Past Newsletters

Newsletter
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HADAS SUMMER DIARY

Tuesday 8 May Lecture: WALTHAM ABBEY GUNPOWDER MILLS Norman Paul (originally scheduled for April).

Saturday 9 June Outing: CANTERBURY with Micky Cohen and Micky Watkins, booking form with full details enclosed.

Tuesday 12 June ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Enclosed are Minutes of last year’s AGM, Notice of the AGM on 12th June 2001, Annual Report & Accounts, and proposed alterations to the Constitution. Followed by a talk and slides on some of our activities over the past 40 years.

Saturday 14 July Outing: CRANBORNE CHASE near Salisbury with Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward

Saturday 11 August Outing: WALTHAM ABBEY GUNPOWDER MILLS with Stewart Wild

There is a question mark about the present destinations of our July and August outings due to the restrictions of the Foot & Mouth epidemic. The outing organisers are monitoring the situation and, if necessary, alternative destinations will be arranged and details posted in the Newsletter.

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LONDON ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARCHIVE AND RESEARCH CENTRE (LAARC) Report by Andy Simpson

Members of the HADAS Committee and other members of the digging and research teams attended a most useful meeting at Avenue House on 29th March. We were pleased to meet Hedley Swain, Head of Early London Department at the Museum of London, and his colleague John Shepherd, Head of the Museum of London’s Archaeological Archive. Hedley had kindly offered to talk to us about the services that the recently established LAARC could offer. It will cover material from the Museum’s own excavations in the City through MoLAS, and excavations resulting from PPG16 requirements from all thirty- two London Boroughs. Other archives and material from the LAMAS, City of London Archaeological Society (COLAS) and Islington societies may be added to the collections held there. The new archaeological archive is the largest of its kind in Europe, intended as a store for presently existing archives and a sustainable home for material produced through future excavations. It is aimed at a whole variety of audiences, including schools, archaeological professionals, amateurs, students and teachers, as a centre of research, with the goal of 100% public access to the collection and the information required about it. Present building improvements should be completed by June this year and a formal launch of their public access facilities will take place in January 2002. The refurbished and extended canal-side building at Eagle Wharf Road features 12 kilometres of archives shelving to carry material from 4,500 sites so far, with room for another twenty years of material at the present rate of acquisition. Collections management is vital – even simple steps such as use of standard box sizes (12 at present) and careful packing and re-boxing of material can provide valuable extra space, as those dealing with HADAS material at Avenue House can verify. Study areas will be located adjacent to storage bays. Access will be free, by prior appointment, with generous opening hours: 7am to 9pm, Monday to Friday, plus two Saturdays per month from 10am to 4pm. There is a large Visitor Centre doubling as an 80-seat conference/meeting room. The LAARC will be located on the first floor of the Eagle Wharf Road premises, and the Museum of London Social History collections on the ground floor will include vehicles and street furniture, largeobjects including timbers, and architectural stonework and ironwork. Hedley Swain has since written to Brian Wrigley thanking us for a useful meeting. He would welcome HADAS’ involvement through using the archive for research, or members volunteering to help with finds processing, analysis, or possibly a specific project staffed by HADAS members, and he is open to suggestions on what facilities or services should be provided. Although primarily intended for storage of MoL/PPG16 generated material, LAARC is happy to discuss deposition of relevant London archaeological material from other sources, bearing in mind local interests when some material may be better curated locally, and the best interests of archaeology overall. They are willing to offer advice on any storage and archive standards required, including copyright and photographic access. I am sure all HADAS members wish the new project success; the Society and several individual members made donations some time ago and it is hoped that many members will find the Archive of help and, indeed, be of help to LAARC themselves.

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College Farm

As part of the preparations for the forthcoming Ted Sammes archive project, the HADAS finds stored at College Farm have been given a good sort-out recently, continuing the gradual (and much needed) tidy-up of the HADAS storage area at the farm, undertaken by members of the digging team over the past few months. The West Heath material, including flints and post-hole casts, has been grouped together, as has the Church Terrace and Church End Farm material, with some selective re-boxing due to deterioration of original packaging materials. Museum of London standard finds boxes, sourced by Bill Bass, are now being used at College Farm as well as for the material stored at Avenue House. Other material at the farm includes Pipers Green Lane, Brockley Hill, Roman finds and post-medieval material such as coffin plates from East Barnet. It is planned to gradually continue this process as part of the preparations for new storage premises, which we hope to acquire shortly.
PLANNING APPLICATIONS IN THE NORTHERN AREA Bill Bass
1263-1275 High Road, Whetstone, London, N20

This block of buildings, comprising an ex-baker’s, hospice shop, tailor’s and other outlets on the junction of the High Road and Totteridge Lane, is about to be demolished and the site re-developed by Waitrose who own the adjacent supermarket. There is an archaeological condition to investigate the standing building and land before building. The site stands opposite 1264 High Road where HADAS found evidence of occupation going back to the medieval period.
Tapster Street and Moon Lane, Barnet, Herts

The application to develop this site for residential use has an archaeological condition, as this area lies just to the east of Barnet Parish Church and the surrounding medieval occupation.
Hampstead Garden Suburb Archive

The Handlist to above archive will have been launched by the time you receive this newsletter. This work was instigated by the late Brigid Grafton Green who, as long-standing HADAS members will recall vividly, was our Secretary for several years. The Society has made a corporate donation towards this important publication, but members who wish to make a contribution as individuals, in memory of Brigid, should send cheques, payable to HGS Archive Trust, to Dr Ann Saunders, 3 Meadway Gate, NW11 7LA.
EXCAVATIONS AT BROCKLEY HILL Tessa Smith

Andy Norton and his team from the Oxford Archaeological Unit have been digging at the corner of Brockley Hill and Spur Road, Edgware for some weeks in very waterlogged conditions. They have exposed a metalling surface, part of Roman Watling Street, as well as several drainage ditches and a row of postholes for a possible Roman fenced area. As well as this, two Roman coins and a possible stylus have gone to Oxford for analysis. Hopefully, HADAS will be able to obtain a copy of the report when it comes out.

Further up Brockley Hill, on the west, Harrow, side of Watling Street, in the grounds of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Ben Ford of the Oxford Group has excavated the area of Brockley House. When the house when built last century, the footings sliced through a Roman kiln, and the Oxford unit have found much Roman pottery which is also currently being processed in Oxford and, again, we hope to get a copy of the report in due course. Our thanks go to Rob Whytehead of English Heritage who informed us of these excavations.

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MEET THE MEMBERS

We have persuaded some of our members to share their thoughts and experiences in our common passion, archaeology…
BILL FIRTH

I had the usual boyhood interest in trains; in fact I had an extensive model railway, but I was interested in all forms of transport and the infrastructure. This led to a wider interest in industrial history and then industrial archaeology (IA). In the mid 1970s, as our children were about to leave home, my wife said that we must develop some new interests, some of which should be individual ones so that neither of us would always be reliant on the other. In the event, I joined the Greater London Industrial Society, GLIAS, in 1975 and, having become an active member, was elected to the committee in 1977. I took on the post of Publicity Officer in 1978 and held this post before volunteering to become secretary when that position became vacant in 1989. After ten years I decided to take a break and resigned but I have still not been fully replaced, however, I am decreasingly involved and there is hope of a successor. One of GLIAS aims, which has never been fully achieved, was to have a correspondent in each London Borough who would keep a watching brief on IA in their area. I agreed to take on Barnet and, to pursue this, I joined HADAS in 1976. At the time HADAS, led by Paul Carter, a somewhat mysterious figure who, about that time, just disappeared from the IA scene, had done some recording of IA sites in the borough and Brigid Grafton Green, who was not only secretary but a promoter of many HADAS activities, was keen for this to continue. Unlike most of the boroughs nearer inner London, Barnet has never been an industrial area, although there are (have been) important sites, and industrial archaeology has not been a major activity for HADAS. One early project was the photographing of the Schweppes factory in West Hendon before it was demolished. We were also involved in a small way with the author of a history of the company. We have had one major success in achieving the listing of all the historic buildings at Hendon Aerodrome after the Ministry of Defence proposed to demolish the Grahame-White hangar which was the only building listed at that time. The campaign lasted some 12 months. Over the years we have produced a number of gazetteers for various purposes. Unfortunately the number of entries has decreased each time as industrial sites have been redeveloped.One other activity is the monitoring of Borough planning applications for the redevelopment of industrial sites and to make representations when necessary but, although many sites may be of local significance, it is generally difficult to make a ease for retention or re-use in a wider London or national context. Apart from the recording of industrial sites, which is in the hands of a comparatively small Recording Group, GLIAS organises a series of winter lectures and summer IA walks. These are the popular activities. If any HADAS member would like to know more I would be glad to give them more detail and give them a membership application form.
DON COOPER

My name is Don Cooper and I’m 64 years old. My wife, Liz, and I joined HADAS in 1998. Previously I worked for the Smiths Group formerly Smiths Industries Plc for over forty years ending up as Director, Business Development for their Medical Group. I have always been interested in archaeology and in planning for my retirement I took the Birbeck College’s course “Field archaeology and the Romano-British period in Southern Britain” at evening class. This was to prove to myself that I could still write essays, as opposed to business reports and memos, and retain at least some of the information from the classroom! After I retired, I successfully applied to University College London (UCL) to do a full-time degree in General Archaeology. I am now about to do my final year exams (all prayers, incantations, memory enhancers welcome!!). UCL are introducing an MA in London Archaeology this year and, assuming appropriate grades, I have applied to do it part-time. I have excavated at Fishbourne Roman palace, Bignor Roman villa, Pisidian Antioch in Turkey, Ewell in Surrey and on a Bronze Age site on Leskernick Hill in Cornwall. Apart from studying and excavating, Liz and I like travelling, theatre and dining out, and divide our time between our house on the west coast of Ireland and living here in London. We find all the people at HADAS very friendly and greatly enjoy the lecture series — long may it continue. Don mentioned that the MA in London Archaeology at UCL will only run if there is sufficient take-up, and he suggests that, if anyone is interested in the subject, this is the year to do it!
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Jill Hooper joined us eighteen months ago and immediately got stuck into the practical side of the Society, becoming a regular on fieldwork projects. She would like to share her experience as a Birkbeck student…
JILL HOOPER
BIRKBECK SURVEY WEEK

One overcast and showery week in March, I joined ten other Birkbeck students in a turret room overlooking Tavistock Square to learn about surveying in archaeology. A week before, the pre-course reading list arrived, or should I say the 10-page trigonometry revision course! ! !! Apparently, Marek Ziebart (the course tutor) was inundated with emails from people thinking the course was not for them. I enlisted the help of a friend, who spent several hours patiently guiding me through the pages of gobbledegook and on the art of using a calculator. Thanks to Mike I arrived more prepared than most. Fear not, anyone who has been tempted to do the course – one person had not done any trig at school. Marek must be the most patient and good-humoured tutor to walk this earth; he led us each morning through the required maths, and set us loose each afternoon in the square for practical work. We divided into three groups with instructions to try and have one person with a sense of humour, one who was neat and one who sort of understood what we were doing. My group had the humour, neatness and two who KNEW what they were doing!, (and muddled along just fine). Levelling, benchmarks, temporary benchmarks, backsights, foresights, dumpys and staffs all became clear on day one. Eastings, northings, bearings, Pythagarus’ theorem, sine, cosine, tangent and theodolites became clearer as the week progressed. Each group had to mark out a triangle. Along the hypotenuse and at right angles to it four stakes at set distances were struck. Using the theodolites, features around the square were measured from two points on our original triangles. Back in the classroom, the castings and northings for each feature were calculated and plotted on transparent graph paper at the same scale as the ordnance survey map of the area. The object of all this was to correctly place our triangles on the ordnance survey grid. The importance of levelling and accurate placing on the ordnance survey grid, is so that future excavations and contractors know where and at what level important archaeology has been found in the past and therefore aid future planning in an area. I would highly recommend the course to anyone who is interested. The content is not as difficult as it appears at first sight. I learnt a tremendous amount about many aspects of archaeology, and had great fun. A sense of humour certainly helped, especially on the day, due to rain, that we did trigonometry all day!!! Jill has also recently been helping as a volunteer with a professional unit operating in London. Perhaps we could coax another article from her one of these days?
Malcolm Stokes

According to our records, Malcolm Stokes joined HADAS in 1978. You may know his informative booklet A Walk along the ancient boundaries in Kenwood, (on sale from the HADAS book box as well as from the author). Several HADAS members have joined his annual walk/talk along the Kenwood boundaries – part of the Kenwood events calendar. Last year he masterminded an excellent millennium local history exhibition for the Highgate Scientific Society. As well as editing the Hornsey Historical Society Newsletters he finds time for parish boundary research and the following is from his paper ‘How old is Hornsey’s boundary?’ published in the Hornsey Historical bulletin 42, which he abridged to cover the areas in which HADAS has an interest. Malcolm has taken a fresh look at the recorded evidence and believes that his findings could be considered controversial, but welcomes comment/criticism/debate through the HADAS newsletter. We enjoy a hot debate too, so be our guest…

