Past Newsletters

Diary

Tuesday 9th April Lecture: The Thames Archaeological Survey, by Mike Webber

An update on last summer’s work on the Thames foreshore, undertaken mainly by volunteers and students.

Tuesday 14th May Annual General Meeting, followed by the excavation team’s summary of their year’s work. Bill Bass will show slides of Martin Biddle’s excavation at St Albans, in which several of our members participated.

These two meetings are at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3, starting at 8pm for 8.30pm.

Saturday 8th June Our first trip in 1996, to Rye and Bodiam. It will be led by Mickey Watkins and Mickey Cohen. Details and application form will accompany the May Newsletter.

Trip to Ireland Regrettably, this has had to be abandoned, for various organisational and cost reasons. Instead, we are hoping to organise a trip to Cornwall. See the leaflet enclosed with this Newsletter for the latest details.

News of members

Sadly, we have to report the deaths of Enid Hill, Tim O’Connell and Ronald Kerman.

Enid, who died on February 22 aged 80, had long been a HADAS stalwart. She was involved in many of the society’s activities, regularly attending lectures, outings and weekends away. She dug at West Heath under both Daphne Lorimer and Margaret Maher, and for many years prepared the labels for the Newsletter envelopes each month.For many years, too, she was a volunteer at the Museum of London, working on finds from City excavations, and continuing until she became ill. Her funeral, at Golders Green Crematorium, was attended by several members, with vice-chairman Brian Wrigley formally representing HADAS.

Tim, the husband of Mary O’Connell who has guided the society to many fascinating locations, died suddenly in February. He had been a regular supporter of our Christmas dinners. We send our sympathies to Mary.

Ron, a member for several years, died at the end of February after a long illness. Our sympathies go to Phyllis, his widow, a regular Minimart helper.

As this Newsletter went to press, Gill Baker, a popular and long-standing member, was a patient in the Royal Free Hospital. Dorothy Newbury and Tessa Smith have visited her and given the society’s best wishes. Gill would love to hear from friends write to her at home, and letters will be forwarded.

A grandmother’s error no doubt caused by the excitement of the moment was responsible for a slight embarrassment in the March Newsletter, when the birth of a baby boy was attributed to Marion Newbury, rather than Marion Le Besque (nee Newbury). Sorry, Marion.

Members’ list

A new list of members is currently being prepared. If any member does not wish his/her address and/ or phone number to appear on it, please let us know. The list will only be circulated within the society. If you wish to receive a copy, please phone Liz Holliday, Hon. Secretary, on 01923 267483.

Concessionary subscriptions

The committee is considering ending the concessionary subscription for members over 60. Almost half the membership falls into this category and as expenses, particularly for the Newsletter and postage, are the same for all, the committee feels the concession can no longer be justified. Liz Holliday would welcome any comments before April 19, so they can be reported at the next committee meeting.

The medieval ‘synagogue’ in Guildford by Jack Goldenfeld

In the 13th century, the Jewish community in Britain numbered about 13,000. Many of them were expelled in 1290. Until then, the Jews enjoyed a certain degree of royal protection although they were discriminated against in terms of civil rights and economic and religious freedom. Nevertheless, they were able to benefit from periods of peaceful non-interference under some rulers.

Guildford, the county town of Surrey and a centre of the wool trade, had a Jewish community of which some individuals’ names have survived in documentary form Josce, Formosa, Floria and Abraham. Isaac of Southwark, a wealthy individual, had a house in Guildford which was attacked in 1272 and he was just the sort of man who is likely to have built a synagogue in his home.

The “synagogue”

The structure was discovered during the renovation of a shop and consists of the remains of a small underground room. It is about 10 feet square, built of chalk, and has a stone bench running round the room with decorative arches formed by pillars of which only the lower portions survive.

The upper part of the entire room was deliberately demolished from about 4 feet above floor level. The enclosed space was filled in with the rubble for the upper part, except for worked stone which would probably have been salvaged for re-use elsewhere. The architectural style of the structure dates it
to circa 1180, but it seems that the partial demolition occurred in the late 13th century, since pottery found in the rubble is dated by style to the 1270s.

The only object from the room itself with a positive dating is a silver penny of Henry III, minted between 1251 and 1272, found between two stones of the seating bench in the centre of the east wall. Coins of this type were withdrawn from circulation in 1279 and it is unlikely that this particular example was lost by accident. It is more likely that it was deliberately pushed down into the very narrow slot formed by the abutment of the stone slabs.

Another object is a slim iron pin which was found in one of two drilled holes, diagonally opposed, in a stone slab which had apparently formed part of the doorway. If the room was a synagogue, the two holes would have been the fixing points for a “mezuzah”, a piece of inscribed parchment with the texts Deuteronomy vi 4-9 and xi 13-21, enclosed in an elongated case and attached to the door post.

There are scorch marks near the base of a pillar on the eastern wall which may be from a lamp kept burning continuously, perhaps providing additional light by which to read the Torah, the scrolls of Mosaic law. There are faint traces of coloured decoration in the blind arcades, between the pillar columns, which

will be subjected to specialist examination. Stairs rise to the now destroyed upper section, leading perhaps to what once had been the ladies gallery, since male and female worshippers would have been segregated. The main doorway still has the iron stub of a hinge-swivel embedded in the wall, its size indicating that it could have supported the weight of a heavy door.

In conclusion

I agree with some authorities who are 80% sure that this was a synagogue, even though some unmistakeably Jewish form of evidence needs to emerge to be absolutely certain. The decoration and stonework suggest religious rather than secular use, whilst the discreet placement at the rear of the main property for this cell-like room seems compatible with what is known of the circumstances for Jewish worshippers at that time.

It does not, apparently, resemble any other building of that time known of in Britain and was too small and in the wrong location to have been used for a civic purpose. It is considered that it is unlikely to be a small Christian chapel because the shape and arrangements are wrong. I hope one day to be in a position to follow up this brief initial survey with a definitive interpretation of the Guildford medieval site but, in the meantime, would compliment the Guildford Museum Volunteer Excavation Unit on their discovery and thank them very much indeed for allowing me to visit it and write about it. I am sure other members of HADAS will join with me in wishing them much success in their on-going endeavours.

Sites under scrutiny

English Heritage have recommended an Archaeological Watching Brief for a proposed development at the Hadley Brewery Site, Hadley Green, Barnet.

They have also indicated that an assessment of archaeological implications should be carried out for a planning application at Copped Close, 15 Totteridge Village, N20.

Would you believe it!

From the Guardian:

A plaque on the deck of HMS Victory in Portsmouth, marking where Nelson fell during the Battle of Trafalgar, is to be moved because visitors keep falling over it.

From the Ham & High:

A reader in Brunner Close, Hampstead Garden Suburb, recounts an incident whose remains could leave a puzzle for future archaeologists.

“Today a large fox shot through our hedge and attacked a small white duck sitting on the lawn. After a five-second tussle, the fox zoomed away, leaving a broken tooth behind and scratch marks on the duck’s head. The duck was made of concrete!”

Places to go…

A distinguished line-up of specialists will be leading the weekend seminar on Bronze Age Britain organised by Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education, on April 19-21. Contributors include Stuart Needham of the British Museum on chronology, Mike Olney of the Fenland Archaeo­logical Trust on the role of ritual at Fengate, Sean McGrail formerly ofthe National Maritime Museum on water transport, and Martin Bell from the University of Wales on changing environments.

Residential fees are £98.50 (shared), non-residential £68.50 (with meals) or £41 (without). There may well be some places left ring the Archaeology Course Secretary on 01865 270369 to check.

Other OUDCE forthcoming courses, part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Field Archaeology but open to all, include a field survey week June 23-27 and archaeology and the law, November 20. Further details on the number above.

Birkbeck College with Harvey Sheldon is this summer again proposing urban training excavations in Southwark, with the co-operation of the London Borough of Southwark, on sites that are awaiting development there. The sites are close to areas of Roman and medieval settlement near the Old Kent Road and Peckham.

The courses, run in conjunction with MoLAS, will provide training in surveying, excavation and recording techniques, initial finds processing and other aspects of archaeological investigation.

They are non-residential, and will run over the five weeks beginning June 24. The fee will be £125 per week of attendance, to include all tuition. Contact Lesley Hannigan, Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, Birkbeck College, 26 Russell Square, WC1B 5DQ, for further details.

Training excavations also continue this summer at Wortley Roman villa in Gloucestershire, running from June 22. through most of July and the first half of August. Tuition fees are £83 a week, and local B&B is available at around £12-£15 a night. For more information, contact Vicky Wilson, 01453 542708.

A new course aiming to offer a complete introduc­tion to archaeological fieldwork runs at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham (a college of Surrey University), from next September.

The 28 two-hour sessions, which will each consist of an introductory slide-lecture followed by structured practical work and discussion, run on Friday afternoons. The course will be linked to the Sedgeford Hall Archaeological Research Project, covering an area where deposits range from neolithic to medieval. Summer fieldwork is planned.

The fee is £195, and a £50 deposit is asked for advance enrolments. Contact David Bellingham, Classical Studies, St Mary’s University College, Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4SX, 0181-240 4109 for more information.

Bill Bass reports on the February lecture

There was a good turn-out for the first lecture of 1996 in our new downstairs room at Avenue House. As well as HADAS’s President, Michael Robbins, it was good to see some new faces and some longer-term members returning to the fray.

Our lecturer was Mike Hutchinson, Archaeological Project Manager with the Museum of London Archaeological Service. He spoke about their work on the Jubilee Line Extension Project in the Westminster and London Bridge areas. Stratford, also affected, has been reported in a previous Newsletter. This extension to the Underground is a major undertaking and has provided MoLAS with several years’ work. Most excavation concentrated around the sub-surface ticket hall and access areas, the tunnel-bores being too deep for any archaeology.Mike described how in the prehistoric andRoman periods the Thames was wider and slower moving, its banks formed by marshy areas and mud-flats with channels flowing around sandy-gravel islands or eyots.Westminster stands on one such eyot Thorney Island, mainly created by channels of the River Tyburn meeting the Thames. The station is located on the northern branch of one of these channels, and here MoLAS found a sandy foreshore overlain with a sequence of alluvial deposits and peats formed by varying changes of river and sea levels. Finds from sand under the alluvium included worked flints, some neolithic in date, and pottery, probably of the late Bronze or early Iron Age. Unfortunately, there were none of the votive-offering type Iron Age artifacts sometimes associated with these watery deposits. From the post-medieval period, a barrel-lined well contained fine examples of “watering can” vessels in Guys-ware fabric.

Over at the north Southwark site there were several excavations running concurrently. Mike concentrated on one adjacent to Borough High Street. A new ticket hall was to be built close to the present London Bridge Station.

Members may have seen the debate recently as to whether there was a Plautian invasion base in or near London, eg Southwark, Mayfair or Westminster, and to where Aulus Plautius crossed the Thames. This area in general could be important to help establish a firm date for the crossing and to indicate whether it was of military or civilian origin. Borough High Street aligns well with the known Roman road leading from Kent, an alignment which has survived for some 2,000 years and has accounted for the fairly good preservation of earlier Roman deposits. Alas, later truncation has destroyed much of the archaeology post 250AD.

A piled wall was sunk around the excavation site and an artificial road-deck constructed above, the archaeologists digging carefully to avoid a mass of service pipes, cables and sewers. Unfortunately, the main north-south Roman road was not encountered, being just west of the dig.

The earliest phase uncovered dated to about 60AD and showed narrow timber-framed buildings aligned on east-west side streets, assumed to be lanes off the main road. In places these lanes showed evidence of wheel ruts and repairs. Fire, indicated by red and black deposits, had destroyed these rooms of mud-brick walls, and pottery dated the conflagration to 60 or 61 AD. Boudica’s calling card, perhaps?

The next firmly dated phase was c.120AD, the intervening years being difficult to interpret and unravel. Buildings of stone foun­dation replaced the previous timber slot beams or post holes, and walls were of tile. There appears to have been a mixture of residential and industrial use. The presence of blacksmiths was shown by kiln remains and the accumulation of hammer-scale, their workshop being in use for around 100 years. Bread ovens were evident, as well as butchered bones.

An unusual and puzzling feature was a “pad stone”, a small plinth of stone and tile possibly used in a colonnade base. This led to suggestions of a monumental and prestigious building lining the road to London, maybe a fitting sight for Hadrian’s arrival.

A selection of finds included amphora (one with inscription), decorated Samian ware, mortaria and domestic ware in many fabrics. Among the oil lamps found was one particularly fine example, from Holland, in the form of a foot wearing a thonged sandal with the wick protruding through the big toe. It can be seen in the newly refurbished Roman gallery at the Museum of London.

