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HADAS AUTUMN DIARY

Saturday 17 August OUTING with June Porges and Stewart Wild visiting the excavation at PIDDINGTON ROMAN VILLA, then to Northampton town centre.BOOKING FORM ENCLOSED Afternoon at CANONS ASHBY, an Elizabethan manor house, unaltered since 1710, with formal gardens and orchard, and a church which is all that remains of an Augustinian priory on the site.

Tuesday 8 October LECTURE at Avenue House Dr Ann Saunders, past HADAS President: ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL – Our Marble Tribute If you are a fan of London, this one is a must!

Tues. 12 November LECTURE: The Ups and Downs of Life in the British Palaeolithic Our speaker, Simon Parfitt, last visited HADAS in March 1996 to bring the Boxgrove Palaeolithic site to life.

December: HADAS XMAS DINNER
HADAS Fieldwork by Bill Bass

The survey at Friary Park continues with more members getting used to the new resistivity meter. The results are showing several features but whether they are geological or archaeological is hard to know at present, the images need to be processed further. The results are usually posted on the internet by Christian, sometimes with photos of the team in action. Useful information was received by the appeal in the last Newsletter regarding parch-marks in the park in the 1970s. Work has now restarted at Hanshawe Drive in Burnt Oak with the plotting out of several new trenches over the most likely features detected by a previous resistivity survey. The site is now sheltered housing and before that a Wesleyan Hall stood on the area. Roman pits were found in the adjacent Thirleby Road and we’re really after more evidence of the Roman settlement/building. Actual excavation will take place from late July to September, lets hope the weather is better than last time (some hope!). All members welcome to participate, please make contact with digging team – see back page.
Roman amphitheatre open to the public

London’s Lord Mayor, Alderman Michael Oliver, attended a reception at the Guildhall Art Gallery in July, marking the opening to the public of London’s Roman amphitheatre for the first time in almost 2000 years. He praised the way it has been displayed, at the same time noting the Roman gladiators, chariot and horses also attending the reception. The gathering appreciated his quip about the Ancient Britons having shaved all their body hair except their heads and upper lips, saying that he seemed to have got it wrong (a brave reference to a receding hairline!) The Amphitheatre is accessed via Guildhall Art Gallery, on the east side of Guildhall Yard. It is open between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and noon to 4pm on Sundays. The admission charge to the Gallery covers entrance to the Amphitheatre, and is £2.50 for adults, £1 concessions, children under 16 free. All day on Fridays – no admission charge, also free after 3.30pm on other days. Last admissions 30 minutes before closing time.
HELPING TO RUN THE SOCIETY…

The present Membership Secretary, Judy Kaye, wishes to retire because of pressure of her full-time job and the Society is looking for a replacement. This is an honorary post, and good secretarial skills and reasonable computer literacy are necessary. Working in conjunction with the Hon Treasurer on annual renewals, the Membership Secretary is the first point of contact for new members. In addition, the Society is looking for someone to take over from June Porges the organisation of the Society’s lecture programme which she has run for several years. There are six lectures a year to organise. This requires a dash of imagination – linking themes – judging what is topical. Having contacts on the archaeological scene is also useful but, of course, the Committee will give any practical support needed. Any member who would like to be considered for either of these jobs should contact the Secretary, Denis Ross.
AFTER THE AGM BY JUNE PORGES

The formal business of the meeting having been despatched as quickly and efficiently as is usual with HADAS we were given a quick overview of the recent activities of the Society by seven speakers. Andrew Coulson kicked off with an entertaining description of the stream walking which has started at the northernmost part of the Upper Dellis Brook. Slides were shown illustrating the rugged terrain being tackled (Andrew warned that precautions must be taken against thorns, deep water, rat disease and nettles – the last named could indicate the possibility of occupation). After only a few walks a whole tray of artefacts has been found and were on display. These can now be analysed by Jacqui Pierce and her team of students. Jacqui told us about the joint HADAS and Birkbeck classes where they are producing a report on Ted Sammes Church End and Church Farmhouse digs. Don Cooper, one of the class participants, told us about their work which includes the compilation of a manual on the identification of finds. It was interesting to see more trays of finds from Ted’s digs. The subject of analysis was then taken up by Peter Nicholson who has been learning a system of classification of form and fabric of ceramic building materials in order to analyse the Brockley Hill field walking material. Andy Simpson then spoke about the limited dig at Hanshawe Drive, which is close to Watling Street on the way to Brockley Hill. It is hoped to return there in better weather (more slides of difficult working conditions!). Quick communication is needed between participants in all these activities. HADAS is now benefiting from the use of a Group Email system (Hadas.org.uk) to keep in touch with each other. The HADAS website (www.hadas.org.uk) gives information about the Society, its activities and how to join. These were described to us by new Committee Member Catharine da Costa. Finally, Bill Bass showed slides and spoke about several other activities, including the use of the new resistivity meter at Friary Park. (PS First results of this can now be seen on the web site). This was a very lively summary of activities and it was interesting to see how interlinked they all are. Leaders of all the groups would be delighted to have more members involved. Many thanks to everybody who took part.

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ROMAN HENDON Andy Simpson

Part I,

in newsletter 276, discussed Roman Hendon – the evidence. – Just to refresh your memories, this is a draft document by Andy Simpson and Stephen Aleck for eventual publication in the annual HADAS journal. They would like input from the membership by way of comments, ‘pet theories’ and additions. Please write to Andy Simpson, Flat 36, Scottwell Driver, off Crossway, Colindale, London NW9 60B with your contributions.

PART II

Roman coins were also found some distance away south-east of the church at 51 King’s Close, Hendon TQ240 892- (Probus, 276 282AD) and also, somewhat closer, north east of the church in Sunny Gardens a coin of Hadrian (117-138 AD) at TQ2310 1896. In 1966, a Highgate Wood Type Roman pottery cremation jar of the late first-early second century, containing charcoal and the ashes of an adolescent, was found east of the church at 111 Sunny Gardens Road (TQ2298 8998) – perhaps indicating a cemetery beyond the eastern boundary of the Roman occupation. The urn is now held by Church Farmhouse Museum. However, a watching brief on building work for extension of the Garden Hospital at 45-60 Sunny Gardens Road in October 1992 found only topsoil and London clay (HADAS Newsletter 261, December 1992). Similarly, an evaluation by Thames Valley Archaeological Services at 15-17 Sunningfields Road, Hendon in September 1995 (TQ2296 8972) found no features or finds of archaeological significance (Other cremation burials of similar date were found in 1953 at Pipers Green Lane, near the foot of Brockley Hill) Earliest recorded Roman material is that from the former Grove House on the Burroughs. In 1889, at a point 730ft w-s-w of the church and 300ft north of Grove House, during the digging of a gravel pit Grove House’s then occupant, Dr. Henry Hicks, found bone fragments, flanged roofing tile, brick, millstones, a complete 19cm high ring necked single- handled flagon of second century date and other fragments of mortaria food mixing bowls,water jugs and other pottery including ‘broken cinerary urns’ all scattered about a foot below the surface in a well defined longitudinal excavation’. The approximate OS ref is TQ 2270 8940. Whether this was in a Roman pit, or even a burial, is not now clear. Some of this material survives in the Barnet local history collection and includes a fragment of flanged roofing tile and, most interestingly, a section of circular brick of the type used to build small diameter columns, which would be faced with moulded cement and painted plaster. The surviving material is considered to be of late first or second century date. Grove House itself, a large eighteenth century building, was demolished in 1934, but a public park called The Grove survives at the rear of the Fire Station and University. This could be a useful location for excavation one day, although the findspot itself is under the extensively landscaped university playing field. In May 1995, the South East London Archaeological Unit undertook a watching brief at the Hendon Campus of Middlesex University which showed that extensive terracing had removed any possible archaeological evidence, and no dating evidence was recovered from the single feature exposed – a broad hollow. Excavations by HADAS at the other end of the Burroughs, south-west of the church at 31-34 Burroughs Gardens, Hendon (TQ2265 8909) in 1972, however, found no Roman material, but plenty of 12th-14th Century pottery, perhaps suggesting a limit to the western edge of the Roman occupation. To be continued in the September newsletter
COMBAT OF THE GLADIATORS

Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 August, 2002, 12noon and 3pm. Join the masses and cheer on rival teams of gladiators as they battle it out for supremacy on the site of London’s original Roman amphitheatre in the Guildhall yard close to the Museum of London. Skilled fighters from all corners of the Roman Empire will demonstrate various types of combat using a wide range of weaponry from swords and shields to tridents and nets. Tickets £6 (E4 concessions) call 020 7814 5777. Book early and take your seat in the Guildhall, as demand will be high. This weekend is one of a series of special events celebrating the Museum of London’s 25th anniversary.

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WELWYN ROMAN BATHS

Our first visit was to the Welwyn Roman Baths, part of the Dicket Mead villa, a third century complex of villa, baths and farm buildings. The villa itself had its own bathhouse. The one viewed here, a little distance from the main building, as for the use of the estate workers. It occupied the south¬eastern end of a parallel pair of long structures part of which, it is thought, were buildings used for agricultural storage. The bathhouse not only provided a place for cleansing oneself but a meeting house where one could talk with fellow workers, relax or play board games. All this was done at a leisurely pace before eating the evening meal. The excavation gave a clear picture of the whole process of ‘taking a bath’. Starting from the entrance into the cold room (the frigidarium) one disrobed, put on wooden sandals, proceeded to the warm room (the tepidarium) was oiled then moved on to the caldarium, very hot and steamy, and these by means of a scraping down with a strigil and a plunge into a bath of hot water the sweat and dirt from the days work was removed. The process was completed by a dip in the cold bath to cool down and close the pores of the skin, then one emerged clean and relaxed. The important section of this building was the hypocaust or under-floor heating system. The stoke hole situated at the farthest end from the cold room contained a lead boiler encased in concrete from which hot water circulated through lead pipes. A fire fuelled by wood in an under-floor chamber heated not only the water but provided hot air under the floors and up into the walls through rectangular clay pipes thus raising the temperature in the hot room to about 40 C. Such heat necessitated the use of wooden soled sandals. The furnace had to be cleaned out from time to time to remove an accumulation of wood ash, a not too pleasant task which fell to the lot of boys who could get through the low entrance. The discovery of the baths was due to a find by a keen local archaeologist Tony Rook who spotted parts of Roman tiles on the banks of the river Mimram in 1960. This led to the founding of the Welwyn Archaeological Society. Tony Rook gave a talk on the history of Hertfordshire to HADAS in February 1997, see Newsletter 313.
STOKE BRUERNE CANAL MUSEUM BY Jean Bayne

As England scored their first goal against Denmark – sadly not a propitious omen for the future! – the coach turned into the stretch of the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne. It was a delightful setting: the lock at one end, framed by clusters of cottages, the Boat Inn on the far side and the Canal Museum itself on the near side. At the other end, the towpath curved away towards the Blisworth Tunnel, overlooked by hills dotted with summer-shorn sheep. And the sun did shine! The Museum itself is housed on three floors in a restored corn mill, (originally powered by steam) and had opened in 1963, It had ‘growed like Topsy’ through the collecting interest of a former lock keeper and public interest in his artefacts. A motley but wide ranging collection of canal objects mostly in very good condition and well looked after, were displayed in separate categories and groups but the accompanying information varied from large densely written sheets to a few captions. I have selected some nuggets of information which appealed to me personally. Early in the 18th Century, and before, various limited schemes had been attempted to make rivers more accessible for transport. But it was the beginning of industrialisation which was the driving force for canal building, spanning two periods, 1760-1785 and later in the 18th century till around 1835. Prosperous businesses, the development of new engineering techniques, the availability of cheap manual labour and the imperatives for the bulk delivery of goods and raw materials, underpinned by the confidence of the new entrepreneurial class, led to the initial spate of canal construction. First the land had to be surveyed on horseback and maps plotted, then it was costed and, finally, it had to be argued for through Parliament. Not all those begun were successful: many were disasters and stopped far short of planned completion, either because the money ran out or the engineering failed. Tunneling in particular was hazardous and methods often devised as the work proceeded. The Grand Junction Canal, as it was then called, linked the Midlands and the Thames at London, and work began at Stoke Bruerne in 1793. The first tunnel at Blisworth failed in 1797. Toll roads, and later plateways, were built over the hill so that canal business could continue. It wasn’t until 1805 that the second one opened and it has been dogged by water problems ever since, leading to a complete relining in the 1980s. It is the longest continual bore tunnel open for navigation on the canal system and is one and three quarter miles long with its deepest point some 120 feet below ground. In the early days of horse drawn canal boats, they had to be ‘legged’ through the tunnels as the horses were led over land. This meant that men had to lie on the boats, sometimes on planks, and move them by pushing with their legs against the roof of the tunnel. Or they might be poled through. Registered leggers, issued with brass arm¬bands, displayed in the museum, were employed by the canal company and there was a leggers’ but at Stoke Bruerne, near the Boat Inn. These were hazardous activities as sometimes men were crushed or drowned. With the introduction of steam tugs in 1871, fatalities continued as people were often suffocated by the smoke and extra vents had to be built into tunnels: seven vents in the case of the Blisworth Tunnel. The museum showed old photos of boats entering tunnels, surrounded by smoke, and a long curved brush for cleaning soot from tunnel roofs. Some 70¬80 narrow boats a day, both local and through traffic, would go through at Stoke Bruerne and they were also weighed for tolls. The Boat Weighing machine can be seen near to the lock. Tolls were based on the distance travelled, nature and weight of the cargo and the clerk would have a ledger with the weight of the boat listed so that it could he deducted to find the cargo weight. Although steam tugs remained in service till the 1930s, motor boats were being built much earlier in the 20th century. Their cabins had to be narrower and shorter but higher to allow for the propeller. Stoke Bruerne became a wealthy place in its hey day as delays occurred because of the locks and the tunnel. Provisions for horses, families and boats were all provided there and trade was very brisk. But life on the canal was very hard. Shopping was done on the move, for example, milk cans were handed over from another boat, washing was done on the canal bank – when possible, babies were chained to the chimney on the roof to play, and children put to work as early as possible. If the canal iced over in winter, boat people could not work. The style of the boat people is expressed in the distinctive Roses and Castles decorations on the narrow boats and red and blue kettles, pots and pans and plates are displayed in the museum. These were painted by the individual boat people themselves or made for them at boat docks. I particularly liked the two- spouted teapot, designed to ensure that both mum and dad got the first cup from the pot at the same time! Black-leaded stoves, brass rails, ornaments and crochet hangings can all be seen in the replica of the cabin of a working boat in the museum. They did not escape the moral tentacles of Victorian society however! In 1877, George Smith organised the registration and inspection of boats for the spiritual, moral and educational welfare of the boat people. He was particularly keen to promote school attendance but, if he achieved this it was not recorded! The occasional schooling opportunity was rare, though the museum does have one photo of a class held on a boat. By 1900, the Salvation Army was active on the canals to reinforce missionary work. Physical needs were also catered for in a haphazard fashion. At Stoke Bruerne, Sister Mary, the daughter of the last shop keeper, ministered to the health needs of the boat people at her surgery for many years. The isolation of the canal boat people was interrupted in the second world war with the arrival of women workers when the Grand Union Canal was used to carry war materials. Seen initially as ‘novelties’, they soon made their mark and became accepted as genuine workers. But long before the second world war, the canals were in decline. The coming of the railways, and in particular the London to. Birmingham line in 1838. gradually cut short the prosperity of the canal system. Road lorries intensified the competition in the 20th century. Interestingly, canal companies had tried to introduce passenger services as early as 1767. They had three classes and served refreshments but took eight hours to go from Manchester to Runcorn, a distance of 28 miles? Even as late as 1839, ‘fast boats were still operating on the Lancaster Canal but by 1850, very few were left anywhere and passenger traffic became restricted to outings. The demise of the working narrow boat became evident in the 1950s and 60s and long distance freight carrying finally finished in 1970. The museum is a fascinating monument to the memory of a group of workers with their own culture and way of life, touching the wider society only as they docked. ‘Born on a boat,die on a boat”: servants of the Grand Junction Canal company were even taken to the graveyard by canal! However, the canal has now been revitalised by becoming a source of wildlife and nature conservation, boating, angling, hiking and tourism. Towpath walking from London to Birmingham was established in 1993. And tourism has brought a new and welcome prosperity back to Stoke Bruerne.
DEREK BATTEN’S RINGWORK CASTLE BY Micky Watkins

Next, HADAS member Derek Batten guided us to his very own ringwork castle, a scheduled ancient monument. Set on a hill the castle is surrounded by a deep moat and is surprisingly large. Derek persuaded Time Team to clear the site and start excavating in 2000, the resulting programme was screened in January 2001. The dig revealed signs from the Iron Age and from the Roman and medieval periods. Derek is now using the arena to produce Shakespeare plays with a local company. A short walk down the road took us to Derek’s friend, John Hieney, where the latter is excavating the remains of the Alderton Old Manor House in his garden.
GRAFTON REGIS

At Grafton Regis we were met by Mistress Merry clad in colourful Elizabethan costume. She guided us to the church and round the little village, ending with an excellent tea in the village hall. The history of the village is painted on the walls of the hall and its royal connection started in 1464 when Edward IV was hunting in the area and espied Elizabeth Woodville (Wydeville) of Grafton Manor. Edward fell in love and, though it was most unusual for royalty to make a love match, the couple were secretly married at the nearby Hermitage. They became the parents of the Princes in the Tower and their daughter married Henry VII. Their grandson, Henry VIII stayed many times at Grafton Manor to enjoy the hunting. Henry VIII enlarged the manor house and gave the title Regis to the village. The manor was destroyed during the civil war when the Parliamentary forces laid siege to it during the struggle for the Midlands. After the Restoration the manor lands reverted to the Crown and Charles II gave them to his son by his mistress Barbara Villiers – Henry Fitzroy, first Duke of Grafton. In the church there are many memorials to the Fitzroys, most of whom seemed to have died in the colonies. After tea the more intrepid members set out across the field to see the remains of the Hermitage. It was a surprisingly large building which must have housed many monks, but it has been only partially excavated. Today, Grafton Regis has only a hundred inhabitants,but they have a great community spirit and a fine tradition of cake baking! Our thanks to Derek Batten for showing us his castle and the manor excavation and for organising a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon for us.