Before 1965, when the greater London boroughs were created, there was a strong link between Finchley (now included in the LBB Barnet) and Hornsey (now included in Haringey). Their common boundary is surprisingly new for two mediaeval parishes. Neither manor warranted a mention in Domesday Book. The land could not support a manor worth independent management or taxation. Indeed, there is no evidence that either Hornsey or Finchley existed as either independent manors or parishes before the thirteenth century although, no doubt, there were farmsteads and small settlements in the area. The close connection between Hornsey and Finchley lies in their common owner, the bishop of London, who found no need to differentiate between these possessions. The closeness of these two manors by the same owner allowed them to be bought as a single unit by Sir John Wollaston, (Victoria County History of Middlesex vi 56, 125; Marchams Hornsey Manor Court Rolls xiv, xvii; V.Pearl London and the Outbreak of the Puritan Revolution (1961) 328-331) a protestant Lord Mayor of London, after the sale of church lands as late as the seventeenth century under the Commonwealth. The bishop’s hunting park appears as an appendage on the enclosure map of Finchley and was called Hornsey Park, even where it protruded into Finchley parish.The park was in existence by 1226 (S.Madge Mediaeval records of Harringay 18, being the most significant feature in the area at that time. At the time of Domesday Book, the bishop of London held twenty-four manors. In most cases,it would seem reasonable to assume that the that the boundaries of these manors were determined when the king first granted them to their respective Lords. But the bishop’s lands extended over a large area, and the number of manors held varied a new ones were created from this tract and some were passed on to others, including the canons of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Finchley was seen to be part of Fulham manor and Hornsey part of Stepney manor. As the parish boundary between Hornsey and Finchley manors passed through the bishop of London’s hunting lodge in Haringey Park it was assumed that this was manorial boundary between Fulham and Stepney and would have a pre-Conquest date. On the other hand if Hornsey and Finchley had no independent existence as parishes or manors and were undivided before the thirteenth century, then it would make no difference to their common lord, the bishop, whether they were referred to as Hornsey or Finchley, and their affairs could be dealt with as conveniently for him and his bailiffs anywhere that his court might be held. The thirteenth century origins of Hornsey and Finchley The earliest written records for the area date from the thirteenth century. It has been suggested that Finchley manor formed part of the 50 hides in Fulham and elsewhere which Tyrhtel, bishop of Hereford, granted to Wealdheri, bishop of London in about 704. [V.C.H. Mdx vi 55; P.H.Sawyer, Anglo-Saxon Charters, no. 1785; Eng. Hist. Docs.i, ed. D. Whitelock, p. 449; V.C.H. Mdx. v. 96, 105.] Although Finchley was called a manor in 1374, [Cal. Pat. 1370-4, 462-3], it continued to be treated as part of Fulham until its transfer to the bishop’s lordship of Hornsey in 1491. [V.C.H. Mdx. vi; S.C. 2/189/1 m. 2d.] This is an example of the confused relationship between these two holdings. In 1294 the bishop of London claimed to have possessed Hornsey as a member of his manor of Stepney from time immemorial. Also in 1294, the bishop of London claimed that his predecessors had exercised rights over Finchley as a member of Fulham ‘time out of mind’. [V.C.H. Mdx. Vi, 55; Plac. de Quo. Warr (Rec. Corn.), 475]. This implies that there was a division between Finchley and Hornsey by 1294, as separate land holdings. The churches and parishes in Hornsey and Finchley Many ecclesiastical parishes were created in the thirteenth century. It would appear that the bishop of London, as lord of the manors of Finchley and Hornsey, founded both parishes in the thirteenth century at a time when he had been making frequent use of his hunting lodge. The church at Finchley was first recorded in 1274 [V.CH. Mdx. vi. 82; Cal. Pat. 1272-81, p.41]. The church at Hornsey was first recorded in 1291 [V.C.H. Mdx. vi. 172; Tax. Eccl. Rec. Corn. 17] and a priest in 1302 (Madge, Med. Rec. of Harringay 76-7, 91]. So it seems that the manors and parishes of Finchley and Hornsey emerged in the late thirteenth century out of a large tract of land long held by the bishops of London. It appears that Finchley and Hornsey’ were created from the rump of this tract of land when endowments of land had left a straggling remnant of a more extensive area. This view is supported by the fact that the common boundary between Finchley and Hornsey was not created until much later. The boundary across Finchley common 1816 The boundary between Finchley and Hornsey offers some clues to Hornsey’s origin because it can be most accurately dated being the most recent. Finchley common amounted to some 900 acres of open ground when it was enclosed in 1816. [V.C.H. vi, 47; M.R.O., EA/FIN]. It had previously been more extensive and called Finchley wood. In the sixteenth century there were disputes between the parishes bordering the common, including Friern Barnet, but no parish boundary existed as a line across the common before 1816 when it was enclosed by Act of Parliament, which created the boundary here between Finchley and Hornsey parishes. The straight boundary line drawn on the map then, survives today as the boundary between the Greater London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey marked on the ground by the eastern fence of Islington and St. Pancras cemetery. The boundary across the bishop’s hunting park 1738 To the south of Finchley common lay the bishop of London’s hunting park. Here the parish boundary between Finchley and Hornsey was determined in 1738 when the site of the bishop’s hunting lodge was used as a boundary marker. Writing in 1938, Madge refuted the suggestion in Lloyd’s History of Highgate that the lodge was built in A.D. 1068 – 1080 by stating that “the parochial boundaries at this point have been overlooked by writers; these suggest an earlier period, the remoteness of which can be revealed by an archaeological examination of the site.” [Madge, The Early Records of Harringay alias Hornsey, 46]. Madge assumed that the church, parish and its boundaries were much older. He repeated this a year later, writing, “There is little doubt that before the Conquest all the woods in this neighbourhood formed one great woodland area divided only by the parish boundaries of Hornsey, Finchley, Islington and St. Pancras”. [S.J. Madge, The Mediaeval Records of Harringay alias Hornsey, 18]. However, on 14th February 1738, an agreement was signed between the churchwardens and inhabitants of the parishes of Finchley and Hornsey and signed by the rector of Hornsey, to mark their common boundary across the bishop’s park. [Guildhall MS. 12417]. They placed a stone by Hampstead Lane (still to be seen in Kenwood grounds). [Malcolm Stokes, A Walk along ancient boundaries in Kenwood]. From the stone at Hampstead Lane the boundary was decided to go in a straight-line to another stone to be set up in Stray Field. Very significantly there are no ground features to indicate a boundary, neither natural such as streams or ridges, nor man¬made such as roads or field boundaries. In the Finchley Tithe Award of 1861 each of the fields along this part of the boundary with Hornsey is described as -part of the .. field”. With many local manors (at Hendon or Hampstead, for example) being named in Domesday Book it becomes easy to assume that other medieval parishes and manors are as old. On the other hand it is clear that the creation and subdivision of manors was a continuing process that began before the Norman Conquest but continued for several centuries after.

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OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS – Eric Morgan’s monthly selection of alternatives to TV!

Thurs 3 May Bangs, Grinds & Splinters – Industries of the Lee navigation. Talk: Jim Lewis. Venue: London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Rd, Kings X, N1. £2.50 (£1.25 concessions) 7.30pm

Sat 5 May EARTH SCIENCE BOOK FAIR Venue: University College, Gower St, WC1. 10am

Wed 9 May Barnet Local History Society, talk by Alan Greening: The Draper’s Tale – William Gardiner of Hertford Venue: Wyburn Room, Wesley Hall, Stapytton Rd, Bamet, 8pm

Wed 9 May Hornsey Historical Society, talk by Ruth Hazeldine Eating Winter with a Spoon Venue: Union Church Hall, corner Ferme Pk Rd/Weston Park, N8, non-members £1 8pm

Wed 16 May Willesden Local History Soc’y, talk by M McGirr The Growth of Paddington & Environs Venue: Willesden Suite, Library Centre, 95 High Rd, NW10. 8pm

Wed 16 May Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, talk & renditions! by Terry Lomas Music Hall Artistes buried at KGC & other London cemeteries Venue: Dissenters Chapel, KGC, W10. £3. 7.30pm

Thurs 17 May Hampstead Scientific Society, talk by Dr Christopher Walker (British Museum) Numbers in Mesopotamia Venue: Crypt Room, St John’s Church, Church Row, NW3 8.15pm

Friday 18 May City of London Archaeological Society, talk by John Newman Recent Discoveries at Sutton Hoo Venue: St Olave’s Parish Hall, Mark Lane, EC3 7pm

Friday 18 May Enfield Archaeological Society, talk by Jon Cotton, (MoLAS) Retrieving London’s Prehistory Venue: Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane, (Nr Chase Side), Enfield £1. 8pm

Fri 18 May Wembley History Society, talk + models by Roger Pattenden Model Maker’s Tale (local historic buildings) Venue: St Andrew’s Church Hall, Church Lane, Kingsbury, NW9. Visitors: £1. 7.30pm

Sat 19 May ENFIELD TRANSPORT BAZAAR – with free bus rides around local scenic areas. Venue: St Paul’s Centre, corner Church St/Old Park Ave), Enfield Town. 11am – 4pm

Sun 20 May WALK & TOUR OF UNCOMPLETED NORTHERN LINE EXTENSIONS with Jim Blake. Advance booking only £5 to North London Transport Society, 8 The Rowans, London N13 5AD. Meeting at: Finsbury Park Station 10.30am (till 7pm)

Wed 23 May Edmonton Hundred Historical Society, talk by Major Peter Horsefall: The Palace of Westminster Venue: Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane, Chase Side, Enfield. 8pm

Thurs 31 May The Finchley Society, talk by Anne Lalaguna Cherry Tree Wood Venue: Drawing Room, Avenue House, East End Rd, N3 8pm

Newsletter
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HADAS DIARY
Lectures

Tuesday 10th April SPITALFIELDS EXCAVATION

Tuesday 8th May WALTHAM ABBEY GUNPOWDER MILLS Replacing postponed lecture on Gadesbridge Roman Villa

Tuesday 12th June ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

All meetings start at 8.00 pm prompt in the drawing room on the ground floor of Avenue House Finchley N3, and are followed by question time and coffee. We close promptly at 10.00
Outings

Saturday 9th June outing to Canterbury

Saturday 14th July outing Cranbourne Chase near Salisbury

Saturday 11 August Waltham Abbey gunpowder mills

6th-9th SeptemberLong weekend in Bangor and Anglesea, North Wales with David Bromley and Jackie Brookes. Latecomers can be put on a waiting list. If you would like to join the trip, phone Dorothy Newbury on 020 8203 0950
BLACKOUT AT AVENUE HOUSE

At lunchtime on Tuesday, 13th March, Dorothy received a phone call from Avenue House to say they had a major electrical failure and there was little prospect of righting it before the evening. We were expecting Norman Paul to tell us about the Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills and a quick decision had to be made to stop Norman from setting out, and to cancel the meeting. We must apologise to members, especially any first time attenders, who came along. It was, of course, completely out of our hands. Norman Paul’s talk will now take place on 8th May, and Dr David Neal’s talk on Gadesbridge Roman Villa will take place in October.
MEMBERS’ NEWS

June Wrigley has been in hospital for a third hip operation. She is home again now, cheerful as ever, and not complaining. I don’t doubt that we will be seeing her and Brian on the coach for our summer outings again this season. (No, she hasn’t got three legs!) Mr Kirk sadly died suddenly on 28th February after only three days in hospital. Many members will remember him at lectures, always accompanied by Ms Fisher, who cared for him. They also frequently came on our day trips. Mr Kirk had a long¬standing interest in archaeology dating from his schooldays. Over the years, Ms Fisher also became interested, and we hope she will continue to attend lectures and outings.
BOOK REVIEW PAMELA TAYLOR
The Origins of Hertfordshire, Tom Williamson

Origins of the Shire series, Manchester University Press, 2000, £45.00 Tom Williamson may be known to members as the brilliant scourge of ley-line enthusiasts, for various articles on settlement and landscape in Essex, and as the author of The Origins of Norfolk. Now a Lecturer in Landscape History at the University of East Anglia, in this latest book, he has brought his matured skills back to the county of his childhood. Hertfordshire is a particularly difficult shire to elucidate – a wholly artificial tenth-century creation, the earlier patterns largely erased when it was cobbled from part of Middlesex and part or all of some other regions, particularly those of the Cilternsaetan (as in Chilterns) and Hicce (Hitchers} named in the Tribal Hidage. Williamson makes an excellent stab at unravelling many of the problems, weaving together archaeology, geology, land use, place-name studies, and historical evidence to form a usually convincing and always stimulating whole. There are nevertheless some weaknesses. The Chiltern area is thinly served, so that although Berkhamsted is interestingly covered, Tring remains as enigmatic as ever. Nearer to home, his material on the Barnet area is out-of-date, failing to incorporate the evidence of the c.1000 boundary description, and in some places obviously wrong. This is not primarily due to lack of interest in the peripheries (although that too), but to his most serious flaw, a familiarity with the written sources and historians’ interpretations of them far sketchier than in all the other fields. Relying on articles in Hertfordshire’s Past and extremely few histories, however good, is simply not enough, as his handling of Domesday Book all too clearly demonstrates. The bibliography too, though valuable in itself, is therefore far stronger in all the other disciplines, including archaeology. I’m probably more unhappy about this imbalance than most other HADAS members, but can still recommend the book wholeheartedly. Williamson is exemplary not only in his handling of much of the evidence, but also in his writing: he employs jargon only when it is helpful, controls it admirably, and provides a book which is always sophisticated, clear, elegant, and a joy to read.
POLITICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

The last full week of February saw two meetings which put archaeology in the context of politics. At the winter meeting of the Council for British Archaeology (CBA), held in the unusual surroundings of the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, Sir Neil Cossons, the Chairman of English Heritage, spoke about Power of Place, the report mentioned in the February newsletter. He was particularly exercised about the threat to the historic environment of Britain’s towns and cities that will be posed by massive schemes of urban regeneration over the next decade. He was greatly encouraged by the MORI survey which had found well over 80% of people in England (of all ages and cultures) with a very positive attitude towards the heritage. That means, in his view, that it will be possible to ensure that despite redevelopment what is important to people (including locally loved buildings, townscapes and areas, not just major national monuments) is conserved and that what must be lost can be properly studied and recorded. But there will be a lot to do to ensure this; he hoped that the Government would react speedily and positively to Power of Place, but he feared that Ministers would be deflected by the immediate and pressing concerns of a general election. There was a rather different perspective at the Annual General Meeting of Rescue on 24th February. Its Chairman – Harvey Sheldon, well known to many HADAS members – sees the great threat to archaeology in the continued destruction of sites in the countryside by ploughing. The great Rescue concern at the moment is with the ploughing of unexcavated parts of Verulamium, where Harvey has some hopes that there will be some moratorium. But Verulamium is only one example, and Rescue will be campaigning vigorously. Archaeology is inevitably in to-day’s world a political issue, even though many politicians may wish to ignore it and hope it will go away. A Historic Environment Forum is being set up, which will have both the CBA and Rescue on it, to speak out in a unified sense on archaeological issues; it plans to hold a hustings for politicians before the election. If any HADAS members think national bodies like these are worth joining – and I certainly do – their addresses are: • Council for British Archaeology: Morrell House, 111 Walmgate, York Y01 9WA (Website – www.britarch.ac.uk) • Rescue: 15a Bull Plain, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG14 1DX (Website – www.rescue-archaeology.freeserve.co.uk/rescue.htm) The CBA website is a comprehensive and very useful one, with many links; that of Rescue needs development, but we were assured at the meeting that this development is in hand.