Michael Robbins put his experience in running London Underground to good purpose in giving the vote of thanks for this entertaining lecture.

An extensive survey by MoLAS of the Westminster area in general, covering contours, environmental and documentary evidence, was published in the London Ar­chaeologist (Vol 7, No 14); other monographs are planned.

News from our neighbours

April 27 is an important date in the calendar of the Finchley Society. The society will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a social event, including buffet and wine, a celebration cake, musical enter­tainment from the Hertsmere Choral Group and a pictorial display of the society’s many activities.

The party will be held in the Professional Devel­opment Centre, 451 High Road, N12, from 7.15pm. Guests will include Councillor Suzette Parker; Mayor of Barnet. Tickets cost £9.50, including all drinks and buffet, from Mrs G. Davison, 36 Sherwood Hall, East End Road, N2 OTA (0181-444 8395).

HADAS sends best wishes for the anniversary.

April is AGM month for Enfield Archaeological Society, and the meeting on April 19, at the Jubilee Hall, junction of Chase Side and Parsonage Lane, Enfield, starting at 8pm will include reports of the society’s work, including information about Forty Hall and its previous owners, and a look at recently-discovered underground air-raid shelters.

The society has also arranged a conducted tour of Forty Hall and its grounds on Saturday April 27 (starting at 2.30pm from the main entrance). The cost is £1, but names, addresses and phone numbers of those who wish to attend must be sent beforehand to Mr G.R. Gillam, 23 Merton Road, Enfield EN2 OLS (0181-367 0263). A second tour the next day, Sunday April 28, is possible if the event is over-subscribed.

News of the Mill Hill and Hendon Historical Society is provided by R. J.. Nicholson. He writes: Two more of our members have become authors, in each case writing their autobiography.

Sir Cyril Philips, former president, describes in Beyond the ivory Tower (Radcliffe Press,£24.95) how he was born in India and learned Hindi, Urdu and Malay before coming to England to complete his education. A fascinating aspect of the story is his war service, including spells in Gibraltar —where he found the pupils remarkably knowledgeable about horse racing, their previous teacher having been George Wigg, a noted racing enthusiast and India, Where his experience was particularly valuable.

There are Indian connections, too, in Ron Davies’ book, Some Blessed Hope: Memoirs of a Next to No­body (The Book Guild, £9.99). Few people can have had the distinction of carrying Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel into the family home in Lancashire, when the Indian leader visited them pre-1939.

Ron Davies was brought up a Quaker and at the outbreak of war he joined the army in a non-combat­ant unit. He came to the conclusion that he should take a more active part in a fight against what he saw as a great evil, was posted to the Intelligence Corps and sent to India. On demobilisation he completed his degree at Oxford, then practised as a barrister. Later he joined the legal department of the Inland Revenue, and after that lectured in law, finally be­coming a full-time industrial tribunal chairman.

A call to all diggers:Out with your trowels

Barnet Council has kindly agreed to allow HADAS to carry out a further excavation of the garden at Church Farmhouse Museum. At the completion of our work in 1993 we suggested that additional investigations on a smaller scale which would complement our initial exploration, and we now have the opportunity to implement these proposals.

Our primary interests will be the medieval ditch feature located on the east site and the nature of the buried old land surface on the northern edge. The interim report of June 1994 provides full details of our previous work.

Start date: Sunday May 12, 10am till about 4pm. Location: Rear of the Museum, Greyhound Hill, Hendon NW4.

Requirements: Sturdy footwear, site clothing, hard hat (a few may be available on site) and if possible a good quality (forged) 4″ pointing trowel.

Facilities: Tea and coffee will be provided. Bring a packed lunch or buy from The Greyhound next door where the food is reasonably priced and quite good. Please note: toilet facilities are only available in the pub from midday or the museum from 2pm. There are none on site.

Public transport: Hendon Central on the Northern Line is about a 15-minute walk away. Buses 113 and 186 stop at Watford Way, 143 and 183 stop in The Burroughs closer to the site.

Open weekend: It is planned to hold an Open Weekend on Saturday and Sunday June 1-2 when the public will be introduced to the work of the society. Non-digging volunteers will be needed for this weekend.

If you are interested in taking part in our first excavation of 1996 or would like further informa­tion, please contact Brian Wrigley on 0181-959 5982 or Roy Walker on 0181-361 1350.

Jennie Cobban investigates Edward IV’s missing memorial to the soldiers slain in the Battle of Barnet:

Right royal mystery of the chantry chapel

What was it? Where was it? Why was it built? The mysteries associated with the chantry chapel built by Edward IV after the Battle of Barnet appear to be endless, and as I am presently trying to write about the subject, I wonder if any HADAS members could give me a helping hand on various points. Certain aspects concerning this chapel puzzle me very much indeed.

We are told, time after time, in local publications that the common soldiers were buried “on” or “near to” the field of battle, and it is constantly repeated that Edward later (how much later?) had a chantry chapel erected near to the burials, and appointed a priest to sing masses for the souls of the slain. Whenever this information is offered, the same source always seems to be trotted out, i.e. the Tudor historian, John Stow. However, I now understand it is mentioned in the Great Chronicle of 1512.

We are told in various modern local sources that when Stow visited Barnet and was shown the remains of the chapel, it was being used as a dwelling house, and that the upper quarters of the chapel still remained (how?). Local information also states that in Stow’s time the house was being rented out at a rent of 20/- per annum, by permission of the king’s officers, and that a later passage may provide a clue to the location of the chapel. The extract is said to run thus:

“And when the king and his company were come to the open space which lieth to the north of Barnet Town, they turned somewhat to the left hand, where three hundred yards or thereabouts from the highway there standeth a clump of trees. There did the king and they that were with him light down from their horses and having uncovered knelt for a space. Then the king rose up, and after he had talked for a space with Master Aston, he mounted his horse, as also did his company. Then sticking spurs, they rode northwards…”

Well, all this is far too vague and out of context for me, and unfortunately I do not have sufficient time during the day to chase down Stow’s original work, The Chronicles of England, first published in 1580, in order to check either the accuracy or the context of these oft-used snippets of information. My first question must therefore be, does any HADAS member have access to a reliable transcript of the section of Stow’s Chronicle relevant to the chantry chapel of the Battle of Barnet, or alternatively, has anybody produced an index to this document? Meanwhile, I am also trying to pin down the exact 1512 reference in the Great Chronicle.

The Battle of Barnet chantry chapel has several traditional locations. One is Hermitage Cottage, now within Wrotham Park because the writer of a c17 survey of the manor of South Mimms was told that this was where the chapel used to be. Another location favoured by some, including the historian Frederick Cass, is Pymlicoe House on Hadley Green because it has a couple of supposedly c15 or c16 timber-frame walls within the building and is said to fit the location as indicated by Stow, quoted above.

Yet another traditional location is the Mount House in Hadley, because of its mound, and the site of the Priory at Hadley, because of its name. Presumably because of Stow’s description of the chapel as having been converted into a house, all local historians, when seeking the chantry chapel, have thus concentrated on particular houses which may, or may not, have been chapels at one time.

The problem is that if our chantry chapel were indeed a free-standing building, erected by Edward from scratch on a virgin site, then it was very unusual. Research into chantry chapels in general suggests strongly that when these mortuary chapels were established (the medieval sources, in fact, use the word “built”), what this actually meant was that they were set up within the fabric of existing churches, and were not separate chapels at all. A chantry priest could not be kept fully employed, after all, in singing masses for the dead all the time, even if he was employing extremely elaborate intercessions such as the Trental of St Gregory, which necessitated the singing of thirty masses over the period of a year.

Most chantry priests were expected to assist in parochial services also, and it would surely have made more sense for Edward to utilise an altar in one of the local churches for his chapel, rather than erect a special building. Hadley church, for instance, was presumably on the battlefield itself and therefore “close to” the burial place of the soldiers.

It is also worth pointing out that many chantry chapels were always intended to be of a temporary nature, and were often established for a fixed period of time only, often ten years. If the chantry had been erected at, say, Hadley church, then the church’s rebuilding 23 years after the battle may account for our surprising lack of local records for a chapel which was built by a king after a major battle.

I am aware that there are certain objections to this theory which is, of course, pure speculation, but I put these ideas forward in the hope of stimulating further research. Perhaps it is time to look at the evidence for Battle of Barnet chantry chapel a little more critically, and to get some fresh ideas flowing.

Stow may simply have been shown a location for the chapel by the locals who came up with something just to keep him happy.

Edward’s motivation for erecting the chapel has never been examined by local historians, but his reasons for doing so are quite understandable, when we consider that he was responsible for sending a vast number of soldiers precipitately off to Purgatory without the benefit, presumably, of the last rites. The medieval Catholic Purgatory was almost indistinguishable from Hell itself lots of red hot pincers and the like and not a nice place in which to find yourself abandoned when you died.

Edward would have been well aware that he might actually come face to face with these resentful souls when he eventually entered Purgatory himself, unless he had done his best to help the soldiers through as quickly as possible by having masses sung for their souls. Local Barnet people would also, no doubt, have been anxious that everything possible should be done for the hundreds of dead, lest they hung around the area as vengeful spirits.

I would welcome any comments on the above, and I would especially welcome any information concerning our earliest references (the exact wording being important) to the Battle of Barnet chantry chapel. I understand that HADAS once undertook a research project into the chapel, and I would be grateful for any further details.

Many thanks to Pamela Taylor, Graham Javes and John Heathfield who have already given me much assist­ance in trying to penetrate the mysteries of the Battle of Barnet.

A giant hoax?

There’s a splendid controversy raging over the Cerne Abbas giant, which HADAS visited during the week­end in Dorset in 1992. A major article in the Sunday Times last month reported new research which sug­gested the figure a “well-endowed warrior” as the newspaper modestly put it had been cut into the chalk hillside only 300 to 400 years ago, not nearly two millennia earlier.

The proponents of this argument believe the giant was the work of the “ruder inhabitants of Cerne Abbas” and was intended to tease the local Puritans. Their claims are based on a discovery that although there are many references to the giant in local records from the 17th century onwards, nothing appears before then. But English Heritage and local archaeologists and historians cling resolutely to the belief that the carving dates from Roman times.

Good news, and bad

While the British Museum is celebrating its £3 million National Lottery grant for a major development, including a glass-roofed central square and transformation of the round Reading Room, things are less happy at the Museum of London.

It is facing severe financial difficulties follow­ing a cut in its government grant. After inflation and cuts from the Corporation of London, the mu­seum will be £1 million short in 1997-98, leading to the loss of up to 40 jobs and affecting such services as cataloguing and conservation. MoLAS, however, as a separate trading activity, is not affected.

Notice of AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the society will be held at 8.30pm on Tuesday May 14, 1996 at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3. Coffee will be available from 8pm.

Nominations for officers and members of the committee must be submitted to me on the nomination form below, to reach me no later than May 7, 1996. The consent of your nominee(s) must be obtained in writing before submitting their name(s).

Resolutions submitted by members for consideration at the AGM must be received by me not later than April 23, 1996.

Derek Batten goes west for his archaeology,

In the footsteps of Custer and the Cheyenne

My continued involvement in archaeological surveys of Indian Wars Battlefields seems to have begun more by accident than design, but once bitten, the phone has only to ring, an American accent has only to enunciate the word “dig” and I’m on my way. So in the first week of November 1995, I found myself at the Washita Battlefield in Western Oklahoma.

The land on which Black Kettle and his Cheyennes camped and where, on November 27 1868, George Armstrong Custer led his dawn attack (and established his Indian Fighter reputation) is in private ownership. All that is available to the visitor is an overview just off the highway and a diorama.

Most of the land is owned by a charming lady, Betty Westner, who was out in the field with us each day. It was hoped that the whole area would eventually be purchased by State or Federal agency or a combination of both so a National Monument could be designated. All that seemed to be missing was the political will and the money, but we hoped the archaeological survey would help.

The whole exercise was under the control of the Oklahoma Historical Society, represented in the field by Dr Bill Lees, a giant of a man with the largest walrus moustache I have ever seen. Others in the team were names familiar from the archaeological work previously carried out at Little Big Horn.

The main site problem was topographical. It is generally agreed that the course of the Washita River has changed. Several floods have occurred over the years, altering the ground level.

There was a ceremonial beginning when Laurence Heart, a local full-blood Cheyenne elder, performed a traditional herb fire ceremony. Each participant sprinkled a small quantity of tobacco on the fire and incantations were made to the gods to look kindly on our week’s work. They must have been oversleeping as the first three days’ recoveries were not very startling. We worked particularly hard on Day Three for just four artifacts.

