Stan Beckensall
Encyclopedia
Stan Beckensall is an international rock art
expert. He was the first male graduate of Keele University
. He was a Station Education Officer in the Royal Air Force
, on National Service
. He became head of English
at Ifield Grammar School, Crawley New Town
, Sussex
. He was head of English in a large comprehensive school in Malta
for two years. Afterwards, he moved to Northumberland
to train teachers at Alnwick
College of Education. He was later head teacher of two Northumberland schools, and was chairman of the Northumberland Teachers of Drama Association. He had written and produced many plays for young people and adults, two of which were broadcast on BBC Radio Newcastle
, though he remains most famous for his writings on Prehistoric Rock Art. He has appeared on British television and in other British media many times. But his passion in life has remained prehistoric rock art.
In May 2004, Stan Beckensall was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne for his contribution to the study of British rock art. In 2005 on the UNESCO
colloquium on world rock art, he represented Great Britain
. In 2006, his website was awarded the Channel Four television ICT British Archaeological Award.
(*) Non fiction writings; plays.
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
expert. He was the first male graduate of Keele University
Keele University
Keele University is a campus university near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as an experimental college dedicated to a broad curriculum and interdisciplinary study, Keele is most notable for pioneering the dual honours degree in Britain...
. He was a Station Education Officer in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, on National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
. He became head of English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at Ifield Grammar School, Crawley New Town
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. He was head of English in a large comprehensive school in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
for two years. Afterwards, he moved to Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
to train teachers at Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
College of Education. He was later head teacher of two Northumberland schools, and was chairman of the Northumberland Teachers of Drama Association. He had written and produced many plays for young people and adults, two of which were broadcast on BBC Radio Newcastle
BBC Radio Newcastle
BBC Newcastle is the BBC Local Radio service English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, broadcasting from studios on Barrack Road in Newcastle upon Tyne.- Technical :...
, though he remains most famous for his writings on Prehistoric Rock Art. He has appeared on British television and in other British media many times. But his passion in life has remained prehistoric rock art.
In May 2004, Stan Beckensall was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne for his contribution to the study of British rock art. In 2005 on the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
colloquium on world rock art, he represented Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In 2006, his website was awarded the Channel Four television ICT British Archaeological Award.
List of published works
- The Prehistoric Carved Rocks of Northumberland (1974)
- Northumberland place-names (1975)
- Life and Death in Prehistoric Northumberland (1976)
- Northumberland's Prehistoric Rock Carvings (1983)
- Rock Carvings of Northern Britain (August 1986)
- HexhamHexhamHexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, History Beneath Our Feet (1991) - Prehistoric Motifs of Northumberland Vol. 1 (1991)
- Prehistoric Motifs of Northumberland Vol. 2 (1992)
- CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
n Prehistoric Rock Art (1992) - The Spindelstone Dragon (*) (1993)
- Life and Death in the Prehistoric North (1994)
- Shepherds, Rogues and Angels (*) (1995)
- Prehistoric Rock Art of County DurhamCounty DurhamCounty Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, SwaledaleSwaledaleSwaledale is one of the northernmost dales in the Yorkshire Dales National Park in northern England. It is the dale of the River Swale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire.-Geographical overview:...
and Wenselydale (1998) - Prehistoric Rock Art in Northumberland (Oct 2001)
- British Prehistoric Rock Art (Aug 2002)
- Prehistoric Rock Art in Cumbria (Jun 2002)
- Prehistoric Northumberland (Mar 2003)
- Northumberland, Shadows of the Past (Jul 2005)
- The Prehistoric Rock Art of KilmartinKilmartinKilmartin is a small village in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It is best known as the centre of Kilmartin Glen, an area with one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric monuments and historical sites in Scotland. It contains over 350 monuments within a 6 mile radius.-Kilmartin Parish...
(2005) - Place Names and Field names of Northumberland (Feb 2006)
- Circles in Stone: a British Prehistoric Mystery (Oct 2006)
- Hexham, A History and Guide (2007)
- The Track Not Taken (2007)
(*) Non fiction writings; plays.
External links
- Northumberland Rock Art, a photo archive of Beckensall's studies