Weddington Castle
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KEY PEOPLE 17: Alan F. Cook

PictureAlan Cook
Eur Ing Alan F Cook BSc CEng CGeol CSci FIMMM FGS was a Geological consultant who had numerous papers, reports and books published on geology, remote sensing, archaeology, local history, genealogy and topography.

A key publication in relation to this website is Alan Cook’s “A revised geology, geography and history of WEDDINGTON, in the County of Warwick" (© Alan F Cook 1992, fully revised 2002). Much of the core information on this site is directly attributable to - and hopefully accurately credited to – Alan F Cook. Without Alan F Cook's commitment to Weddington's local  history, this Website would not exist.

Alan’s personal and professional interests in geology, archaeology, local history, genealogy and topography resulted in an illustrious and impressive career. Key elements of this are:

1960 - 65

Educated at Higham Lane High School, then 1965-67 Manor Park Grammar School

1967 - 98

Collaborated with the British Geological Survey on the Coventry and Nuneaton memoir

1967 - 08

Lectured in all aspects of geology to all age groups, including school project days, ‘Rock Watch’, and Engineering Council career advice, (including Universities of Birmingham, Warwick and Leicester adult and continuing education panels)

1968 - 71

Read BSc Geology at King's College, University of Durham/Newcastle

1972 - 08  

Author of over 400 site-investigation reports; desk studies; interpretative reports; mining reports and environmental audits

1972

Awarded Fellow of Geological Society

1982 - 87

Project engineer, West Midlands County Council, for the Black Country New Road, Walsall Ring Road and Coventry North-South bypass

1984

Cited in "Geologists and the History of Geology", the International biography of geologists from the origins to 1984, by W. Sarjeant, Florida, U.S.A.

1987

Awarded Chartered Engineer

1988

Science tutor for Cambridge Associates/Oxford University Summer Study School at Pembroke College

1988 - 90

Senior geotechnical engineer, Maunsell consulting engineers, Birmingham; project work - UK’s first Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power station, desk study for the A46 Fosse Way improvements, engineering recommendations for the M62-M56 link crossing the Manchester Ship Canal, remedial works on the River Trent drainage and foundation engineering for Midland Links Motorway.

1988 - 08

Member of Nuneaton Society; 1994-2008 Nuneaton and North Warwickshire Family History Society and local Civic Trust's spokesman on planning and environmental conservation.

1990 - 91

Consulting author on the NERC / Royal Society: Earth Science 2000 and the HMSO National Parks Review

1990 - 92

Principal geologist, Babtie Group, involving Birmingham-Wolverhampton Midland Metro Line 1 desk study for the CENTRO ’Supertram’

1991

European Engineer and Chartered Geologist

1992

Publishes “A geology, geography and history of WEDDINGTON, in the County of Warwick" (revised 2002).

1993

Geotechnical consultant, Hyder (Acer Engineering) desk studies for the Highways Agency schemes; M4 Motorway widening; ground stabilization design for the A1-M1 DBFO Motorway bid and geotechnical project engineer for ACER/COSTAIN Black Country Spine Road North

1995 - 97

Consultant for Anatolian Highway widening, Izmit Bay Crossing and Adapazari industrial development in Turkey; Railtrack West & East Coast main line investigations; M62 Jct 25-27 widening

1996 - 97

Contributed to television documentaries "Local Heroes" about John Barber, the Attleborough inventor of the gas turbine.

1997 - 98

Charity of Thomas Barton commission to compile a definitive report on the origins of one of the oldest UK charitable trusts

1997 - 02

Involvement in BBC Television, radio and national newspapers re: The Black Country ‘Cancer cluster’ at Bradley and Dudley earth tremor

1998 - 99

Commissioned to describe Midlands' Cambrian sites for the Geological Conservation Review Vol. 18, a multi-volume Millennium Project

1998 - 02

Senior geotechnical engineer, Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd. Metro supertram schemes and UK railway projects

1998 - 03

Commissioned to write 4 biographies for the "New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"

1999

Consultant advisor and specialist on BBC Television documentary; the collapse of a Black Country house into a mine shaft broadcast and Midlands Report “Under Your House”

2000

Seconded to the West Coast Mainline Route Modernisation team to interpret Ground Radar data, compile desk study for the whole route and re-design drainage, sub-grade and interpret all ground investigations

2002 - 05

Senior engineering geologist / Geotechnical Advisor, ATKINS. Technical audit on West Coast Main Line upgrade work

2003

Awarded Fellowship of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

2004

Author of chapter: Geographical context: Atherstone Manorial Records.