By the end of the week, however, a total of nearly 200 battle-related artifacts had been recovered, most being Spencer cartridge cases. These established troop positions and gave a number of useful clues as to the location of the village.

Final conclusions must await the final report but by the end of the week, Bill Lees’ moustache was elongating sideways with his smile.

I have since received an encouraging letter from Betty Westner. There is now a bill before Congress, part of which includes the purchase of the Washita Battlefield by the Federal Government and its subsequent classification as a National Monument. So it looks like our week’s hard work was not in vain.

No: 300 March 1996 Edited by REVA BROWN

DIARY

Tuesday 12 March Lecture: The latest news from Boxgrove – Simon Parfitt.

You’ve visited the site, watched the TV programme – now hear the lecture!

Tuesday 9 April

Tuesday 14 May

Lecture: The Thames Archaeological Survey – Mike Webber An update on last summer’s work on the Thames foreshore, undertaken mainly by volunteers and students.

-Annual General–Meeting, followed by the excavation team’s summary of their year’s work. Bill Bass will show slides of Martin Biddle’s excavation at St Albans at which several of our member’s participated

IRELAND 5 days We have contacted Trinity College, Dublin for accommodation and

archaeological contacts, but as yet, have received no reply. A phone call has brought forth charges, however, and possible available dates. Jackie Brookes has been investigating flights and times. Everything appears to be pretty expensive. The most advantageous dates and prices appear to be mid- to-late June. It is on this basis that we are pursuing the possibility of 5 days (4 nights), leaving early by coach on a Wednesday morning, flying from Stansted, and returning on a Sunday evening, thus giving us 5 full days for our itinerary. As a guideline, would any members who are interested, please let me know as soon as possible? Further details and cost will follow, if and when available.

Dorothy Newbury, 55 Sunningfields Road, Hendon, London NW4 4RA (0181) 203-0950

NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBOURS

Saturday 9 March 11.00 – 4.00: North London History Fair, organised by Islington Archaeological and History Society at the Union Chapel, Highbury Corner, (HADAS visited the Union Chapel with Mary O’Connell in September 1989)

Saturday 23 March 11.00 – 5.00: 33rd LAMAS Conference on London Archaeologists. HADAS will have a display at the conference; please visit our stand – constructive comments welcomed. Morning session: recent work in the City and Southward, Thames Archaeological Survey, and the new Roman Gallery at the Museum of London.

Afternoon session: the 50th anniversary of the Roman and Medieval London Excavation Council, instituted by the late Professor Grimes.

Tickets are £3 (members) and £4 (non-members) and are available from Jon Cotton, Dept of Early London History and Collections, Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN.

Thursday 28 March 7.45 pm at Avenue House: The Finchley Society lecture on “Boswell’s London” by Geoffrey Toms (formerly of the Museum of London). Many HADAS members will remember our first weekend away at Attingham Park Adult Education College, Shropshire in October 1974. Mr Toms, then warden at Attingham Park, hosted our group. He was secretary of the Shropshire Archaeological Society and excavated under Dr Graham Webster at Wroxeter.)

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Mrs Banham, one of the founder members of HADAS (1961), writes to send her best wishes to all our sick members. She wishes she could still join us on outings, lectures and weekends away. She was a regular on all of these, but her spinal ailment has severely curtailed her activities. She is now in her 90th year, and says she is with us in spirit when she reads the reports in our newsletters. Several of us will remember her habit of sneaking a bottle of sherry in her luggage on our weekends, and gathering us in her room for a reviver after an exhausting day. In the early days of the society, the late Mr Banham dealt with the dispatch of our newsletter, addressing the envelopes by hand.

Percy Reboul, another long-standing member (1972), is reported in an extract from a Plastics Industry Journal. The Greater London Industrial Archaeological Society (GLIAS) heard an entertaining history of ‘The Material with a Thousand Uses”. The history of Bakelite was presented by Percy Reboul, who is chairman of the Plastics Historical Society. The golden age of bakelite radios and telephones has now passed, bringing the closure of the 26-acre Tyseley plant in Birmingham, operated by BXL for whom Percy worked. The thrust of the lecture, which stimulated considerable interest among the GLIAS members, was firmly in the past. Percy’s gift for bringing this to life and his unfailing enthusiasm for the subject were clearly on display. (Percy gave the same lecture to the Finchley Society on 29 February.)

Marion Newbury, another early member (1972), has had a son on Monday, 12 February, a brother for Grace.

PLANNING APPLICATION Tessa Smith

Planning application has been received for the Bury Farm area at Edgware to be developed as another golf course. As some members may recall, HADAS field-walked this in 1976 and found a scatter of Roman sherds, rims, handles and mortaria in fields abutting the M1. Later, we investigated the water pipeline and its associated spoilheaps, but finds were minimal, although the area is close to Brockley Hill where 14 Roman kilns have been excavated in the past. Bury Farm is encompassed by the A41, the Ml, the tunnel by the Scratchwood Service Area, and Clay Lane.

MOLAS Tessa Smith

MOLAS is at the moment doing a desk-top survey gathering together historical documents and relevant data, part of which includes our evidence of field-walking finds. At a later stage, if planning goes ahead, the museum will be doing a field survey which will include field-walking, and in which HADAS will be welcome to participate. In view of this exciting possibility, we are making a list of interested member who would want to join in the field-walking – I imagine everybody would be enthusiastic and want to! Contact the committee! We will keep you posted of further developments.

HERTFORDSHIRE INNS AND PUBLIC HOUSES is a gazetteer of over 700 licensed houses open by 1900 and still serving today. HADAS member Graham Javes has contributed historical information on 31 houses in Chipping, East and New Barnets, Arkley, Hadley and Totteridge which fulfil these criteria. The book may be purchased from Hertfordshire County Record Office, or ordered from bookshops. ISBN 0-901354-79-1. Price £18.00

BARNET’S PUBS Richard Selby £8 . 95 Reviewed by Bill Bass

This is a book that will be close to the heart of several HADAS members. It mentions all of the public houses, inns, taverns, hotels, brew- and ale-houses that have ever existed in Chipping

Barnet, Arkley, Hadley. East and New Barnet since the 14th century. together with their locations, dates and histories.

Richard’s exhaustive research has unearthed a wealth of facts, details and anecdotes. The earliest houses include the Swan on the Hoope, established in 1398, and the present Dandy Lion in Barnet High Street, which has been in existence for over 550 years, having been the Red Lion, the Cardinal’s Hat and the Antelope, established before 1449. This once-extensive pub at one time stabled 100 horses, which explains the presence of most of these houses – The Great North Road.

Travellers have long found Barnet a convenient stopping-off place to and from London, culminating in the stage-coach era in the late 18th century. There are stories of the Red Lion in “commercial friction” with other houses competing for the early postal trade, with postboys brawling. “The Red Lion thought nothing of taking out the posthorses from any private carriage passing the house, and putting in a pair of their own, to do the next stage to St Albans. This, too. free of charge, in order to prevent the business going to their hated rival” – the Green Man.

There’s a chapter called “So, What’s a Pub?”. Is it a tavern, inn, hotel, alehouse? Richard has sampled them all and explains, also Barnet’s several breweries are recalled and described. Alas, in the 1920s, there was the “Barnet Comb-out”, following the Balfour Act of 1904, and pressure from the temperance lobby, nine of the town’s public houses did not have their licences renewed.

At the northern end of Barnet, there once flourished a community called Kick’s End, an area now composed of Hadley Highstone, Wrotham Park and Kitt’s End Road. Here, the old medieval route to St Albans and The Great North Road met. This disparate hamlet took advantage of the coach trade. Richard describes the village and its pubs, which were previously unkown to him (and myself). Eventually, the “New” St Albans Road was built (1826) bypassing this area, which then fell into obscurity, later to become part of the Wrotham Park Estate.

This is a fascinating book illustrated with maps, photos and prints. As well as the pubs’ histories, it gives further insight into the townspeople, their trade, and the passing traveller down the centuries.

HADAS have so far dug at three of Barnet’s pub sites: The Mitre, Red Lion and the Old Bull -only 197 to go!

AND A PINT FOR MUMMY

The “Daily Mail’ reports (7 February): The beer the Egyptian pharaohs took to their tombs is being reincarnated – in Newcastle. With the help of Cambridge University scientists, brewers Scottish and Newcastle have recreated a 4,000-year-old recipe to produce 1.000 bottles of Tutankhamen’s Ale.

THE MOUNT HOUSE, MONKEN HADLEY COMMON Bill Bass

Further to HADAS’ excavation of a mound base at the above site (Newsletter 292), further research has turned up an article in LAMAS Transactions (Vol. V, Part II, 1925) by Mr Fredk. L. Dove; a previous owner. Amongst other things, he removed a portion of earth from the north side of the mound and planted a cedar tree (which still exists) at ground level. This clears up a slight mystery as photographs have shown a tree on top of the mound: this one was replaced, as it was blown down. Mr Dove, like us, also dug a trench following the circumference of the mound, at 8 feet down – The trench was half on virgin gravel and half had been previously excavated. At 12 feet, he found the water table. Dove then excavated a shaft near to the centre of the mound, finding “two foot six inches of ordinary soil and six inches of a greyish white sand”. He then found dirty gravel and loamy bright yellow virgin sand. He also mentions a previous owner who “drove a heading into the mound, but was not rewarded by making any discovery” Dove felt that his mound and others on the common were “soil excavated from the adjoining ponds”. There is, however, evidence from this article and elsewhere that the mounds on Hadley Common may have contained rubble and ‘brick bats’, but from which period, it is not known. Also, it seems that the locals used to allude to the `hillocks’ on the Common as “Soldiers’ Graves”. Dove’s methods may not have been totally scientific, but with his evidence and that of HADAS, remains of any medieval or earlier occupation at The Mount House appear to be elusive.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATION

Madingley Hall, the residential course centre of the University of Cambridge Board of Continuing Education, is offering a course on Archaeological Illustration, tutored by Sandra Rowntree, on 11­13 October, 1996. The fee of £115 includes accommodation. Phone (01954) 210636 to book, or for the Courses Programme.

CLASSICAL SHIPS

The exhibition at Church Farmhouse Museum is open till 17 March. Modelled by George Fantides, there are Greek warships, Roman merchant ships, and Egyptian barges. This unique collection will be leaving the country this summer for permanent display abroad, so take this chance to see.

This, the 300th edition of the Newsletter, is accompanied by a copy of the very first Newsletter produced. Its editor is still a member, and for around 30 current HADAS members, who were members then, this will be the second time they receive Newsletter No. 1! They are: Daisy Hill, Reva Brown, Christine Arnott, Mrs Banham, Mr & Mrs Bergman, Mr & Mrs Canter, Dr Cogman, Mrs Corlet, John Enderby, Mr Harvey, Enid Hill, Mr & Mrs Hurst, Bryan Jarman (our chairman for 20 years), Alec Jeakins, Chris Leverton, Dr Livingstone, Daphne Lorimer, William Morris, Dorothy Pavasar, Peter Pickering, Ted Sammes, Liz & Mr Sugues, Ann Saunders, Sally Shulman, Margaret Taylor, Ann Trewick, Freda Wilkinson, Helen Gordon, Celia Gould and Liz Holiday.

No: 299 FEBRUARY 1996 Edited by ANDY SIMPSON

DIARY

Tuesday 6 February

Second evening visit to The Royal Institution and Faraday Museum. Meet 6.30pm at 21, Albemarle Street, Wl, Our January visit was overbooked, so a return visit has been arranged Phone Dorothy Newbury (018 L203. 0950) if you would like to join this second group price S4. (Recommended/ See report on first visit on page 5 – Ed)

Tuesday 13 February Lecture: Archaeological finds from the Jubilee Line –

by Mike Hutchinson, the Archaeological Project Manager with the Museum of London, which is conducting the work on the Jubilee Line extension. Much of interest has been found including not only medieval, but also artifacts dating to between 4,000 & 8,000 years BC, in the Westminster area, and Roman finds in the London Bridge station site.

Tuesday 12 March Lecture: The latest news from Boxgrove – Simon Parritt

You’ve visited the site, watched the TV programme – now hear the lecture!

Tuesday 9 April Lecture: The Thames Archaeological Survey – Mike Webber

An update on last summer’s work on the Thames foreshore, undertaken mainly by volunteers and students.

Tuesday 14 May Annual General Meeting

Important Reminder – Lectures are now on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, in the Drawing Room, Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3. The room is on the ground floor so has easy access for anyone with walking difficulties, We meet from 8pm for coffee and a chat, and the lecture begins at 8.30pm.

Your 1996 programme card should be with this Newsletter; if you haven’t received your copy, please contact either Vikki O’Connor or Dorothy Newbury.