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EXHIBITION at CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM GERRARD ROOTS

31st March – 3rd June 2001

The Festival of Britain was one of the most significant events of the early 1950s. It grew out of a plan by the Labour government to promote British industry, but expanded into a nationwide celebration of this country’s skill and inventiveness, creating the South Bank site, Battersea Fun Fair, major exhibition in Glasgow and Belfast, travelling displays, and hundreds of events in other town and villages. Church Farm will be showing a huge range of Festival memorabilia – from plaques to postcards, souveniers to songsheets. We are also fortunate in having access to the collection of the late Abram Games, former Golders Green resident and designer of, among many other things, the famous Festival of Britain ‘Britannia Emblem’.
EPPING FOREST SURVEY BILL BASS

HADAS has been asked by Nicolas Bateson of the West Essex Archaeological Group (WEAG) to do some resistivity survey at the site of Copped Hall, near Waltham Abbey, Epping Forest, in front of an excavation led by Peter Huggins of the Waltham Abbey Historical Society. Nicholas explained, “The focus is going to be on a large Tudor House, owned by Henry VIII and lived in by Mary for some time, of which a detailed design exists that was made round 1750. One pillar does still survive above ground in situ. The purpose of the excavation will be to locate the rest of the house and carry out any appropriate preservation work on the remains. The aim of the geophysical survey will be (a) to see whether it confirms the c1750 design, and (b) to ascertain the precise geographical co-ordination, thus alerting the excavators as to what they might be digging into and minimising the likelihood of accidental damage.” Nearby but not subject to this survey is the derelict shell of a later Georgian mansion. There was a meeting at Avenue House with Nicholas and other members of WEAG to establish a course of action, and a day in March was planned to have a site visit and lay out a grid. Unfortunately, due to the foot and mouth problem, the Forest Authority have asked all concerned to postpone any works for the time being until the crisis is over.
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THE CLAY TOBACCO-PIPE IN ARCHAEOLOGY BRIAN BLOICE

With the increasing interest of archaeologists in the post-medieval period, the clay tobacco pipe has become more important as an aid to dating the layers in archaeological excavations of this period. The dating of a clay tobacco-pipe is possible by comparison with known dated examples. Thus Adrian Oswald, in his classic work ‘The Chronology of the Clay Tobacco-Pipe in England’ in the Archaeological Newsletter (Sept 1961, Vol. 7, No. 3), lays out a series of well-dated types for comparison. Type and shape are not the only factors that can be used; another is the size of the hole running through the stem – the earlier the pipe, the larger the hole. Marks, initials and names of makers also appear on the pipe. Careful checking with published lists can elucidate the name and period of the maker and hence the date of the pipe. Tobacco seems to have been introduced into this country by one of the Tudor adventurers some time between 1565 and 1588, when smoking was becoming wellknown. At first, the smoke was inhaled from a “little ladell” made of silver for the rich or a half-walnut shell for the poor. Eventually, as a visitor to the Bear Gardens in Southwark notes in 1598, these little ladells or pipes were made of clay. Many other materials have been used for making tobacco-pipes – horn, bone, amber, even brass and iron, but fine kaolin or “pipe-clay’ which has always been used by potters for decorating their products remained the favourite material until the last half of the 19th century. Because of the high price of tobacco in the 16th century, the early pipes were very small, the bowl sometimes being only 7mm in diameter and less than 25mm high The size of the pipe bowl the gradually increases in size from this period, with minor fluctuations, up to the end of the le century when the large scale manufacture and use of the clay pipe dies out to be replaced by the briar-pipe and cigarette. At the end of the 18th century, and through the whole of the 19th century, clay tobacco pipes began to appear with more elaborate makers’ marks, usually on the back of the bowl. During this period also, many other decorations appeared on the bowl, for example, heads of famous people such as Nelson and Queen Victoria. Many organisations began to have their own devices placed upon the bowl – a pair of buffalo-horns for the Royal and Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. The 1851 Great Exhibition was commemorated by having pipes made illustrating the industrial achievements of the time. Much work still needs to be done on the interpretation of the varied symbols which occur on clay tobacco pipes of this period. A broad typology is illustrated which is based on specimens excavated on archaeological sites in Southwark and Lambeth. Reproduced with permission from the March newsletter of the Southwark and Lambeth Archaeological Society’

Newsletter
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Editor’s Note of Explanation

Readers may be surprised at the editor’s name. above, since last month the name of Reva Brown appeared as the next editor. Well, so it was intended, but industrial action at the Oxford Post Office supervened, and she could neither receive nor send anything by post. So she and I exchanged places at short notice, and her name will once more be found at the end. Thanks to all who have helped me put this newsletter together.
HADAS DIARY

Tuesday March 13th Lecture — WALTHAM ABBEY GUNPOWDER MILLS — Norman Paul will talk about Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills. Gunpowder production began on this site in the mid 1660s and continued until the Second World War. The site was decommissioned in 1991, and decontaminated. Now its 71 hectares, part of which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and includes a site of Special Scientific Interest, is open to the public. We hope to arrange a visit there in August.

Tuesday April 10th Lecture — SPITALFIELDS — Chris Thomas

Tuesday May 8th Lecture — GADESBRIDGE ROMAN VILLA — Dr David Neal

Saturday June 9th OUTING TO CANTERBURY

Tuesday June 12th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Saturday July 14th CRANBORNE CHASE near SALISBURY

Thursday September 6th to Sunday September 9th Long Weekend Bangor and Anglesea, North Wales with David Bromley and Jackie Brookes. Latecomers can be put on a waiting list. If you would like to join the trip, phone (020) 8203 0950 (Dorothy Newbury)
MEMBERS’ NEWS

Tessa Smith was asked to give an informal talk on the Romans and their pottery at Brockley Hill by a small group of U3A (University of the Third Age) members who are particularly interested in archaeology. Some of them have since joined HADAS and we welcome them to the Society. Thank you, Tessa.
DISPLAY OF THANKS TO LOUISE Vikki O’Connor

We are pleased to report that a new laminating machine has been purchased with a very generous donation made by HADAS member Louise de Launay. We aim to produce semi-permanent display material by encapsulating it in clear, semi-rigid plastic. Apart from improving the look and life-span of material, we won’t be ruined by short, sharp showers – as happened at the Hampstead Garden Suburb weekend last year! Louise moved away from London several years ago now and therefore is unable to enjoy our outings and talks but, by this gesture, is being supportive at a practical level. Our thanks to Louise and, to the rest of you, watch our displays…

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Good news for taxpayers — and for HADAS

Last year the Government altered the rules for charitable aid, making both regular and one-off donations eligible for gift aid. The HADAS Committee has agreed that the taxpaying members be requested to declare their annual subscription to the Society as a gift aided donation. Should you agree to this scheme, HADAS can recover tax on your subscription at the basic rate of income tax, currently 22%. There is no restriction on the number of charities you give to. We will be sending out forms next month to all members, including those who renew by standing order.
Secretary’s Corner

A meeting of the Committee took place on 9 February. The following were among the items discussed:

1 The Chairman had received some responses to the “advert” in a recent Newsletter for someone to assess the Reports by the late Ted Sammes and an interviewing committee has been appointed.

2 The search for new premises ( in substitution for those now occupied at College Farm) continues and the possibility of additional space at Avenue House is being explored.

3 It is proposed to publish an annual journal of the Society’s activities.

4 A meeting is to be arranged with representatives of the London Archaeological Archive and Research Centre, which is being established by The Museum of London at Eagle Wharf Road, to discuss the services and facilities which will be on offer.

5 The Society is to make a donation of £500 to The Hampstead Garden Suburb Archive Trust as a memorial to Brigid Grafton-Green whom many will remember as the a long serving Secretary of the Society.

6 W. Essex Archaeology Group has asked the Society for resistivity advice in respect of a site in Epping Forest The next meeting of the Committee is on 20 April 2001
The HADAS Journal.

HADAS proposes to publish an annual Journal, bringing together the results of work carried out or completed within the year. This will take the form of an enlarged Newsletter, and will be published to replace, or coincide with, the August Newsletter. Already articles have been offered on the work carried out by HADAS at Church Farm, Whetstone House, Barnet Gate, and the Experimental Kiln Firing, and we hope to have a contribution on Industrial Archaeology, and also on Archaeology by professionals in Barnet. Although the main purpose of the Journal will be to record work carried out by the Society, we will also be happy to consider work carried out by members of the society with reference to the archaeology and history of the London Borough of Barnet. Contributions can be considered up to 5,000 words in length, and including both plans and photos. Anyone interesting in contributing, please contact the chairman, Andrew Selkirk, 9 Nassington Road, London NW3 2TX, tel 7435 7517, email selkirkhadas.or.uk

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Barnet Gate — an update Graham Javes

In the Newsletter last April, I recounted John Hassall’s story in his Picturesque Rides and Walks. (1817), of a Mrs Taylor who once kept the Gate public house at Barnet Gate, then called the Bell. Hassall told how she was ‘a worthy, though humble person … whose civility and attention gained her the respect of every visitor to her humble mansion’. But she had been ‘consigned to a wretched cottage immediately opposite to her comfortable dwelling’. This ‘poor creature is one of those dreadful examples of brewers monopolizing the dwellings of innkeepers and publicans’. The Barnet enclosure award map of 1818 shows the Barnet common gate across the road, then known as the Elstree Road. The award tells us the Bell was owned by Peter Clutterbuck, (the Stanmore brewer), as a copyhold tenant of the lord of the manor. Clutterbuck had a garden opposite the pub, with its frontage along the edge of the Elstree Road, and just inside the common gate. In front of this garden, protruding into the Elstree Road, its rear edge along the line of the road, stood a tiny tenement: described in the award as an `encroachment’ held in copyright tenure. The map clearly shows this encroachment into the public road. (There were then three encroachments on the manor, but, with an area of less than one pole this was the smallest.) The occupier of these premises was none other than one John Taylor. This was the ‘wretched cottage’ referred to by Hassall. Hassall’s story is collaborated as far as the cottage is concerned. The cottage was surrounded by Clutterbuck lands, but the Taylors weren’t Clutterbuck tenants. They were encroached upon the public highway, where they became tenants of the lord of the manor. Were the Taylors indeed evicted from the Bell, when, to quote Hassall again, they were ‘at an advanced period of life, with her husband a cripple’: their only alternative being nearby Chipping Barnet workhouse? This we shall probably never know. Some twenty years later, at the time of the Bamet tithe award (1840), both the common gate and the little cottage had disappeared. Doubtless, they were a hindrance to traffic. The modern A411 road remains too narrow to permit a footpath past the pub.

