I studied archaeological sciences at Bradford University, graduating in 1987, and remained active in voluntary and community projects. In 1999 I founded the Complete Business Group in Wakefield and remained as Managing Director until 2012.
After 2012 I began looking into the use of kites and remote aerial vehicles in imaging cropmarks, as well as trying to gain an understanding of the mechanics of cropmarks formation. By 2016 I was using DJI drones with prototype and experimental cameras to explore the use of multispectral and thermal imaging, at this time joining Hull University as an MA by Research candidate, supported and sponsored by Dr Peter Halkon. My Thesis is still awaiting the time to write it up! I founded the electronic research company DJ Assembly in 2018 and this has allowed me to continue these researches. Also in 2018 I became Chair of the Council for British Archaeology in Yorkshire, where I oversaw the introduction of the Small Grants Fund, the equipment library and pushed out the groups online offering.
Throughout Covid these innovations allowed us to continue to promote and support community archaeological groups and projects. I founded YAA Mapping as a nonprofit organisation to support community and volunteer archaeology groups with aerial surveys, offering free multispectral imaging and digital elevation models.
My association with Thornborough has been one of imaging and promoting the henges, as well as encouraging visitors and promoting the understanding of the site. I have produced exceptionally detailed digital elevation models of all the henges and their settings and have published papers speculating on their shapes sizes and their consistency.
In 2024 I was elected as vice chair and treasurer of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society Prehistory Section, where I hope to learn much and help to promote prehistoric archaeology in Yorkshire. I am preparing a book detailing some of the 600-odd sites I have surveyed and written about, and remain committed to the activities of various community groups around Yorkshire.
Thornborough Archaeology Group 