The 33rd LAMAS Conference of London Archaeologists – Saturday 23rd March 1996. Morning session: recent work in the City and Southwark, Thames Archaeological Survey and the new Roman Gallery at the Museum of London, Afternoon session: the 50th anniversary of the Roman and Medieval London Excavation Council, instituted by the late Professor Grimes, To be held at the Lecture Theatre, Museum of London, commencing at 11 am and finishing at 5.00pm. Tickets are S3 (members), £4.00 (non­members) and are available from Jon Cotton, Dept of Early London History & Collections, Museum of London, London Wall, London EC2Y 5HN. HADAS will have a display at the conference; please visit our stand – constructive comments welcomed!

MEMBERS NEWS Dorothy Newbury

We have been receiving enquiries about the whereabouts of some of our sick members:

Ted Sammes – was transferred from the Royal Brompton to a Slough hospital before Christmas and is hoping to return home by the end of January, so he will be pleased to hear from you.

Victor Jones is home from the rehabilitation centre in Surrey and will also be pleased to hear from friends.

Enid Hill – on top of her other problems, we are sorry to hear she has developed shingles and is in hospital at present but hopes to be home again before the end of January, and looks forward to hearing from friends.

Mary O’Connell – hopes to get clearance on her knee replacement and returns to London soon to arrange our Whitechapel visit in September.

Helen Gordon is in the wars again. She was out of action last summer with a broken shoulder but has fallen again, broken a leg and is hobbling around on crutches. Marjorie Errington – a new casualty was hospitalised while away over Christmas, but is back home now and we hope it won’t be too long before we see her back serving tea at lectures.

And as for me, Dorothy, the plaster is off my arm, but it is crooked and painful and awaiting further X-ray results. Jean Henning, who did the same in the summer (broke her wrist) says I’m too impatient!

CLASSICAL SHIPS at Church Farmhouse Museum

An amazing collection of carved model ships goes on how for the first time at Church Farmhouse Museum from 3 February until 17 March. They will be leaving the country this summer for permanent display abroad. This unique collection, which took over 20 years to make, was created by Hendon barber, George Fantides, Each model has taken hours of research and months to carve and assemble. The result is an incredibly detailed miniature ancient port and an extraordinary fleet of scale model ships.

If you want to see the type of warship that literally smashed the Persian navy to pieces at the Bathe of Salamis 500 years before the birth of Christ, you will find a four-foot long model of an ancient Greek warship, under sail with three banks of 90 minute oarsmen on show. There is also a five-foot long model of the type of Roman galley that carried Julius Caesar and his army to invade Britain. Vessels from Ancient Egypt, Crete and Phoenicia also feature together with a Roman merchantman. Three ships, loaded with grain from Egypt, tin from Britain, wine, marble, olive oil and dozens of other commodities from the corners of the Roman Empire, sailed to and from the Roman port of Ostia. The 3ff by 4ff model of Ostia depicts a bustling dock-side scene, complete with slave market, butcher’s shop, brothel, a miniature replica of the sea god Neptune and a tiny copy of a mosaic pavement found on the site. Using power tools, the mode! took George Fantides nine months to assemble, carved out of paving stones, with six kilograms of Italian clay and 14 kilograms of special glue to hold it all together.

All the classical ships in this exhibition show how one man using the evidence of the past has created three thousand years of history – in miniature.

(Liz adds that some of the HADAS collection of Brockley Hill Pottery will be Included in the exhibition to relate the exhibition to local events and sites and provide some publicity for HADAS – Ed)

HENDON AERODROME Bill Firth

About two months ago a proposal was put to Barnet Council by the Mercury Group, a property development business, for a massive “American-style ‘auto-mall’ and a 20-screen cinema” on the Hendon Aerodrome site (East Camp) together with the offer of a £2 million sweetener.

Barnet Council’s immediate response was to “look forward to seeing what the planning application actually sets out and hope it fits in to the planning brief for the area and meets the criteria for development following consultation with residents.”

“To discuss money on the table is totally the wrong approach. Barnet Council and indeed no council sells planning approvals.”

This seemed such a controversial proposal that I have been expecting more reaction from the council but there has been none. For the present we must be content that the council is awaiting a planning application and has said that applications are not for sale. This is one to watch

PLANNING APPLICATIONS Bill Firth

English Heritage have commented on two recent planning applications.

The first is 140-150 Cricklewood Broadway which lies beside Roman Watling Street and in the extent of the medieval village of Cricklewood. This might prove to be an interesting site.

The second site is 86-100 West Heath Road and is of interest for its proximity to the West Heath dig and the possibility that there could be interesting finds.

OTHER LECTURES AND COURSES

Miss A M Large reminds us that residential weekend courses, many of them historical with strong archaeological connections, are run by the Oxford University Department of Continuing Education, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA. She recommends these university-level lectures with good accommodation and food, all easily accessible in the centre of Oxford – a free mailing list gives further information.

The Historical Association – the Hampstead and NW London Branch meet at 8pm on Thursdays at Fellowship House, Willifield Way, NW11. On 15 February their speaker is Dr Margaret Roxan of University College, London, speaking on “Life in Britain’s OTHER Roman Army – the Auxiliaries”. Details from Association Secretary, Mrs J Wheatley, 177 Hampstead Way, NW11 7YA.

The Museum of London offers 40-minute Gallery talks on Thursdays at 2.30pm, including:

15 Feb: Time Out: entertainments & leisure in Roman London

29 Feb: Dormice, Peacocks and Fish Sauce – food and cooking.

From 13 Feb – 31 March the “Londinium Live” event offers visitors to the new Roman London Gallery the chance to meet actor/interpreters “bringing Roman Londoners to life”. (A similar scheme at the London Transport Museum, Covent Garden, proved successful with Victorian streetsweeper, navvy building the Underground and wartime ‘clippie’).

RESCUE – The British Archaeological Trust

Following their mid-day AGM on Saturday 17 February, RESCUE are holding an open meeting entitled Archaeology Today. Public Service or Secret Society? The invited speakers are: Andrew Selkirk, Bill Startin, John Walker and Jan Wills. Views will be invited from all attendees. Venue: Museum of London Lecture Theatre, 2pm.

INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, Gordon Square, 7pm – £4 per lecture, pay at the door, Continuing the excellent series arranged by Harvey Sheldon,

Thurs 8 Feb Roads & Communication in Roman Britain – Prof Barri Jones

Thurs 15 Feb Coinage in Roman Britain – Dr Richard Reece

Thurs 22 Feb Revealing Roman Suffolk – Judith Plouviez

Thurs 29 Feb Religion in Roman Britain – Dr Martin Henig

STUDY DAY Roman London – Sat 2 March 10am – 5pm, Museum of London, to mark the launch of the Museum’s new Roman London Gallery. Tickets £15, concessions £7.50 available from the Museum’s Interpretation Unit (tel: 0171 600 3699, ext 200),

ROMAN FORT AT DRUMANAGH

A Sunday Times article (21.1.96) revealed details of a 40-acre coastal site, some 15 miles north of Dublin, which has been known to the National Museum of Ireland for over 10 years but kept secret due to legal problems. The heavily defended fort is interpreted as a beach-head supporting military campaigns, developing into a large trading town, and coins found on the site date it to AD79 – AD138. It is the first positive evidence of the Roman frontier in Ireland, and will probably link in with various small finds of Roman material – some finds have previously been explained away as ‘imported’.

CIFLIK

The University of Warwick January ’96 newsletter reported on the 1995 (2nd) season of their excavations at Ciftlik, Turkey, (sited by the Black Sea) carried out in collaboration with the Sinop Museum, and directed by Dr Stephen Hill of Warwick. The site is under threat of erosion, 7 metres of land having been washed away since their first season -fortunately they had already lifted a mosaic pavement from that area. The ’95 excavation concentrated on the early Byzantine church, dating from the 5th to 14th centuries, after which it fell into disuse and was then robbed out, Marble was burnt to make lime for mortar and for agricultural use, parts of the church was re-used for building this century, and the western area was used for road-building.

The excavators found that the mosaic floors were well-preserved, and the finds included fragments of very fine mosaic wall and vault decoration and fragments of architectural sculpture. The patterns are described as a “vast range of geometric motifs, which, in the central nave, were arranged in the squares of a regular chequerboard”. These were photographed and computer imaging will be used to re­create the original patterns.

An underwater survey was carried out to plot the line of the ancient coastline, also, to recover some architectural sculpture. They were able to confirm that the area is not only suffering coastal erosion but is also sinking.

The University is planning a third season this year, and are currently fundraising to this end.

HOW WAS THAT? – as the Guardian entitled its recent report that archaeologists investigating a cluster of 500,000 years old chalk balls found in a Chichester gravel pit are considering whether they were used for a form of cricket or boules. Presumably umpired by a sort of Palaeolithic Dicky Bird…

Mary Wood, a member of HADAS since the early 1980s, wrote to advise that she has moved to a new address at Canterbury and sends her best wishes to us.

A MONUMENTAL MISTAKE Andy Simpson

Archaeology and Politics continue to make sometimes uneasy bedfellows. A recent Guardian article under the above title highlighted the role played by modern-day travelers and anarchists in protecting archaeological sites from development. We are all familiar with these members of an ‘alternative society’ as seen on TV at Newbury By-Pass and other road schemes. The Dongas ‘tribe’ of travelers actually named themselves after a set of archaeological features. They and their fellow protesters face farmers who argue that the granting of class consents to plough over ancient scheduled monuments is part of the historical process in pursuit of EEC grain subsidies. The process continues – a recent survey found that 145 of the 202 schedules hillforts and earthwork enclosures in Dyfed had been substantially degraded since scheduling. The CBA has criticised the Government’s Rural White Paper which scarcely mentioned the historical environment, and called for consideration of the wider landscape and for environmental protection to be firmly linked to farm subisdies. This month, collection of data will be completed for Bournmeouth University’s “Monuments at Risk” survey, which is expected to show there are some one million recognised archaeological sites in England, of which some 15,000 are scheduled – some may be protected by English Nature and English Heritage’s “countryside character programme” recommending that certain landscapes be given special treatment by planners. The Government’s proposed Heritage Green Paper has, however, been delayed – it remains to be seen whether this will rectify any of the anomalies.

The above article generated a leered response from academics and the CBA; one correspondent called it’s simplistic and glib’ and argued for a sense of proportion in a crowded island where any ground disturbance could affect evidence of past activity. Asking what are archaeological remains for – material for helping us understand better our remote past, or a playground for alternative lifestyles. Other discussions centred on the problems of much archaeology now being funded by developers and the presence of ‘cowboy’ archaeological contractors who will supposedly do the bidding of developers cheaply and with minimal fuss. The CBA points out that whilst wildlife can still be regenerated in protected environments, elements of the historic environment cannot be replaced. Forthcoming changes to social security entitlements may well thin out the numbers of travelers involved in environmental schemes – it will be interesting to see who replaces them.

THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN and THE FARADAY MUSEUM Andy Simpson Some two dozen HADAS members met at the Albemarle Street, W1, home of the Royal Institution for a most informative evening. The Royal Institution was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, an American who had served as a British spy in the American War of Independence and moved to Britain when the British lost the war. He was an able scientist in his own right, interested particularly in the study of heat and light. The Institution has occupied the same premises since 1799 and received its Royal Charter in 1800. A public appeal raised funds to buy the building – originally a private house, first mentioned in 1746 – and it was converted to house laboratories, libraries and lecture theatres. The famous Lecture Theatre, home of the annual Christmas lectures was added in 1800-1801 and the facade of Corinthian columns in 1838. The adjoining 18th century house was acquired in 1894 and this now contains a Wedgwood plaque from 32 Soho Square, the home of Sir Joseph Banks.

Our expert guide, Mrs McCabe, the Institution’s Libraries and Information Officer, informed us that the lecture theatre is acoustically near perfect and was built to accommodate 1,000 people – reduced to 450 today due to modern safety regulations. It now accommodates teachers’ workshops, Open University lectures, and many of the 20,000 school children that visit the Institution annually. The Christmas

lectures have run since 1826, except for a break during the last war, and have been televised for some 30 years. Also in 1826 began the Friday Evening Discourses – from the beginning open to both women and working people, but at first kept out of the way in the balcony until an experiment went wrong and choked some of the ladles. Gallant as ever, Faraday invited them downstairs, away from the rising fumes. The workers stayed where they were, presumably.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the bookbinder’s apprentice who went on to discover electromagnetic induction, is commemorated at the Institution in paintings, by a statue, and by his magnetic laboratory, restored in 1972 to how it was portrayed in paintings of 1845. The museum adjacent to the laboratory contains some of Faraday’s personal effects as well as a unique collection of original apparatus illustrating his 50 years’ work at the Institution; he built the first transformer in 1831. now displayed in the museum.