A new Hertfordshire Publications arises. Graham Javes

Some two years ago Hertfordshire County Council, Libraries and Arts Department withdrew from Hertfordshire Publications, its local history publishing partnership with the Hertfordshire Association for Local History, (HALH). On 1st February I attended the signing of a new partnership agreement with the University of Hertfordshire Press, which will ensure the continuation of the imprint. Signing the agreement, Barnet local historian Dr Gillian Gear, chairman of HALH said: “I welcome this agreement, which will bring to Hertfordshire Publications the professional expertise of the University of Hertfordshire Press and the specialist input of the university’s Centre for Regional and Local History”. Amongst titles already published are:— So that was Hertfordshire: Traveller’s Jottings 1322-1887, by Malcolm Tomkins, which I edited in 1998, and Hertfordshire Inns and Public Houses: an Historical Gazetteer, (1985), by Graham Jolliffe & Arthur Jones. I contributed the sections on Arkley, Chipping Barnet, East Barnet, Hadley and Totteridge pubs which were open in 1900 and are still serving today.
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Archaeology in Kuwait Stewart Wild

Continuing my explorations of 20th-century war zones, my travels recently took me to Kuwait. The city has been extensively repaired and rebuilt after the appalling destruction wrought by the retreating Iraqis in the Gulf War ten years ago. About 20 miles from Kuwait, in the Arabian Gulf, is Failaka Island, a flat and dusty strip of land about seven miles long and three miles wide. Regrettably, due to lack of time and uncertain ferry schedules, I was unable to visit it, for the island has a long history of settlement and has been known for centuries for its various shrines. There are many significant archaeological sites on Failaka dating hack over 3,000 years, with evidence of trading between Sumeria (Mesopotamia), Bahrain and Mohenjodaro, in what is now Pakistan. The island had water, and was covered in trees. It appears to have been continuously inhabited right up to the invasion by the Iraqis in August 1990 that forced around 5,000 islanders to seek shelter on the mainland. Alexander the Great’s commander of the fleet, Nearchos, was ordered to explore the Gulf in 326 BC and he wrote of an island at the head of it that he called Ikaros after the Greek island of the same name (where legend has it that the world’s first hang-glider pilot was buried). Nobody seems to know where the name Failaka comes from. In 1937 the islanders found a stone with “Soteles, citizen of Athens, and the soldiers (dedicated this) to Xeus Soteira” inscribed on it in Greek. Greek merchants’ steatite stones for fixing to their merchandise were also uncovered; similar seals have been found in Pakistan and Bahrain, but there were a lot more of them on Failaka and some seemed to have been made there. In 1958 a Danish archaeological expedition investigated the island’s numerous mounds and found tern littered with potsherds dating from the dim past right up to Islamic times. In the early 1960s an Englishwoman, Jehan S. Rehab, and her husband, a distinguished Kuwaiti, spent several months each summer conducting digs. More recently, during excavations by French archaeologists, the site of a Nestorian church (c. 400 AD) came to light in the middle of the island. The Nestorians were a heretic group who broke away from the Byzantine form of Christianity. The sect spread in Persia and to this day its rites are followed by members of the Assyrian faction now living mainly in the north of Iraq. Over the years, most of the finds were housed in Kuwait’s National Museum. Unfortunately this was one of the first buildings looted and ransacked by the Iraqis, who carried the booty off to Baghdad. Apparently a small amount of the loot has been recovered, but as the rebuilt National Museum was closed during my visit I was unable to ascertain the current situation. The island was the first part of Kuwait to be liberated by the Allied Desert Storm forces on 24 February 1991, and after the war islanders reported destroyed buildings and piles of ammunition, rockets, mortars, rubbish and the detritus of war lying all over the place. I was unable to find out the current state of the archaeological sites, but it seems likely that much damage may have been caused.

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Power of Place Peter Pickering

Early last year the Government commissioned English Heritage to lead a review of policies relating to the historic environment of England. This was billed as being the fullest review of the subject for a generation. It attracted a lot of interest, some of it from the development fraternity, who saw it as a chance to relax some planning controls, particularly in conservation areas. English Heritage issued a number of discussion documents which were, frankly, disappointingly full of politically correct jargon (titles like Enriching, Belonging, and CarinG (sic) give the flavour.) The report appeared at the end of last year under the title ‘Power of Place — the future of the historic environment’. It is much better written, with much less jargon, and most of what it says is welcome. It adds to the pressure on the Government to remove the VAT anomaly whereby new building and major alterations are not liable to any tax while repairs to existing buildings are subject to VAT at the standard rate of 17,5 per cent, thus providing a financial incentive to demolish or radically alter historic buildings rather than maintain them properly and keep them in good repair. But the gaps in the report are glaring; in particular, there is concentration on the built environment and archaeology gets very little mention. Those of you with access to the Internet will find the House of Lords debate on 20th December a good read, especially the devastating critiques by Lords Redesdale and Renfrew. There is a small and very partial but nevertheless welcome recognition of amateur archaeology. One paragraph says ‘The voluntary sector has been a dominant force in archaeology for over a century. The journals of county societies still carry a significant proportion of academic archaeological publication.’ And Recommendation 11 is to support the Voluntary Sector, though the only way suggested for doing this is to `initiate a detailed review of the needs and potential of the voluntary sector’ As long as stocks last you can get copies of the report free from English Heritage. It has some nice pictures.

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Aspects of Roman Tunisia

I doubt whether HADAS has ever before had an archaeologist flown from another continent just to lecture to us. But on 13th February Or Ben Lazreg came from Tunis, courtesy of Tunis Airways and Wigmore Holidays, to lecture to another gratifyingly large audience. Although he concentrated, as his title suggested, on the Roman period, he told us about the indigenous inhabitants of Tunisia (now known as Berbers) and the expansion of the Phoenicians from their homeland in present-day Lebanon across the Mediterranean, in search of tin from Spain; there were real cities in Tunisia, and houses with real bathrooms, before the Romans defeated the Carthaginians. But eventually, despite the efforts of Hannibal, who was a great politician as well as a great general, the Romans conquered Tunisia and made it into the province of Africa — under the early Empire one of the only two provinces governed by a proconsul. Two-thirds of the corn supply of Rome came from Tunisia, which also exported olive oil, fine red-slip pottery and wild beasts for the arena. The wealth of the province was shown by its multitude of cities, with well-built temples and amphitheatres, like the very well-preserved one at El Djem, but most striking to-day is its amazing number of stunning mosaics. We were shown many slides of these, which put British mosaics in the shade though our Chairman made a noble effort to maintain the reputation of Britannia. One feature of many mosaics that our lecturer drew to our attention was the large number of fishes and scenes of fishing; a sign of the importance of the sea, certainly, but also an ancient symbol of fertility and good luck, which is still current in Tunisia to¬day though it has no warrant in Islam. Mosaics continued after the Christianisation of Tunisia, though rather more stylised, and some fine baptisteries have been found. The formal lecture ended with the end of the Roman period, but in answer to questions we learnt about the, often unjustly vilified, rule of the Vandals, and of the encroachment of the desert after nomadic people moved in from the mid-eleventh century. (Though the Romans had destroyed much of the ancient forest of Tunisia, the olives they planted had maintained tree cover). Dr Ben Lazreg’s own work now, like that of too many archaeologists everywhere, is in the field of rescue, where he continues to make discoveries. His depth of knowledge and his fine slides made his lecture truly memorable. Here, to close, is a picture of him and his wife with our Chairman and two people from Wigmore Travel.

Gresham Street Mosaic Bill Bass

This rare mosaic was found in January at 10 Gresham Street, the site is being dug by MoLAS on behalf of Standard Life Investments Ltd. The area lies on a road which led south from the Roman fort to the main east-west route through Londinium. Much of this road is being excavated and recorded at Gresham Street, while half the site was affected by deep basements of the existing building, the other half fortunately was below an area that has for many years been a car park, so preservation was good here. “The house containing the mosaic was humble and unpretentious, occupying a long, narrow plot of land that extended back from the north-south street. Constructed in about AD100-120 roughly the same time as the fort – it was timber-framed but had colourful painted plaster on the walls. The mosaic adorned a living-room well to the rear, away from the noise and bustle of the street frontage. On one side was a kitchen, on another a courtyard. The building had a very short life, and its demise was violent and dramatic as the structure had burnt down in a fire.” (Museum of London web site, www.museumoflondon.org.uk) In fact several mosaics have been found in the Gresham. Street area in previous years, but what makes it rare is the early date of this one and that it is in colour rather than the usual early monochrome types. The mosaic would have been 4m sq in total with the central decorated section being 1.5m sq; some of it was truncated by a later pit. It was dated by the 18 pots (many flagons) found in the adjacent room that came from the kilns at Brockley Hill, north of Edgware (as fieldwalked by HADAS). On the weekend of the 10th-11th February some of the tessellated floor was on display at the Museum of London, just as it had been been lifted. Conservators from the Museum’s Specialist Services were on hand to explain how it had been removed and how it was being conserved for display. The floor was recorded and photographed in situ; it was then secured with adhesive mixed into strong paper tissue and gauze fabric. Once the adhesive had set, the mosaic was cut into sections. A knife is used to slice between the tesserae; each section is then removed with sharp tools and metal sheets, retaining some of the original mortar. The sections are then carefully labelled for reassembly. Once in the laboratory the mosaic is placed downwards, conservators can then carefully remove some of the mortar, fix loose areas with a synthetic resin and fill gaps. For the mosaic to be stored or displayed safely, it has to be embedded in a support material; a resin that expands and sets into a strong but lightweight foam is used. Finally the tesserae are individually cleaned. Once this painstaking work is done the mosaic will go on display at the museum.

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Museum of London

Hasn’t the Museum of London been striking it rich recently? The last newsletter reported the 43 Roman gold coins found at Plantation House. Then there was the Roman mosaic discovered in Gresham Street, • described by Bill Bass above. Very recently, the newspapers reported with salacious glee a seventeenth century cup in the shape of a phallus. But most interesting to me was the Roman die found in Southwark, with on its faces not the usual spots, but letters — the number of letters on opposing faces always adding up to seven, as the spots regularly do. So, there is P opposite ITALIA; VA opposite URBIS; and EST opposite ORTI. Apparently though no similar die has previously been found in this country three have been found in Autun in France, and one in Budapest, all with VA, EST and ORTI and two with URI3IS and ITALIA. What sort of game can have been behind them all? And what will the Museum of London find next? Look at their website, www.museumoflondon.org.uk, and get yourselves on their free mailing list for ‘Archaeology matters’ by calling 020 7814 5730.
Ancient Path Under Threat

An article in the Hendon and Finchley Press of 15th February reports that an ancient right of way, trodden by the earliest inhabitants of Edgware, could be lost for good if plans to extend a supermarket and build a new cinema go ahead. Campaigners say plans to extend Sainsbury’s, part of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Station Road, Edgware, and build a six screen cinema, could destroy important historical and archaeological remains. “Local history buffs” according to the article, believe that beneath the tarmac and paving stones vital clues to Edgware’s past could be discovered. Edgware resident Michael Coffin is appealing for help to uncover the hidden history of the area. He says “Church Way and the Forum area are clearly inside an area of Special Archaeological Significance, which was not identified in the original and revised planning applications. We are interested in the area bounded by the east side of Edgware Road, the south side of Station Road and the edge of the Broadwalk carpark and are trying to find out what is underneath, mediaeval or earlier. There may be some local experts who can help.” The article refers to the Roman site at Brockley Hill. The article concludes -If you can help Mr Coffin uncover Edgware’s past, call him on 020 8958 4996.”

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS

Wednesday 14th March 8pm. Hornsey Historical Society. Union Church Hall corner of Ferme Park Road Weston Park N8. Egyptology — talk by Peter Clayton. £1 admission

Wednesday 14th March 8.15pm. Mill Hill Historical Society. Harwood Hall Union Church The Broadway NW7 Mediaeval and Tudor Musical Instruments — talk by Richard York

Thursday 15th March 7.30pm. Camden History Society. Burgh House New End Square NW3. Magistrates’ Courts of Hampstead and Clerkenwell — talk by Gillian Tindall

Friday 16th March 8pm. Enfield Archaeological Society Jubilee Hall 2 Parsonage Lane Enfield (nr Chase Side) Decline and Fall of Roman Britain — talk by Dr Neil Faulkner. £1 admission

Friday 16th March 7.30pm. Wembley History Society. St Andrew’s Church Hall, Church Lane Kingsbury NW9 Anecdotes of London and its inhabitants — talk by Denise O’Halloran. £1 admission

Wednesday 21st March 8pm. Willesden Local History Society, Willesden Suite, Library Centre, 95 High Road, NW10. Brief history of the Police Force and the Harlesden Station – talk by Michael Fountain

Wednesday 21st March 6.30pm. LAMAS Interpretation Unit, Museum of London. A Tudor Hawk mews in Tottenham? The Round Tower in Bruce Castle Park — talk by Jon Prosser

Saturday 31st March. Ilam onwards London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Annual Conference. Morning Session — Recent Work; Afternoon Session — Archaeology in the Landscape. Tickets £3 for LAMAS members, £4 for non-members from Jon Cotton, Early Department, Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN.

Thursday 29th March 8pm. The Finchley Society Drawing Room Avenue House East End Road N3. Organisation, supply and retailing — talk by Ray Ashfield

Wednesday 4th April 10.30am. Kenwood Estate Kenwood house Hampstead Lane. The Ancient Boundaries in Kenwood — Lecture and walk by Malcolm Stokes. Tickets £1.50 concessions from shop.

Thursday 5th April 7.30 pm. London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road, King’s Cross, N1 Ice essential — its use at home and work in Georgian and Victorian London — Talk by Robin Weir £1.25 concessions

Thursday 5th April 8pm Pinner Local History Society, Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane Car Park, Pinner. Harrow Hill — talk by Ann Hall-Williams. donation

Friday 6th April 6pm. The Geologists’ Association — Scientific Societies Lecture Theatre, New Burlington Place W1. The place of Neanderthals in human evolution talk by Dr Chris Stringer

HADAS DIARY – OUR 40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

Tuesday 13th February Lecture; Dr Ben Lazreg – Aspects of Roman Tunisia . Dr. Lazreg is a Tunisian Archaeologist who taught Roman History at the University of Tunis and conducted digs in central Tunisia, currently working on Leptis Minus and Thapsus. His special visit to HADAS is sponsored by Wigmore Holidays in conjunction with its tour programme “Aspects of Tunisia.”

Tuesday 13th March Lecture; Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills ( outing planned for August)

Tuesday 10th April Lecture; Chris Thomas – Spittlelfields

Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th September 2001 Long Weekend to Bangor and Anglesey, North Wales with David Bromley and Jackie Brooks; Application Form Enclosed

(All Lectures commence 8 p.m. at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley)

STILL LOOKING

Following on from Bill’s report in the previous newsletter, the Hanshawe Drive, Burnt Oak

excavations have revealed a post-medieval soil layer sealed by the 1960s demolition rubble of the former Wesleyan Meeting Hall, itself sealing natural London clay. The buried soil contains clay pipe stems, 17th – 18th century pottery and one very nice green glazed, possibly Tudor, sherd. Still no trace of the Romans yet, however. The first trench is now almost finished. Many of the finds have already been processed and recorded at Avenue House, and a short note submitted for the next annual round- up in ‘London Archaeologist’ together with a note on last year’s work at Barnet Gate Meadow.

