is under way on land which has been earmarked for a new cemetery.
The 6.3 hectare site off Halifax Road, Nelson, Lancashire, was bought by Pendle Borough Council to provide space for about 4,500 graves.
Work is being carried out to prepare for when the current cemetery on Walton Lane reaches full capacity in four years.
The survey of the proposed burial ground is to ensure planning permission can be granted for the project and the dig could take between four to eight weeks to complete.
Asjad Mahmood, leader of Pendle Borough Council, said: "A lot of thought and consideration went into finding the right location for a site which would be suitable for a dignified burial space in an attractive green environment.
"We understand the value of green open spaces across Pendle and the site will remain open to everyone.
"We will not be expanding the cemetery beyond its current boundaries, so anyone with gardens or allotments next to the site will not be affected."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Plans put forward for new 7,000-grave cemetery
Pendle Borough Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Mysterious 'dumped' bodies of woman and child found by archaeologists in picturesque town
Archaeologists recently uncovered a mysterious grave in an idyllic German town, with clues that hint at a tragic story. The findings were announced by the German town of Vaihingen an der Enz in a recent press release. The town is located in Baden-Württemberg, a German state known for its scenic landscapes and natural beauty. In the announcement, local officials said a months-long excavation yielded hundreds of archaeological discoveries. The excavation began in Sept. 2024 and wrapped up in April, ahead of the construction of a future industrial park called Wolfsberg IV. The most haunting discovery was the grave of a woman and young girl dating back to 400 B.C. Both of the decedents, officials said, wore jewelry from the Celtic period of German history, which was roughly between 600 and 200 B.C. "The girl had two bronze arm rings, the woman a necklace with blue glass beads threaded on iron wire," said the statement, which was translated from German to English. "These beads could have been easily made many millennia earlier – provided one had the necessary knowledge." The arrangement of the skeletons suggests the bodies were "dumped," a historian said. The child was found "[lying] over the woman's leg, limbs outstretched," the release indicated. "What exactly might have happened to them, even experts can only speculate," the town said. "Perhaps they suffocated due to fermentation gases that developed during the decomposition of the [organic materials] in the pit." Felicitas Schmitt, a historian from the State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council, said the grave indicated far from a respectful burial. "Here, we are not talking about a burial," she noted. "The two were dumped, rather than laid to rest with dignity." She observed, "Perhaps they suffocated due to fermentation gases that developed during the decomposition of the [organic materials] in the pit." The grave was just one of 1,100 discoveries found during the excavation, according to town officials. Some of the findings were as old as 7,000 years. Eight other graves were found, in addition to a cooking pit, some remains of longhouses and various ceramics. Tools and jewelry were also unearthed. "In addition to the nine graves, several longhouses up to 20 meters long from the Middle Neolithic period were uncovered," the town's statement said. "Particularly interesting for researchers is the cooking pit made of clay and stones, presumably from the early Iron Age (800 to 450 BC)." Officials also said they uncovered an exceptionally well-preserved axe next to a skeleton, dating back around 5,000 years ago. "At first glance, it might seem like it came from the hardware store across the street," the release said. "But the axe head is not made of metal, but of elaborately polished stone!" In contrast to the grave with the two females, archaeologists do not believe the man died violently; rather, the axe was likely left as a grave offering. While they were interested in the findings, local officials weren't shocked by them overall. The general area is known for Neolithic finds, so excavators expected to dig up some history. "[The findings] contribute to further deciphering the history of the city and preserving the cultural heritage of the region," the press release noted.