The lecture theatre ambulatory contains display cases commemorating other members of the Royal Institution including Humphry Davy, inventor of the miner’s lamp and Faraday’s first scientific employer (he began by washing bottles for Davy). John Tyndall (1820-1893) was the first to measure the absorption and radiation of heat by gases and vapours, explained the flow of glaciers and recognised what is now called the greenhouse effect. Sir James Dewar invented the vacuum flask in 1902; Thomas Young, who lectured at the Institution 1801-3, first translated the Rosetta Stone; he also established the wave theory of light. The last display was on Lord George Porter’s work on photochemistry. Faraday, incidentally, used to ride his bicycle round the ambulatory – but we weren’t told why!

The Institution’s library contains over 60,000 books, reflecting the emphasis on popular science and bridging the gap between Science and the Arts, with scientific literature going back to 1500. Many books are also contained in the elegant “Conversation Room, and we spotted a book on Hampstead Heath in another room. Altogether ❑ splendid evening, particularly for a certain ex-BT employee who was greatly taken by the static electricity generating “Wimshurst Influence Machine” – an early precursor of modern particle accelerators. Thanks again to Mrs McCabe, also to Mary O’Connell for initially arranging the visit. There is much 1 have had to leave out of this brief summary, so, book now for the repeat visit on February 6th!

Issue No 298 January by Liz Holiday

DIARY

January: No lecture meeting this month

Tuesday 9 January Evening visit to The Royal Institution & Faraday Museum. Meet at 6.30pm at The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, W.1 Phone 018

to reserve your place. Price £4 per person.

Please note new lecture day: second Tuesday in the month, 8pm for 8.30pm in the ground floor Draw

House, East End Road, Finchley, N.3

Tuesday 13 February (Not 11 February!) The Archaeology of the Jubilee Line Extension .Mike Hutchinson

Tuesday 12 March

Boxgrove Discoveries. Simon Parfitt

CHRISTMAS DINNER A Reveller reports A freezing night with snow in the air and ice underfoot did not deter the stoic band who ventured into darkest Hertfordshire on 5 December. The party was welcomed to Verulamium Museum by Museums Director Mark Suggitt and his hospitable staff. There was just time to look round this wonderful collection, make a brief visit to the conservation laboratory, whip through the museum store, and enjoy a glass of wine before going on to the Waterend Barn Restaurant in the centre of St. Albans. The Little Barn, where the dinner was served, was brought from Great Hormead in the 1960s and re-erected next to The Large Barn, already in use as a restaurant. The Large Barn dates from 1610 and was brought to the city in 1938 from the farm at Waterend Manor, Wheathampstead by Ralph and William Thrale, who owned and ran a long established bakery business. Waterend Manor was the birthplace in 1660 of Sarah Jenyns, who as wife of John Churchill became Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, Queen Anne’s favourite and confidant. The pure air of St. Albans is said to have contributed to her longevity – she died aged 85 at Holywell House.

However, HADAS revellers preferred the festive atmosphere of the Little Barn to the cold air outside and adorned with paper hats, eagerly despatched an excellent traditional Christmas dinner.

Heartfelt thanks to Dorothy Newbury who arranged the evening; Mrs Rosamund Adlard who organised things at Verulamium Museum and the Manageress and staff at the Little Barn. Both venues are highly recommended for a visit – the museum for its superb disnches and teas.

LOCAL STUDIES AND ARCHIVES Local History Librarian, Jill Barber has left Barnet for Westminster and until her replacement is appointed the opening hours of Local Studies and Archives have been altered. Until further notice the hours are:

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

9.30-12.30

&

1.30-5.00

Wednesday

9.30-12.30

&

1.30-5.00

Thursday

12.30-7.30

Friday

Closed

Saturday

9 .30-12 .30

&

1.30-5.00

Before visiting the collection, it is best to make an appointment by telephoning 0181-359 2876.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Ted Sammes is no longer in intensive care, but remains in The Brompton Hospital, following a heart by-pass operation; Victor Jones has left the Royal Free and is staying at a convalescent borne in Surrey; Mary O’Connell is in hospital in Bristol for a knee operation and Dorothy Newbury is sporting a broken wrist (right hand, of course!) after a tumble while feeding the birds in her garden. (Dorothy hopes members will excuse her for not writing her little personal notes on their Newsletters this month).

Our best wishes to Ted, Victor, Mary, Dorothy for speedy recovery and to any other members who are not on top form at present.

JANE AUSTEN – A HENDON CONNECTION A note from Joanna Gorden

The recent interest in Jane Austen, her works, life and world, inspired a search at the Local Studies and Archives Centre for some additional information behind part of a facsimile letter from Jane Austen to her niece Anna Lefroy, wife of Benjamin, who lived for a time in Hendon.

“If your uncle were at home he would send his best love, but 1 will not impose and Base fictitious remembrance on you – Mine I can honestly give, and remain Your affectionate Aunt. J. Austen”

The letter was written when Jane was at Han Place and addressed to “Mrs B. Lefroy, Hendon”. After looking through the rate books, it was established that she was recorded in the poor rate books from May 1814 to the last entry in February 1819, when the entry reads “Mr.Lefroy or occupier”. They were in possession of a house valued at £40 per annum and a field at £10 per annum. Rate payers at this date are recorded alphabetically, which is not helpful for tracing location. However, the new occupier of a property usually refers back to the previous one, so it was possible to find the next occupier, a Mr.Beale and after him, from April 1821, a Mr.Holgate.

There was only one Mr. Holgate in Hendon at this time: William Wyndham Holgate, who lived at Heriot House, Brent Street, Hendon where he practised as a doctor for more than30 years. His daughter, Agnes Beattie Holgate, was born in 1828 and in later life painted scenes round Hendon, including Heriot House itself. The paintings and sketches were donated to Hendon Library in 1934 by her niece Mary Holgate. Agnes herself married the Lavaliere Giacomo Filippo Angelo Medori of Rome in 1859. She died in 1880 and is buried in Florence. Heriot House no longer exists, although Heriot Road and Christchurch are built on part of the site.

Book Review by Roy Walker

A Walk Along Ancient Boundaries in Kenwood by Malcolm Stokes. Published by Hornsey Historical Society, 1995. Price 12.00

Malcolm Stokes has undertaken extensive research into the various ancient boundaries of Hornsey and has now produced a pocket-sized guide to one location – Kenwood. Hopefully this is the first of such guides as it not only provides a detailed map, noting all features relevant to the boundaries being followed, but a wealth of historical background. All this in twenty-four well-illustrated pages for just £2.00 (This is almost the price of a pint at The Gatehouse, Highgate where an iron boundary plate of 1791 survives).

Malcolm, a HADAS member, but writing under the aegis of his local group, The Hornsey Historical Society, traces the old St.Pancras parish boundary, together with those of Hornsey, Finchley and Hampstead parishes. The location of each visible marker is given and we are told where they should be if they have now vanished. The importance of the landscape is not neglected and the changes effected by Lord Mansfield in 1793-96 are discussed. The publication provides a timely link by HADAS’s current work on Hampstead Heath. The Saxon ditch which we are recording forms, in part, the boundary of St.Pancras with Hampstead. The clear descriptions of the boundary markers, notes from boundary reports of 1854 and 1874 have put flesh on the bones we face most Sundays. A copy of Malcolm’s guide has been bought for the HADAS library but I strongly recommend that you add this book to your own shelves and support this project undertaken by the Hornsey Historical Society.

TRAINED SPOTTERS Dan Lampert

When I read of the abandoned viaducts near Brockley Hill in a recent Newsletter, I realized that I must he a walking fossil because I worked on the engineering design of this intended Underground Railway extension.

The countryside where the line was to be built was then known as Metroland. It was mostly fields and villages. The line route was agreed in 1932 and it required a viaduct in the vicinity of Brockley Hill. There were three structural possibilities for the viaduct – a series of steel girders on concrete abutments, reinforced concrete bridges on abutments or red brick arches. Coloured pictures were prepared by the London Passenger Transport Board showing how the different designs would look. These were exhibited at various locations in Meroland and the public were asked to chose. The choice was for red brick arches – this was said to be more in keeping with the surroundings.

In 1939 engineering projects which were considered non-essential to the war effort were stopped. The LPTB worked on supporting existing viaducts against bomb damage, providing water seal doors each end of the Tube tunnels under the Thames, protecting power generating stations etc. As an engineer I was designated to be in a “reserved

occupation” and I was assigned to repairing bomb damage from the 1940 London blitz. When this ended I joined the armed forces.

In 1945 the Edgware branch of the Northern Line had a very low priority. Green Line bus services and extended bus routes began to serve the area until finally the rail connection was abandoned.

Continuing the engineering theme, The Millennium Commission is considering ideas and designs for projects to celebrate the year 2000. The Evening Standard magazine gave details for some schemes from London’s past which never made it. They include:

Unbending the Thames. In 1796 Willey Reveley unveiled a radical plan to straighten the river Thames to relieve congested shipping. This plan, described as novel, grand and

captivating proposed that three massive channels should he cut through the City from Woolwich to Wapping and the old curves could he used as three huge docks. Alas, the engineering work was too complex and the scheme was rejected.

A few years later in 1799, the sculptor John Flaxman suggested a colossal statue of Britannia to be sited near Greenwich Observatory. Standing over 230 feet high, flanked by lion and shield, clutching a spear in her raised right hand this impressive monument could act as a beacon for shipping. But, alas…

In the early 1880s when Egyptmania was sweeping Britain, Thomas Wilson, an architect, came up with the idea of building a replica Great Pyramid of Primrose Hill to serve as a burial vault. The immense structure, taller than St.Paul’s on a base larger than Trafalgar Square, would contain 215,296 catacombs and accommodate 5,176,104 individual burials. Parliament did not share Wilson’s enthusiasm for the project and rejected it in favour of a more conventional cemetery in Kensal Green.

Then there was London’s answer to the Eiffel Tower at Wembley Park. Building started in 1891, was abandoned in 1894 when the money ran out and the stump was finally blown up in 1907.

The grandiose idea of an Overhead Airport with eight radiating runways, each half a mile long, resting on the rooftops of St.Pancras and Kings Cross stations was proposed in 1931. (Unfortunately, technology available at the time couldn’t match this vision… and the plan was dropped.

New book

Public Record Office Publications have recently published Maps for Local History (£8.95 ISBN 1 8731 6217 0). It provides a guide to the records of the tithe survey 1836 – c.1850, a national land tax survey 1910-1915 and a national farm survey 1941-45. This helpful hook (with such a misleading title) explains the historical background of the surveys, lists the information content (with indexes) and tells you how to use and find the records.

CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM The current exhibition features over 25 homemade and commercially manufactured dolls’ houses, dating from the 1840s to the

present day. Sizes range from a matchbox to a five foot high cabinet. There is also a wonderful assortment of miniature furniture and fittings on show.

If you’re intrigued by small things, you will marvel at the skills used to make such detailed miniature objects. All the material on show has been specially lent to the Museum by local residents and collectors from slightly further afield. Well worth a visit, particularly if you have children or grandchildren who would enjoy a treat.

The dining room remains decorated in full traditional Victorian style for Christmas until Saturday 6 January and Dolls Houses closes at 5.30pm on Sunday 7 January.

The Museum will be open on Wednesday 27, Thursday 28, Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 December, closed on New Year’s Day and then open again as usual at 10.00am on Tuesday 2 January.

NEWS FROM OUR NEIGHBOURS Enfield Archaeological Society welcome visitors to their meetings in the Jubilee Hall, junction of Chase Side and Parsonage Lane. Tea is served at 7.30; meetings start at 8pm. On Friday 19 January Ian Jones will be talking about Iran Before Islam_

Pinner Local History Society meets at 8pm on the first Thursday of the month in the Village Hall, Chapel Lane, Pinner. On 4 January Sue Selwyn will be speaking on Dante Gabriel Rosetti and the Pre-Raphaelites and on 1 February Dr. Colin Bowlt will describe North London Woodlands in History.

The Society’s annual Local History Day will he held from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday 24 February at the Winston Churchill Hall, Ruislip. The theme is People on the Move.

Speakers include Dr. Jonathan Cotton (Prehistoric Footprints in the West London Landscape); Dr. Isobel Thompson (Incomers and Natives: Harrow Weald, 1845); Eddie Cohen speaking about movement of the Jewish community from the East End and Dr. Philip Sherwood who describes how the building of Heathrow destroyed a community.

Tickets for the day cost £4 and if you would like to go please phone Liz Holliday on 01923

267483 by 31 January.

