A desk-top survey was carried out, and concentrated initially on
cartographic sources, particularly on successive editions of
Ordnance Survey maps; Tithe and Enclosure documents; and any
estate or farm maps. Aerial photographs held by the National
Park Authority, by Northumberland County Council and by the
University of Newcastle were also consulted. Because of the
constraints of time and the necessity of using any weather
suitable for fieldwork, parts of the desk-top study were carried
out only after the completion of field recording. Information
from Parish, farm and estate records was collected to allow
historical overviews of the origins and development of the farms
and other holdings represented by the boundary features.
Information was compiled in as great detail as possible of the
geology of the survey areas and of areas adjacent to them. A
note was made of any former quarry which might have been a
source of walling stone, either as shown on early maps or as
later observed during fieldwork. A note was