GET YOUR NAME IN PRINT

Calling all potential authors; the society has received the following letter from Katherine Burton, Project Editor, Tempus Publishing Ltd; ‘I would like to find someone to compile a book of old photographs of the Hendon Area. In particular, I would like to find someone who would undertake to produce a photographic history of Golders Green; but I am fairly flexible with the territory chosen. We are publishers of local interest books ; our Archive Photographs series; Images of England has become a front runner in this popular way of presenting local social history. We also produce a Then & Now series, an oral history series called Voices and a History and Guide series. Books in the Images of England series are produced to a standard format. We require 200 photographs each with an appropriate caption to fit nicely into 128 pages and we can offer as much editorial advice as is necessary. All the costs of production are borne by us and all our authors are paid a royalty based on the net price of books sold. Books will be sold at a cover price of E10.99 and we have a dedicated sales team who will deal with the after production life of the book. I would be happy to meet anyone should further discussion be useful.

Katherine Burton can be contacted on 01453 883300 or tempusuk@tempus-publishing.corn

( Your Editor has gained a free book or five by providing photos to others writing books in the same series for the Wolverhampton area; short text introductions head sections on topics such as Transport; each photo (c.1860-1980) – usually two to a page on matt paper – has a 2-5 line caption)

ROMAN LONDONERS by Peter Pickering

I was one of a good crowd at the Museum of London’s ‘Roman Londoners’ Study Day on 9th December. The programme fully lived up to my hopes. All the speakers except for Mark Hassall were from the Museum or its Archaeological or Specialist services; they were clear and amusing, and quite a lot of what they said was new to me, even if some of it ought not to have been; though there was a little overlapping between speakers, they reinforced rather than contradicted one another. HADAS members may be interested in some account of what I learnt.

Despite the high-status objects found in the river and the fact that the name Londinium was of Celtic origin Hedley Swain’s judgement was that London was a greenfield site at the conquest.

Early London was therefore outside both the Celtic and Roman social structures, and so attracted especially young and middle aged single men who found those social structures irksome. Mark Hassall and John Shepherd both emphasised the brutality and repression of the Roman conquerors, certainly until Boudicca had taught them a lesson. That rebellion left the Romans with a carte-blanche in Southern England – the pro-Roman elite had been eliminated by Boudicca and the anti-Roman elite were eliminated by the Romans. There were however many benefits from the Roman conquest, not least the introduction to Britain of roofs ( made of tiles) that actually kept the rain off ( which must have been an inestimable benefit if the weather was like that of November 2000).

Nick Bateman looked at the question whether London was in any sense the ‘Capital’ of the Roman Province of Britannia, or of any of its later subdivisions. He was very sceptical of the so-called Governor’s Palace, and pointed out that the Procurator – who had charge of the finances – did not necessarily operate from the same base as the Governor, whose functions were military and judicial. To complicate matters, the provincial Council – which was not as important as it sounds to modern ears – was probably based at Colchester, where the Temple of the Imperial Cult was, though it could have had a subsidiary office in London. There is however a piece of evidence from the third century, in the form of a tombstone of a pro-praetorian legate, who was Governor of Upper Britain.

Francis Grew emphasised how difficult it was for us, after nearly two millennia, to get a real understanding of Roman Society. But that does not stop intelligent speculation, and he went on to speculate in an enthralling way about the human stories behind Roman tombstones and other inscriptions.

Finally, Angela Wardle went through the many trades and industries for which there is evidence in Roman London, from baking to weaving by way of bone working, carpentry, the forgery ( and legitimate production) of coins, jewellery, leather working, and pottery production. Most remarkable, perhaps, were the fragments of glass (some 100,000 in all) found near the amphitheatre adjacent to the fort.

BOOKNEWS

Latest from the Museum of London Archaeology Service is the snappily titled ; The Archaeology of Greater London An Assessment of archaeological evidence for human presence in the area now covered by Greater London – yours for £26 plus 20% Postage and Packing, for which you get a 344pp paperback including gazetteer of sites and finds, 48 b/w figures and 13 colour maps. There are 10 period based chapters and an extensive bibliography, ‘drawing together the knowledge of specialists and experts to provide a framework within which future archaeological discoveries and research may be considered’. Details on 020 7410 2200 or garyw@molas.org.uk

HADAS ON-LINE by Andrew Selkirk

HADAS is now firmly established ‘on-line’, and has eagerly embraced the world of the Internet. For some time now we have had our own ( very fast loading – Ed) web-site at

www.hadas.org.uk

which not only has a lot of general information about the society and its activities but also has special ‘cyber-tours’ of some of the societies’ recent activities – the experimental pot-firing weekend at College Farm last summer, and the current excavations at Hanshawe Drive – both of them with full colour illustrations ( the advantage in using the web!)

We have now gone one stage further – and HADAS now has its own e-mail Discussion Group. It is very easy to join – just send a blank e-mail to hendon-subscribe@listbot.com and you will receive a confirmatory e-mail back inviting you to join. Alternatively, just go-to our web site and you can join there by clicking on the button, and filling in the form with your e-mail address. The list is run for free, courtesy of Microsoft – though the name HADAS had already been taken, so we are using the name ‘Hendon’.

We hope this will soon develop into a major asset for HADAS, and indeed for the Borough generally. Anyone can join – you need not be a HADAS member and I hope it will be used by all those who have queries about the history of our Borough, and that members of the Society will be able to give advice. We are after all a charitable organisation, and this is an opportunity to spread the message among the general public – and to answer their questions. I only hope that some of them will then go on to join HADAS.

We already have 7 list-members, and hope we will soon have lots more!

TIME TEAM

Are back on the telly ( Sundays at 6) . Thanks to Bill Bass for this schedule of the new series; Down, Down, Deeper Down, Blaenavon 4 February

A Palace Sold For scrap, Rycote, Oxfordshire 11 February

Iron Age on Salisbury Plain 18 February

The Bone Cave, Alveston, Gloucestershire 25 February

The Inter City Villa, Basildon, Berkshire 4 March

The palace on the Sea, Holy Island 11 March

The Leaning Tower of Bridgnorth, Shropshire 18 March

Three Tales of Canterbury 25 March

The Lepers of Winchester 1 April

SPONGE CORNER

In answer to Vickys’ query last month about mystery stones, HADAS member Brian Warren rang to tell me that it is actually a fossil sponge, with the lines – identifying it also as a banded flint – caused by differential erosion of hard and soft layers within the fossil.

NEWS FROM THE CITY

In mid January the press carried reports of an exciting Roman find near Fenchurch street Station – 43 Gold Aurii found last year in a recess below the floor of the cellar of a Roman house. They are dated between 65 and 174AD; the second biggest gold coin hoard found at a UK dig and equivalent to about four year’s pay for a Legionary; they are now on display at the Museum of London.

THE TED SAMMES ARCHIVE by Andrew Selkirk

The late Ted Sammes directed some of the most important excavations carried out by HADAS, notably in the centre of Hendon, around the church. The most important of these was that at Church Terrace, some of the finds from which were featured in his book Pinning Down The Past. There were also earlier excavations at Church End Farm, Hall Fields, and Burroughs Gardens. For an outline of these digs see the Society’s web site at www.hadas.org.uk

On his death, Ted Sammes left half of the residue of his estate to the society – a sum amounting to more than £70,000 – and the society now wishes to use a substantial proportion of this legacy to publish these excavations as a tribute to Ted.

As the initial stage to this project, the Society wishes to carry out an assessment of the archive from these excavations to form the basis for the proposed publication. A substantial fee/honorarium will be paid for the compilation of this assessment. This will he in three parts, as follows.

PART I

Prepare list of storage boxes and rough estimates of contents at Avenue House, College Farm, Hillary Press and any other storage sites.

PART II

Assess the various categories of Archive, as follows;

1. THE WRITTEN ARCHIVE – Site notebooks, Other Primary Evidence; Secondary workings

2. PLANS AND DRAWINGS – Ordnance Survey maps and site plans; Detailed site plans; other primary plans; secondary plans

3. PHOTOS – B/W photos -Negatives or Prints? Can prints be tied up with negatives?; Colour Slides and prints – what is their condition? Have they faded?; Photographic notebooks – Can the photos all be identified? Can these be collated against the site notebooks?

4. FINDS These need to be assessed under the following categories Pottery – Washed? Marked? Analysed? Linked to source? Small Finds – Marked? Analysed? In Need of Conservation/ Bones – Washed? Marked? Analysed? Linked to sources? Other Categories ( Building Material, glass, clay pipe, metal working residues etc.)

5. ‘Pinning Down The Past’ – As a final check, can all the finds published in Pinning Down The past be located?

PART III

Prepare/recover analysis of site trenches and system of recording. Prepare master plan. Index the various categories in Part II to the master plan and record present location. Prepare written assessment of the entire archive with analysis of work needed for final report, and proposals of how this can be achieved.

It is assumed that the work in Part II would he prepared as a computer database, and probably

( though not necessarily) the work in parts I and II. Help could be given in establishing the relevant databases.

In carrying out this work, preference will be given to members of the Society, and applications should be made before the closing date of 1st March 2001. If no suitable application has been received by this date, the work will be offered to professional archaeologists outside the society. ( If you are not quite certain whether you can do all three parts, you could apply just to do Part I first, and we can then decide whether you want to do Parts II and 111 as well.)

Further enquiries/applications should be sent to the Chairman, Andrew Selkirk, at ;

9, Nassington Road, London NW3 2TX, tel. 020 7435 7517; e-mail selkirk@hadas.org.uk

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS AT EAGLE WHARF ROAD by Peter Nicholson

In October, I attended a meeting at the Eagle wharf Road depot of Museum of London Specialist Services, held to explain their plans for the future use of the premises as the LAARC ( London Archaeological Resource Centre) , with particular reference to intended greater access to the MoL collection of pottery fabrics. Although invitations were sent to all the local archaeological societies, rather disappointingly I was the only amateur present, all the other participants being MoL staff-or­staff from archaeological units in the areas surrounding London.

LAARC will open later this year ( August is intended) as a public resource available for reference and consultation, with a visitor’s area for use by school parties and others, and a room to provide a base for local societies. It will contain all the records and finds currently deposited, with space for another ten years of deposits at the current rate of acquisition, but a planned re-arrangement, with some `weeding’ of finds should mean that the present premises will be adequate for another 20 years. As part of the overall scheme the MoL pottery fabric collection which covers some 4000 sherds covering Roman to Post-Medieval periods will be available for public access, though some degree of supervision and prior appointment, the details of which have not yet been decided, will be involved.

Detailed discussion of the collection alerted me to a problem of which I was previously ignorant. It seems there is no common system for classifying pottery fabrics. People working in different centres often have a knowledge of each other’s systems, but it is possible for connections between pottery of the same type, found at different locations, to be missed, because of this lack of uniformity. As would be expected suggestions were made for overcoming this problem without, as far as I could see, anything definite being set in hand. The obvious solution of a concordance between the different systems would require a considerable amount of time and effort, with no obvious candidate to provide the finance which would be required under the present rigorously costed system.

It is intended to hold further meetings. A suggestion made by several people was to have one dealing with ceramic building materials. I am sure it would be of value to us to be represented at future meetings and I hope that other local Societies will be too, so that amateur needs and concerns can be properly represented. A considerable culture change will be needed at Eagle Wharf Road to enable it to realise its full potential as a public resource. It is to be hoped that intentions present in the overall plans now in place will also be carried through into the detailed arrangements which will determine the quality of the experience of the ordinary user; the wider the participation the more likely this is to happen.

THE PAPERS all seem to have picked up on the story of the Ancient Egyptian woman who died , in her 50s, 3,000 years ago; she had been fitted with an artificial wooden right big toe, according to German scientists who believe it is the oldest example of an artificial limb prostheses. It was built in three sections and fixed together with seven leather strings, and showed signs of wear.

Lecture report: TIME TEAM AT ALDERTON by Andy Simpson

As HADAS powers into the information age with its Web site and e-mail discussion group, another milestone was reached here with our first ever computer based power-point presentation, as opposed to the traditional 35mm slides. This was an engrossing presentation by Derek Batten and his neighbour John Hieney. HADAS member Derek is a local man from Finchley, and purchased his very own scheduled ancient monument – a 1.72 acre ringwork castle with notably deep moat in Alderton, near Banbury, Northants in 1997. After joining the Time Team club, he wrote suggesting they excavate, and they eventually sent two researchers, followed by a surveyor and eventually the full team, minus Carenza Lewis who was on holiday, for the usual three days. Derek was full of praise for all the team and their friendly, approachable manner. After obtaining scheduled monument consent they investigated Derek’s Castle and neighbour John’s moated manor house site and other features such as the nearby sunken Saxon road. There was a lottery funded topographical survey and the main dig which succeeded admirably in giving a better picture of the castle and its history. Several trenches were dug across the castle moat and enclosure and much pottery found, from the Iron Age, Roman and Medieval periods, plus musket balls possibly from a civil war skirmish at the site.

Geophysical work and excavation revealed buildings inside the enclosure and the stone footings of a gatetower and sections across the ditch and rampart, and visiting re-enactors tested the range of a Norman bow ( 92 yards) A splendid piece of medieval horse harness, and Norman knife were found, plus traces of a lost post-medieval manor house on the site of John’s house through geophysical work.. The excavations suggest the castle originated as a larger Saxon Burgh

John Hieney discussed the Manor Houses of Alderton in the second part of the presentation, following on from his extensive documentary research. Pottery from the surface of the moated site covered the third to mid fourteenth century, with most covering the 11th to 13th century, with the Castle and Manor both deserted around the time of the Black Death in the mid fourteenth century and

absorbed into a neighbouring Manor, becoming part of a Tudor Royal Hunting Ground. A new Manor House was built in 1582 and was at the centre of a lively inheritance battle in 1591, but was in decline and mostly demolished by the 1700s. The Stuart period saw it visited by both James I and his Danish Queen. In the 1640s Arthur Heselrige owned it and raised his regiment of Parliamentarian heavily armoured Cuirassiers, known as Lobsters due to their red armour – illustrated in the accompanying display of finds and drawings which generated much interest. By 1821 the site was covered by three stone barns, converted into houses in 1985, one of them occupied by John Hieney.