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TV APPEARANCE FOR HADAS MEMBER

Derek Batten is once more scheduled to appear on TV, this time in a BBC2 Timewatch programme featuring Custer’s Last Stand. The exact date is not known but the programme will be on a Friday at 9.00 pm at some time during the next eight weeks or so. Derek will not be playing the role of the flamboyant but doomed General, but will be talking about this seminal event in America’s history. He has made eight visits to the site of the battle at the Little Big Horn River, and he has been the only non-American involved in the extensive Battlefield Archaeological work carried out there. It was in this capacity that he was contacted by the BBC, although he ended up as historical advisor to this episode of Timewatch. A few long-standing members may recall that Derek spoke some years ago at an AGM about the work with which he has been involved in America and of course, over the years, Derek has taken the time to share his enviable archaeological experiences in the US though the HADAS newsletter (setting a good example to y’all!). Derek also, together with John Hieney, gave the most up-to-the-minute, technologically speaking, presentation HADAS had ever received when they came in January 2001 to talk about the dig at the Norman Ringwork Castle at Alderton. The digitally-displayed slide projection was from John’s laptop computer and, at the click of a key, outline graphics or text appeared to enhance the map or photo shown. See newsletter 359 for Andy Simpson’s report on this talk

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ATTACK AT AVENUE HOUSE

The 25-year old victim, an unnamed tree, was cut down in its prime in a mysterious night-time raid on the Bothy early in July. Another unsolved crime was committed at the Bothy in May when a shed was ransacked. And a couple of years ago the rosebeds outside the Garden Room were poisoned and the earth had to be carted away … but that was an accident, not vandalism. Council workmen used a rather-too-strong weedkiller!
HISTORY BENEATH OUR FEET by Bill Firth

A lot of archaeology involves digging but my attention has been drawn recently to the large amount of local history, although not perhaps archaeology, beneath us but not buried, which lies in the street furniture in our pavements. I am no expert, but just walking up Golders Green Road has demonstrated how little I know about some of our local history. There is a wealth of different covers for access to what lies beneath and some of them are remarkably old. Some of the more obvious covers are those for the telephone cables. The oldest seem to be labelled Post Office Telephones or Telegraphs. These seem to be used randomly and cannot be ascribed to the particular service named. Then there are some in which Post Office has been replaced by GPO and more recently by BT or just the BT logo. There is a wealth of water covers ranging from small valve covers, often only marked W, and the more modern meter covers, to sewer covers, fire hydrants and the drains in the gutter. Fire hydrants all seem to be of a similar type, obviously useful for identification in an emergency, but vary in detail. I have seen unmarked ones, some labelled HUDC (Hendon Urban District Council) and others MWB (Metropolitan Water Board). Hendon became an Urban District in 1895, the MWB did not take over water supply from the West Middlesex Waterworks Company until 1902. The HUDC covers are presumably older than the MWB ones. At least in the side streets, where they have not had so much traffic wear, many of the drain covers in the gutter also carry the legend HUDC. Hendon became a borough in 1932, so fifty these are at least seventy years old. In newer areas are there some marked HBC?? There are also historic electricity and gas covers. On many covers over the electricity cables beneath, the words Electricity Supply can be made out, some are getting badly worn now. The Hendon Electricity Supply Company was registered in June 1907 to supply electricity purchased from the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Company (who remembers the Northmet?) so some of these covers may be over ninety years old. There are also a few gas valve covers remaining labelled GLCC (Gas Light and Coke Company) which could be as old. This is not all. Take a look at the local history under your feet. If anyone sees an interesting cover elsewhere in the borough I would be interested to hear of it. Tel: 020 8455 7164 or Billfirth@cs.com If any members have taken photographs of interesting street furniture, both Bill Firth and the HADAS newshounds would welcome sight of your efforts. In 1978, a HADAS member (BLW) recorded and sketched trolley bus poles and lamp standards in Woodhouse Road and Friern Barnet Road – there can’t be many, if any, left by now. Perhaps Bill Firth, or a transport buff could provide an update?

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LORD MAYOR CLOCKS IN

Another of Alderman Michael Oliver’s, literally, hundreds of engagements during his year of Office was to re-open the Clock Museum in the Guildhall Library. The new layout maximises the available space attractively to tell the story of the Clockmakers of London whose innovations over the centuries are evident in the modern-day high quality Swiss watch. Around six hundred pieces from the collection are on show at any one time, and the Museum will be displaying a ‘rolling’ exhibition of works by 21st century ‘artist craftsmen’ watch and clockmakers. The Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, who gained their Charter from Charles I in 1631, founded their Library in 1813 to house their ancient manuscripts. These formed the basis for many later standard reference hooks used by British clockmakers. The collection grew to include other documents such as clockmakers’ workbooks, clocks, watches and marine timekeepers. The Museum is especially proud to show John Harrison’s 5th marine timekeeper. Harrison won the £20,000 prize offered by Queen Anne for building an instrument that could accurately find longitude. One unusual item is the early 19th century gas-powered clock. The library was admitted to the Guildhall Library in 1925 to allow public access so, if you are in the area, it is well worth an hour or two of your time. The Clock Museum is open 9.30am to 4.45pm, Monday to Friday only, at the Guildhall Library, Aldermanbury, London EC2P 2EJ. Access for disabled visitors. Library tel: 020 7332 1868.
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===GREATER LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY QUARTERLY REVIEW, MARCH-MAY 2002 Bill Bass has extracted items relating to the Borough of Barnet===

Several sites from The Borough of Barnet are mentioned in this edition. A watching brief was conducted at the BELLE VUE CINEMA, Station Road, Edgware by Pre- construct Archaeology (PCA). No archaeological deposits were found due in part to the construction of the former cinema. Only modern make-up material was observed, which overlay the natural gravel.

Two evaluation trenches were excavated at 13-15 Moxon Street and 18-20 Tapster Street, Barnet by MoLAS following geotechnical observations. No archaeological remains were encountered.

MoLAS also carried out work at BIBSWORTH MANOR, 80 East End Road, Finchley. A magnetometer/resistivity survey was conducted within the scheduled ancient monument of Bibsworth Manor to test for the location of two medieval moats associated with the manor, or for other significant remains. The results were inconclusive. However, part of the outer moat and bank were located in four transects of auger holes drilled across the western part of the site, within the footprint of a proposed school. The auger holes were drilled outside the scheduled ancient monument, which covers the house platform and the inner moat of the former manor. Waterlain deposits indicative of the primary fill of the moat were recorded in the auger holes sunk in the eastern part of the proposed building footprint. This suggests that the majority of the moat is likely to lie within the scheduled ancient monument area. These deposits lay between 1.5 & 3.0m below current ground level and were thickest in the northern most auger transect. Bank deposits were found to the west of the moat and evidence of a pre-moat surface was detected.

Another site reported was 1263-1275 HIGH RD, WHETSTONE dug by Thames Valley Archaeological Service (TVAS) with the assistance of HADAS members. The excavation of land beneath demolished 19th century shops fronting the High Rd uncovered mainly post-Medieval deposits and structures. The entire site was under a layer of modern demolition debris. A large single ditch and a buried soil were the ‘earliest (Medieval) features, although Medieval material appeared residually in later features. Even then, it is possible that the ditch was not finally backfilled until the 18th century. Structural elements included wall footings, several wells and soakaways. Very fragmentary remains may belong to the 17th & 18th centuries, but the majority of the structural elements were 19th century and later. The west of the site had been quarried and backfilled in the 19th century and much of the eastern end was destroyed by the cellars of the buildings. What does survive seems to relate mainly to minor outbuildings and garden features in the rear of the street frontage buildings.

CBA MID-ANGLIA NEWSLETTER Reports of Pre-construct Archaeology (PCA) in Barnet ASHMOLE SCHOOL, Southgate, Jan-Feb 2001. Natural brownish orange clay, with frequent pebbles, sealed by natural deposits was observed at 72.79m OD. Natural clay was sealed by brickearth deposits, which in turn was overlain by modern plough and subsoils.

72 HIGH ST, BARNET AND CORNER OF TAPSTER STREET November 2001 Natural light greyish, reddish, yellow gravely sand was observed. In the north of the excavated area a late 16th/early 17th century demolition layer was seen overlying the natural gravel in section. The layer was mid yellowish brown silty clay with roof tile, green-glazed pottery, clay tobacco pipe and pebbly inclusions, this layer was 0.4m thick. The 16th and 17th century deposits were mostly truncated by an 18th century brick building and its vaulted cellars. The base of the cellar was 2m below ground level. The 18th century building had been repaired with yellow stock bricks and internal partition walls appear to have been built in the 19th century within the cellar.
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OUT AND ABOUT with Eric Morgan’s monthly selection of alternatives to TV…
AUGUST

Thurs. 1st London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, Nl. 7.30pm – 9pm Historical guided towpath walk from the museum to Camden.

Sat. 3rd & Trent Park Country Steam Show. Trent Park, Cockfosters Rd., Sun. 4th Enfield, featuring traction engines and vintage vehicles.

Sun. 4th Heath and Hampstead Society, Burgh House, New End Sq. NW3. 2.30pm Meet at The Dairy at Kenwood for a walk led by Andrew Ginner. £.1 donation requested.

Fri. 9th Hampstead Museum are organising a walk led by the curator featuring 1lam – 1pm Constables Hampstead, fee £3, meet at Hampstead Tube Stn by 11am.

Tues. 13th 8pm Amateur Geological Society meeting at The Parlour, St. Margaret’s United Reformed Church, Victoria Ave. N3. Volcanoes of the Bay of Naples. Talk by Dr. Tony Hall.

Fri. 16th COLAS meeting at St. Olaves Parish Hall, Mark Lane EC3 for a talk by Dr. Penelope Wallis on English Medieval Manuscripts.

Sat. 17th & Sun. 18th Friern Barnet Show at Friary Park Friern Barnet Lane N12. Friern Barnet Local Historical Society plan to have a stand here with details of the HADAS resistivity survey.

Wed. 21st Friends of The Earth. Meet at the Information Hut in Highgate Wood, Muswell Hill Road N6 for a guided walk.

Wed. 21st Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, Dissenters Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery, Ladbroke Grove, W10. Preservation of the Dead – talk by Andrea Britton about embalming. £3 donation requested. Refreshments available (if the talk hasn’t put you off!).

Sat. 24th & Sun. 25th Lord Mansfield’s- TeaParty. A high society tea party of 1773 with music dancing and latest London scandals – event organised by English Heritage members. English Heritage at Kenwood Hampstead Lane NW3. free admission £4 adult, £3.50 concession, £2.50 child.
SEPTEMBER

Sun. 1st Angel Canal Festival, set in and around Regents Canal and City Road Basin with lots of stalls and boat trips round the basin and though the tunnel to the Canal Museum.

Newsletter
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HADAS DIARY

Tuesday June 11th- ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING followed by members’ news of HADAS activities (8pm prompt in the drawing room, ground floor, of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley N3)

Saturday June 15th OUTING to the Roman bathhouse Welwyn, Stoke Bruerne Alderton and Grafton Regis. With Micky Watkins

Friday July 12th to Tuesday July 16th Long weekend to Ireland, Galway. This is now full (43 members). If anyone would like to be put on the waiting list in case there are cancellations please ring Jackie Brookes on 020 8349 2253. Will members already on the list please let Jackie know if they are vegetarians or require any special diet.

Saturday July 20th OUTING to Sutton Hoc Orford. With Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward (details and application form enclosed)

Saturday August 17th Outing. With June Porges and Stewart Wild. (details to follow)

Tuesday October 9th – Start of Lecture Season

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Sutton Hoo by Tessa Smith

Why not visit the British Museum to view the exhibition” When we visit Sutton Hoo in July we will be able to see some of the treasures in the new exhibition centre on loan from the British Museum. The rest of this collection has just been refurbished at the British Museum and is well worth a visit in preparation for the July outing. By a happy coincidence, in an adjacent gallery, the Roman tombstones which were the subject of our February lecture by Francis Grew, are also on show. By combining your own trip to the British Museum with the HADAS outing to Sutton Hoo, you could see the entire treasure from the most richly furnished burial chamber ever discovered on British soil.
Bronze Age Cup Discovered in Kent

An amateur treasure hunter found a beautifully embossed gold goblet dating from 1700 to 1500BC, reported to be of outstanding and international importance, one of the earliest treasures found in England and roughly contemporary with Stone Henge. The find has revealed the burial site of a Bronze Age chieftain. The site at Ringlemere Farm, Woodnesborough, near Sandwich, is now being excavated by English Heritage. The cup is currently at the British Museum An inquest will be held to decide the cup’s status under the Treasure Trove Act. (Evening Standard 4 April 2002)

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LAMAS 39th Annual Conference of London Archaeologists Peter Pickering

This year the HADAS stall reappeared at this well-attended conference, and had a particularly profitable time with book sales, launching its new annual journal on an unsuspecting public. The conference was, as ever, ably chaired our President, Harvey Sheldon, who was particularly appreciative of all the speakers finishing on time! The Ralph Merrifield prize was awarded by LAMAS to the Museum of London in recognition of its achievements with the London Archaeological Archive and Resource Centre, and the afternoon session of the conference was devoted to the Centre and its work, including a talk by Brian Connell on the mediaeval bones from Spitalfields market and one by Jacqui Pearce, the tutor of our Ted Sammes course, on the publishing of London’s Tudor and Stuart pottery. This session demonstrated the potential for original research and discoveries presented by the enormous quantity of material in the archive; no need to dig out there in the cold and wet! The morning session was taken up by five illustrated talks about recent excavations in the London area. Two were angled towards that fashionable subject, landscape archaeology: one was on the multi-period landscapes disclosed in an open-area excavation in Staines on a site for a new prison, and the other the Thames floodplain landscapes disclosed by excavations on the line of the A13. Excavations at Park Lane, Croydon were the subject of another talk; 43 early Saxon inhumations were found, including three infant burials; the only cremation burial was of a horse, parallels for which are known elsewhere, usually (though not here) associated with a human burial. Among the grave goods were four swords, nine spearheads/ferrules, eleven shield bosses, brooches, beads, buckles and domestic items such as knives, tweezers, bucket fittings, keys, and mineralised textiles preserved on metalwork. The other two talks described MoLAS excavations in the Gresham Street area of the City of London. One was that at Blossom’s Inn, 30 Gresham Street, City of London which was covered in a recent Time Team Special and included three spectacular Roman finds (a gilded left forearm of a bronze statue, part of a civic or public monument that had been hacked off, perhaps from a statue of the disgraced Emperor Nero; dumped wall plaster painted with an architectural scene with figures including a head, possibly of Bacchus; two sets of lifting mechanisms for raising water from wells) and one from a much later period — a thirteenth century ritual Jewish bath, or Mikveh, built of Greensand Ashlar stonework and pre-dating the expulsion of the Jews by Edward I in 1290. This was an extremely good conference; perhaps next year there will be something from the more northerly parts of Middlesex to talk about!

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British Archaeological Biennial Awards

Entries are invited from almost everyone involved in archaeology, from schoolchildren to bulldozer operators. The aim is to provide a showcase for the best of British archaeology. Nothing is excluded if it embraces the material remains of human past. Prizes so far have been awarded include for a book on the Neanderthals, a study of the archaeology of Shakespeare’s theatre, of WWII pillboxes, and for spotting a series of ancient timber bridges. Entries close on June 30, details from Richard Brewer of the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff (02920 573247) (The Times 6 May 2002)
Dissertation Prize for Best Thesis by an Extramural Student

A new prize has been launched by Current Archaeology and the Royal Archaeological Institute. This year’s winner is Martin Cook, of Birkbeck College, London, who wrote about Romano-British drinking glasses and their apparent temporary replacement by cheaper pottery and pewter vessels in the 3rd century AD. The glassmakers fought back with a range of cheaper and lower quality wares and recaptured some of their lost market. Some things don’t change. (The Times 6 May 2002)
Vandalism at Olympics site

A lake for a rowing and canoeing centre for the 2004 Olympics is being created on the plains between Marathon and the sea; where, in 490 BC, Militiades led the Athenians to victory against the Persians. The new centre will include coach parks, grandstands, restaurants and a four-storey tower at the finishing line. A mile away stands the 333ft high mound where, Athens buried and honoured its 192 dead. The decision to build such a huge new complex on such an historic site has led historians and archaeologists around the world to accuse the Greek Government of burying its history and to damage the country’s claim for the return of the Elgin marbles. (Daily Telegraph 27 April 2002) Lela, for Voluntary Scheme to Record Archaeological Objects Found by Public
The Portable Antiquities Scheme

The Portable Antiquities Schemehas received funding from the Lottery Fund (HLF). The Portable Antiquities Scheme is a voluntary scheme and is run by Resource for the recording of archaeological objects found by members of the public. It was established to promote the recording of chance archaeological discoveries and to broaden public awareness of the importance of such finds for understanding our past. Since 1997 the scheme’s Finds Liaison Officers have recorded many thousands of objects; many of which might otherwise have gone unrecorded.

In May 2000 Resource submitted a bid for a £4 million project to extend the Portable Antiquities Scheme to all parts of England and Wales. Now the bid has been successful the Heritage Lottery Fund will contribute £2,493,000 towards funding the scheme over a period of three years from April 2003. This is to be matched by £1,500,000 from a unique partnership of 63 national and local museums, archaeological bodies and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. There is a Portable Antiquities Steering Group which is chaired by Resource and comprises representatives from a range of relevant organisations, including the Association of Government Archaeological Officers, the British Museum, the Council of British Archaeology and English Heritage. Currently working in the scheme are 14 people: a Co-ordinator, an Outreach Officer and 12 Finds Liaison Officers, who between them cover about half of England and all of Wales. The intention now is to create a further 31 posts with a nation-wide remit. Besides 24 new Finds Liaison Officer posts, the scheme will also have provision for Education, ICT, Administration and Finds Advisor posts. Since the scheme was established over 100,000 objects have been recorded with its Finds Liaison Officers. Some of these objects have been of national and international importance, but all have contributed to our understanding of the past. Many discoveries have also helped identify new archaeological sites and assisted in building a picture of the archaeological landscape in areas covered by the scheme. The data recorded by the scheme is passed on to the Sites and Monuments Records, for academic and public benefit, and is also published on the scheme’s website http-//www.finds.org.uk. You can join the Resourcenews email list at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/resourcenews.html
Etruscan ‘Pompeii’ Uncovered in Tuscany

The ruins of an unknown Etruscan city, dating back nearly 3,000 years, have been discovered in Tuscany, the largest find of its kind. The site has been named Accessa after the lake on whose shores it has been found. The 2,700 year old city, near Massa Marittima in southern Tuscany, was covered in woodland and had not been disturbed by subsequent settlers and could “hold the key” to Etruscan mysteries. Giovannangelo Camporeale, Professor of Etruscology, is in charge of the excavations. (Daily Telegraph 4 April 2002)
Villa of the Papyri

An international campaign has been launched to save the contents of the only library known to have survived intact from the ancient world. A villa on the Bay of Naples, near Herculaneum, which probably belonged to Lucius Calpurnius Pisa, father-in-law of Julius Caesar, only partly excavated, has so far yielded some 1,800 rolls of papyrus, but there may be many more Proper scientific study and decipherment did not begin until the 1970ties by an international team under the late Professor Marcello Gigante of the University of Naples. Hundreds of lost works of Greek philosophy and some Roman poets were read for the first time. Items so far recovered include a contemporary copy of Lucretius’s On the Nature of Things, which suggests that the Villa may yield contemporary copies of Virgil’s Aeneid, or copies of Horace, or even of Catullus. The author most commonly represented was Philodemus, an Epicurean philosopher attached to Piso’s household, who certainly taught Virgil and possibly Horace also. Fresh excavations in the 1990s revealed further lower storeys, but money ran out and the site is now waterlogged and choked with volcanic mud and ash. The campaigners include amongst others the professors of Greek from the universities of Bristol, Harvard, London and Oxford. (Daily Telegraph 26 March 2002)

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Post Boxes by Bill Firth

In the last two months some 90 boxes have been recorded thanks to Andrew Tucker, Steve Bunning and Eric Morgan of HADAS, and Derek Warden and Sylvia van Gilder of the Finchley Society. Derek has been particularly active in recording 55 boxes in the Finchley area and Eric has recorded 27 boxes in Hendon and the surrounding area In the March Newsletter I noted some of the more interesting boxes in the Borough but I forgot to mention boxes with no cypher_ There are a number of these, particularly in Finchley. The following is a selection:

Long Lane/Trinity Road N2

Ballards Lane/Etchingham Park Road N3

123 Nether Street, north of Alexandra Grove N12

Sunningsfield Road/Nursery Walk NW4

Golders Green Road/The Riding NW 11

There are earlier reports of boxes of particular interest of which it would be nice to have details: Boxes without cypher

Durham Road/Lincoln Road N2

Glenthorne Road/Holly Park Road N11

EviiiR boxes

Heddon Court Parade, East Barnet

Wagon Road, Hadley Wood

Somewhere on the Great North Road, East Finchley

Two in N14 (Sorry about the vagueness of the last two sites but that is all the information I have) Wall boxes

Barnet Road – facing Barnet Gate Lane (on a brick pillar)

Barnet Road – near Quinta Drive

East End Road – by the Convent of the Good Shepherd N2

There have been no recordings of boxes outside the London postal area, perhaps the people of Barnet do not write letters.
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RAF Museum, Hendon by Andy Simpson

A new multimillion pound project will increase the size of the Museum by a third with the opening of a new landmark hangar. The Heritage Lottery Fund have contributed £4.7 million to the project. The new building will house a new ‘Milestones of Flight’ exhibition, and will contain some of the most significant aircraft from the development of aviation with particular reference to the part played by the RAF_ The new building will be open in December 2003 to coincide with the international celebrations to mark the Centennial of Powered Flight

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OTHER SOCIETIES EVENTS by Eric Morgan

Monday 3rd June 10.30am Finchley Society. Walk to survey Dollis and Mutton Brooks. Eight sections to explore with two groups starting from each meeting point. Meet at either Totteridge Lane, N20; Fursby Avenue, N3; Waverley Grove, N3 where road goes over Dollis Brook; or at Falloden Way, NW11 at junction Addison Way/Oakwood Road. Ends at 12noon at Scout camping ground, Frith Lane at hilltop between Lovers Walk, Railway Bridge. Refreshments till 2pm. Bring picnic.This is part of Environment Week which runs lst-9th June. HADAS is currently involved with river walking along the Dollis Brook and tributaries.

