From the Salterns of Lymington to the Grand Banks fisheries in Newfoundland, people carved out an existence from the sea and fortunes were made by those in the business of profit. But all that came at a human cost.
Today, thousands of people each year walk around the surviving salt pan landscape of Lymington, now the Salterns nature reserve. Visitors and locals admire the seascape vistas; and birdwatchers focus their monopods, binoculars and cameras on the migratory birdlife populating the historical, man-made pools.
How many reflect on past human stories tied into this landscape, and its connections with communities and histories across the globe? To stories of industry, exploitation, loss and resilience.
Salt is an everyday ingredient taken for granted in cooking and kitchens across the globe. However, it is a commodity with a complex history and present. Over the next few weeks, our stories will explore the salt-making traditions of Lymington as part of the wider C18th Transatlantic trading system.
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