Alan F Cook

WEDDINGTON CASTLE - An Online History

KEY PEOPLE: Alan F Cook

Eur Ing Alan F Cook BSc CEng CGeol CSci FIMMM FGS is a Geological consultant who has 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 have 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

Alan has also been 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.

Alan Cook is a long-standing resident of Weddington, who continues to champion the historical and archaeological integrity of the village. He is married to Jo-Anne and has three sons (all now married).