Monday 3rd June 11 am-4.30pm Kingsbury and Welsh Harp open day. Range of venues and activities. Meet at Welsh Harp open space or at St. Andrew’s Church, Church Lane, NW9 (Wembley Historical Society will have a stand there).

Wednesday 12th June 8pm Barnet and District Local History Society. Wyburn Room, Wesley Hall. Stapylton Road, Barnet, City gardens. Talk by Sandra Lea

Wednesday 12th June 8pm Hornsey Historical Society. Union Church Hall, corner Ferme Park Road, Weston Park, N8. Parish boundaries of Hornsey. Malcolm Stokes (of HADAS)

Thursday 13th June 7.30pm Southgate Civic Trust, Walker’s Hall, The Green, Southgate N14. The Walkers of Southgate. Talk by Ruby Galili

Sunday 16th June 2pm Friern Barnet and District Local History Society. Meet forecourt Friern Barnet Town Hall, corner Friern Barnet Lane/Woodhouse Road, N11. Circular tour of Colney Hatch of 1-2 hours. Visiting St. John’s Church_ Led by Dr. Oliver Natelsen. £1.00 per adult

Wednesday 19th June 7.30pm Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery Dissenters Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery, Ladbroke Grove, W10.. Funerals and funeral directing in London: a look at the last 100 years. Brian Parsons. £3.00

Thursday 20th June 7.30pm Camden History Society. Offices of Alan Baxter Associates. Cowcross St. EC1. St. Pancras Station and Hotel. Robert Thorne

Friday 21st June 7pm City of London Archaeological Society. St. Olave’s Hall, Mark Lane, EC3. Prehistoric landscapes at Heathrow. Ken Welsh

Friday 21st June 7.30pm Wembley History Society. St. Andrew’s Church Hall, Church Lane, Kingsbury NW9. Kenton and Northwick Park. Len Snow

Sunday 23rd June 12noon – 6pm East Finchley Festival. Cherry Tree Wood, off High Road, East Finchley, N12. (HADAS hope to have a display stand there)

Thursday 27th June 8pm The Finchley Society. Drawing Room, Avenue House, East End Road, N3 AGM followed by panel and questions

Saturday 29th June – Sunday 3Ord June 12 noon – 7pm East Barnet festival. Oak Hill Park, Church Hill Road, East Barnet. (HADAS hope to have a display stand there also)

Friday 5th July 6pm for 6,30pm British Museum. Discover Avebury. Talks by Aubrey Burl and Josh Pollard. Compered by Julian Cope. Tickets £ 10.00 (no concessions ?) Phone 020 7323 8566/8644 to reserve ticket, then send cheque or pay at door. (Discover Avebury tickets, British Museum Friends, British Museum, Great Russell St., London, WC 113 3DG). David Dinnage of the Biitish Museum is once again co-ordinating, email us if you have problems, and we will forward. [from web site]
Details of LAARC Open Days London Museum

Free events at Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Rd, London, N1 7ED. Nearest Tube is Old St on the Northern Line, map available by calling 020756693 IT Opening hours: 10.30-3.30

Saturday June 1st Insiders Tours at 10.30, 11.45 and 2pm (please book via the Museum of London Booking Office (02078145777). ‘Treasures of the LAARC’ object display and handling session – drop-in 10.30am -3.30pm Saturday July 6th Insiders Tours at 10.30, 11.45 and 2pm (please book via the Museum of London Booking Office (02078145777).

‘Waterfront and Riverbank’ object display and handling session – drop-in 10.30am -3.30pm Saturday July 20th – Sunday July 21st National Archaeology Weekend A variety of activities including finds washing and ‘The Dig, more details in the Museum of London’s National Archaeology Weekend leaflet.

Saturday August 3rd Insiders Tours at 10.30am, 11.45am and 2pm (please book via the Museum of London Booking Office (02078145777).

‘Working Romans’ object display and handling session – drop-in 10.30am-3.30pm Saturday September 11th Insiders Tours at 10.30am, I 1.45am and 2pm (please book via the Museum of London Booking Office (02078145777).

`The Great Fire of London’ object display and handling session – drop-in 10.30am-3.30pm

Newsletter
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HADAS DIARY

Outings Friday-Sunday 12th-14th July, GALWAY WEEKEND, Now full. Contact Jackie Brookes, in case of a cancellation.

Saturday 20 July, SUTTON HOO and WOODBRIDGE, with Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward.

Saturday 17 August, PIDDINGTON ROMAN VILLA & EXCAVATION, NORTHAMPTON and CANONS ASHBY with June Porges and Stewart Wild.

Lectures The new lecture season begins on Tuesday 8 October, with ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL by Dr Ann Saunders, MBE, immediate past president of HADAS.

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RECENT FIELDWORK by Bill Bass
Friary Park

HADAS has started work here, mainly plotting out base lines and a grid for the resistivity survey. The first target is a curved bank or causeway earthwork, close to the Friern Barnet Lane side of the park. This appears to be a slightly boggy area and may explain the nature of the earthwork. The survey is to investigate the Friary aspect of the park. Was there a medieval settlement here of some kind? On Sunday 9th June we managed to survey a 20x20m square with our new resistivity meter — its first time in action. The early results show a (not unexpected) high resistivity over the bank, which appears to be made up of gravel, but also further possible features elsewhere. The work will continue through most of June.
Wheathampstead Cremation

A remarkable burial has been discovered near Wheathampstead, Herts. The spot. in a shallow valley near to the River Lea, was initially unearthed by metal detectors and subsequently reported to the authorities. The site of at least two cremations was then partly excavated by Simon West of the St Albans Museum Service. One burial in a timber cist, was a cremation placed in a glass jug, this was accompanied by an array of finds including bronze lamp holders (for a floating wick), 5-6 bronze bowls, three sets of Samian vessels from the Rhineland, strainers and paterae (flat bowls). The vessels seem to indicate a ritual feasting as part of the funeral proceedings. Other finds would have included textiles and clothing that have not survived. Iron objects when x-rayed showed 27 arrowheads, a barrel lock and casket fittings. Another find from elsewhere on the site was a human figurine, possibly a Roman goddess. A pipeline had been excavated previously in the area by the Hefts Archaeological Trust. That dig produced coin-moulds and similar finds which makes this an important site a high status villa or possibly even a palace, the area is rich in villas and temples around St Albans. The burial is dated to 80-100 AD and is similar to a late Iron-Age burial at Folly Lane in St Albans, also a rich cremation laid out in a timber hut. A Roman temple was later built over the top. An area of 100m x 200m has been geophysically surveyed around the burial in Wheathampstead with many features being identified, further work is planned for this year.
Enfield

The Enfield Archaeological Society continue their back-garden dig of a possible farm near a Roman posting station on the A10. They are currently excavating ditches. property boundaries, occupation layers/cobbled floors, etc. Finds include much pottery and coins.

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Stream walking in the Dollis Brook ex parte Emma Freeman

Recently three members walked along the bed of the north fork of the Dollis Brook, from Hendon Wood Lane to its source, to gain experience for a more ambitious river-walking programme. Lessons were learnt and two intriguing sites were found. EF, C Da C, AC
A Roman Temple in Greenwich Park? — May Lecture by Harvey Sheldon. Graham Javes

President of HADAS, Harvey Sheldon gave his lecture on investigations which have taken place over the past century or so into a Roman site in Greenwich Park. The site stands on the Blackheath pebble bed, at a height of 43 ft above OD at the eastern edge of Greenwich Park. Humphrey of Gloucester enclosed the park in the 1430s. Duke Humphrey built a house by the river with a watchtower behind it. His nephew turned it into a palace. It later became a royal park. Edward VI died at Greenwich, the Stuarts did much building: James I walled it and began the Queen’s House. When Time Team dug here in 1999 they were only the latest to excavate this site. In the 18th century a group of barrows, thought to be pagan Anglo-Saxon, was excavated: there is a link here with Ted Sammes’ Archaeology in Southeast England. Jones and Webster dug in 1902. other excavators followed in the 1920s, and 1970s. Jones and Webster paid no attention to stratification but produced many drawings of their finds. These included Samian bowls, flagons, a range of pots from the first and second centuries; plus some late Roman pots, a rare ivory plaque from a stool or seat, and a range of coins from Nero to the 4th century. The excavations were left open afterwards and enclosed by railings. Tesserae weathered badly and as a compromise surviving tesserae were cemented in. In the late 1970s a number of elms on the site died of Dutch elm disease and the question arose as to what to do on the mound. Philip Walker, the assistant inspector, decided to inspect the damage done by the tree roots. Non-destructive investigation was tried. Harvey was one of the excavators, who found very severe erosion. Two robbed-out walls were found. The 17th century elms had done huge damage. In addition, there had been damage by Jones and Webster, and unnamed 1920s successors. It was decided that no more trees should be planted. When Time Team were looking for a London site, Hedley Swain suggested Greenwich: the Museum of London and Birkbeck College would support a 3-day dig. The excavation in 1999 found dwarf walls for beams on top, with a ditch around — the site bigger than just the mound. Two sandstone inscription tablets were found, as was a tile stamp in two parts, inscribed PPBR (Procurators of the Province of Britannia in Londinium). This then could be a London building out here in Greenwich Park. In Jones and Webster’s time there were three theories for the site: a pay station (on account of the large number of coins found) a sort of villa, or a temple (on account of the religious finds). Our excavations strengthen the temple idea: a classical temple like the Harlow temple, with central cella and podium ambulatory. Harlow was a Romano-celtic temple where native religion was practised in a Roman building. Harvey suggested to Time Team that the temple had an apsidal end. There are many complexities that we don’t understand. Temples on hilltops are not uncommon — associated with Roman army sites, as for example at Maidenbury. The Roman army spent its time on manoeuvres: cavalry, swimming rivers and exercises in attacking enemies from uphill. The site is the first high ground from London. A large 13-14 acre fort is a possibility, the high ground of the Greenwich plateau used for military training. Time team surveyors thought they had found a new route for Watling Street going straight through the site but Harvey remains committed to the traditional route, which skirts round the park.
Launch of the HADAS Journal. by Andrew Selkirk

Our proposed dinner to launch the HADAS Journal has had to he cancelled — unwittingly we scheduled it for the Jubilee weekend, when everyone was away. This was to have been held at the site of our excavations at High Street Whetstone, which is now appropriately a Pizza Express restaurant. They have done it up very nicely and made the roof space into a dining area, where you can dine amidst the medieval roof beams: while it is possible in summer to sit out at the back, right over the site of the excavation. If anyone would like to revive the idea, and have a get-together later in the summer where we can all have a pizza and toast the excavators, perhaps you could let Tim Wilkins know on 020 8445 2401
Andrew Selkirk writes:

I wonder if I could add a brief comment and an appeal to the note on the British Archaeological Awards in the June Newsletter. As you know, I was one of the founders of the Awards, many years ago, and have always been closely associated with the Pitt Rivers Award for local archaeological societies, of which HADAS was one of the winners in the very first awards in 1977. Subsequently I have been chairman of the Book Award for 16 years — the penalty for having invented that particular award, but I have now handed it over to David Gaimster, and have instead become chairman of the Sponsorship Award for the best sponsorship of archaeology. I believe this is a terribly important award — archaeology needs sponsorship — and I want to make this year’s awards the biggest and best so far. I would be very grateful if members of HADAS could help me in this, and tip me the wink if they have any ideas for good examples of sponsorship of archaeology. This can be quite informal — just ring us on 020 7435 7517, or email me at Andrew@archaeology.co.uk — or write to the usual address. Incidentally there are now around a dozen awards — details of this year’s awards can be found on my website at www.archaeology.co.uk The Bronze Age gold cup discovered in Kent is on the front cover of the latest Current Archaeology — in glorious colour. Sutton Hoo will be the main feature of the next Current Archaeology, edited by Neil Faulkner, who has written a superb article on recent work there — this should be out before the HADAS visit.
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The Grahame White hangar by Andy Simpson

Members living in the Hendon-Colindale area may have noticed that, over the past few weeks, dismantling work has finally commenced on the Grahame White hangar building on the former RAF Hendon East Camp site. This building has been derelict for many years. The RAF camp itself finally closed in 1988 and there have been various plans for use of the site. The Grahame White hangar is to be moved a few hundred yards, to the newly-expanded RAF Museum, where it will be reassembled, close to where the £4.7 million lottery- funded landmark building hangar is now taking shape. This new hangar is to be opened in December 2003. With piling complete, the new brickwork for the Grahame White building is already under construction, and it should be structurally complete on its new site by the new year. Plans for the new displays within have yet to be finalised, and I will keep members informed of developments.
Deliberations of the All-Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group by Peter Pickering

The All-Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group (with 129 members from both houses) has, it tells us, been buried under a mound of replies calling for action to safeguard Britain’s heritage. An overwhelming number of archaeologists and heritage professionals have voiced grave concerns about the future of Britain’s past in their submissions on the state of the country’s archaeology. The preservation and management of sites under threat from development, and from agriculture; the lack of a government strategy for protecting them; the lack of resources for recording portable antiquities; the inadequacies of PPG16, and the undervaluing of the important part played by amateur archaeologists, are among the concerns shared by the archaeological community. More than 250 individuals and organisations —ranging from national bodies and university departments to local societies (including HADAS) — have submitted detailed accounts of the problems faced by professionals and amateurs involved in archaeology. The secretary of the Group, Lord Redesdale said: ‘The response has been fantastic. We are really impressed with the standard of the replies and also pleased that so many parliamentarians are showing an interest in the cause. There is huge public interest in archaeology right now. I am confident that we really can change the way archaeology is handled in the UK. Our heritage needs protecting, and people in archaeology need government support in order to do that.’The Group now plans to use this evidence as the basis for a series of meetings at which senior figures from representative bodies will be asked to respond to questions arising from these submissions, and to produce a report in the autumn. The Group invites anyone interested to attend in an observer capacity. (Committee rooms are entered via the St Stephen’s Entrance. Please allow a few minutes for security checks on arrival.) Four select committee hearings, chaired by Professor Lord (Colin) Renfrew, are scheduled for June and July. They will be held in a House of Lords Committee Room at 10.00-12 noon, on the following dates:

18 June. State advisers on archaeology.

25 June. Non-governmental organisations and museums.

4 July. The voluntary, universities and educational sectors, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. 11 July. Government departments DCMS, DTLR and DEFRA.

A public meeting on the debate, scheduled for 6 July at the Society of Antiquaries, has been postponed until the autumn.
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Public Houses in Barnet Borough by Gerrard Roots

(Church Farmhouse Museum. Greyhound Hill, Hendon, NW4 020 8203 0130) Church Farm’s summer exhibition traces the diverse history of drinking houses in our Borough — from coaching inns at High Barnet to hay pubs in Hendon — through photographs, pub equipment and ephemera. There is even a reconstruction 1960s public bar – unfortunately with no beer for sale! The exhibition continues until 1 September. Open: Monday — Thursday 10-12.30, 1.30-5. Saturday 10-1, 2-5.30. Sunday 2-5.30. Admission Free.`Urban Landscape and Development in Hertfordshire to 1800′ is the title of a conference of the Hertfordshire Association for Local History, to he held at Madingley Hall, Cambridge, 21-23 February 2003. HADAS member Dr Pamela Taylor will give a paper on ‘Boundaries, margins and the delineation of the urban: the case of medieval Barnet from the 11th century to 1850’. Other speakers are: Dr Tom Williamson, Clive Partridge, David Dean, Tom Doig, Bridget Howlett, Dr Mark Bailey, and Dr Terry Slater. Details of this and many other residential courses are contained in the new courses brochure obtainable from Madingley Hall, M 01954 280399, or on the website at www.cont-ed.cam.uk
News of Members by Graham Javes

This month we say goodbye to Jennie Cobban, who leaves Barnet to return to her native Whalley, near Clitheroe in Lancashire. Jennie dug with HADAS on many sites, particularly at Barnet and Hadley. She was a member of the HADAS committee for some years. As a member of this society and of the Barnet & District Local History Society, of which she was a committee member, Jennie represented archaeology in Chipping and East Barnet and in Hadley. She frequently spoke to the local press, writing many letters to the editor. She was vociferous over the demolition of the grade II listed Mitre stables, and subsequently had various dealings with Barnet Council and English Heritage. Members may remember her article in this newsletter about the Witch’s Cottage, which once stood in the grounds of the now defunct folk museum in Park Road, New Barnet. Her book: Geoffrey de Mandeville and London’s Camelot, Ghosts, Mysteries and the Occult in Barnet, reflects her other great interest: witchcraft. No, Jennie isn’t a witch! We wish her well in her new life. She will be greatly missed in local archaeology.
Does anyone remember?

HADAS Newsletter No 69, November 1976, reported: ‘It is hoped to survey, as a training exercise, an area in Friary Park which showed, during the very dry weather, curious and regular patterns on the ground surface’. We should very much like to know where these markings arc. We would like to hear from anyone who remembers anything about this, or other fieldwork, in Friary Park. Please contact Graham Javes or Bill Bass.
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ROMAN HENDON — ANOTHER PIECE OF THE JIGSAW
REPORT ON DRAINAGE EXCAVATION AT MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY’S HENDON CAMPUS, AND SOME THOUGHTS ON ‘ROMAN HENDON’ by Stephen Aleck and Andy Simpson

This article is by way of a draft for a fuller version to be submitted for the second issue of the HADAS Journal, discussing site watching at the University and the accumulated evidence for Roman Hendon. In the meantime, comments, pet theories, and additions are most welcome. Please write to Andy Simpson, Flat 36, Scottwell Drive, off Crossway, Colindale, London, NW9 6QB. Site History The university, formerly Hendon College of Technology and later Middlesex Polytechnic, is in the centre of historic Hendon and close to the former Grove House. The site, presently known as The Paddock, is a small, fairly flat, fenced field, immediately east of the main university campus buildings, which was formerly one of the fields of Church End Farm, and is now bounded on the south by the Burroughs, and to the cast by Church End. When in the 1750s Greyhound Hill was known as Hall Lane, the site was known as Hall Field. Now a park, part of the university grounds, it was still used as cow pasture in 1964 and in the 1950s for pigs. The Georgian farm with its barn dated 1750 and ruined older building bombed in the 1939-45 war, which lay immediately north of The Paddock, was demolished in the 1960s to provide extra space for the College. It is shown on a map of 1756 as John Coles’ Farm. Roman finds are concentrated on this area of Hendon, with first to fourth century pottery and building material from HADAS digs at Church End Farm, Church Terrace, and Church Farm House, and in the nineteenth century in the grounds of Grove House. HADAS previously excavated some trial trenches in The Paddock in 1964, but found no Roman material, only evidence of geological strata, reaching thick blue clay at a depth of seven feet, and an eighteenth century shoe in the clay.