It is hoped to leave the castle in trust to permanently protect the site; grant aid is being sought to manage the site and erect an information panel; an education pack for schools has been produced and a 60-strong Friends of Alderton Moat and Manor group formed – membership £2 per annum! – as a vehicle for grant aid from bodies such as the Local Heritage Initiative. A web-site is forthcoming and further excavation is planned, dependent upon Scheduled Ancient Monument consent being obtained, e.g. of the moat site which the RCHME claim as a post-medieval prospect mound, despite finds of medieval pottery from the surface.

JUNE PORGES adds; We were sorry not to be able to show Derek’s video of Time Team at Alderton as promised. This was because we were unable to borrow a video projector without paying an exorbitant price. If any member has access to this type of equipment we would be glad to hear about it for future occasions. However, the slide presentation which Derek and John gave was brilliant, and we have Derek’s video for the Society, so if anyone would like to borrow it to view it at home please contact Dorothy Newbury ( 020 8203 0950) or June Forges ( 020 8346 5078)

When I announced that I was off to New England in November everyone assumed it was to see the Fall and laughed when I said it was for a conference on Roman Mosaics. But there I was in Worcester ( Massachusetts) where on walking into the Art Museum one is immediately confronted by a breathtaking mosaic floor depicting a hunting scene. This is about 20 foot square and contains lions, tigers, bears and antelopes pursued by young men on horses, with one youth leaning nonchalantly on his spear which has transfixed a boar. Another rider has snatched up a baby Tiger and is galloping off holding it high vainly chased by the mother Tiger and its siblings. This exhibit is a permanent part of the Worcester collection. It was brought here from Antioch (Modern Antakya, Turkey, on the border with Syria) in 1939. An expedition which included the Worcester Art Museum, the Louvre, Princeton University and the Baltimore Museum had been digging in Antioch for several years but found there was little remaining except at floor level, where more than three hundred mosaics had survived. The sponsoring institutions divided the spoil between them (over half did remain in Antakya) , often splitting up the floors from a single room. These have-been displayed (or stored) in various-locations since then.

In November 2000 many of these Mosaics were reunited by Christine Kondoleon, the Curator of Greek and Roman Art at Worcester, in an exhibition ‘Antioch – the Lost Roman City’. After February 4 the exhibition will move to Baltimore and Cleveland, after which the individual pieces will be returned to their owners. Besides Mosaics the display includes statues, jewellery, tableware, inscriptions and other artefacts mostly from the 2nd to 6th centuries AD illustrating Antioch’s place as a cultural, economic and spiritual centre of the Mediterranean at that time. It was a very mixed society, Jews participated in the founding of the city in 300BC, and when, after the death of Christ, the Apostles went out as missionaries Antioch provided an important base for the emerging church.

It was here that the followers of Christ were first called ‘Christians’. An excellent catalogue to the exhibition gives the background to the history of the city. If anyone is in Cleveland between March and June or Baltimore from September to December I very much recommend a visit.

In association with the exhibition the North American branch of AIEMA ( l’Association Internationale pour L’Etude de la Mosaique Antique) held a colloquium in Worcester. There were delegates from all over the world including several from ASPROM the British Branch of AIME. In a crowded two days we heard over twenty speakers, mostly on Near Eastern Mosaics, including, from Britain, Pat Witts on ‘Universal Messages – Iconographic Similarities Between Mosaics of Antioch and Britain’ and Janet Huskinson on ‘ Performance in the Pavements of the House of the Menander, Daphne’.

So I had a really worth-while trip to New England enjoying wonderful American hospitality, lovely seafood ( lobsters in Maine and clam chowder everywhere) and visits to Plimouth Plantation Village – a reconstruction of how the first Pilgrims lived, Mayflower II, Boston Harbour and tea-party scene, various museums including the New York Metropolitan ( and Met Opera) and of course miles and miles of glorious coloured trees. To say nothing of the Presidential Election – history in the Making!

MEET THE ANCESTORS is back on BBC 2 and at 8.30 on Monday 5 February will feature two late Roman burials from the extra-mural area of Bath excavated by the Bath Archaeological Trust in 1999/2000; the BBC commissioned detailed scientific and osteological assessments of the remains and covered details of diet, ethnic and geographical origin, and medical treatment.

NEW HOME SOUGHT

HADAS had a useful mention in the local free newspaper ‘THE PRESS’ on 11th January. Headed by a photo of Tessa Smith with some Roman Pottery, Dorothy was quoted extensively describing our need to relocate our stored finds and equipment from College Farm, Fitzalan Road, Finchley due to intended developments there, together with an appeal for anyone who could help to contact her or Vikki.

The farm is to lodge an appeal for £2.5 million of lottery funding to refurbish existing buildings and bring in new features and business plan. Last May, the site owners, the Highways Agency, agreed to sell the site to the College Farm Trust for less than market value, to save the farm buildings and the two fields and their bovine occupants from developers.

OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS Eric Morgan

Wed 14 Feb 8pm Hornsey Historical Society Union Church Hall, Cnr. Of Ferne Park Road] Weston Park, N8 Baird & Ally Pally – talk by Bob Hawes

Thurs. 15 Feb 7.30pm Camden History Society Netherhall House, Cnr. Of Masresfield Gdns/Nutley Terrace, N W3 History of the Reading Room of The British Museum Talk by Marjorie Caygill.

Fri. 16 Feb 8pm Enfield Archaeological Society Jubilee Hall, 2, Parsonage Lane, Enfield ( Near Chase Side) Molluscs to Mamelukes – Archaeology of Lebanon Talk by Ian Jones

Mon. 19 Feb 8.15pm Friends of Barnet Borough Libraries Church end Library 21. Hendon Lane, N3. A Childhood In Finchley 1840-1900 Talk by Hugh Petrie, Heritage Officer

Thurs. 22 Feb 8.15pm Hampstead Scientific Society Crypt Room, St John’s Church, Church Row NW3 London Underground – Old & New Talk by Angus Mackenzie

Sat 24 Feb 11am-4pm North London Transport Society St Paul’s Centre Cnr. Of Church St./Old Park Ave., Enfield Spring Transport Bazaar £1 Admission, Light Refreshments

Wed. 28 Feb 7.70pm Finchley Antiques Appreciation Group Avenue House, East End Road N3 Preserving the Fabric of our Inheritance Talk by Jacqueline Hyman

Thurs. 1 Mar 7.30pm. London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings’ Cross, Ni. Bringing the Boatmen to God – The work of the Boatmen’s Missions – Talk by Dr. Wendy Freer

Sun. 4 Mar. 230pm. Heath & Hampstead Society From Kenwood Kitchen Garden, E. side Kentwood House, Hampstead Lane The Heath, Past and Present Walk by Michael Hammerson

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 9th January

An evening with Derek Batten sharing the Time Team’s Visit to his Castle in Towcester. Time Team’s broadcast is scheduled for the 14th January (look for confirmation).

Tuesday I3th February

Lecture: Aspects of Roman Tunisia, by Kader Chelei

Tuesday 13th March

Lecture: Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills. (an outing is being planned for August)
Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th September 2001 Advance notice of the 4 day trip to Bangor area in North Wales. Details and Application for in the February Newsletter.

HANSHAWE DRIVE

Despite the appalling weather of the last few weeks a good turn out from the digging team has made good progress the Burnt Oak site, near to where Roman pottery was found in the early 1970s. Unfortunately the Romans have eluded us at the moment, so far our trial trench has revealed burnt features and layers likely to be demolition material from the Wesleyan Chapel (demolished in the 1960s) that once stood on the site. Finds have included sherds of pottery one marked ….y Chapel Burnt Oak’, glass and other fairly recent material. Some clay pipe and possible Post-Medieval pottery may point to an earlier occupation of the site. The surveying team has been hard at work producing a resistivity map of the lawns around the building and a contour survey of the sloping ground near to the excavation area. We have also made a start on processing the finds at Avenue House. Future work will include site-watching when a lift shaft is to be built in the area and the opening of further trenches in the new year to pin down the exact chapel foundations and to perhaps shed more light on the Roman presence around here. Thanks to Marge Lacey and the residents for their patience and understanding while walk in and out with muddy boots, tools and whatever.

You may have seen a previous request in the Newsletter for space to store finds, tools etc. This problem will become more acute in the coming months as we have been informed that we are to lose our space at College Farm due to partial redevelopment of the site and a change in status of the farm. We have made a good start on clearing a lot of unused and dumped equipment from here. Various ideas are being pursued usually involving renting or buying a garage (within reason) or finding an area to erect a storage shed such as at the former Colindale Hospital site or Mill Hill Barracks. Please keep an eye out for any likely spaces that may come up, or if you can suggest further ideas. Through the good offices of Stephen Aleck HADAS now possess a refurbished and repaired theodolite, we just need a refurbished and repaired member to work it!
THE HADAS CHRISTMAS DINNER or CHANGING ROOMS

A well filled coach made its way across the differing architectural and social landscape of north London, to arrive at Kingsland Road, Shoreditch. Our destination was The Geffrye Museum that looked very impressive set in its garden against floodlighting.

The Worshipful Company of Ironmongers built the Geffrye Almshouses in 1715, with funds bequeathed by Sir Robert Geffrye, former Lord Mayor of London and Master of the Company. The fourteen houses and chapel provided pensioners and widows with retirement homes over a period of almost two hundred years. The peaceful, rural setting in which the almshouses were first built had, by 1900, deteriorated into one of the most densely popular areas of London, and the Ironmongers Company decided to dispose of the property and erect new almshouses in healthier surroundings. The buildings and gardens were subsequently acquired by the London County Council as an open space and a museum to the local furniture industry (opened in 1914).

The museum has now evolved into displaying the changing styles of domestic interiors, from the 17th century with oak furniture and panelling, past the refined splendour of the Georgian period and the high style of the Victorians, to 20th century modernity, seen in a 1930s flat, a mid-century room in ‘contemporary’ style plus a late 20th century living space in a converted warehouse similar to those seen around the docklands.

Our party perused the various rooms which have been decorated in an authentic festive style for an exhibition of seasonal traditions (ends 5th Jan 2001), the period settings contained furniture, paintings and all manner of household artefacts showing the changing faces of taste, fashion, and technology through the ages. The information panels were well set out and informative with ‘cutaway’ drawings showing the evolving layouts of a typical house.

David Dewing (Director ) gave a short talk on the museum’s progress while we had a glass of wine, we were sitting in the museums restaurant, housed in a recent extension, which at a cost £5 million had doubled the existing museum floor space. The extension was built in a modern style but complimenting the older structure, it now holds the restaurant, 20th century rooms, workshops, display cases, museum shop and an exhibition area (currently one on Oscar Wilde)

We then left for a short trip to Hackney (scene of a previous Dinner at Sutton House) this time it was Prideaux House home of the Toc H organisation.

Toc H (Talbot House) was started in Belgium in 1915 by Army chaplain Tubby’ Clayton and Neville Talbot as a club for soldiers on the Western front. Tubby became vicar of All Hallows by the Tower in 1922 and continued his Toc H work at the then rectory of St John the Jerusalem Parish Church, Hackney, which was given to them by Punch. Magazine who bought it and gave it to Toc H in memory of their workers who died in

the First World War. St John’s was badly damaged in the Second World War and was demolished to be rebuilt as Prideaux House, and opened in 1962 by the Queen Mother as a centre for young men corning to work in London. Nowadays Prixdeaux House caters for a wide range of activities for all members of the surrounding community. This is where HADAS sends its surplus mini mart goods.

We were shown into the ‘lounge’ and were able to inspect room dedicated to ‘Tubby’ Clayton with many artefacts from his Tower Hill days, especially a set of drawings by Alan Sorrell depicting the Boudican Revolt, in the lounge was a large painting (taking up most of one wall) by Burdett of the Tower of London and its surroundings. Gualter de Mello the centre’s Director talked about their work and future plans which included partly demolishing Prideaux House for redevelopment to release funds for other work.

We were then served a wonderful Dinner by volunteers of Toc H, the wine flowed and lucky members took home prizes form the raffle. Thanks to Dorothy for her usual organisation (and notes), and to Stuart Wild for his navigation and help.

David Dewing is giving a lecture on London’s Furniture Industry, 1750-1850. London was said to have furnished the world — from the bestoke craftsmen of the West End to the everyday furniture made in a multitude of workshops in the north east of the city. Even today many small furniture workshops and suppliers to the trade survive in the area. Weds 17th Jan, 6.30 pm, Lecture Theatre 2, Science Block, The Medical School (Barts.), Charterhouse Square, London EC’. This is a GLIAS event.
RETURN TO SPITALFIELDS

Between September and December 2000 MoLAS have once again been digging at this market site, which overlies the cemetery of St Mary Spital. This time it is beneath the floor of the market as about half of this structure will eventually be demolished for redevelopment. Below in the basement level, many pillar foundations, walls and a 2ft thick concrete floor, have disturbed the archaeology. The team of up to 30 archaeologists have been excavating the truncated burial pits and graves adding (by mid November) approx 1600 burials to the 8500 from last year. A likely boundary ditch has also been excavated and also quarry pits, the site consists of brickearth deposits over gravel. Other sites in the area are due to be excavated from February 2001-

ROUND-UP OF NEIGHBOURING SOCIETIES & UNITS

The SAHAAS archaeology group in St Albans, who worked with us at the College Farm pottery firing weekend have been field-walking this summer in the Harpenden/Wheathampstead area. They have found a substantial amount of material pointing to a Roman site, finds indicate a probable 3rd century date. The location of this site is close to the line of a Roman road, put forward by the Viatores in their book on the subject. The same site has also produced a substantial amount of struck flint. Some geophysical prospecting and trial excavations are likely for future work.