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Forbes
8 Classic Gin Drinks That Go Beyond Gin & Tonics
Gin gimlets are an ideal cocktail for citrus-forward gins to shine. getty The nuances of a premium gin comes from the quality of its botanicals. Juniper may be gin's star ingredient, however, modern gins comprise a number of unique herbs, aromatics and seeds that contribute to the final flavor and texture of the spirit. The combinations can range from citrus-forward expressions, full of lemon, grapefruit or orange peel, to herbal-centric recipes, with rosemary, anise and coriander. There's also floral expressions, using the likes of lavender, rose and violet flowers. Gin's botanicals can most often be appreciated in the spirit's simplest drinks like a gin and tonic or a martini but sometimes the complexity of a gin isn't realized until you layer it in a cocktail with other spirits – for example a gin with more floral than herbal qualities can completely change the taste of a negroni. For this reason, it can be fun to explore mixing one of your preferred gins for a gin and tonic in one of gin's other tried and true cocktails, from a French 75 to a White Lady. With World Gin Day approaching on June 14, there's no better time to start experimenting with one of the eight classic gin drink recipes below. Tart yet refreshing, freshly squeezed lime juice perfectly mingles with gin in this simple, three ingredient cocktail. This cocktail is an ideal example of how gin's complexities can affect the final flavor; opt for a London dry gin with citrus notes over an herbal gin. Ingredients: 2 oz gin, ½ oz fresh lime juice, ¼ oz simple syrup Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lime wheel. For another citrus-forward, potent gin drink, a Bee's Knees is a prohibition-era cocktail that's still beloved by modern gin drinkers. The lemon and honey combine with the gin for a sweet, bright sip that can be made to taste more earthy with a juniper-forward gin or refreshing with a citrus-inspired gin. Make the honey syrup ahead of time and keep it in your fridge for up to a month. Ingredients: 2 oz gin, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz honey syrup (boil equal parts honey to water until it dissolves, let cool). Method: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice; shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. 50/50 martini. getty As its name suggests, this is an equal-parts cocktail that can make for a really entertaining, and simultaneously upskilling, recipe to sample different gins with. Bartenders also have fun adding their unique twist on this recipe by adding a dash or two of flavored bitters which can complement the chosen gin. Ingredients: 1.5 oz gin, 1.5 oz dry vermouth Method: Add the gin and vermouth to a cocktail shaker with ice; shake until well-chilled. Strain into a pre-chilled martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Raw egg cocktails aren't for everyone (especially in an egg-flation economy) but if you can stomach it, the White Lady is an underrated, iconic gin cocktail that's more likely to be found on a British menu than it is stateside. The texture of the egg white topping the gin sour-like base makes for a rich mouthfeel. Ingredients: 1.5 oz gin, 0.75 oz orange liqueur (like Triple Sec), 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, one egg white Method: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain out the ice then add the ingredients back to the shaker for a vigorous dry shake to help build a rich foam. Strain again, this time into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Sparkling, sweet and tart, this gin and Champagne cocktail is equally perfect as an aperitivo as it is with brunch. If you're in the mood for a more evident gin profile, try playing with the ratio of the spirit to the bubbles. Ingredients: 1 oz gin, 3 oz, Champagne 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz simple syrup; lemon twist for garnish Method: Combine the gin, simple syrup and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice; shake until chilled then strain into a Champagne flute. Float in the Champagne to the top of the glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Ramos gin fizz. getty This drink may require a little extra preparation, but it's worth it for the velvety, flavorful result. It's a New Orleans favorite and some bartenders have even been quoted to say that it outsells the Sazerac. Give it a try for yourself, but be warned, it may take some time to perfect. Ingredients: 1.5 oz gin, 0.75 oz simple syrup, 0.5 oz heavy cream, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 3 dashes orange flower water, 1 egg white, club soda Method: Combine all ingredients, except the club soda, to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds. Strain out the ice and add ingredients back to the shaker for a dry round of shaking for 15 seconds. Strain into a highball glass, while simultaneously adding the club soda together in one slow stream to achieve the fluffy, towering fizz. As previously mentioned, a more complex gin can really change the profile of a negroni. Personally, I love more of an herbal quality in my negronis, so I tend to reach for a gin that showcases this on its own, but is even more prominent when mixed with an herb-forward sweet vermouth. Ingredients: 1.5 oz gin, 1.5 oz Campari, 1.5 oz sweet vermouth Method: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail glass with ice; stir until well-chilled. Strain into a low ball glass with one large cube. Garnish with a rosemary sprig or olive. A name as fun as it sounds, this gin-based cocktail combines the brambly notes of crème de mûre (a blackberry liqueur) for an elegant take on summer fruit. If you don't have pebbled or crushed ice on hand, add some cubes to a ziplock bag and use a heavy object to break up the larger pieces as crushed ice definitely adds to the draw of this drink. Ingredients: 2 oz gin, 0.6 oz lemon juice, 1/4 oz simple syrup, 0.6 oz crème de mûre Method: Add the first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Pour in the crème de mûre over the ice; garnish with a cocktail pick of fresh blackberries.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Safe route past man-made weir created for eels
A project to allow eels and other fish to safely bypass a man-made weir has been completed. The concrete weir, created by Essex and Suffolk Water in the River Blackwater, near Maldon, Essex, was preventing fish from completing their natural migration upstream. The route is particularly important for eels, which travel from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. They mature from glass eels to elvers to yellow eels in the River Blackwater and other places in the UK before heading back to the North Atlantic to lay eggs. Project manager Kerri Russell, of Essex & Suffolk Water, said: "We take a great deal of care to make sure the work we do isn't to the detriment of the local environment. "It's a bespoke design, with peg tiles for the eels to weave through and baffle tiles for the fish, to slow the flow of water and allow them to rest if they need to. "We've had a lot of interest from local groups, so recently our teams carried out visits to the site, which is on private land, to explain the work that has taken place and why it is important." The Environment Agency has set up a camera to monitor the fish that pass through the new structure. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. River Blackwater Essex & Suffolk Water Sargasso Sea Commission