The Works In August/September 1998 a new foul sewer was constructed, heading roughly east through the University site, through The Paddock, connecting into the existing main sewer under Church End. HADAS did not become aware of the trench running through the lower university buildings until it was virtually completed, since the work could not be seen from the public highway. By early September 1998 trenching work had reached The Paddock. The depth of the drain trench was approximately three metres. The sewer in Church End is apparently six metres deep. There is a manhole in The Paddock, close to the Church End fence, where the depth increases to six metres. The track of the drain through The Paddock was initially partially cleared of topsoil for a depth of about 200mm, over a width of some six metres. The removed topsoil was stockpiled nearby for later reuse. Because the ground is poor the method of digging involved shoring the trench with steel sheets immediately it was dug, with little opportunity to inspect sections therefore. Access HADAS member Stephen Aleck obtained permission from the University and contractor to conduct a watching brief, and he made visits throughout September 1998, (plus one by several HADAS ‘Digging Team’ members) to check topsoil and flower beds for finds – on that occasion, only post medieval material was noted.

Geology The Geological Survey map shows Dollis Hill glacial sand/gravel over London clay. The topsoil is sandy loam averaging 300mm in depth, but deeper in places. The subsoil is basically gravel, with flint nodules and large inclusions of boulder clay. This complies with the geological description, contrary to the contractor’s belief that it is made-up ground. Thick blue clay was recorded in the 1964 excavation.

Finds Stephen Aleck recovered finds on two visits, on the 2″ and 11th September 1998. Nothing was noted in the sub soil, either in the trench or in the spoil heaps. From the topsoil, both in situ and spoil heaps, were recovered fragments of post-medieval red brick, typically coarse red fabric peg-tiles and other tiles, wine bottle glass (jive piece of base) modern stoneware, two sherds of porcelain, and several sherds of mostly coarse red earthenware (PMR) which included two sherds of better quality ‘Manganese’ glazed ware; also, most notably, a large piece of 33mm thick, sandy red fabric Roman brick (ERIC), 10cm long, with part of one face intact. Material from the surface of a rose bed in the middle of the field, collected on the 2nd September included a 35mm long rim sherd of first/second century Verulamium Region White Ware (VRW) from the flowerbed surface, together with four sherds of modern stoneware, a half base sherd of a modern yellow glazed earthenware jar, plus two other sherds, a severely abraded rim sherd of orange-brown coarse fabric with small gritty inclusions, 45mm long with traces of burning or soot blackening along the rim, of seventeenth- eighteenth century date, the other of similar date from a coarse red London type earthenware greenish-brown internally glazed tripod pitcher sherd with grey reduced core and base tripod scar. Interestingly, there is a sherd of very similar glaze and fabric from topsoil elsewhere on the site, which could be from the same, or a similar, vessel. Curiously, there was no clay pipe and no ‘Willow Pattern’!

Discussion There is a growing corpus of recorded Roman material — coins, burials, pottery and building material — centred around the plateau on which stands the thirteenth century St Mary’s parish church on the high ground (a hilltop 87m abo e O.D, the highest point in Hendon). It is on the glacial sands and boulder clay that supports this histori core of Hendon and the surrounding fertile, undulating and once well-wooded area. The Hendon placename (Handone in the Domesday book) is derived from the Old English ‘At The High Down’. It is also suggested that the ancient name Sunny Hill (the name of the local park) may have been connected with pagan worship, perhaps of the sun. In addition to the Roman tile and pottery recovered from The Paddock in 1998 and recorded above, similar material is now recorded from Church End Farm, Church Farmhouse Museum opposite, and Church Terrace close to The Paddock and on the opposite side of the church to the other two sites. Slightly further away is the Roman cremation burial at Sunny Gardens Road. All are discussed in the following section.
ROMAN HENDON THE EVIDENCE

The HADAS excavations at Church End Farm (TQ 2280 8940), now covered by Middlesex University, in 1961-66 recorded, along with some thirteenth century pottery and much 17th century material, a residual fragment of second-third century bowl from a layer of disturbed rubble, plus one possible piece of Roman tile. Further post-excavation work by HADAS members and Jacqui Pearce of Birkbeck College, University of London on the finds from this site in 2001-2002 recorded two additional sherds of Roman pottery, one being a piece of fourth century Alice Holt type. See HADAS Newsletter 373, April 2002. Thanks also to Jacqui Pearce for her personal comment on this and The Paddock pottery. The 1973-74 HADAS excavations at Church Terrace — the area of the present Meritage Club (TQ2289 8953) found at the north western edge of the site, closest to Church End, a small concentration of some two dozen sherds of late third or early fourth century Roman ceramics. This included the well known moulded coarse redware face-flagon neck, possibly of local manufacture, and other pottery and three pieces of building material (CBM) — two being broken Tegulae tile (TEG) and one brick (BRIC). The pottery consisted of coarse red ware, two sherds of imitation Saurian, colour coated (possibly Nene Valley) and grey wares. Sammes makes the interesting point that also found were fragments possibly from the wide-mouthed section of a multiple vase; these and face-flagons have associations with religious beliefs, commenting ‘it is very tempting to take these two finds together and suggest that there was a ritual site at Hendon’. No Roman structures were identified. Also found was Saxon material, including nearly 400 grams of eighth-ninth century coarse grass tempered pottery in a ditch adjacent to the parish church of St. Mary, running parallel to Greyhound Hill. Like the ditch found at the rear of Church Farmhouse Museum in the 1990s, this remained open into the medieval period. There was also the well known, and rare, copper alloy pin with double spiral head. St Mary’s (TQ2287 8956) may be of Saxon origin — a priest is mentioned in the Domesday Book entry for Hendon (thereby suggesting the existence of a church), the parish being recorded in a charter (possibly forged) as being in the possession of Westminster Abbey by AD 959. Also found were probable Saxon burials and two fragments of a twelfth-thirteenth century Purbeck marble grave slab matching the date of the existing earliest church fabric. (The church was first built around 1080; it also has a twelfth century stone font, and foundations of a twelfth century chancel were possibly found 1929-31) The three seasons of HADAS excavations in the 1990s to the rear of the present seventeenth century Church Farmhouse Museum at 83-85m O.D. (TQ2283 8958) — See report by Bill Bass in HADAS Journal Volume 1, 2002, recorded nine sherds of residual and abraded Roman pottery, and also several pieces of Roman tile from Saxon/medieval ditch fills. These included three mid first-mid second century Verulamium Region White Ware (VRW) sherds matching the Paddock sherd and pieces of brick/bonding tile, with a preponderance of BRIC and two relatively small pieces of TEG roofing tile, one of them flanged. [To be continued next month]

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Erosion washes away Orkney’s heritage

We are pleased to note that Julie Gibson, one of our Orkney guides in 2000, is now county archaeologist for Orkney. The Times interviewed her for a feature article on the damage and threat resulting from coastal erosion and climate change, to some of the important heritage sites. Already ‘sections of Bronze Age sites have been sucked into the sea, skeletons have been washed out of Iron Age burial chambers and part of a Viking grave ship, uncovered on the island of Sanday during a storm in 1991, has disappeared without trace’. Skara Brae too is under threat. The 1926 sea wall is crumbling and a new wall is needed. Archaeologists are considering the implications of moving the entire settlement to a new site, before the sea breaks round the back and turns it into an island. Meanwhile The Orkney Archaeological Trust, whose chairman is Daphne Lorimer, is urging the government to provide substantially increased funding. [Source: The Times, Feb 18 2002, p 11; with thanks to Audree Price-Davies.] This May, Chipping Barnet MP Sir Sydney Chapman saw his National Heritage Bill receive the royal assent. The main provision of this Bill is to transfer responsibility for marine archaeology from the Department of Culture Media and Sport to English Heritage. Presumably Scottish Heritage acquired responsibility at the same time for Scotland. [Source: Barnet & Potters Bar Times, May 23, 2002, p 23] From our member in the Orkneys, by Daphne Lorimer:

The Orkney Archaeological Trust (OAT) is in partnership with Orkney College in the development of a one- year Masters Course in Archaeological Practice. Orkney College is the lead college in this course which is also taught by staff from The Highlands and Islands University partners Shetland College, North Highlands College and the International Centre for Islands Technology of Heriott Watt University, Orkney. It is an exciting course and Orkney is an exciting place to study. It starts in February 2003 and OAT has provided a number of bursaries to cover fees. For further information, apply to: Jane Downes, Orkney College, East Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1LX . IP, 01856 569000

Newsletter
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HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 12 March – Clive Orton: “Great Lord Novgorod (Digging in a Russian Medieval City).” The Lecture covers the history of Novgorod, methods and achievements of the excavations and something about today’s city. Clive Orton is Professor of Quantitative Archaeology at UCL Institute of Archaeology., and part of an international project to assist the long-running excavations in the Russian city of Novgorod.

Tuesday, 9 April – Neil Faulkner: “The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain”.

Lectures start at 8 pm in the drawing room (ground .floor) of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley. N3. Buses including the 82, 143, 260 and 326 pass close by along Ballards Lane, a five to ten minute walk from Finchley Central Tube Station.
THE TED SAMMES PROJECT

In September 2001 a series of evening classes was set up on Wednesdays from 6.30-8.30 pm at Avenue House, Finchley, in collaboration with Birkbeck College, University of London and professional archaeologists from the Museum of London. The object of the course was to re-examine HADAS’s excavations in the 60s and 70s at Church End Farm and Church Terrace, Hendon., neither of which has been published in full. This is a hasty, brief note. Read Jacqui Pearce’s fuller account of what has been taking place in the next Newsletter. Visitors are welcome to drop in and sample what is a very good evening, which might tempt them to join the next course. More information is available from Jaccqui Pearce on 020 8203 4506 (evenings), or e-mail: jpearce@ museumoflondon.org.uk.

PROGRAMME NEWS from Dorothy Newbury

The programme card is late this year as the outings have not yet been confirmed. June Porges has completed the year’s lecture programme (and even has a couple lined up in 2003). As always these are on the second Tuesday of the months February, March, April, May (June (AGM), October and November. For the Saturday outings, dates so far are June 15 and July 20th and our long weekend to Ireland with Jackie Brookes is provisionally Friday to Tuesday July 12th-16th. Jackie will include a leaflet and application form (either with this newsletter or the next. Ed)

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ROMAN LONDONERS – February Lecture by Francis Grew Graham Javes

Our February lecture attracted the largest attendance of the season, delaying the start whilst extra chairs were brought in, Our lecturer, Francis Grew of the Museum of London, began by expressing his pleasure in returning to HADAS where he had begun field archaeology on the West Heath mesolithic excavations. Francis Grew introduced his subject by showing six modern illustrations of Romans, ranging from two paintings by Forestier of 1907, an exhibition model of a Roman soldier, to 1990s interpretations of Roman life and buildings. His purpose was to show how artists overlaid archaeological detail with biblical and medieval ideas. This was modern interpretation; what we have to attempt is to discover what was important to Romans. He mentioned the written sources: Cassius Dio and Tacitus, which were good for looking at the microcosm of the Roman Empire, but the best way to understand Roman people was to study the writings of the people themselves. He used examples of these: writing tablets, tomb inscriptions, curse tablets and pottery inscriptions. Thanks to these artefacts we now have two or three hundred names.Romans saw these writings in their daily lives. Inscriptions were a way of getting one’s name known. A funerary monument bore the name of the deceased person, his family, and most importantly, the name and position of the person who erected it, so that his name was seen about town during his own lifetime. Names were important to the Romans, a high proportion of whom had three names: the prenomen, nomen or family name, and cognomen. Large number had two names, probably Roman citizens but less fashionable. Ordinary Londoners, who names just occasionally occur as graffiti on pottery, probably had only one name, though women didn’t put their names on pottery. There is evidence of a governor of Britain London, but it is hotly debated if London was the capital. Seventeen tombstones are available for study. Tomb inscriptions are formulaic, which means that missing words can often be filled in. They are also highly abbreviated. Monuments didn’t represent all sections of society but mainly the army and governing class, with few women. The Spitalfields excavations, however, show that women were commemorated more extravagantly, with more women of high status having lead coffins. Once, a man portrayed on a monument carrying a writing table was considered to have been a clerk, now it is thought to indicate that he was literate. Similarly a man reading a book is not necessarily a teacher. A writing tablet records the sale of a property in Kent. Lower down the social scale, curses, written on lead tablets and subsequently rolled into a small size and thrown into water by their writers, are interesting and often amusing. Previously these may have been overlooked as just scrap lead Many have been found recently on the Thames foreshore by the Mudlarks. A request by one Demetrius is for protection from the plague. Today two to three hundred names are known, thirty years ago this would have been incredible.

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CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM Gerrard Roots

Responding to the Holocaust – the new exhibition at Church Farmhouse Museum – opened to coincide with the second Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January. The exhibition features two series of paintings by Morris Weidman – “Prisoners” and “Auschwitz” – which have never been displayed en bloc before The paintings are accompanied by Children and the Holocaust: a remarkable group of photographs from the Wiener Library, as well as books and videos on the Holocaust. The exhibition, which is free, runs until 7th April. For further details please ring 020 8203 0130
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HADAS member honoured

Dr Ann Saunders, ex-president of HADAS, was awarded an MBE at the start of this year for her services to the Topographical Society and the Costume Society. Dr Saunders, who lives in Guiders Green, has held the same post for the journal of the Topographical Society since 1975, Dr Saunders, who studied history at University College London, is President of Camden History Society, Dr Saunders is at present writing a short history of St Paul’s Cathedral
VICTOR JONES – An appreciation

As news of Victor’s death last week, in his ninetieth year, filtered through to the HADAS membership, we thought it would be nice to share a few memories of one of our Vice-Presidents and Treasurer from 1983 to 1992. Victor joined the Society in 1978 after taking retirement on health grounds. However, he showed no signs of being retired and became involved in the HADAS excavation at West Heath. then served for several years on the Main Committee, in every way an active member. Victor was to be seen helping with the HADAS displays at LAMAS alongside Ted Sammes. These two did, however, disagree about ‘archiving’ and it is rumoured that during tidy-ups at Avenue House, as fast as Victor put things aside for the bin, Ted would pick them out again – or did they go in the bin after Ted saved them? Victor was a regular member of the excavation team throughout the 1980s, particularly with digs in the Whetstone and Barnet areas. He was probably the only person who came near to handling the Society’s museum-piece computer which churned out the newsletter labels with bits missing, a real nightmare to use. He managed to produce reports for the Newsletter on this erratic machine but no-one else had the patience to use it, so we coaxed him to take it home to give us some much needed space in the Garden Room at Avenue House. Then we didn’t see so much of Victor for a while, not because of the computer but because he was suffering from a narrowing of the spinal canal. In the mid-1990s he underwent major surgery to his spine but, being a determined and highly practical person, he willed himself back to mobility, seemingly treating it as a minor setback. His enthusiasm for archaeology soon led him back to the trenches and we were delighted to include Victor in our fieldwalking exploits at the Brockley Hill scheduled monument site where he assisted with maintaining the finds register. He joked that although he couldn’t do the fieldwalking he used his walking stick to unearth some nice pieces of pottery whilst sitting at the finds table. Many newer members got to know Victor at the Wednesday and Sunday sessions at Avenue House, finds processing or preparing for events. More recently, we were preparing clay for a pot firing and approached the serious business of pot making with playgroup humour; it was debatable whether Victor or Dennis Ross made the most ‘rustic’ pot. On a more serious note, it was always interesting to draw Victor on to a scientific tack from astronomy to medicine, geology, etc. We were fascinated to learn that he had worked with John Logie Baird on television development at Alexandra Palace, and during the Second World War was one of the ‘boffins’ working on communication equipment for agents working in occupied Europe. Victor was disappointed to have to miss HADAS’s excellent trip to Bletchley Park but, fortunately, Pat Alison who belongs to both societies, arranged a visit there for the Barnet Local History Society, and Victor was delighted to spot two pieces of apparatus which came under his remit. He gave a quiet satisfied smile as he handled an `S-phone’ for the first time in almost sixty years. The person who left his hats behind at Avenue House and told many anecdotes at his own expense was the same person who had designed a mobile operating theatre. The person who did not take kindly to being ‘cut up’ on the road and who honked irritably at offending motorists was the same person who offered to help in any way he could – and meant it – when new projects came up. There are, of course, many other Society members who will have their own memories and impressions of Victor; perhaps they would like to share these in a future newsletter. In the meantime, we just wish to say how fortunate we feel to have known and spent so many pleasant hours in Victor’s company. Victor spoke often, and fondly, of his family – daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and, more recently, the great-grandchildren. The members of the Society offer their condolences. Vikki O’Connor & Roy Walker Victor was always buzzing with ideas for things for the Society to do. For instance, he was very keen to get our displays into schools and local museums very much regretting we no longer did this. And if any of you are stuck for research ideas, could you take on one of Victor’s ‘bees-in-bonnet’ and do some work on that somewhat neglected corner of Barnet – Cricklewood? Victor Jones’s funeral, held at Golders Green Crematorium on Monday 18th February was, as expected, weIl attended by family and friends including many from HADAS. It was Humanist service in which his life was remembered with affection. His two daughters and four grandchildren shared their thoughts through poetry and personal reminiscences. Anyone wishing to pay their last respects to Victor may do so by making a donation, to be split between three of the many charities that Victor supported. Funeral Directors, Leverton & Sons Ltd at 624 Finchley Road, London NW 1 1 7RR (020 8455 4992) are accepting donations on behalf of Victor’s family until the end of March, when they will be sent to The British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research and the Samaritans

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TRANSPORT CORNER Andy Simpson

Obviously inspired by my mention of the “Feltham” tramcar in the last couple of newsletters, (and a lot of enthusiast pressure) those nice folk at Corgi have made a splendid addition to their The Original Omnibus Company” range of die-cast metal models. This is a 1/76-scale model of a Feltham tramcar, No. 2104, in full pre-war London Transport colours. With North London enthusiasts in mind, the side destination blinds are marked for Route 21, North Finchley-New Southgate-Wood Green-Finsbury Park-Caledonian Road-Kings Cross-Holborn, On Saturday 5th March 1938, the same date as the last tram to High Barnet, Route 21, worked by North .Finchley and Wood Green Depots, converted to trolleybus operation (Route 521/621), the Felthams moving to other depots. The model features twin moveable trolley-poles and trucks, interior detail, and side adverts for The Morning Post and Whitbread’s Ale and Stout. It retails at £24.99 – though only £19 on one stall at the recent Camden Town Hall Transport Enthusiasts’ Fair. We can look forward to versions of it in Metropolitan Electric Tramways, Leeds City Transport and Post-war London Transport colours in due course. Back in Barnet itself, those tram tracks buried at the foot of Barnet Hill, disused since March 1938, have reappeared again,. About 15 years ago, roadworks at the junction just north of the Northern Line bridge revealed about 100 yards of double track. This time, narrow contractor’s trenches were cut across the road on the weekend of 26/27 January. Bill Bass noted tram track being exposed for lenght up to 10-15 feet at a depth of about a foot beneath the present road surface, heading up the hill. By the time 1 visited the following Tuesday, the trenches had been backfilled! I am always interested to hear of any other such stretches of tram track being exposed in the area. In tram days, the Felthams could not reach Barnet and had to terminate at Whetstone because of the closeness of the tracks beneath that bridge which could have caused problems if two of these very long trams tried to pass at the same time, swung out and caught each other.

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CAN YOU GIVE A TEN-MINUTE TALK?

if so, contact LAMAS by till March The LAMAS 2002 Conference is to be based on London Shops and Shopping from Medieval Cheapside to the development of the department store. As part of the event, LAMAS would like to include contributions from local society members, in the form of a short ten-minute talk with 4 or 5 slides about a local version of the subject. This could be anything from a surviving medieval market hall, street market, a 1930s parade, a local branch of a national chain store, to changes in the high street layout etc. LAMAS Local History Committee would welcome all any any suggestions and contributions, (says Ann Hignell, the Secretary). Speakers will be given a chance to practice their presentation – and get the hang of the slide control before the meeting.
FROM THE PAPERS

The Times of February I reported the finding of a very fine 1,900-year-old Roman wall painting 25 ft below ground in an excavation in Gresham Street in the City. Seven pieces of plaster show Bacchus and maenads, framed by grapes, vine leaves and myrtle, while a smaller scene depicts a pair of prancing horses. Martin Henig of the Institute of Archaeology in Oxford was quoted as saying the quality of the painting was comparable to the Roman paintings which had survived in Pompeii and elsewhere in Italy.