Hens Archaeological Trust have excavated two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries, one near Peterborough and the other at Cherry Hinton (featured on Meet the Ancestors) on the EssexlCambs border. They have also been involved in several building surveys, some fairly recent such as a house built in 1833 that was about to be demolished, while another, a 17th century barn, once stripped down the it’s frame was found to have been a medieval house which was converted into a barn and now as is the current vogue to be restored as a dwelling. HAT has also done some survey work at the Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills. HADAS are planning a lecture and visit here (see the HADAS Diary and take a tin hat).

AOC Archaeology are conducting large scale excavations at The Grove, Watford. The former mansion is to be converted into a hotel and golf course. They have found evidence from all periods notably Bronze-age features and pottery, a Saxon Grubenhauser (rare in Herts) and a Late Iron-age/Roman enclosure with roundhouses, hearths and an associated updraft kiln including grog tempered wasters. For more information visit the web site at www.archaeologyatthegrove.com. AOC are also involved with a joint dig with MoLAS at Blossom House in London.

VIETNAM and CAMBODIA by Bill Bass

This year’s trip during October involved travelling north to south through Vietnam, then flying on to Phnom Pcnh and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

We started off in Hanoi, a busy, bustling, vibrant place spread out along the Red River and built around a series of lakes. The area has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. More recently, Emperor Ly Thai To moved his capital here in 1010 AD renaming the site (Thang Long City of the Soaring Dragon), then after the rule of several Dynasties the capital was moved to Hue further south. From 1902 to 1953, Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina. I wondered around the history museum that held a rich collection of artefacts from Vietnam’s past including its contact and attempted domination by China, and influences from the likes of Indonesia, India and Persia. There

was also evidence Vietnamese’s indigenous cultures such as Dong Son, Cham and the Khmers. Back on the streets you have to take your life in your hands as the roads are teeming with bikes (push and motorised), cyclos (type of rickshaw) some cars and lorries. The general idea is to step into the traffic (slowly), they see you coming (hopefully), and amazingly the sea of traffic avoids you and themselves (most of the time), an art born of practice. The ‘Old Quarter’ is a maze of streets and alleys crammed full of shops, trades and merchandise. In the 13th century, Hanoi’s 36 guilds established themselves here with each taking a different street selling the likes of silks, food & spices, coffins, metal smiths and many other wares. Nowadays you can add electronic goods, designer gear (probably fake), art shops and so on. A big influence on Vietnam’s recent history was Ho Chi Minh, after a spell travelling around the world including a period of working in London at the Carlton Hotel as a chef, returned to Vietnam to establish the Communist party there and lead the fight against the French occupation. He died in 1969, against his wishes he was embalmed and is now on display in Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. We join the queue for an eerie walk around the former leader in a glass chamber overseen by honour guards.

A train journey south brings us to Hue the ancient capital. The city is dominated by the Citadel, a moated and enclosed area with a surrounding 6 mile perimeter, it was begun in 1804 for the emperors of the Nguyen Dynasty and contains the remains of highly decorated palaces, temples, gateways, lakes and halls. Emperor Bao Dai ended the dynasty here in 1945 when he abdicated to a delegation sent by Ho Chi Minh’s Provisional Revolutionary Government. The complex was left to decay and then suffered greatly with the Vietnam War, Hue was the site of the bloodiest battles of the 1968 Tet Offensive as the Communists took control and were then beaten back by the South Vietnamese and American forces. Approximately 10,000 people died in Hue during this time. Much of the Citadel was damaged by bombing, but there is now a program of restoration, in 1993 the complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We also had a bicycle trip to the elaborate Nguyen tombs, out in the countryside.

Gateway at Hue Citadel

Continuing south, a four-hour bus journey takes us over the spectacular Hai Van Pass and past the Marble Mountains, five marble hillocks said to represent each of the five elements of the universe. There is a thriving local industry carving the marble into a variety of forms. Our objective is Hoi An, a picturesque and charming riverside town full of narrow streets and old buildings. It’s much more relaxed here, heavy traffic is banned, there are many riverside bars and cafes, and fish is a speciality. Excavated ceramics from 2200 years ago show the earliest occupation in the area. The late Iron-Age cultures gave way to the Kingdom of Champa,

during this time, 2nd to the 10th centuries, there was a bustling seaport at Hoi An. Persian and Arab documents from the latter part of the period mention Hoi An as a provisioning stop for trading ships. Archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of numerous Cham towers around Hoi An. Later on it developed into a major trading port during the 17th, 1 8th and 19th periods with European, Chinese, Japanese and other nation’s vessels trading a wide range of goods (high-grade silk was a speciality). Many of the merchants stayed over for the winter renting waterfront houses. Some of these timber- framed structures have been restored and can be visited (many still lived in) while others have been excavated, the finds (mainly imported ceramics) show the growth of the town. The influence of the Chinese, Japanese and French colonies can be seen when walking around the streets — bridges, pagodas, shops and houses.

An excursion takes us to My Son, Vietnam’s most important Cham site. The monuments are set in a green valley surrounded by hills and overlooked by massive Cats Tooth Mountain. Clear brooks run between the structures and past nearby coffee plantations. The Towers are built of brick some 40- 50 feet tall, many are elaborately carved, traces of 68 structures have been found of which 20 are standing today. My Son became a religious centre under King Bhadravarman in the late 4th century and was occupied until the 13th century — the longest period of development of any monument in South-East Asia by comparison, Angkor Wat’s period of development only lasted three centuries. Most of the temples were dedicated to Cham kings associated with divinities, especially Shiva, who was regarded as the founder and protector of Champa’s dynasties.

Travelling on we experience the towns and cities of Nha Trang and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and further south to the Mekong Delta where we observe life on the intricate waterways and busy atmosphere of markets, cottage industries and local trading taking place on all sorts of boats, vessels and riverside stilted houses.

We also take in the Cu Chi tunnels, remnants of a network of tunnels built by the Viet Cong which stretched from the Cambodian border to the suburbs of Saigon. Miles of tunnels incorporated trapdoors, living areas, weapons factories, field hospitals and kitchens, making them very difficult to detect and clear.

From Saigon we fly to Phnom Penh, an urban sprawl of a place that was deserted for a number of years under Pol Pot’s regime. By contrast the Silver Pagoda complex in the middle of the city is a gold decorated masterpiece with soaring rooflines and rich interiors.

Flying on to Siem Peap — staging post for Angkor Wat, we can see the devastation caused by the flooding, as acres of paddy fields were underwater. About one thousand temples and ruins, scattered across hundreds of square miles of flood-plains and forests of northwestern Cambodia, eastern Thailand and southern Laos, are all that remains of-the kingdoms of Angkor. In Cambodia today less than 50 of the temples are safely and easily accessible. The Angkor Wat complex was built around 5 urban centres was erected between the 8th and 13th centuries AD by the kings of the Khmer empire when it was at its most powerful. Wondering around the various sites (takes several days) what strikes you is the massive scale of the monuments together with the intricate carving and bas-reliefs. They seem to cover every wall telling of stories, myths, legends, battles and are usually closely tied Hinduism or Buddhism, the temples were dedicated to one of three cults — Vishnu, Shiva or Buddha and were used for funerary, state and personal reasons. War then as now was a constant factor and this brought influences from Java, India and Thailand amongst others, water engineering enabled several crops a year to sustain the empires. Some of the monuments have been restored and there is a continuing programme of rebuilding with many countries involved, but sometimes the quieter unrestored temples, some with massive trees growing on top of them have more atmosphere. Angkor is a brilliant site and a fitting end to another adventure.

PIPE PUZZLE(newsletters 352 August & 353 September 2000) – more …

Brian McKenny of the Whetstone Society has shed more light on the boxers depicted on the piece of clay pipe bowl found in the garden of the Griffin, Whetstone, manufactured by “R S Smith” at one of two locations, Upper Gifford St and Gifford St, Caledonian Road – two Mr Smiths or one expanding his business? We still don’t know why ’49’ is encircled by the maker/address. Mr McKenny reminded us that there was a long connection with prize fighting in the Barnet Whetstone and Finchley areas, referring us to the book about bareknuckle fighting, which concentrates on the north London area, entitled Up to Scratch by Tony Gee, Queen Anne Press, Harpenden, 1998. Barnet races and fair featured fighting, also, many fighters from further afield trained at Barnet, Whetstone and Finchley. The book lists dozens fighters and fights but nothing to suggest the Griffin was directly involved. The pipe remains a puzzle. (HADAS members Dr Pamela Taylor Brian Warren and Graham Javes are included in the author’s acknowledgements.) Vikki O’Connor

CUTTING COMMENTS

A huge storm has uncovered a Roman vessel from the shifting sands of Sicilian bay. The ship — up to 150ft long and equipped with ancient luxuries including candelabras, a hot tub and religious shrine is thought to have ferried the Roman aristocracy along the Mediterranean coast to various ports en route.

The vessel was wrecked in the bay of Camarina, near Ragusa, Sicily and was found in August last year by Giuseppe Russo, a swimming instructor who was hunting for octopus shortly after the storm. The wreck lies about ten yards from the shore, at a depth of about lift and had been protected by the sand. For the past year archaeologists have been working on it in total secrecy fearing that divers and swimmers from a Club Med holiday camp could damage the site. More than 30 bronze items have been recovered so far. They include an exquisite 20in high statuette of Mercury, which was probably the centrepiece of the lararium, a place of worship for the passengers and crew. The Sunday Times, Dec 3rd

The small town of Blaenavon in Gwent, South Wales has won World Heritage status (!) Joining Stonehenge,

the Great wall of China and 700 other sites protected by the World Heritage Convention. Blaenavon was chosen because of the key role it played in the industrial revolution. it is home to a carefully preserved ironworks and the Big Pit Mining Museum at a coal mine which closed in 1980. Residents hope World Heritage status could attract 500,000 tourists a year and £15 million of investment. Metro, Dec 1st (Cricklewood next ?)
MUSEUM DISPLAY CASE

RAF Museum

The RAF Museum is to receive £4.7 million from the National Lottery to build an exhibition centre that will vastly increase the number of aircraft on view to the public. The grant, the largest of 10 grants to be announced by the Heritage Lottery Fund, will pay for a large barrel-vaulted stainless steel building that will allow the machines to be suspended.

Dr Michael Fopp, the museum’s director, said the ‘spectacular’ new building was part of a big expansion that would also involve the transportation of the Graham White Aircraft Company hanger that built many of the aircraft which fought in the first World War to the museum’s Hendon site. The museum owns more than 200 historical aircraft, of which 70 are currently at Hendon. The space will allow far more machines to be put on display there, the exhibition will be called Milestones of Flight and will contain examples of aircraft that have a key place in the development of modern aircraft. These will include the FE2 ground attack aircraft built by the Royal Aircraft Factory in 1914, the oldest surviving Spitfire, the German ME262, the first jet aircraft, and the Eurofighter.

The museum hopes to open the new exhibition complex by 2003, in time for the centenary of the first powered flight by the Wright brothers.

British Museum

The Great Court and refurbished Reading Room at the British Museum was opened to the public on 7th December, the amazing glass roof now provides a new focal point to the museum. A staircase built around the Reading Room gives access to the northern galleries and also incorporates a new spacious bookshop. Inside the circular Reading Room the conserved and redecorated dome looked impressive. The Room now houses The Paul Hamlyn Library, initially of over 12,000 books, to complement the collections in the rest of the museum. Also available is COMPASS — Collections Multimedia Public Access System, this touchscreen system allows unprecedented access to information on thousands of objects in the Museum’s collections, you can follow a virtual tour of the galleries, browse the collections on-line, select images which maybe then ordered as high quality prints. A lesser version of COMPASS is available on the museum’s web site at www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk. You can then relax at one of the cafes or restaurant in the Great Court

Museum of London

The last chance to see the High Street Londinium exhibition (extended to 28th Jan), a gritty and realistic portrayal of Roman London around 100 AD. What is not usually mentioned is the rich display of finds at the end of the reconstruction, being near to the Walbrook and waterlogged many of the finds are well preserved. Wooden artefacts are particularly well represented such as the base of a chest, a window lintel or sill with sockets for the upright bars, a dough tray, a silver-fir barrel reused to line a well, and a string of boxwood heads. Copper-alloy items included a set of scales, the style of which was thought to he Saxon but are now seen to be Roman, and complete lamp on a chain — the first of this type found in London. A shale table top, styli & writing tablets, pottery, coins, dice and a game were included in the range of finds.

Another exhibition at the museum coming to the of it’s run is Chaucer’s London on until the 7th Jan.

“Few classics remain as enduring delight as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. To mark the death 600 years ago of one of England’s greatest poets, this exhibition celebrates Chaucer’s Londoners, his company of pilgrims who set off from the Tabard Inn in Southwark to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury, exchanging tales along the way to make the journey more pleasant and diverting. Chaucer’s work as a customs official introduced him to a wide range of characters — money laundering merchants, gluttonous friars, men of science chasing the secret of secrets’, the alchemy process that would turn base metal into gold. The display introduces you to some of Chaucer’s pilgrims with an array of medieval objects of the type Chaucer’s ‘company of sundry folk’ would have used or worn — a string of amber beads for the fashion conscious Prioress, craftmen’s tools for the cloth workers and items related to Chaucer’s own life. Most interesting of all are the many badges worn by medieval pilgrims as proof of the shrines they had visited”.

