A Break in the Clouds

Connecting Community Experiences in Mosser, Cumbria

Authors

  • Toby Pillatt University of Sheffield
  • Gemma Thorpe Photographer and filmmaker
  • Kimberley Marwood University of Sheffield
  • Robert Johnston University of Sheffield

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.34512

Keywords:

farming, heritage, Lake District, landscape, modernity, weather

Abstract

This photo essay accompanies a short film, A Break in the Clouds, which explores everyday life in Mosser, a small former township on the northwest edge of the Lake District. Prompted by the historical diaries of two eighteenth-century Quaker farmers from the same area, connections were drawn between the experiences of the current farmers and those in the past. The text discusses those connections, the making of the film and how our approach was designed to democratise the research process. The images, selected by the photographer, reflect on the key themes or “spaces” that emerged during the research: home/work, land/family, landscape/weather.

Author Biographies

  • Toby Pillatt, University of Sheffield

    Toby Pillatt is a Teaching Associate in Archaeological Heritage at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield. Address for correspondence: Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 4ET, UK.

  • Gemma Thorpe, Photographer and filmmaker

    Gemma Thorpe is a filmmaker and photographer. Address for correspondence: C/O Toby Pillatt, Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 4ET, UK.

  • Kimberley Marwood, University of Sheffield

    Kimberley Marwood is a Projects Officer in Academic and Learning Services at the University of Sheffield. Address for correspondence: Academic and Learning Services, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

  • Robert Johnston, University of Sheffield

    Robert Johnston is a Senior Lecturer in Landscape Archaeology at the Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield. Address for correspondence: Department of Archaeology, University of Sheffield, Northgate House, West Street, Sheffield, S1 4ET, UK.

Published

2019-01-26

How to Cite

Pillatt, T., Thorpe, G., Marwood, K., & Johnston, R. (2019). A Break in the Clouds: Connecting Community Experiences in Mosser, Cumbria. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology, 5(2), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.34512