Dr Simon Thurley, formerly Director of the Museum of London, has been appointed Chief Executive of English Heritage, Dr Thurley led an upturn in the fortunes of the Museum of London and instigated the setting up of LAARC. Sir Neil Cossens of English Heritage is quoted as saying “Simon will help them (English Heritage) to drive forward their modernising agenda.”
HANDEL HOUSE MUSEUM

George Frideric Handel’s house at 25 Brook Street opened to the public last November, the result of years of planning, donations and specialist knowledge channelled through the Handel House Trust. He lived there for thirty-six years until his death in 1759. Visitors first go to an upper floor by lift to be shown an introductory video, then thread their way downstairs, passing through the adjacent property which was, for a short time, home to 1960s rock star Jimi Hendrix. The rooms at number 25 are not over-large; Handel must have been a noisy neighbour a couple of centuries before Hendrix. Handel owned many paintings, including two Rembrandts, and the Trust have chosen to illustrate the composer’s life through portraits of his contemporaries, on loan from several sources including the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A. Historic textiles expert Annabel Westman helped to re-create original window treatments and Handel’s full tester bed. Two replica harpsicords were especially built, a single- manual by Michael Cole and a double-manual by Bruce Kennedy. To date, the furnishings are somewhat sparse. However, the project will continue to develop under the direction of Jacqueline Riding with the support of English Heritage. The museum has an ‘Education and Events’ programme and a small souvenir shop, not the first time in the house’s history that there has been a retail outlet – Handel’s music was sold there during his life-time. If you want to stand in the room where he composed the Messiah, details are: The Handel House Museum, 25 Brook Street, London W1F 4HB. Tel: 020 7495 1685. Tues. to Sat. 10am – 6pm, Sun. & Bank Holiday Mondays 12noon – 6pm. Admission: adult £4.50, Concessions £3.50, Children £2.00. Disabled access.
THE TOWN OR HAMLET OF HIGHGATE

Hornsey Historical Society has produced a video (running time 132 minutes) on the history of Highgate Village. It draws on rare archive material as well as paintings, engravings and photographs to present in fascinating detail the growth of the village through eight centuries. This is a professional production, written and directed by Andy Attenburrow with narration by Bill Paterson, Juliet Stevenson and Tim Pigott-Smith, actors who live locally. The video is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the historical development of north London generally not just Highgate. The Town or Hamlet of Highgate is available from The Old Schoolhouse, 136 Tottenham Lane, London. N8 7EL, price £14.99 plus £.1.00 post and packing – cheques payable to the Hornsey Historical Society. Website: www.hornseyhistorical.org.uk
LAMAS CONFERENCE – Saturday 16 March 2002,

Museum of London Lecture Theatre Ticket applications (enclosing an SAE) and general enquiries : Jon Cotton, Early Department, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN jcotton@museumoflondon.org.uk LAMAS members £3, non-members £4. Cost includes afternoon tea. (NB: HADAS has a stand at the Conference) ‘Be Ralph Merrifield Award is to be presented: and topics include excavations at Woodthorpe Road, Staines; (Tim Carew, Pre-Construct Archaeology); at Rammey Marsh, Enfield; at 10 and 30 Gresham St, City (Julian Ayre; Ian Blair, both of MoLAS); an item on medieval bones from Spitalfields Markets (Brian Connell, MoLLS) and Jacqui Pearce on Publishing London’s Tudor and Stuart Pottery.

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STOP PRESS POST BOXES

Information is beginning to come in from around the borough (writes Bill Firth) but I have not had time to do more than list it yet. Many thanks to those who have helped, but somehow 1 have the impression that some members never post a letter. I intend to produce more information in the next Newsletter.

OPENING OF LAARC Peter Pickering

Andrew Selkirk, Brian Wrigley and I were privileged to be at the opening of the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, Mortimer Wheeler House, Eagle Wharf Road on Thursday 7th February. The ceremony was performed by Sir David Wilson, former Director of the British Museum whos enormous admiration for the Centre was tinged by nostalgia for the museum stores of yesteryear, which he had visited throughout the world, in dark and musty basements, some infested by snakes. Dr Thurley, to whom is due much credit for the vision and determination which led not only to the reversal of his predecessor’s decision to close the archive, but also to its massive expansion, gave what will probably be his last public speech before he moves to become the Chief Executive of English Heritage. The formal opening was followed by tours of the building, whose sheer size and mazelike qualities stunned and confused by turns. Just think of the amount of space taken up by cardboard boxes from 100 years of archaeology in the London area, and the amount of space for more (twenty years’ worth is the estimate) plus the Museum’s social and working history collections, plus accommodation for the Museum of London Specialist Services (MoLSS) and the Museum of London Archaeological Services (MoLAS), plus the library of the London Society, plus rooms for the use of archaeological societies and individual researchers – the Visitor Centre, the Stuart Waller Room (names to commemorate the major bequest from the estate of Stuart Waller which helped fund the project) and the Society Room. Following the tours came refreshments and an opportunity to talk with old and new acquaintances, including descendants of the legendary Sir Mortimer himself (ail, how that took me back to “Animal, Vegetable or Mineral” and the early days of television), Finally, in the afternoon was the inaugural meeting of the London Archaeological Forum, which it is hoped will breathe new life into the old Local Societies Meetings and the Local Area Groups, enabling archaeological societies, contractors, the Museum and English Heritage to get together and keep each other informed of what is going on. The number of people attending this first meeting was encouraging. I hope that the future will see fruitful use of this impressive new facility by HADAS.
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BBC SCOTLAND PLANS DISCOVERY SERIES

BBC Scotland is planning a series of half-hour programmes for BBC2 called “Time Flyers” about archaeological sites found through aerial observation. Each programme is to have an element of mystery to it, which over the course of thirty minutes the programme seeks to resolve. Assistant Producer Chris Paton is looking for discoveries ranging from the neolithic to the second World War (“The more black death, industry, Anglo-Saxons, Picts and Romans, the merrier!”) and he is asking archaeological and historical societies to let him know of any excavations planned in the spring and summer of this year, based on findings from the air. (Chris Paton: 0141 3382631, e-mail:chris.paton@bbc.co.uk).
OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS compiled by Eric Morgan

Wednesday 6 March (8pm) Stanmore Harrow Hist. Soc. Wealdstone Baptist Church, High Road, Wealdstone “Moorish Cities of Andalusia” – talk by Mr and Mrs L Collins.

Thursday 7 March (7.30 pm) The London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, “Fellows, Morton & Clayton (Canal Carriers)” talk by David Daines, concessions £1.25.

Monday 11 March (3 pm) Barnet & District Local History Society, Wyburn Room, Wesley Flail, Stapylton Road, Barnet: “Barnet Inns and Alehouses” – Graham Javes (HADAS member) (change of programme).

Wednesday_ 13 March (8.15) pm Mill Hill Historical Society, Harwood Hall, Union Church, The Broadway, NW7 “History of the Chelsea Physic Garden” – talk by Letta Jones.

Wednesday 13 March (8 pm) Hornsey Historical Society, Union Church Hall, Corner of Ferny Park Road and Weston Park, N8 I8th Century Costume” – talk by Harry Matthews, Li entrance.

Friday 15 March (7.30 pm) The Wembley Historical Society, St Andrews Church Hall, Church Lane, Kingsbury, London NW9 “The Grange Museum (of Barnet)” Talk by Caroline Abel (Curator).

Friday 15 March (7.30 for 8 pm) Enfield Archaeological Society, “The History and Operation of the New River”, John Cunningham, Jubilee Hall, Chase Side/Parsonage Lane, Enfield. Visitors £1.00

Monday 18 March (8.15 pm) Ruislip, Northwood and Eastcote LHS, St Martin’s Church Hall, Ruislip, “Research Group Presentation”. Visitors £2 admission charge.

Wednesday 20 March (6.30 pm) London & Middlesex Archaelogical Society Interpretation Unit, Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2 “Medieval Churches of Middlesex” Bridget Cherry (Pevsner Guides).

Wednesday 20 March (8 pm) Edmonton Hundred Historical Society, Jubilee Hall, Junction of Parsonage Lane/Chase Side, Enfield, “London’s Churches” Graham Dalling (preceded by AGM).

Thursday 23 March – Transport Collectors’ Market, Church Hail, Regent Square United Reform, Wakefield Street, London WC 1, £1.

Tuesday 26 March (8 pm) Friern Barnet & District Local History Society, Old Fire Station (next Town Hall) Friem Barnet Lane, N12. “The Rise and Fall of New Southgate” Talk by Colin Barratt.

Thursday 28 March: The Finchley Society, drawing room, Avenue House, East End Road, N3 “Old Finchley and its Surrounds,” talk by Graham Burgess.

Newsletter
Page 1

HADAS DIARY

Tues 12 February: Francis Grew (Museum of London) – Life in Roman London.

Tues 12 March: Clive Orton (Institute of Archaeology) – Digging in a Russian Medieval City.

Lectures start at 8pm in the Drawing Room (ground floor) of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3.

BOWLING GREEN HOUSE SURVEY

Following our survey at Copped Hall near Waltham Abbey, Dennis Hill of the Enfield Archaeology Society asked HADAS if we could conduct a similar survey at a site in their area. This site is Bowling Green House in the grounds of Myddleton House just north of Forty Hall in the Bulls Cross area of Enfield. Myddleton House is named after Sir Hugh Myddleton, who constructed The New River in 1610-1514 to carry drinking water from natural springs at Amwell in Hertfordshire into central London along a 38 mile man-made channel. A section of this river once ran through the gardens but has now been filled in. Myddleton House replaced a Tudor building called Bowling Green House, the remains of which lie under the gardens, it was a 12 room, red brick, gabled structure that was demolished in 1812 when the present house was finished. This part of the garden is now a lawn and flowerbeds, in the 1980s when a water pipe was being laid, the gardener came across some brick foundations thought to be in the area of the Tudor House. Following a site visit (mentioned in the last Newsletter), we decided to conduct a resistivity survey over the weekends of the 13/14 and 20/21 October. The first weekend was completely washed-out weather wise so the survey was completed in one day (21′), which was also timed as a public open day so visitors could see what we were up to. Members of the West Essex Archaeological Group who had invited us to Copped Hall joined us. The survey went well in sunny conditions (at last!) we also set-up a bookstall where Andy Simpson tried to sell his wares (he wasn’t having much luck) and explaining what we were doing. A 15 x 40m grid was laid out over the flat lawn known as Tom Tiddlers Ground with survey points at lm intervals. Christian Allen compiled the results (on page 2), (figure 1) shows a dot-density plot of the data. The plot strongly indicates a long linear structure across the northern half of the area. This appears to be part of a much larger structure. The contour plot (figure 2) shows that the structure has clearly defined edges, which implies that this is possibly a wall, its foundation, or similar construction. Given the strength of these results, the feature found is possibly a wall, or similar, belonging to a much larger structure. This implies that these may he part of the remains of the Tudor manor house that was previously situated in the grounds of the current Myddleton House. After the earlier site visit to Myddleton House the team were shown around a current excavation being carried out by the Enfield Archaeological Society elsewhere. The site to the south of the town near the Al0 was in a small back garden but was turning up big results in the form of Roman finds pottery etc as well as post holes and gullies. The area is thought to be a possible farm perhaps near-to or adjacent to a Roman posting-station positioned on Ermine Street now followed by the line of the A10. Bowling Green House survey results The illustrations show the clear nature of the resistivity reading. (Editor: Apologies that the images are not available yet!)
Page 2

MUCH WENLOCK RE-VISITED by Dr John H Gorvin

Those members of HADAS who where able to travel to North Wales and those not so fortunate may not be aware that a fascinating marble panel from Much Wenlock Priory is to be seen in the very fine exhibition of Medieval sculpture at Tare Britain which continues until 3rd March 2002. This piece of Romanesque carving (1175-1200) was dug up in 1878. The panel, which was certainly partly gilt and painted, is from the base of an elaborate 8-sided lavabo in which the monks washed their hands_ This function is implied in the styling, with Christ in a boat holding the hands of two disciples. My interest in archaeology was awakened by family holidays taken over a number of years at Much Wenlock in the 1920s. We travelled from our home in Swansea by the scenically beautiful Central Wales Line and always stayed at Mrs Yapp’s cottage. One had the impression then, that the little town had altered little over the years – it is now, perhaps over gentrified. There was a lot to stimulate the mind of a small boy and much to amuse him, particularly when the piglet ran loose among the cattle-market pens.
MUSEUM NEWS

Culture Secretary Tessa jowell has welcomed the appointment of Neil MacGregor as the next Director of the British Museum. The appointment will take effect from 1 August 2002. Mr MacGregor is currently Director of the National Gallery in London, a position he has held since 1987. He was previously Lecturer in the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Reading, and Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1985. Dr Simon Thurley has been appointed Chief Executive of English Heritage Currently the Director of the Museum of London, he will take up his new post in March 2002.

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HADAS NEWS
TED SAMMES COURSE

The course being run in conjunction with Birkbeck University continues to progress well at Avenue House, accessing and analysing Ted’s archive from his excavations in Hendon. It is still possible to join the course and is an excellent way to handle and identify finds, and to acquire skills towards publishing reports and arc hives. Contact Jacqui Pearce on 020 7566 9325 or email jpearce@museumoflondon.org.uk, or contact the Birkbeck Office on 020 76316627/6631 (Zoe Tomlinson or Sharon Light)
NEW SLIDE PROJECTOR

The society has now acquired a new projector to play with it’s a Kodak 1500 Ektalite carousel and features remote control and telescopic lens. It made its debut at the October lecture where it behaved itself impeccably (famous last words). We also now have a new projector stand from Unicol Engineering that will be unveiled at the February talk.
ARCHAEOLOGY MATTERS

This is a useful leaflet/booklet published regularly by the Museum of London carrying the latest archaeological news from around the Capital. In the September 2001 edition there was an article on HADAS, with a bit about its history, excavations, journal, lectures and outings. A picture accompanying the article shows members working at the Church Farmhouse Museum, Hendon dig in 1993.
BOUNDARY PLAQUE

Stephen Aleck who lives near the former Finchley bus station was clearing his garden recently when he `discovered’ a concrete plaque set into the wall that read — THIS WALL IS THE PROPERTY OF THE METROPOLITAN ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS L 11)1931. See also Andy Simpson’s transport article
Page 4

=HADAS DINNER or The Christmas Coach Calamity! BB

On the whole the evening was enjoyable, but once again HADAS members found themselves waiting for a late coach to take them to the venue, Grim’s Dyke Hotel, Harrow. Thanks to Peter Nicholson and Andy Simpson for driving around the various pick-up points informing members that there had been a mix-up at the coach office. A coach finally arrived some 11/2 hours late, Dorothy’s displeasure will no doubt be heard throughout the Shires (again). After the groups were dragged out of different hostelries (they were at Finchley anyway) we made it to Harrow. Walking up a very dark and mysterious driveway, a large mock-Tudor building loomed into view. We were ushered into an impressive dining hall (The Music Room) complete with barrel-vaulted ceiling, wood panelling and a massive alabaster fireplace. Paul Follows the Director, gave a talk on the history of the hotel, how it was designed by Norman Shaw and built in 1870 for the Victorian painter Frederick Goodall. In 1890 W. S. Gilbert of the Gilbert and Sullivan partnership lived in the house until his death in 1911. The hotel still holds many performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s work. The building was used for different purposes during the 21’d World War, it then became derelict and used as a film set, later it was converted as a banqueting hall then refurbished into the present hotel. The gardens were landscaped by Goodall and later by Gilbert who added a lake in 1899, features from Gilberts time are still being found today such as an orchard and monkey house. Also in the garden is the Grim’s Dyke earthwork, part of a late Iron-age and Belgic boundary system, from which the hotel is named. During the dinner Stuart Wild acted as the raffle MC, distributing presents, by the fireplace, he only needed a red fur-edged costume to complete the scene…. Thanks to those mentioned above, to the staff at the hotel and to HADAS members for their patience.

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BARNET TRANSPORT RELICS AT ACTON by Andy Simpson

The writer made one of his regular visits to the splendid new London’s Transport Museum large objects store in Acton, opposite Acton Town tube station and adjacent to Acton Underground Depot, in October 2001, notebook in hand and bobble hat firmly in place, to record the surprising number of Barnet area transport relics held there; these are listed below as the promised/threatened follow up to the recent ‘Last Tram From Barnet’ article. The Depot, as the Covent Garden based Museum’s storage and conservation centre, is open to the admission paying public on several weekends each year, (usually advertised in metro/Evening Standard) but not on a daily basis. Some 370,000 items – tickets to train bodies – are stored there as the reserve collection: Barnet area exhibits include; Complete wooden Passimeter booking office /ticket check point ex Golders Green tube station, c.1923, contemporary with the extension of the Northern Line beyond Golders Green towards Edgware. Under restoration. Dismantled half section of Otis lift car removed from Hampstead Station, complete with two Art Nouveau ventilation grill panels. Trolleybus traction (overhead wiring support) pole, 1930s, from Fine hley Depot, North Finchley- until removal after the depot’s closure in December 1993, probably the last such pole standing in the whole Borough of Barnet. It had survived in the depot yard supporting an overhead lamp. Information on survivors to the contrary gratefully received! Electric motor possibly used in conjunction with fuel pump from Finchley Bus garage after its conversion from trolleybus operation in 1961/62 Two cylindrical vacuum cleaners ex Finchley Bus Depot, plus a drum Vacuum cleaner on a wheeled frame from the same source, made by the British Vacuum Company, 1950s. They may have sucked up that very ticket older readers dropped way back when. Ex Cricklewood Garage AEC breakdown tender, London Transport 830J/AX1V1649, converted from STL type double deck bus No.390- in running order. 1972 stock Driving Motor tube car No.3530, ex Northern Line. Four car train of 1938 (red) tube stock; the last such unit to run in regular passenger service, being withdrawn off the Northern Line in 1988. Restored to 1960s condition; to be used for special enthusiast tours of the underground (Yes, there are such things) Smaller exhibits included a rich collection of some 3000 signs, including enamel station signs, such as a 1970s Northern Line map and ‘Platform 3 Mill Hill East and High Barnet’ sign from Finchley Central; one lettered Northern Line Platform 1 Northbound Totteridge and High Barnet’ and another worded ‘High Barnet Station Frequent Trains To All Parts Of London’; also a pre-Brent Cross station title `Brent’ Also a wooden notice `Employees are warned against crossing the tracks to and from Golders Green Station and attention is called to Shop Rules 2 3 & 5 Any further breach of these rules will be severely dealt with July 1911 By Order’. Surprisingly not in the Museum but still in place at Burnt Oak tube station are two splendidly vintage platform level 1920s/30s station name signs, one Burnt Oak for Wading’ (i.e. Wading Estate) and the other ‘Burnt Oak for Stag Lane Aerodrome’ – which closed c.19301 Well worth a photograph. The main museum at Covent Garden has a few exhibits with local connections such as the Metropolitan Electric Tramways ‘Feltham’ double deck tram of the type that ran to Golders Green, Fine hley and Whetstone until 1938. This has its motors wired up, and can be ‘driven’ by visitors, under supervision, once or twice a year. If you haven’t yet been, a visit to either – or both – places is recommended to jog memories or see how things used to be The next open day at Acton is the 2nd -3rd March 2002.
HARPER’S DIG by John Heathfield

What, I always call Harper’s, but what the scholars call 1263-75 High Road Whetstone, was the subject of an exploratory dig that was carried out by Thames Valley Archaeological Unit in April and May, 2001. The site is undoubtedly an old one. The Baxendale estate to the south was probably owned by Adam de Basing, who was living around 1250. The Bull & Butcher site to the north was the subject of a legal dispute in 1406. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the intervening properties were occupied by 1350. The earliest reference I have is to The George”, a pub which stood about where Waitrose’s car park comes out into Totteridge Lane. In 1596 this pub was owned by John Page. About 1680 it was occupied by John Odell who then moved to East Finchley, where he opened another pub called The George” and also opened a pig market; he eventually became one of the richest pig dealers in the kingdom.