THE MUSEUM OF LONDON

The Roman London gallery re-opens on 30 January, with new models, extra room settings and a reconstructed street. Nearly 2000 objects will be on display. From 30 January to 9 February visitors can watch a craftsman plastering and painting the walls of the room settings using Roman methods.

On Sunday 14, 21 and 28 January at 2.30pm and 3.15pm, as part of their family events, the Museum of London will be holding thirty-minute object handling sessions on the theme Winter Warmers. Suitable for all over the age of 7 years, visitors will have the chance to handle a fascinating selection of winter things from the Museum’s handling collection.

In their series of fifty-minute lectures Excavating London Today on Fridays at 1.10pm:The Jubilee Line: excavations update by Alistair Green on 12 January; Excavations in Eden Street, Kingston-upon-Thames by Patricia Miller on 19 January and Bullwharf Lane, City of London by Julian

Ayres on 26 January.

For sale: a 400 page Roman history in mint condition – From Constantine to Alaric by F.P.Stevens. Price £5. Phone Rosemary

Bentley on 0181-959 5830.

Issue No.297 DECEMBER 1995 Edited by Deirdre Barrie

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday December 5th VISIT TO VERULAMIUM MUSEUM followed by CHRISTMAS DINNER at WATEREND BARN RESTAURAUNT, ST.ALBANS.

Tuesday January 9th, 1996 EVENING VISIT TO ROYAL INSTITUTION and FARADAY MUSEUM with Mary O’Connell (application form enclosed).

There is no lecture in January 1996, and in February we commence our new lecture day – the second Tuesday in the month in the Drawing Room at Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley N3 (8 pm for 8.30 pm). This is on the ground floor, with easy access, so we hope that members who have found the stairs difficult will

join us.

Tuesday February 11th Mike Hutchinson – “The Archaeology of the Jubilee Line Extension”. Tuesday Tuesday March 12th Simon Parfitt – “Boxgrove Discoveries”.

We may have the opportunity of an empty shop in Church Road, Hendon, for a few days to try and sell our 1995 surplus – especially clothes. Could any member help for a few hours if this plan materialises?

HADAS has a mystery to solve – or a ghost was on the outing to Silchester last August 19th. Vikki and Tessa both reported one passenger over and above the applications and cheques received. For morning coffee, entrance to the Museum of Rural Life and then tea, there were always 45 instead of 44. Who was the mysterious 45th? We can only assume someone’s cheque and form was lost in the post. To solve this mystery, would everyone who went on the trip see if a cheque hasn’t gone through. PS: It’s not the money—we want to solve the mystery. Vikki didn’t do a further roll-call on the coach, assuming an application had come in too late to go on the list.

MEMBERS NEWS

We have several members on the sick list.

Victor Jones has had an op in the Royal Free.

Ted Sammes is in the Brompton Hospital. Following heart tests, he is being kept in, probably for a heart by-pass.

Jean Henning had a fall in August, breaking her wrist, which happily is now on the mend.

Enid Hill is having to curtail her activities including labelling our Newsletters and finds at the Museum of London. She is now regularly attending the Royal Free.

Both Mrs. Banham and Frieda Wilkinson, two of our longest- joined members are totally housebound, but they still enjoy our Newsletter, and we hear from them both occasionally.

Malcolm Stokes is the author of “A Walk Along the Ancient Boundaries in Kenwood” recently published by the Hornsey Historical Society, 24 pages, price £2.00. The old parish stones in Kenwood mark the centuries old boundaries of parish and manor long since gone. This walk looks at their ancient course today and considers how Lord Mansfield’s landscaping in 1793-6 has changed their appearance.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Roy Walker

HADAS President, Michael Robbins, CBE, FSA, addressed the Society in November on a topic that had affected most churches during the Victorian period – restoration. He first explained his approach to archaeology. His understanding of the history of mankind came from the examination of all physical objects, it was immaterial whether they came from trenches or art galleries. Age too was immaterial – the past started this morning! Our President’s interests in fact awoke around 1800 AD and the following lecture well-illustrated his depth of knowledge of his favoured period.

Antipathy to the works of a previous generation is usually followed by a favourable reaction and the 19th century is no exception. It is now viewed with detachment and Victorian taste is sympathetically considered. However, the restoration of churches has not yet been rehabilitated. “Restored in 1850. . .” strikes a chill in most hearts. The Victorians were self-confident and swept away anything that did not conform and the restorations of the mid-19th century attracted critics even contemporary ones such as John Ruskin.

The term “restoration” was reviewed – a dictionary definition would be “to go back to something taken away, alterations and repairs to restore to its original form”. Under this definition, the works undertaken at Ely and Lincoln cathedrals were more of the nature of structural repairs than restoration. The reference to “original form” when applied to buildings with several architectural styles begs the question “which original form”? The 19th century church restorations (although this word was now treated as though in quotes) were carried out for four main reasons. They were major reconstructions, often pure rebuilding, to make good the centuries of decay. Works of enlargement were undertaken with the replacement of box pews with benches and the destruction of funerary monuments. This clearance could not be regarded as restoration. At this time there was a reversion to the liturgical practices of 1550. Fonts were repositioned by the west door, altars moved, chancel steps introduced (often for the first time in that building) and changes made to the number of lights in the windows. Not restoration. The final cause was simply “taste” to conform to what a church should look like. Gilbert Scott, for example, gave “tone” to St Michael, Cornhill.

By 1840 the style to which churches confirmed was “decorated, 2nd pointed”, English Gothic of the period 1250-1350. This style, strongly advocated by the Cambridge Camden Society (later the Ecclesiological Society) was considered the height of church architecture – previous styles building up to this, later styles simply a decline. Accordingly, under the guise of restoration all later styles, if present, were removed. As well as the liturgical changes outlined above, this “pure” style included no ceilings, no plaster, decorated style windows and 13th century pulpits (even if one had not been there ever). Other features were restored away. St Alban’s is a good example of this destructive school. George Gilbert Scott in 1848 spoke against this practice. Ancient details should not be obliterated, the individual character of the parish church should not be expunged. Restoration should not be undertaken to make the church look new but to repair. Modern surfaces should be removed only to check dilapidation and decay. Another architect, G. E. Street, pleaded for the authentic to be spared and William Butterfield (restorer of St John the Baptist, Barnet) similarly endorsed these views.

Mr Robbins then raised the problem that encountered these prominent architects of the day – they had opposed these restoration methods yet had themselves been attacked for the restoration works they undertook. William Morris spoke out against Scott’s work at Tewkesbury Abbey, Gilbert Scott jnr opposed the demolition of Hampstead church tower. It is sad that Scott, influenced no doubt by the laity and those who paid for the works of restoration, had a conflict of opinion and action. He admitted that he had not lived up to his own precept. His words had been tempered by phrases such as “there cannot be a strict rule” and “tone of feeling”. At Ripon cathedral, 1862-70, he had replace mullions of 1379 with ones of 13th century design and at Harrow-on-the-Hill he created a 14th century chancel where one hadn’t previously existed and refaced the exterior with flints for the first time in its history. G.E.Street too had this paradox. There was a problem of dualism. Most architects, disliking contemporary styles, selected a perfect age to which they adhered but this produced a dilemma – they were not single minded enough to keep to this.

The question session following the lecture produced two interesting points. In the mid-19th century, most major churches had reworked interiors, the smaller ones would have had partial workovers. Mr Robbins suggested an investigation into the records of local churches to examine the debate ongoing at that time – it would reveal arguments about how they should be restored, not if they should be restored. A comment

regarding the failure of a recognisable Victorian style to emerge evoked the question “what if Albert hadn’t died?” This sounds like a suitable title for next year’s Presidential Address.

ASPROM by June Porges

No, it isn’t a cure for a headache – its the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman
Mosaics. I was told about it while poring over mosaics at the Dorchester Museum, and

attended their 32nd symposium, a most enjoyable weekend in Canterbury during the summer.
Papers were given by Tom Blagg, Anthony Beeson, David Johnston, Roger Ling and David

Neal, who also guided us round the Lullingston Roman Villa. Members are a mixed bunch

ranging from professors to ignoramuses like me – archaeologists, classicists and historians and
someone who is designing jumpers for her HND knitting exams – all very friendly and good

fun.

ASPROM was formed in 1978 as the British section of L’Association Internationale pour
l’Etude de la Mosaique Antique (AIEMA). ASPROM is now the largest and most active of the
national sections, organising two major meetings/symposia a year and publishing an annual

illustrated journal, Mosaic. The subscription of £10 per annum (Hon. Secretary: S. R. Cosh, 38 OaIdea, Ash Vale, Aldershot, Hants. GU12 5HP)

The AGM and 33rd symposium take place at the Museum of London on December 2nd.

Seven papers are featured on the programme, including one on Mosaic pavements from Ostia and another on the newly found Muses mosaic from Luxemburg.

Site Watching: Bill Bass

Tree planting along the south side of Totteridge Lane, Barnet (TQ 229939), resulted in several holes approx 2m sq by lm deep. Inspection showed about 30cm of topsoil sitting directly on solid yellow/brown (natural looking) clay, with some sand/gravel patches. No archaeological features were seen. Totteridge is thought to be an Anglo-Saxon place-name, Tata’s ridge, recording the ridge of drier land providing

the east-west route along which Totteridge Lane still runs.

View from the top Bill Bass

According to the CBA magazine, 1995 has been a very productive year for air photography, at least on a par with the hot summer of 1976. As well as the weather, the organisation of aerial survey is more advanced now than then and is in a better position to take advantage of the favourable conditions.

RCHME fliers have recorded at least 200❑ sites this year, a large proportion of which are new. These include a Neolithic causewayed camp near Peterborough, new Neolithic long barrows in Lincolnshire and Wessex, a dozen new Bronze Age round barrows near Andover, numerous new Iron Age settlements throughout England and three new Roman camps in the north of England. Sites have also been found in Europe such as

Germany and Hungary, where Neolithic features once thought to be unique to Britain – Curses monuments and pit alignments, for instance, can be observed.

Museum of London – No 1 Poultry P E Pickering

I went on 3rd November to a lunchtime lecture at the Museum of London by Peter Rowsome on the continuing excavations on the site of No 1 Poultry. He repeated what he had reported in his article in the Autumn 1955 London Archaeologist, and brought us up to date with later finds. The site is very rich indeed – the Victorian buildings left between 2 and 4 metres of Roman, late Saxon and mediaeval deposits beneath them – and although the planning permission pre-dated PPG 16 the archaeologists have had good allocations of time and funding; they hope to excavate fully 55% of the site, and sample the rest.

The important discoveries include a Saxon cobbled market place, sunken-floor buildings and a Saxon well made out of a tree-trunk; the 11th century church of St Benet Sherehog, not rebuilt after the Great Fire, and a cemetery that replaced it; the Great Conduit (a vaulted 13th-century cistern); the Merchants of Lucca House (an important 13th century financial centre). From the Roman period there was a stone building complex with walls a metre high, and mosaic floors from which three central pictorial panels had been carefully lifted in antiquity – perhaps the owners took them with them when they sold their town house and moved out to a villa.

Although the comprehensive nature of the redevelopment of the site means that no other remains will be preserved in situ, the Great Conduit will be preserved under Cheapside.

WHERE YOU SAT IN A MEDIAEVAL HOUSE P. E. Pickering

I went to the open meeting of SCOLA (the Standing Conference on London Archaeology) on 4th November, at which Dr Philip Dixon gave a lecture with this intriguing title. Our own President, Michael Robbins, was in the chair.

Dr Dixon was not talking about the sort of house you or I might have lived in, but about much, much grander (and, he told us, much more draughty) places; his slides were of Tattershall Castle, Knaresborough Castle, Castle Rising, Castle Hedingham and the like. He explained that the lord of these places would sit in a very strategic place in the audience chamber, near the fire and lit by the largest window, while those who wished to see him kicked their heels in the uncomfortable but impressively decorated “mooching chamber” until he had them admitted. These castles were built, according to Dr Dixon, not for defence but to impress – not only one’s social inferiors but also one’s peers,

I was personally especially interested because Dr Dixon, who is at Nottingham University, talked a lot about places near my own home town of Lincoln. He fascinated me by arguing that the suburban building which was called John of Gaunt’s Stables in my youth, and has since been renovated (it needed it) by the Lincoln Civic Trust and called St Mary’s Guildhall, was actually built specially for Henry II in 1157 when he came to Lincoln for a ceremonious crown-wearing.

Issue No 296 NOVEMBER 1995 Edited by Bill Bass

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 7th November

Lecture: “Not What They Used To Be”

Presidential Address by Michael Robbins, FSA.

