1. Posting on the existing website of each farms field names as they are recorded
The initial plan was for a ‘two page’ report on each farm, map, names and name analysis, to be produced and posted on the website. Sample attached that is a Word doc with JPEG embedded. Some researchers are using Excel. We can standardise this to minimise the work involved in posting on website. A new website section was imagined, divided into parishes and then farm reports files in alphabetical order, much like a paper system. Aim was to both make information available and show project progress. Viewer rights to print or download as exists on the existing website were imaged. TBC. We may seek a future linguistic analysis partner.
2. Creation of an interactive, multi-layer mapping & record system
Having looked at the Borgue and Meath fieldnames websites and investigated some East Lothian farms using NLS Maps and other websites I find the most useful to be:
- OS map layers with field boundaries, usually 6 inch to mile or 1:25000 The issue here is that the modern maps are in copyright & ideally we would use a modern map to record modern names.
- A satellite image (ERSI) and the ability to vary opacity between two overlaid images
- Google Streetview to check on things from ground level, as names are often derived from visible topographic features
- The HER (aka sites and monuments) record via a map on the JGC website
The only PastMap layer that I found useful for this project is the HER.
2.1 What to use in the project
For a digital map showing modern field boundaries possibilities are:
- OS leisure layer at ‘effectively no charge’ – Chris Fleet (NLS) Needs TBC
- Open Street map – Philip
Satellite view: ERSI or Google
HER: this must be available somewhere for free; several sites are using it as a layer
2.2 Other possible layers:
- Understanding the ‘lay of the land’ is useful. A layer that does that would be interesting
- If there were several other layers showing filed boundaries at different times (lots of OS Maps) overlaying one on another would show boundary changes over time. It would be a useful tool for the present researchers as well as future site viewers.
- ‘our’ fieldnames layer. Display the field name, older names where known & the farm location and name
- Various other suggestions of Chris’s in an email have been provided to Philip
2.3 Other associated items:
- Is there a drawing tool we could use to insert a field boundary line on the map layer?
- Chris & Stephanie advocated collecting grid refs, doing so as sample document attached
2.4 Information displayed when a field is clicked on
Pop-up box. Other alternatives? Need to decide what is in the box. Present and past names. Derivation of the name. What else?
2.5 Front page options
Obviously, a button for the map but also buttons for:
- common field names in ranking order -any database issue?
- Interesting discoveries – maybe to display a particularly fine old map or an old photo of a farm or a page of some farm record or other find.
- Public comment page. Stephanie suggested this. Borgue has one & people post in little snippets of fieldname information that they have.
3. Technical & other issues
Need Philip’s guidance here.
Database basics
Inputting to DB- need training for, say, 3 people. How long & costs
Size of task. Approx. 400 farms in EL with 10 or so fields each, so say 4000/5000 names needing their data stored. Any capacity issues/costs?
Best guess at project duration, with the present team we might produce 6-8 farms data per month, conservatively for 10 months a year (Christmas and summer holiday periods being excluded). So about 80 farms per year for 5 years.
Pilot project. Philip’s suggestion. Have information on two farms at Dirleton that provide different challenges that could be a very small-scale pilot.
Cost estimates needed for: training/pilot/full scheme and ongoing site maintenance.
Could the ‘free’ modern digital field boundary maps be used as the basis for the initial recording & posting on the website. Is there a copyright issue here? Establish if any ‘creative commons’ or similar licence exists. Where to check/who to ask?
DJS March 2025.