HADAS members Andrew Coulson, Eric (the missing surveyor) Morgan and Peter N icholson get their hands dirty. A TVAS member wields the pick. The shop on the corner was sold by William Chambers to James Saunders in 1804. In 1819 Saunders sold a baker’s shop to Joseph Trendall (it was part of a lot of 16 houses), who sold it in 1851 to Joseph Baxendale. The shop was used by the Harper family after 1846, although they actually lived further south along the High Road, near Swan Lane recreation ground. The shops were rebuilt about 1880. The Victorian cellars obliterated all traces of the earlier dwellings. The remains of the walls of some of the Georgian buildings were excavated but the finds were disappointingly few – a total of 1.5 pottery sherds were found from the period 1350 to 1450. They were identified as Late Medieval Hertfordshire Glazed ware and South Herts grey ware. Thirty-five pieces of metal were found, of which the most striking was a copper-alloy thimble dating from about 1650-1760. In spite of this paucity of finds, the evidence all points to continuous occupation over some 650 years. The dig looking north, Whetstone High Road runs north – south, Waitrose is left of the picture and the Bull & Butcher is at the top. The excavated walls are post-medieval.

Page 6

The Defence of Britain Conference (Part 1) By Andy Simpson

24 November 2001 Imperial War Museum, London Andrew Saunders, Chairman of the Defence of Britain project Steering Group, introduced the Conference. The Defence of Britain project, co-ordinated by the Council for British Archaeology and based in offices at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford is due to finish its work of surveying and recording WWI/2 British and-invasion and cold war defence sites in March 2002, and this was the conference called to mark its passing and present some of the results. It stemmed from the work of six members of the Fortress Study Group, who realised the need to record 20th century defence works before they vanished, involving the public and devising the necessary techniques and procedures for fieldwork and documentary research alike. Background to the Project – Richard Morris, CBA Hon Vice President Archaeology is catching up with the present, as exemplified by the projects’ study of cold-war bunkers and other sites. Some DoB project archaeologists were older than the sites they were recording! It is notable that Rescue Archaeology began with government funding to dig sites threatened by airfield construction 1938/39, and these same airfields are now being studied as archaeological entities themselves. Individual amateurs were researching such sites from the 1960s onwards. Later, the Fortress Study Group and RCHME did a pilot study on the Holderness area of Yorkshire. The CBA, with its pioneering tradition in new fields of archaeological study, such as industrial archaeology in the 1960s, became involved 1993/4 since staff, a home, and host body were needed for a full- scale study. Formally established in April 1995 to compile a UK wide database of twentieth century defence structures and enlist public help and encourage public understanding of such structures, the project has two full time staff and a network of volunteer regional coordinators. Success of the voluntary contribution led to the current English Heritage Images of England project, with volunteers photographing listed buildings for a national database. Mistakes were made in the early days, with inadequate and arbitrary resourcing and the tendency to get sidestepped into important, but limited resource consuming, local campaign work. The value of written records was underestimated to begin with and better preparation was required. It was hoped to help agencies such as English Heritage provide selection criteria for the protection of sites. It was important to keep a scattered pool of volunteers feeling in touch and appreciated; windows software for a database had to be designed. It was intended to concentrate on less well-recorded sites such as anti-invasion sites that have fewer extant records than heavy AA sites, for instance. It was proved that such volunteer centred projects need strong central support to coordinate work and disseminate information; the Images of England project has 21 staff to support 850 photographers ‘in the field’. DoB has reached new archaeological territory, laying the foundations for academic study, advancing the chronological horizons of archaeological study, including sites recorded onto enhanced and enriched local Sites and Monuments Records, into the late 20th century. People are now alert to the principle of ‘Power of Place’ – mood of national appreciation of what is of value. Understanding of such individual elements enhances the meaning of the landscape. The project achieved what it set out to do, giving new information and reversing previous assumptions on sources and what is important. The Results of The Defence of Britain Project – William Foot, Database Manager Paper records were processed into two computerised databases of twentieth century militarised home landscapes. 22,000 paper records have been collected, plus digital and primary/secondary sources including 10,000 photos illustrating types of defence structure. There are two groups of records – anti-invasion defences, and others. A thesaurus was developed to aid recording. English Heritage needed information not available from aerial photography or documentation, and study concentrated on anti-invasion defences from 1998, with 14,000 anti-invasion sites recorded, 8,500 of which survive throughout the country. Defence types include the ‘Coastal Crust’ of fortifications, linear ‘stop lines’, area defences such as airfields and urban `Keeps’, vulnerable point defence, airfield defence, counter -resistance underground hunkers, anti-tank islands and coastal batteries. Thee are records of 2,500 pillboxes and hardened defence works of the 28,000

UK pillboxes built from 1940, of which 25% survive, of which only 1000 – 3% – are in good order. Plotting of sites gives some idea of the clusters on the coast, such as vulnerable points like East Kent and Portland. Plotting of sites shows up stop lines – the Hadrian’s’ Wall of the 1940s – such as Carmarthen in Wales, Taunton and the GHQ line south and east of London running up to Richmond in North Yorkshire, a huge undertaking built by military and civilian labour in 20 weeks in 1940. The Scottish east coast defences were built by exiled Polish troops. Thematic work included the recording of 300 coastal batteries, the hidden bunker sites of auxiliary ‘resistance’ units and 263 defended airfields. Pillboxes included the ‘classic’ hexagonal type 24. A few Northern Irish sites were recorded — German invasion through the Irish Republic was expected in 1940-41. The most recorded county is Kent, with 1200 anti-invasion sites, 208 pillboxes and good documentary sources in the PRO. London has 529 sites with three anti-tank lines around the capital. Whitehall was intended as the inner ring. Detailed map work is continuing. 11 million acres of the UK were under some form of defence control, including airfields, Royal Observer Corps Posts, Anti Aircraft sites, evacuation centres, artillery and bombing ranges, and POW camps. In typical archaeological style, be it Roman coins, Saxon brooches or WW2 pillboxes, their distribution plots at present mirror the locations of active archaeological fieldworkers. Such sites as army camps need more work – incredibly, we know more of the standard layout of a Roman Legionary fortress than we do of a WW2 British Army Camp, even with people still around to ask who were involved. 450 new UK airfields were built in WW2, leaving a huge impact on the landscape. In some areas field walls are built not of stone, but of broken up bits of concrete runway. Relics include artwork inside airfield buildings and contemporary wartime graffiti -all part of a snapshot record of the condition of surviving sites at the end of the twentieth century. Some 7000 individuals have recorded sites, with others sending information – the amateur informing the professional, with the project acting as a clearinghouse for enquiries from filmmakers, writers and other researchers. The original construction was on an intense, but professional scale. Survival is something of a lottery. Most anti-tank ditches had been filled in by 1950, and there was a post-war programme for removal of TDW – Temporary Defence Works, especially on national parks, for instance. Extensive files on each plot of requisitioned land were sadly destroyed in the 1960s, leaving only a few fragments. German reconnaissance photos are a good source of closely dated detail, with the current project reusing many German wartime symbols for types of site. Some German maps are held at the RAFM. Aerial photos show WW1/2 features, often as cropmarks. The PRO holds war diaries with detailed maps. What next? It is intended by English Heritage to preserve representative examples to feed into the Monuments Protection Programme. Some whole landscapes will be studied to preserve typical wartime landscapes, recommending all components of the landscape, including pillboxes, for preservation. The data will go to the National Monuments Record at Swindon, with relevant sections copied to local sites and monuments records (SMRs). A detailed report will be issued and a book may be published. A historical map is projected, together with an illustrated Thesaurus. Further fields for future study include airfields, training areas, and the 1944/45 landscape of attack formed in the build up to D-Day – such as temporary camps, again with some good PRO documentation. Part 2 will include ease studies from around the regions.

Page 7

Guessed Ale?

`Research’ by an anonymous member (not the Editor), in a Weatherspoons pub recently, has revealed the existence of a `HADDAS HEADBANGER’ beer. This is a rare sighting in these parts and he suggested (when he had recovered) that further ‘research’ be undertaken immediately to sample the said liquid before it disappears. Perhaps the ‘quiz night sub-committee’ should look into this as a matter of urgency?
Page 8

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS by Eric Morgan

Thursday 1st Jan 2002, 7.30pm, LONDON CANAL MUSEUM, 12-13 New Wharf Rd, Kings X. EARLY CANAL DEVELOPMENT – IDEAS FROM EUROPE, Dr Roger Squires. Concs £1.25.

Wednesday 9th Jan, 8.00pm, HORNSEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Union Church Hall, corner of Ferme Park Rd/Weston Terrace, N8. FRIERN PARK HOSPITAL, Dr Oliver Natelson, £1.00 entrance.

Wednesday 9th Jan, 8.15pm, MILL HILL HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Harwood Hall, Union Church, The Broadway, NW7. HOW DOES THE .20TH CENTURY HISTORIAN POSITION MILL HILL SCHOOL Roderick Braithwaite.

Thursday 106 Jan, 8.00pm, PINNER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane Car Park, A TOUR OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY, Mary Pocock. Donation £1.00.

Thursday 10th Jan, 6:45pm, FRIENDS OF CRICKLEWOOD LIBRARY; Olive Rd, NW2, MIDLAND RAILWAY (INCLUDING RAILWAY THROUGH GLADSTONE PARK), Geoff Goslin.

Monday 14th Jan, 3:00pm, BARNET & District LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Wyburn Room, Wesley Hall, Staplyton Rd, Barnet. THE CECIL FAMILY & HATFIELD HOUSE, Robin Perkins.

Wednesday 16th Jan, 6.30pm, LAMAS, Interpretation Unit – Museum of London, THE TWILIGHT ZONE REVISITED = REDISPLAYING LONDON’S EARLIEST PAST, Jonathon Cotton.

Wednesday 16th Jan; 8.00pm, WILLESDEN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Willesden Suite, Library Centres 95 High Rd, NW10. THE BRENT ARCHIVIST RETURNS, Ian Johnston.

Friday 18th Jan, 8.00pm, ENFIELD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Jubilee Hall, Parsonage Lane/Chase Side, Enfield. PPG16 – COMMERCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY, HAS IT WORKED?Robin Densum.

Monday 21st Jan, 8 00pm, FRIENDS OF BARNET BOROUGH LIBRARIES, Finchley Library, Hendon Lane, N3. THE UNIVERSITY OF THE 3rd AGE, Leon Smith.

Tuesday 22nd Jan, 2.00pm, AFTERNOON ARTS AT THE BULL, The Bull, 68 High St, Barnet. LOCAL HISTORY TALK. John Heathfield (HADAS member).

Wednesday 23rd Jan, 8.00pm, EDMONTON HUNDRED HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Jubilee Hall, Parsonage Lane/Chase Side, Enfield. THE WALKER FAMILY OF ARNOS GROVE. Ruby Galili.

Tuesday 29th Jan, 8.00pm, FRIERN BARNET & DIS I RIOT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Old Fire Station,next to Town Hall, Friern Barnet Lane, N12. ARCHITECTURAL GLIMPSES OF FRIERN BARNET John Phillips.

Newsletter
Page 1

HADAS DIARY

Tues 12 February: Francis Grew (Museum of London) — Life In Roman London

Tues 12 March: Clive Orton (Institute of Archaeology) — Digging in a Russian Medieval City.

Lectures start at 8pm in the Drawing Room (ground floor) of Avenue House, East End Road,Finchley, N3. Buses including the 82/143/260/326 pass close by along Ballards Lane, a 5-10 minute walk from Avenue House or 15-20-minute walk from Finchley Central Tube Station

POST BOX SURVEY by Bill Firth

In October the Post Office (Consignia) is issuing a set of five stamps to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Pillar Box. One of the stamps will feature the fairly short-lived pre- WW2 blue airmail box, which had an aerodynamically designed blue van to match, but in general boxes have remained red and cylindrical. In connection with the anniversary of GLIAS, the Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society, is running a survey of post boxes throughout Greater London. This is particularly aimed at the older boxes, which in Barnet are likely to be found in the older settlements before the onrush of suburbia. Most HADAS members must post mail in a box from time to time. It would be a great help if, when you post a letter, you could note the location, single cylindrical or double elliptical box, (the second aperture on some double boxes has been closed off); the royal cipher on the front of the box (some modem boxes have the cipher on the back) and the maker’s name which is generally legible on the black base. Likely makers are: Handyside, Derby and London; McDowell and Steven, London and Glasgow or London and Falkirk: Carron, Stirlingshire: but there are others. If you find a box with a sign pointing to the post office please record this too. I would be pleased to have this information. Don’t worry that someone has already recorded a box. I would rather have several sightings than miss a box. If anyone would like to survey more boxes please let me know and I will find a convenient area for you to search. Bill Firth, 49 Woodstock Avenue, NW11 9RG, 020 8455 7164
Page 2

HADAS GARAGED

On Sunday 12th January, a large group of HADAS members old and new began moving into our newly leased garage at Avenue House. Guttering was cleared, slates replaced, floors swept and interior walls painted. About half the HADAS material from College Farm was also moved in, courtesy of Bill Bass and his van. Work will continue including finishing the painting — of walls and member’s clothes — and installation of racking to hold the finds, mostly West Heath and Brockley Hill material to begin with, in addition to digging tools. No `valuable’ material will be stored there, however.

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THE DEFENCE OF BRITAIN CONFERENCE (PART II) Andy Simpson
CASE STUDIES
Mick Wilkes — Hereford and Worcester

Military landscape much influenced by the Malvern Hills. Large sites include the radar site at Malvern, established 1946. latterly RRAIDERA. now ‘Qinetic’. Sites are recorded for the County SMR and record copies sent to Duxford for the DoB database. Work has helped develop the understanding and context of sites, some 1500 in all, 70% of them anti-invasion sites, with concentrations around Worcester and Kidderminster. Worcestershire is remote — well away from the coast, and if London became untenable or the Germans had invaded the Government would have evacuated to here, with stately homes and schools requisitioned, one stately home being stocked up with food and fine wines to accommodate the Royal Family; Malvern College would have accommodated the Admiralty. The area was garrisoned by the London Brigade and post Dunkirk remnants of the Belgian army as a possible last-ditch stand area, and was close to the industrialised Birmingham and Black Country region. It had to be protected from attack from the west, i.e. a German assault via the Irish Republic and Wales. The river Avon stop line was defended from both sides. Worcester, bounded by river Severn and canal, was an anti-tank island with central keep and had a Royal Ordnance factory; the ICI plant at Kidderminster had an unusual — and surviving – command centre type double deck pillbox with anti aircraft position on top from where to coordinate defence of the whole site. The invasion threat receded and local pillboxes were already being demolished in 1944, as recorded in the local press at the time. As brown field sites, defence sites are under threat for re-development; the project will continue from April 2002, despite the end of the DoB project, to record l 8th and 191h century defence sites.
John Guy —Scotland

There was a good response to the project in Scotland; Historic Scotland had done some work themselves before this, with sites in remote locations often surviving well. In Orkney. barrage balloon sites are evidenced by the two concrete blocks against witch the winch lorry was parked so as not to be dragged away in high winds, with picket points in addition to these to tie the lorry down. Around the former naval anchorage at Scapa Flow are heavy AA sites, radar sites and even one or two extant coastal defence guns. together with the sunken battleship Royal Oak — a war grave – and scuppered WWI German fleet, now protected as scheduled monuments where they lie.
North and South Wales — Roger Thomas and Medwyn Parry

Has been studied more than southern Wales. There was a real threat to Southern England in 1940. with the perception of an invaded Irish Republic being a likely stepping stone for invasion of the UK, requiring defence of the Welsh coast in addition to inland mountain passes as barriers to communication and attack. A distinctive feature of Welsh anti-invasion defences is the use of dressed stone, instead of the usual concrete, for anti-tank blocks and pillboxes.. with the added bonus of camouflage into the surrounding landscape. In South Wales, there are 48 military magazines in North Pembrokeshire alone. Welshpool has a land army hostel; The POW site at Haverford west was interesting — it had 8 huts, no fence, and no guards — the POWs were picked up by lorry each morning, and returned at night after a day’s work on local farms, by all accounts getting along quite happily, as was often the case with POWs working on the land. Older sites from Napoleonic and other periods were often re-used. Inland there were stop lines, e.g. around Carmarthen, which basically used the natural landscape, e.g. valleys and ridges and ravines, to block enemy tank attacks. Some pillboxes had walls up to 56 inches thick.
Richard Avent, CADW

The survey in Wales has helped to aid the process of selection for statutory protection. Only two dozen Welsh defence sites are currently protected, including Fishguard Fort and sites scheduled by specific request due to their rarity and importance including two sets of WW1 practice trenches, an airfield gunnery dome trainer RAF Pembrey, and the seaplane/flying boat hangars at Pembroke Dock, plus two POW buildings including an Italian POW chapel and a single surviving German POW but at Bridgend, from where 67 Germans tunnelled out to escape as late as March 1945, the largest POW escape in Britain. CADW wants to institute a systematic programme of protecting such sites, but has been prevented from doing so by lack of staff. Priority has been most recently given to listing Welsh non-conformist chapels as increasing numbers of them become redundant.
Mike Osborne — Eastern England

There have been changes in understanding and a shift in public and academic attitude as regards the study of twentieth century military defences, now accepted as important. Pillboxes are NOT all the same; there are variations on standard designs such as the mushroom like ‘Oakington’, which had its 360-degree loophole. modified to just two slots in some versions built. Pillbox systems are remarkably complex, with interconnecting and mutually supportive fields of fire. At Peterborough, the ‘central keep’ was the Corporation Power Station — its manager was CO of the local Home Guard, and installed an electrified fence! Burghley House had been identified as Goering’s English country residence if Germany had invaded.
Future Preservation

John Schofield of English Heritage mentioned that since 1994 the Monuments Protection Programme had been reviewing 20`h century English military sites, looking at site typology and location, working with the National Monuments Record. Sites are transferred from old maps onto modern OS maps to show what still survives, for instance only 1.6% of bombing decoys survive well; 67% have vanished altogether. One percent of heavy AA sites survive complete, 5% of them are still complete enough to warrant formal protection. EH are presently doing a national assessment of POW camps, with TA centres identified for future study. Other wider projects include Airfield Defence, studied with the aid of the Airfield Research Group. 240 Picket Hamilton retractable airfield defence pillboxes were built; only 20 survive and will be considered for scheduling. The complete airfield site at Perrenporth is a scheduled ancient monument, being complete with wartime buildings and their related defences, as a ‘type site’ to show how the whole airfield defence scheme worked. Such scheduled monuments are intended to show the importance of the whole landscape of defence, but need to generate positive publicity and gain the support of the local community. There needs to be an overview of priorities and resources; the research framework needs to meet changing priorities, with defence landscapes seen as part of the mainstream of heritage management, conservation and archaeology, quoting Churchill’s speech about it being ‘the end of the beginning’ as the study develops.
Scotland

Doreen Grove of Historic Scotland mentioned that buildings could be adapted to match local topography. The veteran Polish Regiment moved to Scotland in 1940 after the fall of France and built much of the defences on the Scottish East Coast; some of their work is still being `tidied up’ (destroyed) by local councils. Historic Scotland undertook a pre-DoB baseline survey of defensive sites, looking at the significant areas of Orkney and the Firth of Forth and areas where there was a perceived threat to surviving monuments. Rural areas remain sparsely populated, with the same coastline length as England but a fraction of the population. Scapa Flow is an internationally important site, with features such as marine defences and sea booms
Northern Ireland — Nick Brannon, Environment & Heritage Service NI

In NI the DOB project was renamed the politically neutral ‘Defence Heritage Project’ with a hardcore of some 20-30 volunteers, who have identified some 70 pillboxes and 19 heavy AA sites, especially around Belfast. WW! Evidence — practice trenches — has also been recorded. The infamous, and now empty, Maze Prison may become a museum of The Troubles’. Twentieth century archaeology of the troubles — hydraulic ram roadblocks, fortified police posts and border observation towers — are also being recorded before they are demolished as part of the peace process. Vernacular art — the classic gable end artwork and graffiti — also needs to be recorded. Prof Richard Holmes, Security Studies Institute (Him off the telly) Professor Holmes spoke on the broader Military History Context of Britain’s anti-invasion defences. Britain is virtually unique in not having faced a major land invasion in modern times (not since the ’45 and French Napoleonic incursions into Wales and Ireland at least). Britain has traditionally had a large navy to protect her maritime interests, and a small army to protect territories and the UK. Defence policy is now once again centring on naval out of area’ operations as part of Britain’s’ `Force for Good’ foreign policy. On the Scots border, Berwick-on-Tweed is the nearest British approach to the post medieval layered defences found on the continent. Britain’s best layered defences are found on the coast. The narrow English Channel is the gap that has directed the location of previous invasion attempts. Attackers will tend to seek areas where there are no defences, e.g. the Germans sweeping around, rather than through, the Maginot Line in WW2, or will create technical solutions, such as the super heavy mortars developed by the Germans to smash Soviet defences. The perimeter defences of 1940 were intended to buy time for land, sea and air forces to counter-attack, cut off the attacker and eliminate hint
Closing Address; HRH The Duke of Gloucester

The Duke mentioned that war affects everyone’s lives and everyone’s’ landscape and locality when structures such as defences are imposed. He spoke amusingly of his own cavalryman father’s experiences; on one occasion, inspecting newly built coastal defences, on being assured that the pillboxes were indeed shellproof, he called up a friend with a tank to put a round into one such pillbox, which was utterly destroyed, with predictable effects on the morale of builders and garrison. On another occasion he watched the protracted crossing of a river by a Sherman DD wading tank, which ‘lay there panting’ when it reached the shore. CBA president and Flag Fen Iron Age site stalwart Dr Francis Pryor then closed the conference. This was a very well attended conference and a fitting finale to a long running and successful programme of complementary fieldwork and documentary research.