2004

Awarded Chartered Scientist

2005 - 08

Geotechnical Advisor for various projects for: Arup, Redrow, Blackwell, Merebrook, Millard, Corus Infrastructure Services and EDGE Consultants. Professional advisor to HART project Atherstone and Heritage Lottery Quarryman’s Walk projects in Warwickshire

2006

September - October:  Study visit to Utah with Geological Survey, field checking mapping data and guest lecturer at Wright State University, Ohio

2007

Geotechnical Advisor for T A Millard on numerous Geo-environmental Phase I, II, III reports for housing developments.

Consultant for Groundwork's Quarryman's Walk project.

Archaeological investigations of Peat and other organic soils with special reference to the “Bosworth Battlefield site” for Austin / Jones - Friends of Atherstone Heritage.

Geological engineer and site design engineer: for (Arup, Blackwell, Redrow, Merebrook) for Midland Quarry Reclamation and reinforced earth structure. Competition entry for UK Project with a value over £1M. Ground Engineering ceremony I.C.E. London, February 2009, one of the four finalists. I.C.E. West Midlands Project Awards 2009 – Geotechnical Award and Construction Award.  

2008

Geological engineer and site design engineer for Midland Quarry Reclamation and reinforced earth structure.

Professional advisor to HART project Atherstone.

Advisor for Hinckley Archaeological Society projects.

Technical Auditor and historical contributor for Heritage Lottery signs Abbey Green; Attleborough; Camp Hill; Griff; Stockingford and Weddington.

2009

Contractor's Responsible Engineer - Construction for Coventry to Nuneaton railway improvements VGC Group / Network Rail.

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Mayor’s Appeal (Local History advisor)l

Trustee for Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group and Conservation Committee for WGCG.

Public Inquiry Expert Witness for Keresley eco-town objectors.

Advisor for objectors to Ripon City Quarry, Littlethorpe.

Judicial Review expert witness for objectors to Thornborough Henges quarrying. 

2010

Geotechnical Advisor for Atkins Rail Blackpool Tram renewal / Amey Rail - Garron Point slope assessment, Antrim; and New piled foundation for M50 River Severn viaduct

Advisor for objectors to Lenchwick Windfarm, near Alcester.

Site Management Planner for Local Geological Sites (quarries) for DEFRA / ALSF / Natural England / Geology Trust and WGCG.

Independent check on the scientific and archaeological validity of recent in situ 'cannonball' finds in the highly disturbed terrain of ‘Bosworth Battlefield.’

2011

Geological consultant for Charnia Research Group, University of Leicester, for North Quarry options study ‘Optioneering’ (option engineering) to prevent fossil theft.

Charnia Research Group, Business Case for a dedicated education building / museum; to curate, display and conserve the unique Precambrian fossil assemblage of Ediacaran species of North Quarry.

Geoconservation assessor for Warwickshire Local Geological Sites WGCG / Natural England

Geological consultant for objectors to Hallam proposed development at Weddington.

Terrain Evaluation Consultant for Boudicca Project, Atherstone Civic Society / Heritage Lottery Fund.

 

PictureImage thanks to Peter Lee
Alan was also contributing author to the following:
British Geological Survey, Building Research Establishment, Construction Industry Research and Information Association, Countryside Commission, Department of the Environment, English Heritage, English Nature, Geological Magazine, Highways Agency, India School of Mines, Institution of Electrical Engineers (Electronics), International Journal of Remote Sensing, Medieval Archaeology, Natural Environment Research Council, New Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and The Royal Society.

​He published two fictional historic/contemporary works set in and around Weddington. Both are available online, from the Amazon bookstore:
'The Sword, the Snake and the Curse at Pyreway Field', and 'The 12th Face of Ruth's Destiny'.

Alan Cook was a long-standing resident of Weddington, who tirelessly championed the historical and archaeological integrity of the village. He was married to Jo-Anne and had three sons (all now married).

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