The reasons for the massive work of church restoration undertaken in the 19th century, some of the principal figures engaged in it and the controversies it gave rise to, and the intellectual, artistic and social background to the process.

Tuesday 5th December

Christmas Dinner: This has not yet been finalised as we go to press. However, the enclosed leaflet and application form contains full details of this annual HADAS event. NB:The date may have been changed.

Tuesday 9th January, 1996

Evening Visit: Royal Institution and Faraday Museum with Mary O’Connell

HADAS Lectures are held in the Stephen’s Room, 1st floor, Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley Central. Doors open at 8.00 pm for refreshments, lectures commence at 8.15 pm. The Society’s library in the Garden Room will be open on lecture evenings and can be accessed via the ground floor of Avenue House.

Details of non-NADAS events are given on the back page.

1995 MINIMART – ALMOST THE BEST EVER! Dorothy Newbury

We have made a clear profit of f1,500, all expenses paid. This is our second best result. Every stall exceeded last year’s takings. Our pre-Minimart sales were nearly f 600 which included income from our monthly Sales and Wants slips, Margaret Marshall’s bead stringing and donations kindly sent by several members who could not come on the day. Forty eight stalwarts helped on the Saturday, mostly regulars who by now know the routine and set to with gusto. The day didn’t pass without incident – so great was the lunch demand that Tessa had to send out for a pound of ham. The three ladies on the gift stall came to me trembling with fear – a customer was threatening to fetch her husband and sue the Society. In the crush she was seen to be filling her bag with goods and objected when asked to empty it so that the helpers could count the cost. Then before the start, the “bush telegraph” sent a message up to me

that a dealer had sneaked in. When I approached her she said she was not a dealer, nor a member but “a doctor’s wife”. Did she think HADAS stood for Hendon and District Association of Surgeons?

Anyway, tough guy Roy Walker quickly ejected her! When the whistle blew, everyone was ready for the off and, as always, everyone,I think and hope, found it a fun-day as well as a fund-raising day.

Thanks to everyone who made it such a success especially to Bill, Roy, Arthur and Alec who did the heavy transporting and lifting and the dismantling and transporting afterwards.

It is fair to record that those Society members involved throughout the year in all aspects of the Minimart are fully aware that the success of this venture is due to the time and effort expended by Dorothy in controlling the Sales and Wants slips, storing the sale items in her home and factory, as well as organising the hall, helpers and transport. The motivation and encouragement comes from Dorothy to whom the Society is greatly indebted.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

· Malcolm Stokes has successfully completed the second year of Birkbeck College’s Certificate in Field Archaeology

· Gareth Bartlett has had a letter published in Current Archaeology, he was concerned about neglect and vandalism at the Deserted Medieval Village site of Wharram Percy.

SITE WATCHING

HAMPSTEAD HEATH DITCH

After a small break work is continuing on the boundary ditch (weather permitting). Anybody interested in volunteering, or just interested, is welcome to drop by and find out what’s involved (see map in September’s Newsletter)

· HADAS has been asked to help in watching work in roads to be affected by re-routing of services in preparation for the roadworks/widening of the North Circular Road. At present this is around the Golders Green Road area. Nothing of any note has yet been seen.

n From Tessa Smith: Planning applications have been received for the Upper Welsh Harp, where a Bronze Age barrow was destroyed when the Welsh Harp Reservoir was constructed, and for land at 217- 227 West Hendon Broadway. which is close by. English Heritage has asked the applicant that archaeological assessments be carried out.

EXCAVATION REPORTS FROM OTHER UNITS

Bridgedown Evaluation: The Herts Archaeology Trust kindly sent a report of their evaluation at the Bridgedown Golf Course, just north of Chipping Barnet, (August Newsletter), here are some extracts. “200 trenches were cut, these being between 10-30m in length and 2m wide, spaced at approx 30m intervals. The areas trenched encompassed significant ground disturbance associated with construction of the golf course. These comprise the clubhouse, tree planting, lakes, greens, tees, fairways and bunkers. The entire site has been extensively drained to combat the heavy subsoil, and much evidence of land and mole drainage was observed. A number of man-made pits and ditches were located, the majority are post-medieval, i.e. relatively modern, but a handful contained Saxo-Norman and Roman pottery. Very few archaeological features were found. Those that were are dispersed and not readily indicative of concentrated activity i.e. an archaeological site”. There then follows a list of trenches with features and their fills, perhaps the most interesting being:

“Trench 36 contained a number of shallow depressions, filled with a light grey/brown, silty clay and flint nodules (5%) and charcoal (I%)- They contained sherds of coarse, flint tempered, Saxo-Norman (11th­12th century) pottery. Trench 121, feature 100 is an elongated pit 0.75m long 0.45m wide. It is filled with a light/mid grey silty clay, with flint inclusions and charcoal. It contains iron nails and thin-walled, dark grey pottery of Roman date (no other details). Feature 101 is a gully with similar fill to F100 and also contained Roman pottery. Features in trench 121 may be indicative of an archaeological site located beyond the north-western boundary of the area of development”.

The shallow hollows with 11/12th century pot mentioned, sound remarkably similar to features that were found during the laying of a gas pipe line near Dyrham Lane, Hertsmere, about 1.5 miles N/W of the golf course (August 1993 Newsletter). Here, the pottery was thought to be domestic and looked very similar to that from the Arkley kiln site.

Field Evaluation, 86 West Heath Road, NW3: A report of the work undertaken by Mike Webber (independent archaeological consultant) on behalf of developers London and Argyle Ltd has also been received. Twelve test pits were dug which revealed features associated with modern horticultural activity. Two unabraded flint blades and a blade fragment, mesolithic or neolithic, were recovered as well as sherds of Border Ware (1550-1750), Post Medieval Fine Redware (1600-1800), an early 17th century clay tobacco pipe bowl and other more modem domestic wares. The unabraded condition of the prehistoric artifacts suggests they were found close to their place of original deposition showing that full use was made of the local environment – not just the well-watered and dry sands of West Heath but also the less-well drained, wooded areas that surrounded it. It was concluded that post-medieval activity destroyed the earlier deposits.

Both reports are held in the HADAS library at Avenue House and are available for loan.

A LETTER SENT FROM THE TRAVELLERS’ CLUB, 5th October, 1995 Author unknown

Dear Bungle,

The strangest thing happened this morning at the Club and I don’t really know what to do about it. I was in the library, the most valuable club library in the country, perusing the fine collection of 1st editions and, as always, admiring the frieze cast from the Temple of Apollo at Bassae in Arcadia and as is my wont, occasionally leaning against the corinthian columns that divide the room into three, when 1 heard the sound of voices, mainly womens’ voices, coming from downstairs. At first they came from the Morning Room or it could have been the Ladies Dining Room next to it. That was fine but I realised it was too early for luncheon when the ladies are usually admitted so who could it be? Then I heard the House Manager explaining some of Charles Barry’s architecture – how the unusual feature of the Club was its central well open to the sky with three rooms and a corridor surrounding it. The narrow corridor allowed the three rooms to be larger and the well made for a light and airy feel to the building. Tourists! I settled down into my favourite leather armchair but soon was back on my feet. They were in the Gentlemen’s smoking room. I could hear them admiring the leather armchairs, the country house style fireplaces and making some unkind comments about the stale tobacco smell. And they weren’t even members! I bet they looked at the bound copies of Punch too! The quiet of Carlton House Gardens impressed them – I couldn’t wait until they heard the noise of Pall Mall within the dining room, should they be allowed to progress upstairs. Damn it all. I travelled to four countries outside Europe and America, had to have two nominations from people who had known me for over five years and be elected to membership without opposition by the committee for the privilege of using this building. And pay an annual fee of £750. These interlopers were now in the corridor, marvelling at that trick fireplace that backed onto the well with a window immediately above it. The Manager then told them that the smoke was extracted via a flue running to the left not above as in normal fireplaces. With indignation I sank back into my chair.

I must have dozed for a few moments for I then heard them declining to travel upstairs in the second oldest lift in London. Upstairs! It was no consolation that I had guessed right – they disliked the noise of Pall Mall in the first floor dining room but appreciated the mirrors at each end which gave reflections of the chandeliers through to infinity. The dome over the staircase had been restored to its former glory which they also appreciated. They moved on into the Castlereagh Room named after one of our founders in 1819, although, as you know, we have only been here since 1832 when this Italian Renaissance design of Barry’s was completed. I heard the Manager tell more of our secrets, the two suicides in the mid-19th century, one a failed gambler, the other a manic depressive and they were even shown our voting boxes.

The secret door in the library, the one with the fake books on it, opened and Jones came through carrying some bottles of sherry. For me? I joked. No, the chap said, it’s for our visitors. That’s it, I thought. I am all for friendliness, but when a chap can’t have some peace and quiet in his own club or a snooze in its library then the world is a worse place. You know, old boy, while supping our sherry, they would want to see Thackeray’s chair, the frieze, another country house fireplace and stare at the Gardens from the balustrade. Time for action I thought. 1 enquired who these people were. He told me HAAS. Never heard of them! They are interested in dusty old relics, he said, looking me straight in the eye. Well, discretion being the better part of valour, I laid back, put The Thunderer over my face and quietly sank into dreams of the Hindu Kush where life was so different those many years ago. There were no tourists!

A VISIT TO PALL MALL & ST JAMES’S, 5th OCTOBER, 1995 Roy Walker

Mary Connell braved the discomfort of a painful leg to lead a small group around the Travellers’ Club, the work of Sir Charles Barry, and then for a tour of Pall Mall and St James’s. The Club was virtually unoccupied that early in the morning so we had a rare opportunity to inspect a piece of grand Georgian architecture under the guidance of the House Manager, Nigel Sharpe. The tour finished with a glass of sherry in the library, disturbed only by the flutter of that day’s Times newspaper. Mary’s tour then encompassed the architecture of Clubland – exteriors only. We were shown the homes of clubs, both past and present including the former United Services Club, now the Institute of Directors: the Athenaeum with its external Parthenon frieze and the Duke of Wellington’s mounting block: the Reform Club (next door to the Travellers’ also designed by Barry, completed in 1841) and the massive RAC Club. The home of Neil Gwynne next to the late-17th century Schonberg House gave rise to speculation as to the origin of the Dukedom of St Albans. Clubland was followed into St James’s Street now the home of the Carlton Club, Boodles, Whites and Brooks. Pickering Place, once the home of the Ambassador to the Lone Star State of Texas was inspected and Mary drew our attention to the commercial aspects of this select part of London -Berry Bros &Rudd, Lobb’s and Lock & Co noted for wines, shoes and hats, operating from premises dating from the early 18th century to the early 19th. Shining shoes and furry hats were in evidence when we had paused between Pall Mall and St James’s Street to watch the guard change at St James’s Palace. No doubtText Box: 4 the wine would have been in evidence when the officers fell out.

On that morning, courtesy of Mary, we had in a very small circuit seen the architecture of Nash, Decimus Burton, Sir Charles Barry, Norman Shaw, Robert and Sidney Smirke, Luytens, James Wyatt and Pennethorne. We had supped sherry in a Club established for travellers some 170 years ago and enjoyed the Changing of the Guard at a Tudor palace built on the site of a hospital for leper maidens! Those that enjoyed the morning thank Mary for sharing her love and knowledge of London with us – it is a very generous thing to do.

THE SPITALFIELDS’ PROJECT Roy Walker

Hawksmoor’s Christ Church, Spitalfield’s, opened in 1729, has been claimed to be London’s finest Baroque church. At the October lecture we delved deep into its history, down into the crypt which had been sealed since 1860. Here, coffins compacted to a height of 9 feet were removed by a MoLAS team and their grisly contents cleaned and measured on site over an eighteen month period. Further scientific analysis followed and is still ongoing. Theya Molleson of the Natural History Museum took us through the results of this work and indicated the areas where future research is needed. The excavation provided skeletal material of known age and sex, details given on coffin plates and in Parish records. Significantly, this enabled the methods of bone dating and sexing to be applied to a controlled sample and to test the efficacy of these methods. First some statistics -385 individuals, one third of the sample, had dates and names; the earliest was born in 1648, the latest in 1853; the earliest burial was in 1729, the last in 1852; the age at death covered all ranges, they did not all die at 30! They were on average shorter than today, males 5 feet 5 inches, the females four inches shorter. Historically, this was a period of scientific exploration. It was the beginning of medical schools, dissection and (ironically perhaps) grave robbing. One recovered skull showed signs of an autopsy. There were signs of dental work on others – the first mercury/silver amalgam filling of modern time, “Waterloo” teeth and porcelain ones on springs. The measurement of teeth provides an accurate indication of age and it was possible to compare the Spitalfields sample with modern growth rates. As it was with other parts of the skeleton and we were shown graphs of bone analysis. Comparison of the long bones indicate that at birth the sample were equal to 20th century population but by the age of one or two years there was a falling away and growth never catches up. The reasons for this were explored – sickness perhaps, the age of weaning or poor diet when being weaned. However, the sample had not necessarily died young nor had the development caught up in later life when the diet had improved. The Spitalfields weaving community would have started work from the age of seven or weight and a contributing factor to poor development may have been this working beyond adequate energy intake. The average age of death was 56 years, male and female but the low 90s were achieved.