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TRANSPORT CORNER Andy Simpson

Following the Last Tram From Barnet article. (newsletter 369) Derek Batten has written asking about London Transport’s reasoning behind its allocation of Trolleybus route numbers. Reference to Hugh Taylor’s’ seminal `London Trolleybus Routes’ (Capital Transport 1993; an excellent £18.95 worth if you can find it!) provides the answer. From c.1938, the 500 to 599 series were initially allocated for routes south of the River and the 600 to 699 series for routes north of it, though this system later became less rigid, allowing the 517 and 521 to serve North Finchley from Holborn along with the 513 to Hampstead Heath. For the tram to trolleybus conversion programme, wherever possible the new trolleybus route number was similar to the replaced tram route number, presumably to help passenger recognition. The Metropolitan Electric Tramways plaque referred to on p.3 of the last newsletter probably dates to the rebuilding of Finchley Depot 1930/31 to accommodate the then new Feltham double deck bogie tramcars, one of which can be seen at London’s Transport Museum (note new name!) in Covent Garden. For those seeking that definitive Barnet train/tram/trolleybus photo or timetable, forthcoming Transport Enthusiast’s Bazaars include Camden Centre, Bidborough St WC I (opposite St Pancras) Saturday 2nd February 11 am-3pm, £1.50 admission; North London Transport Society St Paul’s Centre Church St/Old Park Lane Enfield Town Saturday 23rd February 11-4, £1.50, and Church Hall, Regent Square United Reformed Church Wakefield St WC1 Saturday 23rd March 11-3 £1 admission.
LECTURE REPORT Audree Price-Davies

Report of November Lecture — Excavations on the Durrnberg. Common salt, chloride sodium is an extremely abundant substance in nature. It is found in almost inexhaustible deposits as rock salt, in various parts of the world. From such deposits arise brine springs which are strongly impregnated with salt and various inland sea hold it in solution. From these various sources salt is prepared for use as an indispensable condiment in human food and as a raw material in chemical manufacture. Salt is used as a preservative of food and also as a flavour enhancer. There are two basic German words for salt, `Hall’ as in Hallstatt and ‘sal’ as in Salzburg. The Welsh word is ‘halen’ Durrnberg (barren mound) is a village in Austria six miles SSE of Merseberg. The excavations were carried out in the valley of the Durnberg. The salt exists in layers below the limestone rock, and shafts are sunk through the rock to mine it. Passageways are made and the salt is dug out. Excavations revealed that the prehistoric tools — antler picks and sticks were very similar to those used by the Romans. The newest finds from graves are of Celtic and Roman date — helmets and armour. Finds dating from 600B.C. included Baltic amber in a necklace and fifth century finds also included amber. Trade and travel played a large part in relation to the mines and distribution of the salt, and Bronze Age finds included a bronze wine jug, which was a copy of an imported Etruscan jug, and a bronze water bottle with bronze engraving. A bronze boar made of amber with coral, was from the Gulf of Naples. The Celtic influence, as evidenced in the boar is seen even further in the Celtic Museum in Salzburg where panels depict the production of salt. Trading which involved travel seems to be evident at all times. Burials of miners and children — often miners themselves- were excavated. They were often well preserved by the preservative action of the salt and indicated a belief in the afterlife. The miners were local people who worked in the mine during the winter and tended their flocks and farms in spring and summer. The lecture was given by Professor Vincent Megaw, from Flinders University, South Australia.

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CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT SHEFFIELD ARCHAEOLOGICAL FORUM (in Partnership with the University of Sheffield)

Archaeology in the Public Domain 9th & 10th March 2002 University of Sheffield Student’s Union, Western Bank, Sheffield Described as a conference that recognises that presentation to the public is a key aspect of archaeological work. It will look at the public’s relationship with archaeology and how it is underpinned by fundamental concepts of cultural heritage and identity. It aims to provide an open forum to discus the public presentation of archaeology and to encourage a reflexive approach to archaeological interpretation and the heritage industry. Speakers are from Universities, field units, consultants, planning departments, museums, heritage centres and the literary and broadcast media. Sessions include; Archaeology and the Media; Academic Research & the Public; Commercial archaeology & the Public; Heritage Management & the Public. Speakers include Julian Richards University of York Public Archaeology & The Internet Sam Moorhead British Museum The World Comes to The British Museum Mike Parker Pearson Unvty. Of Sheffield Why bother and who cares anyway? Maev Kennedy Arts & Culture, The Guardian archaeology: What the papers say ..and our own Andrew Selkirk of Current Archaeology Drugs, Gays and Archaeology Cost £10 each (f5 for students) Details from S.A.F`@fsmail.net (www.sheffarcforum.org.uk/) The Old Post House, 42 Scarborough Terrace, Bootham, York Y030 7AW

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TIME TEAM 2002

Bill Bass has kindly provided this year’s programme schedule for that perennial Channel Four favourite, Time Team’. The new series actually began on 6th January, but the programmes from February onwards are as below; All at 6.30 pm — though check beforehand on the day! The Furnace in The Cellar, Ironbridge (3 February); An Ermine Street Pub, Cheshunt (10 February); Iron age Market, Helford (17 February); Siege House in Shropshire (24 February); A Prehistoric Airfield, Throckmorton (3 March); A Lost Roman City, Castleford (10 March); Every Castle Needs a Lord, Warwickshire (17 March); Steptoe et Filius, Isle of Wight (24 March); Seven Buckets and a Buckle (31 March).
GLAAS REVIEW

The Quarterly Review of the English Heritage Greater London Archaeology Service is one of the publications regularly received by the Society. The August to October 2001 issue, published in November, records a number of items of interest, including the appointment of Kim Stabler as Archaeology Advisor to the north and west London boroughs, replacing our old friend Rob Whytehead. Improvements in delivery of the Greater London Sites and Monuments Record service are expected with implementation of a new system any time now, and the Museum of London formally open their London Archaeology Research Centre at Eagle Wharf Road on 7th February. The Review gives summaries of local archaeological work, as summarised overleaf.
Battle of Barnet — ‘Two Men in a Trench’.

(This involved a certain well-known Committee member!) Optomen Television filmed an investigation of the battlefield. They involved HADAS, Chipping Barnet Museum, local metal detectorists, and others. Work included remote sensing and landscape studies. Specific small areas were then selected for trenching, including one inside Old Fold golf club, on the moated site, and others across a hedgerow and a ditch in an attempt to date these features. Hedge species were counted to assess dates. The results should be broadcast on BBC2 in the spring.
142-150 Cricklewood Broadway Site Code CKB 01 (TQ523890-185690)

Archaeological Services and Consultancy Ltd dug three evaluation trenches at this hotel site, showing that the area was devoid of archaeological potential on the Broadway frontage. Only late Victorian material was found. A fourth trench revealed mostly made up ground with material probably imported from an industrial site, with little evidence of original land surfaces at the rear of the site. Findings suggest little occupation of the site before c.1850.
Mill Hill Gas Works, Bittacy Hill. NW7 Site Code BYLO1 (TQ2390 9130)

The Herts Archaeological Trust dug two trenches that partly revealed brick built 18th century features, probably relating to the farm established on the site at that time. Heavily truncated, they are interpreted as flimsy wall foundations or brick-edged paving. There has been considerable ground disturbance, with the embanking of Sanders Lane to cross the cutting of the railway to Edgware, now truncated at Mill Hill East, possibly necessitating demolition of the last of the farm which had a house, yard and barn in 1796 but partly demolished c.1828 1863 according to map evidence.
61 Wood Street. Barnet Site Code WTB 01 (TQ2411 9639)

The Herts Archaeological Trust undertook a watching brief which showed 19th century overburden, building foundations and floors overlying loamy soils and no archaeological features or finds.
1263-1275 High Road. Whetstone Site Code HGWO1 (T02638 9397)

Thames Valley Archaeological Services, assisted by HADAS as reported by John Heathfield in newsletter 370, found that archaeological deposits survive where modern truncation has not occurred, dating back possibly to the mid 14th century, with a single residual sherd of Roman pottery. The central location (adjacent to the Black Bull Pub) and ceramic evidence indicate continuity of occupation, indicating the site has the potential to illustrate the change from medieval village to capital city suburb over a period of some 700 years. Tapster Street and Moon Lane. Barnet Site Code TTR 01 (T02460 9660) Pre-Construct Archaeology undertook a watching brief; all trenches showed natural deposits overlain by 19th and 20th century deposits associated with the levelling of the area. There was one linear cut of the natural and a layer of uncertain date below the modern deposits on the western side and a post-medieval linear cut and undated deposit in the centre of the site also.
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OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS by Eric Morgan

Thursday 31st January 8pm THE FINCHLEY SOCIETY Drawing Room, Avenue House — Buried in Barnet Talk by Andrew Mussell, Borough Archivist

Also Thursday 28th February — Environment — talk by Steve Presland. Same time/venue.

Wednesday 27th February STANMORE & HAROW HISTORICAL SOCIETY Wealdstone Baptist Church High Road, Wealdstone The Tower of London Talk by Mrs Muriel Jones

Thursday 7th February THE LONDON CANAL MUSEUM 12-13 New Wharf Road Kings X Anatomy of Canals (Canal architecture) Talk by Derek Pratt (concessions 1.25)

Thursday 14th February 8pm PINNER LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Village Hall, Chapel Lane Car Park, Pinner Who built The Houses In Pinner High St? Talk by Patricia Clarke (£1 Donation)

Monday 14th February 3pm BARNET & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Wyburn Room, Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, Barnet Homely, Hearty, Loving Hertfordshire (Charles Lamb) by Ann Marie Parker

Wednesday 13th February HORNSEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Union Church Hall, Cnr Ferme Park Road Weston Park N8 The Coming of Electricity to North London Geoffrey Gilliam of the Enfield Archaeological Society.

Wednesday 13th February 8pm WILLESDEN LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Willesden Suite, Library Centre, 95, High Road, NW10 Fitness for Purpose — Art & Design on London Underground Geoff Toms — History of the Underground, its stations and posters 1920s130s

Friday 15th February WEMBLEY LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY St Andrew Church Hall, Church Lane, Kingsbury NW9 Consolidation of Ruins of 1672 Brick Church of St John the Evangelist, Stanmore Talk by Dr. Freddie Hicks.

Tuesday 26th February 8pm FRIERN BARNET & DISTRICT LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY Old Fire Station, next to Town Hall Friern Barnet Lane N12 Whetstone Crossroads John Heathfield

Number 369 December 2001 HADAS 40th Year Edited by Liz Holliday

HADAS DIARY

There will be no lecture in January, a cold and busy month for both lecturers and audiences. Instead, there will be an extra lecture in May as the AGM is now held in June. The first lecture in 2002 will be held at 8.00pm on Wed. 12 February at Avenue House.

Speaker: Francis Grew

Life in Roman London

Pubs and Brewers in Barnet Borough

Church Farmhouse Museum will be mounting an exhibition on the history of local pubs and brewers from May to September 2002. There is no shortage of pictorial or documentary material already available but the museum is particularly keen to borrow relevant objects – from barstools to beer mats, bottles to beer-engines – for display.

If anyone has any material which they would be prepared to lend or if they know of local pubs being refurbished, please phone Gerrard Roots at the museum on 0208 203 0130.

The 19th-century paneled dining room at Church Farmhouse Museum will, as usual, be decorated for a Victorian Christmas. Be sure to catch this wonderful display which is only on show from 6 December until 6 January.

MICRO-MINIMART 13 OCTOBER 2001 by Dorothy Newbury

As intended, this was to be lower key, as well as the last Minimart I feel I can organise. As it happens, it was a very happy day with members, friends and the public chatting over Tessa’s freshly served lunches. I would have been happy to make £500, but thanks to everyone’s willing help we made over £600 clear profit, and I am still selling items un-sold on the day – watch for future Sales & Wanted Lists in your Newsletters.

If anyone would like to view the substantial number of books we have left over before we dispose of them, please come and browse. (Bargains at a few pence each!).

There has been no response to my request for a volunteer to run a Car Boot Sale – I’m sure there must be someone out there who relishes the cut and thrust of bartering in the snow! Please get in touch if you are able to help with this (0208 203 0950).

I would like to thank everyone who, over the last 25 years, has helped the Minimart sales to raise about £16.000 for the Society.

GRIM’S DYKE

a note on the venue for our Christmas party by Sheila Woodward

Grim’s Dyke earthwork, much damaged by modem development, has never been securely dated. It originally extended 3km southwest of the hotel to Pinner Green where P.G.Suggett excavated in 1957 and found Iron Age and Belgic pottery. in 1979, excavating in the hotel grounds prior to new building, Rob Ellis found only two abraded pottery sherds, probably Iron Age, and a possible hearth with charcoal, radio-carbon dated to AD50+-80. This suggests that Grim’s Dyke earthwork pre-dates the Pear Wood earthwork, 3km to the east (excavated by Stephen Castle 1948-73) which is post-Roman possibly 5th or 6th century AD. (See LAMAS Transactions Vol. 33 pp 173- 176).

MEDIEVAL QUERY

The following letter was sent to our Chairman.

Can any member help?

Dear Sir,

I got your contact details from the HADAS website having seen an article in Archaeological Matters. I must congratulate you on your website, it’s excellent!

I have been researching the Heydon family of Watford on behalf of Charles Le Quesne, the site director in charge of excavations at The Grove Estate, Watford.

(See www.archaeologyatthe grove.com)

William Heydon, the first of the family to own The Grove married Elizabeth Aubery around 1479. Her parents were Robert Aubery and Christian. The Visitation of Heralds to Hertfordshire in 1572 states that he was Dailey, co. Middx. By going through various documents I have come to the conclusion that this could be Dollis, as in Dollis Hill.

I noticed that HADAS have done some work on medieval Hendon and wondered if you could throw any further light on this for me.

Regards,

Stella Davis

284 Baldwins Lane Croxley Green Rickmansworth HERTS., WD3 3LD

OTHER SOCIETIES’ DECEMBER EVENTS

Prepared by Eric Morgan Wed. 5 Dec. at 5pm British Archaeological Association at Society of Antiquaries,

Burlington House, Piccadilly, W.1 Nonsuch Palace Revisited a talk by Martin Biddle.

Wed. 5 Dec. at 8pm Islington Archaeology & History Society Islington Town Hall, Upper Street N.1 The Archway a talk by Simon Morris

Thur. 6 Dec. at 8pm The Historical Association at Fellowship House, Willifield Way, NW 11 Observing the Western Front: Changes in Depicting the Battlefield 1914-18 a talk by Dr. Keith Grieves

Thur. 6 Dec at 7.30pm London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, N.1 The Salisbury and Southampton Canal a talk by Peter Oates. (Cones. £1.25)

Sat. 8 Dec 10.15am-3.30pm Amateur Geological Society at St. Mary’s Hall, Hendon Lane, N3 Mineral and Fossil Bazaar Refreshments. Admission 50p Wed. 12 Dec at 6.30pm LAMAS at Interpretation Unit, Museum of London After the Fire: London Furniture 1660-1714 by David Dewing

Wed, 12 Dec. at 8.15pm Mill Hill Historical Society at Harwood Hall, Union Church, Mill Hill Broadway. Christmas in England 1539-1939 a talk by Peter Street.

Thur. 13 Dec. at 7.30pm Camden History Society at Burgh House, New End Road, NW3. Photographic Surveys of Camden (previous 8,, recent) a talk by Aiden Flood

Fri. 14 Dec. at 8pm Enfield Archaeological Society. Junilee Hall, Parsonage Lane, Chase Side, Enfield Poland: 1000 Years of Civilisation a talk by Stephen Gilburt

GADEBRIDGE ROMAN VILLA REVISITED Report of the October lecture by Peter Nicholson

On Tuesday 9 October Dr. David Neal, well-known for his work on Roman mosaics, spoke to members about his excavations of the Roman villa at Gadebridge Park, on the north side of Hemel Hempstead.The first discovery was made in 1962 when a new road cut the site of a Roman swimming bath and provided archaeological interest and exercise for local schoolchildren. A systematic exca­vation directed by Dr. Neal began the following year and contin­ued until 1968. Although, the dig was professionally directed, volunteers made a substantial contribution, showing the differ­ence between archaeology then and now, as does the timescale of the investigation.Dr. Neal’s excavation revealed that the swimming bath belonged to the last phase in the development of a villa complex. Its begin­nings were dated 75-100AD. The only substantial survival from this period were the remains of a stone, three-room bath house. The villa it served was probably timber built as the only remains are some ditches and drainage gullies. Both the villa and the bath house were to go through a number of modifications and enlargements. A particularly significant change occured in 150- 160AD when the bath house was extended and the villa was built in stone. The villa was of a design which frequently occurs, having a linear spine of rooms with shorter wings projecting at each end, the whole being surrounded by a corridor, probably in the form of a verandah.The swimming pool was found to be of remarkable size. At 21 metres long by 12 metres wide, with a depth of 1.5 metres it was almost the same size as the great bath at Bath. Its construcyion c.325AD was part of the final phase of building on the site, when the last of a series of extensions and alterations was carried out. Coin evidence showed that the villa and bath house complex was demolished in 353AD, with only two small outbuildings being left standing. It was thought that the demolition may have been part of the punative measures taken against supporters of the usurper Magnentius, who was defeated at Mursae in 351 AD and died two years later.

The 1960s excavations are described in articles in Current Archaeology No.1 (March 1967) and No. 18 (January 1970) which are available from The Hadas library.

Last year Dr. Neal returned to excavate at Gadebridge as a millenium project.

The passage of time has increased background knowledge of the period and Dr. Neal’s own expertise. It has also brough changes in excavation techniques, particularly in the excavation of extended areas rather than small trenches. These considera­tions caused Dr. Neal to doubt some of his earlier interpretations and wonder if more information could be obtained. Not surpris­ingly, this proved to be the case.