OTHER SOCITIES’ EVENTS by Eric Morgan

Thurs 4th Jan at 7.30 pm, London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings X, Ni. The Lime Juice Run, talk by D.I. Murrell, £2.50 (£1.25 cons).

Thurs 4th Jan at 8 pm, Pinner Local History Society at Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane Car Park, Pinner. Bricks and Skeletons, History of Stanmore’s 1632 Brick Church, by Dr Frederick Hicks, £1.00 visitors.

Wed 10th Jan at 8 pm, Friern Barnet & Local History Society, Friern Barnet Lane. Talk by John Heathfield of HADAS.

Thurs 1st Feb at 7.30 pm, London Canal Museum.

Wood, Coal and Rubbish – Narrow Boat Carrying by David Blagrove, £2.50 (£1.25 cons).

Thurs 1st Feb at 8 pm, Pinner Local History Society.

The Story of Isabella (Mrs Beeton) & Sam by Ann Swinson.

Fri 2 Feb at 6 pm, (tea 5.30 pm) The Geologists Association, Scientific Societies Lecture Theatre, New Burlington Place, WI. Sir Joseph Prestwich & The Antiquity of Man by Edward James (followed by wine and refreshments).

Sun 4th Feb at 10.30 am, Heath and Hampstead Society, Burgh House, New End Square, NW3. Artefacts and Historic Structures on the Heath, a walk by Noel Hill (£1,00).

Peter Pickering writes that the talk at the SCOLA AGM this year is by Robin Nielsen of MoLAS on Recent Discoveries at Plantation House. This important site will add some new ideas on Roman London and the area around Fenchurch Street. HADAS members are welcome. Thurs. 25th Jan at the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1. At 2 pm.

Fri. 19th Jan at 1.10 pm (50 mins) Museum of London Lecture Theatre.

Londons Gladiator: the truth. Following the discovery of a Roman cremation burial in north Southwark, archaeologists from the Museum will examine the truth about the burial, the environmental issues and the excavation itself.

The Birkbeck public series on Human. Evolution continues its Spring Term from Thurs lst Feb to Thurs 8 March 2001. Note that the venue will be at the Lecture Theatre, Institute of Archaeology, 31-34 Gordon Square, London WC I.

No 355 OCTOBER 2000 Edited by Deirdre Barrie

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VISIT TO IFFLEY, IFFLEY LOCK & WALLINGFORD by Graham Javes

Forecasts were for worsening weather towards the weekend, culminating in widespread severe weather on the Saturday. In the event the rains came early clearing before we left home. A storm the day before had knocked out the power supply to the Full Moon public house near Tring, where we took afternoon tea: a knock on effect of which was to immobilise beer-chilling equipment. However, no one minded that there was only Real Ale on draught, or tea.

On the map Iffley is almost hidden in the Oxford conurbation. Passing the Cowley car factories and the infamous Blackbird Leys estate opposite, where cars were tested to destruction, we arrived at the Harkwell Hotel at Iffley, where coffee was served. Then, back to the coach for a short ride to Iffley church, where Sheila Fairfield, a church member, addressed us, afterwards fielding questions as we walked round. The church of St Mary the Virgin was built around 1170-80, the gift of a rich patron, probably one of the St Remy family then lords of the manor_ The church is strikingly overlarge and over- ornamented for such a small village. I rather like Mrs Fairfield’s suggestion that it was built as a visible act of defiance against Henry II when one couldn’t overtly condemn his ill-treatment of the church in England. Despite some later additions and restoration, remoteness and lack of moneyed patrons has saved Iffley from the excesses of both the puritans and Victorian improvers. Today lffley is one of the best-preserved 12th century, Norman-Romanesque churches in England: deservedly famed for its west doorway, with beak-head carvings of the signs of the zodiac and symbols of the evangelists; Norman arches with zigzag tooling, stairs marking the position of the 15’h century rood loft and much, much else. With so much to see we had to get our skates on to visit nearby Iffley Lock, alas now mechanically-powered, through which pleasure craft pass up and down the peaceful Thames.

At Wallingford we divided into two parties: one group walking the Saxon walled- town defences with Judy Dewey, our guide from The Wallingford Historical and Archaeological Society (TWAS.); whilst the others explored the town centre, visited Wallingford Museum (run by TWAS.) and, oh yes, had lunch! Continued on page 2
HADAS DIARY

Tuesday October 10 — Lecture “Archaeology in Winchester” by Graham Scobie — a follow-up to our weekend in Winchester and Portsmouth in 1999, when Mr Scobie showed us round the Hyde Abbey Site.

Saturday October 14 – MINIMART. This has become a social event as well as our annual fund-raiser. Do come and join us — you do not HAVE to buy — have lunch and a chat. Please let Dorothy (8203 0950) know if you can help, or Sheila (8952 3897) know if you can make cakes, scones, jams, pickles, meringues or produce, or phone Tessa (8958 9159) if you can make quiches for the lunches.

Thursday October 26 — Lecture “Arab Decipherment of Hieroglyphics” by ()kasha El-Daly. Please note that this is held at the Egyptian Education Bureau, 4 Chesterfield Gardens, WI. Okasha El-Daly gave us the excellent January lecture on “Pre-Dynastic Egypt”. This is one of several lectures run by the Egyptian Embassy at 6.30 pm, free of charge. Further details can be obtained from °kasha on 7435 1274.

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Tuesday November 14th – Lecture “Mediaeval London Bridge— Lost and Found” by Bruce Watson.

December – Christmas Dinner. Dorothy says “I am panicking as I cannot find a suitable place at a suitable price. I thought I had a return to Grimsdyke organised, but the cost has escalated out of our reach. I am still trying — any suggestions?”

All lectures (with the exception of October 26) start at 8pm prompt in the drawing room (ground floor) of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley N3 and are followed by question time and coffee. We close promptly at 10 pm_
IFFLEY (continued)

Wallingford is a Saxon burh or fortified Saxon town, built on a grid pattern, with defensive earthworks that survive today. It is a Thames-side town built by King Alfred or his son Edward to defend the river crossing against the Danes. In 1006 the Danish Swegn Forkbeard almost destroyed the settlement. William the Conqueror built the castle, where Henry II held his first parliament in 1154. Six years after he had besieged the castle, Cromwell, still smarting, ordered its demolition, almost brick by brick.

The museum is in part of Flint House, built in the 16th and 17th centuries but containing a 15th century hall house. The site had been an 11th century priory – a cell of St Albans Abbey. From the museum we set out on our perambulation of the town defences. This proved quite strenuous in the heat, especially when, towards the end we were led straight through the garden of a local hostelry past afternoon drinkers, without time to stop! Judy, our excellent guide, did the walk twice in succession.

Amongst the many buildings we saw was the former brewery of Edward Wells, JP and four times mayor of Wallingford. Some of us pondered a family connection with Charles Wells the Bedford brewer: does anyone know?

Full marks go to our leader Bill Bass for yet another excellent HADAS outing, not forgetting Dorothy’s role beforehand.

CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM

The Museum’s Autumn Exhibition is British Folk Art, and shows naive paintings, shop signs, canal boat wares, models and farm equipment, borrowed from Compton Verney House in Warwickshire. This is an unusual opportunity to see these fascinating pieces, as Compton Verney will not be fully open to the public until 2003. The exhibition runs from 23rd September to 26th November, and running concurrently with it is a small display of items from Church Farm’s own collection not normally on show.

Gerard Root

MEMBERS’ NEWS FROM DOROTHY

Bryan Jarman — our Chairman for twenty years , until he left London for Sussex in 1986 — had a mishap at home in February and thought he had simply sprained his ankle. After a few weeks the pain got worse, and the hospital found he had broken several bones. He still cannot walk properly, and we wish him a speedy recovery. Many members will remember his arrival, dressed in a toga, at our splendid Roman Banquet in 1979.

Ann and Alan Lawson. We will miss them at our Minimart as Ann was our regular Meringue Creamer and Alan was usually in charge of household linens. Unfortunately Ann is unwell now, and Alan is looking after her.

Marjorie Errington. Stewart Wild very kindly took me to Potters Bar where Marjorie is now residing in a Residential Home. We found her well and happy and pleased to hear news of members, and particularly our Orkney trip, which she remembered in detail from our last visit in 1978. Please let me know if any old friends would like her phone number or address.

Muriel Large. Sadly Muriel can no longer join us on outings — she has had nasty accidents (one with a bus and one with a car). She hopes to come to the Minimart if anyone can offer her a lift (N3).

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John Enderby — one of our Vice-Presidents and one-time Principal of Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute, is getting as well known in the village to which he retired as he was in our borough. He resigned from 14 committees when he left Hendon, and judging by the village newsletter he publishes, he seems to have joined as many in Fontmell Magna. Many members will remember the outing to his village in 1998 where he and Barbara welcomed us to their lovely cottage and garden. Unfortunately he knocked over his wife Barbara with his car a few months ago, but both have recovered with their usual fortitude.

Reva Brown, one of our newsletter editors, has moved from Nene University College, Northampton to the School of Business at Oxford Brookes University, where she is now Professor of Business in charge of Doctoral Programmes.

Dorothy Newbury

EXCAVATIONS AT SITE OF ELSYNG PALACE

Enfield Council and Enfield Archaeological Society have applied to English Heritage for permission to excavate the remains of Henry VIII’s residence, which lie buried not far from the front of Forty Hall, Enfield. The first small-scale dig took place back in the 60s, but geophysical surveys have shown the site of the gatehouse, not yet excavated. Elsyng is often confused with Enfield “Palace”, another Royal Tudor dwelling in the town itself, which stood on the site now occupied by Pearsons Department Store. DB
ORKNEY “SAGA”

Erna Karton writes “As a long-time member of HADAS, I would like to express my appreciation of the fascinating account of the Orkney visit. Unable to manage this myself; it was good to read about the visits and study the photographs. The joint production of the “Saga”, all by members, demonstrates what an able and willing membership we have.”

REMINISCENCES OF FREDA WILIKINSON

Like others (writes Philip Venning) I first met Freda Wilkinson in a trench on the Hampstead Heath excavation. Because of its location it attracted many passers-by, almost all of whom were interested and friendly. We did however get the very rare person who was hostile. One middle-aged couple became extremely angry, announcing loudly for all to hear, “It’s outrageous! All these people shouldn’t be wasting their time like this. They should be building council houses.” What made this remark especially fatuous was the fact that the person nearest them at the time was Freda. At that stage she was well past retirement age and decidedly frail-looking. Imagining her with a hod of bricks on her shoulder, climbing a builder’s ladder still makes me smile today.
CONFERENCE

The 14th Century – Monday October 23- organised by the Finds Research Group AD700-1700 The Society of Antiquaries, Burl ington House. For further information, contact Geoff Egan, MOLSS, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N17 ED (Tel 7490 8447)
EXHIBITIONS

Barnet Borough Arts Council — Friday October 13/Sunday October 15. Leaflets and information from member societies (including HADAS) Outside M&S Food Store, Brent Cross, Fri 9 am-8 pr/ Sun 10 am-4 pm. BBAC would welcome any HADAS members who could give a little time on their stall, to answer any questions customers may have concerning HADAS.

Community = Care Fair Thursday October 12. Events and Exhibition with the theme of Communication. RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9
OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS

Barnet & District Local History Society — Wednesday October 11, 8 pm. Talk: “Women in Roman Times” by John Brodrick. Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, Barnet.

it Mill Hill Historical Society Wednesday October 11, at 8 pm for 8.15 pm. “Tales from the Tower” by Mrs Mary O’Connell Harwood Hall, Union Church, The Broadway, Mill Hill.

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Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery Wednesday, October 18 at 7 pm. Talk: “Tombstones” by Dr John Physick, the Dissenters’ Chapel, Kensal Green Cemetery, W10 (Ladbroke Grove) £3 donation.

Camden History Society Thursday October 19 at 7.30 pm. Talk: “Catching the Past” by Robert Leon. Burgh House, New End Square, Hampstead, N W3.

Enfield Archaeological Society- Friday October 20, 8 pm. Talk: “Medieval Religion in Hertfordshire” by Stephen Dore. Jubilee Hall, Chase Side/Parsonage Lane, Enfield. (Visitors £1).

Wembley Local History Society – Friday October 20 at 7.30 pm. Talk: “65 Years in Brent” by John Lebor. St.Andrew’s Church Hall, Church Lane, Kingsbury, NW9.

Edmonton Hundred Historical Society — Wednesday 25 October at 8 pm. Talk: The History of Wood Green” by Albert Pinching. Jubilee Hall, Chase Side/Parsonage Lane, Enfield (Visitors £1).

Finchley Society — Thursday October 26, 8 pm. Talk: “History in the Field” by Tony Rook. Drawing Room. Avenue House, East End Road, N3.

Cast of 2000 — Friday October 20 — Sunday October 22. Story of Barnet’s History from Roman times. Performance from Barnet’s Arts Community. Barnet’s “Own Dome” at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Tickets £5 (with concessions) purchased from the Bull Arts Centre (8449 0048).

Thanks to Eric Morgan for supplying all this information.] STOP PRESS!

Diggers required for Burnt Oak “Roman Site” during September / October and November. All names to Brian Wrigley (8959 5928) or Andrew Coulson (8442 1345) or Vikki O’Conner (8361 6825).

URGENT! “HADAS expects ……. It”‘