Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group was founded in July 2009 by like-minded local enthusiasts, from among whom Peter Denison-Edson became the first chairman. An enthusiastic amateur scholar of Roman Britain, he was the driving force behind the group’s remarkable early growth and achievements. Peter died in 2026. Some aspects of his life are recalled in a brief obituary at the foot of this page
The group’s work began under the guidance of an eminent amateur archaeologist, Tim Laurie, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and a leading expert on prehistoric landscapes in the northern dales. Tim had previously conducted many years of extensive fieldwork. Most notably, from 1984 to 1993, he was joint director along with Professor Andrew Fleming, then at the University of Sheffield, of the Swaledale Land Boundaries Project. This was a 10-year study that recorded the visible remains of extensive Bronze-Age coaxial field systems on open moorland and of Iron-Age and Romano-British settlements within present-day pastures on the lower slopes.
Tim was appointed honorary president of SWAAG at its inception. Since then, hundreds of Tim’s surveys and observations have been entered on the SWAAG database, accessible on this web site, while members of the group have added to the study and explorations of the archaeology and history of the two dales, often with Tim’s guidance.
In 2014, SWAAG became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission (no 1155775) and became managed by a board of volunteer trustees. To read our constitution and to see a list of current trustees, see the page Governance.
Peter Denison-Edson – an obituary
Peter was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, and grew up in Lancaster. After studying geography and economics at Cambridge University, he became a diplomat, serving first in the British embassy in Tokyo from 1968 to 1975. He became fluent in Japanese and acted as personal interpreter for the Queen during her week-long visit in 1975. Next, a stint in the British embassy in Mexico City was followed by a return to Tokyo and work in the embassy from 1982 to 1985.
Afterwards, Peter moved to Ireland where he joined Guinness Peat Aviation, then the world’s largest commercial-aircraft leasing company, which had interests in Japan. Later he became a consultant to more firms with Japanese connections. A visit to Swaledale in 2005 led to Peter and his wife Judith buying a second home in Reeth, where they became immersed in the life of the community. They had just begun to settle permanently in the village in 2013 when Judith died. Peter remained, continuing as a director of the prestigious Swaledale Festival (of arts) and serving as its chairman in 2013-14. He stepped down from the festival board and as chairman of SWAAG in 2017, later leaving the dale to live with his partner Hazel at Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria.
Peter died in 2026. After a funeral service at Holy Trinity Church, Low Row, in Swaledale, his ashes were interred in the churchyard next to the grave of his late wife.