Although the main features of the earlier picture remained the same, some interpretations were amended. What had originally thought to have been a cottage associated with the bath house proved to be an extension of the porticus of the villa. A chalk surface, dated 75-100AD originally believed to have been an external yard was found to have been the floor of a circular building and evidence was found of an earlier, smaller, swim­ming bath. Finally, the “blood and thunder” explanation of the cause of demolition of the villa in 353AD is now thought unlike­ly as their is evidence of a general economic decline in south east Britain during this period. This is confirmed by the diminished state of London at this time as well as evidence from other villa sites in the area.

Dr. Neal’s talk not only supplied interesting and relevant infor­mation but also reminded us that that reports, which always appear authorative on the printed page, are only interpretations which which depend on the skill and knowledge of those who make them.

Gadebridge Roman Villa seems to be auspicious for beginnings. The report of the original excavation appeared in the first issue of Current Archaeology and the October talk saw the faultless debut of our new slide projector, complete with infra-red control. Technology marches onward at HADAS – can it be long before our pot-washers are equipped with electric toothbrushes?

CHRISTMAS DINNER AT GRIM’S DYKE on Tuesday 4 December

This is now fully booked with 60 members attending but there is no-one on the waiting list at present. If anyone would like to join us please phone Dorothy Newbury on 0208 203 0950 as there may be late cancellations.See page 3 for a note about the venue. As it will be too dark to see much on the 4 December, members may like to return there for tea during the summer to see the site.

RESISTIVITY SEARCH IN ENFIELD

HADAS members Bill Bass. Andrew Coulson and Brian Wrigley joined forces with members of the Enfield Archaeological Society in October to take part in a resistivity survey to try to locate the remains of a Tudor building in the grounds of Myddleton House in north Enfield. The twelve-room, red brick gabled 16th centu­ry manor house. known as Bowling Green House, was demol­ished in 1818 when Myddleton House was built. The founda­tions of the Tudor house were discovered in 1986 when they were struck by a digging machine while irrigation pipes were being laid.

Myddleton House is owned by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and no decision has yet been made whether to give permission for a full excavation on the site.

A photograph of our intrepid resistivity team is recorded for pos­terity in the pages of the Enfield Advertiser for 24 October.

LAST TRAM FROM BARNET

by Andy Simpson

As one or two other HADAS members are aware (and have even indulged in themselves) I am a habitue of transport enthusiasts collectors fairs, where those so inclined can pick up all manner of railway, tram, bus and shipping memorabilia and ephemera, from models to tickets, photos, books, magazines, records, timetables, waybills, posters and hardware (wagon plates to used ticket boxes). A regular venue is Camden Town Hall (next fair to be held on 2 February 2002) with others in Enfield (St. Paul’s Centre, near Enfield Chase Station) and an annual major event at Picket’s Lock Leisure Centre early in November. Here, careful perusal of box upon box of photos, prints and slides can produce the occasional gem – at a price. Black and white postcard-size prints average 40p to 70p each; £2 to £3 or more on certain stands for “rare” subjects!

My own chief quarry is Black Country tram and trollybus pho­tos, with a more local interest in the Barnet, Edgware, Finchley and Golders Green areas. Therefore I was particularly pleased with a discovery at the October event at Camden Town Hall. This was a postcard-size print showing the last electric tram to run from High Barnet in 1938. An early hours of the morning view, it shows the trams driver and conductor in traditional leather- cuffed uniforms, the driver complete with heavy overcoat, flank­ing a smartly dressed gentleman holding three tram tickets. On the vestibule bulkhead window of the tram is a small hand-writ­ten paper notice, “Barnet The Last Journey 1907-1938”. The caption on the back of the photo reads:

“LPTB (London Passenger Transport Board) Staff/Passenger off the last tram Barnet Route. On the morning of 6th March 1938 at Tally Ho Corner depot. Driver Lowe Conductor Mardell Passenger Herbert Bee holding first and last tickets of 1907 and 1938”

The tram itself is a former Metropolitan Electric Tramways H class double deck eight-wheeled car, which was scrapped within a few months.

The first public tram to Barnet ran from Whetstone on 28 March 1907; when route numbers were introduced the Barnet to Tottenham Court Road (Euston Road) via Highgate, Archway and Camden Town run became Route Number 19. A full trip took 54 minutes and cost 8d (3p!) in 1935.

Trollybuses on route 609, and shortly afterwards the 645 to Canons Park. replaced the trains on Sunday 6 March 1938 and survived until 2 January 1962, since when the motorbus has ruled the roost.

The former Metropolitan Electric Tramways Finchley depot off Ballards Lane/Rosemont Avenue, which opened in 1905, closed to trams in March 1938. It later served as a trollybus and motor­bus depot, closing completely in December 1993. It was later demolished and replaced by a Homebase Superstore, although the wall of the former offices fronting Rosemont Avenue survives, complete with bricked-in doors and windows and some relics of it remain in London Transport Museum’s store at Acton Town.

Andy Simpson hopes to write a follow-up article on these and other Barnet Transport relics held by London Transport Museum in due course.

FESTIVE FARE

Two 18th century recipes “The best recipt for Minced Pie mixture:

One pound of tripe well shred or thirteen eggs hard boiled with half the whites taken out; two pounds of suet well shred as small as pos­sible; one pound raisins; two pounds of prunes stoned and shred; one pound currants and half an ounce of nuts; cinnamon, mace and cloves a quarter ounce each; eight sour apples shred; one gill each of verjuice, sack and brandy; and half a pound of lemon peel with sugar.”

Fairfax Household Book

Mince pies were originally rectangular in shape and said to rep­resent Christ’s manger. They were abominated as “Popish and superstitious” by the Puritans and in 1656 were described as:

“Idolatry in crust? Babylon’s whore

Defiled with superstition, like the Gentiles

Of Old, that worshiped onions, roots and lentils”

On the Tenth Day of Christmas you should set about making your Twelth Night Cake:

” Put two pounds of butter in a warm pan and work it to a cream with your hand; then put in two pounds of loaf sugar sifted; a large nutmeg grated; and of cinnamon ground, allspice ground, ginger, mace and coriander each a quarter ounce. Now break in eighteen eggs one by one, meantime beating it for twenty min­utes or above: stir in a gill of brandy; then add two pounds of sifted flour, and work it a little. Next put in currants four pounds, chopped almonds half a pound; citron the like; and orange and lemon peel cut small half a pound. Put in one bean and one pea in separate places, bake it in a slow oven for four hours, and ice it or decorate it as you will.”

From The Experienced English Housekeeper’ by Elizabeth Raffald 1769.

Season’s greetings to all o members and their families
and all good wishes for a happy New Year

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 9 January An evening with Derek Batten sharing the Time Team’s Visit to his Castle in Towcester prior to the programme’s showing on TV.

Tuesday 13 February Lecture Aspects of Roman Tunisia by Kader Chelei

Tuesday 13 March Lecture Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills (an outing to this site is being planned for August)

All lectures start promptly at 8,00pm at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley. N.3 and are followed by questions and coffee. Meetings close at 10.00pm

One Man and His Castle by Derek Batten

In life it’s amazing how one thing leads to another. Had I not mis-spent my youth in the Gaumont and Odeon cinemas (not to mention the New Bohemia and the Rex) I would never have developed an interest in the American Wild West, never taken part in the archaeological work done

at Little Big Horn in 1985 and subsequently, and never have seen myself as a very amateur archaeologist. Thus it was in 1997, with a substantial windfall jangling in my pocket, I saw an estate agent’s board advertising “Castle and Moat For Sale”, within two miles of my Northamptonshire home – and I never knew it was there! I had to submit a sealed bid and wondered whether I’d fixed on the right number. The rest, as they say, is history…

The Mount (my castle) covers some 1.72 acres, is sort of triangular in shape and has a very deep (25 feet in places), well-preserved and quite dramatic moat, There is quite a bit of tree cover, particularly around the edges, and it occupies a dominant position on a ridge overlooking the valley of the River Tuve in south Northamptonshire. It was certain- ly used in Norman times as a ringwork. a sort of squashed motte with all the buildings inside the perimeter moat.

How nice, I thought, to do the odd day’s digging on my own castle to while away my declining years. Alas, I had reckoned without English Heritage, as I has bought a Scheduled Ancient Monument and I’m not allowed to go up there and break wind without their consent.I also realised the need for a proper earthwork survey, geophysical investiga­tions and and professional control. All very expensive.

In conjunction with Northamptonshire Heritage a management plan was produced. This is a detailed document which sets out the history and plans for the future, including a report from the local Tree Officer recommending that certain trees be removed because they were a dan­ger to the archaeology, or to persons or property. I sent a copy of the management plan to the village but, of course, no-one really bothered to read it. Then I applied to have twenty of the one hundred and thirty trees removed and the balloon went up! Nasty letters, petitions, protests, a bit in the local newspaper and general bad feeling. This was not helped by the fact that two neighbouring gardens were encroach­ing on my land. More bad feeling, verbal and physical confrontation and worst of all, horrendous lawyers’ bills.

I suppose it was Bridget’s idea and persistence that made me approach Time Team. Nothing much happened but I had another go as a member of the Time Team Club at the same time as they were in touch with the County Archaeologists about a possible location. Two lovely researchers came to look at the site in February, Bridget plied them with home-made soup, bread and cheese. I opened my best bot­tle of Cab. Sauv. and it all happened from then.

April, then October and finally the end of July were suggested as likely dates and I was rewarded with three of the most exciting days of my life. Everyone involved with the project, Tony Robinson, Mick Aston et at could not have been nicer. There are a number of human stories that space does not permit me to recall but I have promised Dorothy to speak at the HADAS meeting in January and to show the professional video that we took of the whole exercise. Incredibly, and because of Time Team’s influence, I made peace with the village and settled my boundary dispute in front. of the cameras. Quite how much will appear in the Time Team fifty-minute programme remains to be seen. At this moment I do not have a date for transmission but I promise that HADAS members will know as soon as I do.

(Readers of the SAGA Magazine will have read about Derek and his cas­tle in the September issue.)

KING ALFRED’S GRAVE

In King Alfred’s day, monastic life was not flourishing, a fact of which he was very aware, having received little formal education himself as a boy, although he had made two journeys to Rome by the age of ten.

After the society’s lecture in October about Archaeology in Winchester, and the search for King Alfred’s grave on the site of Hyde Abbey, I referred to the book “The Life and Times of Alfred the Great” by the late Douglas Woodruff, who gained first class honours in history at New College, Oxford. As we heard in the lecture, Alfred did found New Minster, Hyde Abbey in Winchester and intended it to be a place of learning where learned monks from abroad were to be encouraged to reside, there being a shortage of scholars in Wessex. To quote from Douglas Woodruff:

At the time of Alfred’s death ” the New Minster was not ready and he was buried in the old, and when, a year or two later, the New Minster, soon to be Hyde Abbey, was ready, his body was transferred there, apparently with the full acquiesence of the canons of the Old Minster, because, they said, he troubled them by appearing at night and walking in their cloisters on a way which much alarmed them. At the Reformation, when Hyde Abbey like all other religious houses was suppressed and then despoiled, the tombs of the Saxon kings were not spared. Some of the bones were later gathered into wooded caskets and placed above the chancel in Winchester Cathedral, but all mixed up. There they remain.” I hope this may be of interest to members of HADAS.

Margaret E. Phillips

SPECIAL OFFER TO MEMBERS

Some years ago Bernard H. Oak, a local resident, published a book entitled “A History of Mill Hill in its Environment”, which was sold through local book­shops and libraries at £17.50. Bernard is now able to offer copies to members of HADAS at a special price of £3.00. If you would like a copy please ring Brian Wrigley on 020 8959 5982 and he will arrange for all orders to be delivered to one address for collection.

RECENT PLANNING
APPLICATIONS

58 Gervase Road, Edgware, Middx, HAS OEP for front, rear and side extension;

81 Gervase Road, Edgware, HA8 OEW for rear extension.

Gervase Road joins Thirleby Road where sherds of Roman pottery have been found and this area is close to Hanshaw Drive where HADAS is involved in an excavation.

WANTED: A PROFESSIONAL INDEXER

Is there a professional indexer in the Society? We need one to contin­ue the index of Newsletters started by Bridget Grafton Green in 1961, which reached 1976, This provides an invaluable reference tool to past events and activities of the Society. Can anyone help complete the job? Please contact Dorothy Newbury an 020 8203 0950.

NEWS OF MEMBERS

A sad note to end the year, with the news of the deaths of three long­standing members, each of whom contributed much to the Society in their own way:

Olive Banhain, a founder-members, died on 11 October, her 94th birthday.

In her last letter to me she said she was going to reverse her age from 93 to 39, Olive and her husband, Jim, were very active in the Society. HADAS started with fifteen members and was very soon producing a newsletter, for which Jim addressed the envelopes and then delivered them by hand. Olive outlived Jim by many years and she came on all outings including out first week-end away to Ironbridge and Wroxeter in 1974. On day trips many members will remember the large tin of sweeties she always brought to pass round the coach. On our first trip to Orkney in 1978 she came round with a bottle of sherry which she shared round the dormitory. We felt like naughty schoolgirls having a midnight feast! Olive often reminded me of the fun we had in Orkney all those years ago.

She never forgot HADAS and only a couple of months ago she sent a donation for the Minimart, which she has done every year since she left Hendon to live near relatives in her home village in Norfolk.

Olive was a school-teacher by profession and started her career in the same village to which she returned. June Porges and I attended her funeral at Hendon Crematorium on behalf of HADAS.

Dorothy Newbury

Janet Heathfield died on 16 September. She had been a HADAS mem­ber for over thirty years and in spite of being disabled, joined enthusi­astically in whatever HADAS activities were available to her. An abid­ing memory is of her at the exploratory dig near the well at East Barnet Church. Because she was partly paralysed she could only ‘dig’ by lying prone on her left side and scraping with her good arm. Each of her ‘finds’ was greeted with a whoop of delight.

Janet’s most recent activity was to try to get the 17th century village clock in East Barnet restored.

Arthur Till, a Committee Member and digging team stalwart, died sud­denly in October at the age of seventy-four.

Arthur and his wife, Vera, joined HADAS in July, 1988, two year’s after his early retirement from British Telecom. He brought to the Society his immense practical skills and a marvellous sense of humour coupled with a willingness to join in and to offer assistance and guidance as necessary. He participated in most of our excavations and would often arrive with items of site equipment prepared at home from odds and ends – the auger, safety tops for pegs and the red and white pegs them­selves made from reinforcing rods “liberated” from the site of an earli­er dig! The bookcases and shelves at Avenue House garden room were Arthur’s handiwork. His specialities were clay pipes and building mate­rials and he had recently benefited from the training in ceramic building materials identification given to HADAS by the Museum of London. There is no doubt that his humourous sayings. usually attributed to his Grannie, will long be repeated by members of the digging team! Several HADAS members attended his funeral at New Southgate where condolences were passed to Vera and her family.
Vikki O’Conner and Roy Walker

COMMORATIVE PLAQUES by Liz Holiday

Many thanks to the dozen or so members who flew to their refer­ence books and cudgelled their brains to help with answers to my outstanding queries.

I can confirm that a love and knowledge of cricket is alive and well among our gentlemen mem­bers, at least five of whom have filled me in on the life and tri­umphs of Ranjitsinhji – The Black Prince of Cricket.
Three plaques I had not included in the list have been brought to my attention, including a new one erected by The Finchley Society in March this year.

Percy Reboul has very kindly offered to check the Local Collection for suitable illustra­tions, so it looks as if the final draft is not too far off. I did manage to get the text of the book I have been working on this summer to the printer in time – just- and it is due to be published on 9 December. Entitled “Chipperfield Within Living Memory”, it is based on recorded interviews with 64 long-standing residents of the village and (hopefully) gives a picture of life in a small Hertfordshire village during the 20th century. As a community project it must rate a gold star as well over 100 people have been involved in it!

BOUNDARY STONE REPLACED

An inscribed stone dated 1896 which marked the boundary between the parish of St. John’s, Hampstead and St. Pancras disappeared dur­ing roadworks in May has now been found and replaced.

PROGRESS 2000BC By Arthur Till

” Dad, I’m cold . . .”

“So am I, Little Ug.”

“Well, can I put some more wood on the fire, Dad?”

“Sorry, Little Ug, but I’ve promised all that wood we collected yesterday to old Smog for a couple of spears and a few arrows.”

“What happened to our last spears, Dad?”

“They went rusty, son.”

‘What’s ‘rusty’ Dad?”

“It’s what happens now that we’re in the Iron Age. If you don’t keep your iron things in the dry, the next time you go to use them they’re just a heap of red rust.”

“That never happened to the old ones we used, did it Dad?” “Well, they were bronze, son, and that didn’t go rusty.”

“Why are we using the iron ones then, Dad?”

“Well, Little Ug, it’s what’s called Progress. These iron things are sup­posed to be sharper and harder than the bronze ones were, and Old Smog says that there’s not much call for the old bronze ones any more. It was just the same when we changed over from flint to bronze –

your mother and I didn’t have a decent shave for years when that came about!’

“Didn’t people complain about it, Dad?”

“They did try to, Little Ug, especially Old Chipper and his tribe. They used to supply all the people around here with their flint axes and things. But they were reckoned to be backward so they were all sent to a place called Knapsbury, so people didn’t complain much after that and bronze gradually took over. Anyway, Old Smog seems to be doing alright for himself – he’s taking over another new but and for some rea­son he’s calling it ‘Santa Fe’.”

“I’m still cold, Dad.”

“OK, son, bung a little bit on the fire, just to keep the wolves away!” “Thanks Dad.”

“Dad?’
“What now, Little Ug?”

“Where does all the smoke go to?”

“Ask your mother, son, she knows everything!”

NEW SOCIETY MUSHROOMS

Welcome to a new local history society in the Borough. John Donovan, who lived in Friern Barnet for thirty years, fulfiled a long-held ambition when he organised the inaugural meeting of The Friern Barnet & District Local History Society at Friern Barnet Town Hall in September. Forty members of the public attended and heard Andrew Mussell talk about the Borough’s Archives and Local Studies collec­tion. With the support of local resident Dr. Oliver Natelson, another keen local history enthusiast, the society has mushroomed and now boasts 95 members. The next meeting will be held at 8.00pm on Wednesday 10 January in Friern Barnet Town Hall when our own John Heathfield will he speaking.

If you would like to join the society or find out more about their aims and objectives contact John Donovan, 19 Cringle Court, Thornton Road. Little Heath, Herts, EN6 IJR or telephone him on 01707 642886

OTHER SOCIETIES’

DECEMBER EVENTS Wed. 6 Dec. at 2pm Highgate Wood
Children’s Events, Christmas Tree Sale, Cream Teas, Band, Shop. Guided winter walk from the Information Hut.(For map & details see page 3 of July Newsletter)

Wed. 6 Dec. at 5pm British Archaeological Association at Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W.1 Channel Island Churches a talk by Warwick Rodwell.

Thur. 7 Dec. at 7.30pm London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, N.1 Enchanted Waters of the Basingstoke Canal a talk by Arthur Dungate. Admission £2.50 (£1.25 concessions)

Sat. 9 Dec. 10.15am-3.30pm Amateur Geological Society at St. Mary’s Hall, Hendon Lane, Finchley, N.3 Annual Bazaar (Rocks, minerals, fossils, crystals, gemstones. jewellery) Admission 50p.

Wed. 13 Dec. at 6.30pm LAMAS at The Museum of London. London on Ice: the Thames Frost Fairs a talk by Jeremy Smith.

Wed. 13 Dec. at 8.15pm Mill Hill Historical Society at Harwood Hall, Union Church, Mill Hill Broadway. Art History a talk by Ian Littler.

Thur. 14 Dec. at 7.30pm Camden History Society at Burgh House, New End Road, NW3. The Monuments of St. Paul’s Cathedral a talk by HADAS President Dr. Ann Saunders

Fri. 15 Dec. at 8pm Enfield Archaeological Society. The Archaeology of the Jubilee Line Extension a talk by James Drummond-Murray (£1 visitors