With the wealth of known age and sex, “blind” tests were run to compare estimated age and sex (as would be carried out on unknown archaeological samples)with the known facts. The results showed that the younger individuals had higher estimated ages and the older samples were given younger ages. for example, Louisa Courtauld who died aged 77 years had the bones of a 50 year old. And she had eight children!

Further investigations were carried out. Bone achieves full thickness at 30 years and women in the sample thin out from the age of 50. Today’s woman thins out from the age of 30 to 35 – there is now less density at an earlier age. This indicates a change over the last 150 years in the life style of women living in London – perhaps less physical activity is the reason.

One example emphasised the need to involve experts in forensic interpretation. Two holes in a skull were not recognised as gunshot wounds until the death certificate was consulted – white marks on a subsequent x-ray revealed lead from the bullet. It was a suicide who had suffered from abscesses – evidently gout and toothache were major causes of suicide! There was an 18th/19th century epidemic of gout due to kidney damage from a high intake of lead. Theya pointed out that this was dietary lead not inhaled lead which would have come from lead cisterns or lead-lined wooden barrels. Diet was examined but there was a problem over possible contamination of the sample from the coffin metals themselves. A skeleton from a wooden coffin had four times the modern lead content so this was obviously a dietary intake not influenced by the coffin materials. To test whether skeletal metals from those interred in lead coffins were dietary or absorbed from the coffin involved a piece of statistical logic for which Theya apologised as being difficult to follow so I shall not apologise again for failing to repeat it here! Other metals could be linked to diet -potassium from vegetables, copper from shellfish especially when stored in verdigris used as a bactericide. We finished with the relevance of oysters in the diet of that period – 3 million a year from Whitstable alone – common to the rich and the poor alike. Theya wondered if this was why they had such large families!

Theya was impressed by the standard of questions at the end of the lecture so much so that she complimented the Society on its interest in the Project.

CALLEVA ATREBATUM Bill Bass

Following our outing to Silchester and walk around the Roman town wall, I recently managedto visit the Museum of Reading where the principal collection of finds are kept. At present the refurbished
galleries are based on three floors with The Silchester Gallery being on the third. Here you can see a wealth of objects relating to everyday life from the site including jewellery, fine glass and pottery, sculpture,

mosaics, locks and keys, coins and craftsmen’s tools. The exhibition also explains how the political and legal life of the town functioned from the Forum/Basilica and the social centre of the baths;and how trade in

the province was conducted in the shops, inns and work-shops of the town. Also of interest on the floor below is a full-scale replica of the Bayeux Tapestry displayed in a continuous show- case Sewn by thirty five Victorian ladies, the replica was the idea of Mrs Elizabeth Wardle, leader of the Staffordshire Leek Embroidery Society, no less. It is faithful to the original in every detail, recreating the original colours, fabric, design and embroidery stitches. There are brief interpretive panels below the scenes.

THE WHOLE TOOTH AND NOTHING BUT. • •

Well not quite, it wasn’t a whole one and it was found in association with a load of other stuff!

A few weeks after our visit to the Boxgrove site, it was announced they had discovered Britain’s oldest human fossil (we didn’t forget anybody did we?). The tooth was found surrounded by animal bones, lumps of chalk And the waste products of flint tool manufacture. It is probable that the dental clue – a lower central incisor – belonged to a mature or elderly male, 17mm of its length survived of an estimated 25mm. Its enamel covering was at least 50% thicker than that found in modern human teeth. Together with evidence from the tibia, found 30 feet away, the tooth found slightly deeper, supports the conclusion that the early humans of Boxgrove were big – between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall.

Also noted by several members when visiting Boxgrove were similarities between the excavation here and that of West Heath. – careful trowelling of sandy material, finding flint and accurate three-dimensional recording. It was also interesting to see the use of baulks between trenches, in a time when “open area” excavation appears more fashionable.

TRAINED SPOTTERS

Under the guise of industrial archaeology, two members of HADAS joined a walk exploring old railway trackbeds in north London earlier this summer. The railway in question used to be the old LNER branch from Finsbury Park to Highgate, Alexandra Palace, High Barnet and Edgware. It was proposed that the branch would be electrified and extended to Bushey Heath (via Edgware) as part of the Northern Line but due to a lack of resources after the War and the creation of the Green Belt it was decidedto modify these plans to the tube system we have today. In fact, it was more than proposed. An estimated f2 million ( pre – War value) was spent on works such as cable-runs, signalling, civil engineering and, in the case of Highgate, a completely new high level station – all abandoned!

The tour concentrates on features of this uncompleted project, many of these items are still in situ and can be inspected especially between Finsbury Park and Highgate as this section has been left as a footpath. The line can be traced through Highgate Wood, now rather overgrown, to Ally Pally. From here buses took the party to view sections past Mill Hill East to Edgware. Further north, the only remaining evidence are traces of a brick-built arched viaduct which would have supported a station at Brockley Hill. A tunnel under the hill would have reached Elstree and thence Bushey Heath.

Organised by Jim Blake, this walk is an annual event held on the first Sunday in July and is documented by him in his book “Northern Wastes”.

THE ABBEY HABIT Bill Bass

Martin Biddle has continued his excavations at St Alban’s Abbey this year. A five weeks campaign during August and September saw three or four HADAS members taking part. Trenches from last year were left open over the winter so that rain and frost could work on the difficult clay subsoil and more features were observed and planned for the forthcoming dig. These included further graves from the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries, with more work on the cellarium with excavation of the north-west corner. Several more Roman burials were investigated, most contained evidence for coffins (e.g. nails) and grave goods such as pottery and glass attested to possible graveside ceremonies. There was an example of a “flexed” burial; another had signs of a healed bone fracture. Of the Saxon burials at least three generations were identified. These graves can be broadly dated to the 10th and 11th centuries by the presence of “pillow stones” supporting the heads.

Those members who have seen Fountains Abbey will have some impression of what the vaulted cellarium would have looked like. Last year’s trench in this area was extended to reveal more of the northern end, again with remains of the ribbed vaulting and decorated floor tiles which had collapsed into the cellar on demolition. Study here of the different mortars, wall facings and floor surfaces will give further understanding of the phasing and relationship of the cellarium to the outer court and Abbot’s reception parlour. Usually there were twenty or so people on site, all volunteers except the Biddies, ranging from local diggers to students, others from America, Germany etc. The work in sweltering conditions was hard but enjoyable. In future, Martin would like to excavate further south of the medieval complex, where he feels St Alban was originally buried 700 years before Paul of Caen, the first Norman abbot, built his Abbey.

CUTTING COMMENTS

· In the Daily Mail (25 September) there’s a report on a new site, 10 miles from Skara Brae in the Orkneys. It was found by a local farmer when ploughing and a team from Glasgow University used geophysical techniques to pinpoint further walls. Excavation has revealed stone furniture, recesses in the wall which look like beds, a polished stone axe and worked flints, This was contained in two complete houses with walls still standing eight to ten stones high. The team are confident that Stonehall, as it is now called, is several centuries older than Skara Brae: carbon dating of charred hearth wood may confirm this.

· Thinking of moving? The same newspaper pictures a fort in the mouth of the River Cleddau at Milford Haven. Historic Stack Rock fort is up for auction at a guide price of £50,000, the buyer however will need plenty of extra cash – not to mention a boat to get there, as “substantial renovation” is required. The limestone structure, with brick and stone interior, has 29 rooms on three levels. Built in the 1850s to protect the Royal Naval Dockyard at Pembroke from Napoleon Ill, it remained in military use until the end of World War II, but has since been in private hands.

Text Box: 7HAVE TROWEL – WILL TRAVEL Jean Bayne

It was in the best field archaeological tradition; cockroaches in the kitchen, ants in the shower and alcohol in the fridge !. These were the high profile features of the small, dark spartan flat which was our living quarters this summer at Roda de Ter, about 50 miles north east of Barcelona. I had gone there with a friend from a field archaeology class to undertake a week’s excavation in connection with the course. To complete the picture, ten young, lively, funny, caring students were crammed into the tiny flat with us !. Every morning we were on site, L’Esquerda, by eight o’clock, trowel in hand and we worked through until nightfall. Our afternoon break was for a large 4 course meal with wine in the local workman’s cafe, but ‘siesta’ seemed to be an unknown English concept 1. Another large 4 course meal was taken about 10.00-

10.30 at night. After this the students went dancing but we couldn’t stand up!. Even the weather took us by surprise: in other years, we were told, the temperatures reached 43°c. This year was an exception: rain, mists and early morning chilly cold!. Everyone except us was very excited about the rain – during which we processed finds – and told us constantly about high temperatures in London while we shivered in our ‘hot summer’ gear!.

The site was spectacular. Perched alongside the village on a hilltop with the river Ter running around it below and forests on the nearby hillsides, we looked out across a wide valley surrounded by mountains. Ruins were clearly visible at the furthest northern end of the long flat hilltop and at the southern end was an earlier prehistoric site.

The local villagers were fiercely proud of their site and could trace their involvement back to the beginning of the century. Back then all that was visible was one wall of the ruined medieval church as the site had been farmed continuously since the 14th century. Nevertheless, they knew that there were extensive archaeological remains running the length and breadth of the hilltop. When the villagers heard of plans to build a factory there they dug up the fields to expose the archaeology in an attempt to thwart the plan. No factory was ever built, and the University of Barcelona began to take an interest in the site. It has always, though, acknowledged its debt to the villagers by giving them priority places on their annual two week summer dig. Some young people there had been coming to the dig for more than 10 years. Also, every October they would hold a meeting in the village, attended by over a hundred people, to explain their progress and findings. A small museum in the village houses the finds. During the rest of the year the villagers keep an eye on the site and, recently, when someone set fire to the grass on the hilltop, the fire engine was accompanied by most of the villagers!. The other diggers were university students from all over Catalonia, specializing in archaeology as part of their history degrees. We were the only foreigners out of approximately forty people.

The site spanned several chronological periods from the late Bronze Age, 7-8th century BC, (for which pottery has been found) until the late medieval period of the early 14th century. The main phases of interest are the 4th century BC, in which a fortified Iberian oppidum was built, and the 10-13th century when the medieval village was begun and expanded. The medieval site, at one end of the hilltop may have extended to the walls of the Iberian site at the other. There is also a suggestion that it is partly built over the original Iberian site as ancient water cisterns there are clearly pre-medieval. Curiously, little evidence of Roman occupation has been found although they were in the area and the village has a Roman bridge over the Ter. By the 14th century the hilltop village was deserted for the lowlands nearer the river, where it lies today.

So there are two main sites, rich in structures and finds. At the medieval end, the stone walls of small medieval houses, graves dug into the soft rock near the church, and evidence for a central square and road are clearly visible. House building appears to have been planned rather than spontaneous. Unfortunately, agricultural practice over the centuries has removed much of the stratigraphic evidence. Archaeologists suggest that its early 8-9th century use is likely to have been as one of the fortification points along the river Ter to counter the advance of the Muslim army. In later times, the area seems to have been divided into three storage places, living areas and units for agricultural production e.g a granary, a mill and floors for threshing and haystacks. Finds include stone mills, grey & black pottery, animal bones and carbonized seeds.

Whilst we were there, further wall structures were uncovered but they appeared less compact and uniform than the house walls and went off at angles and in diverse directions. This caused much interest and also seem to show that the area of occupation was extensive, built on former structures and possibly included a variety of building types.

The Iberian was also dominated by structures though less immediately visible. It was a fortification with evidence for walls, tower and gateways. Four large post-holes suggested timber construction and a major street was evident. Storage rooms for weaponry, pottery and other objects have been found. An example of early urban living Greek pottery suggests that it was also a community involved in trade.

We worked on the smaller Iberian site, cleaning features and trowelling several new walls; gateways came to light and a more precise picture of the overall layout was exposed. Former ploughing, though, made it difficult to find clean stratigraphic levels with any precision: the soil was very mixed. There were a few areas where the soil changes were dramatic and one or two spots which were jealously guarded as it was thought that they might have escaped deep ploughing because of the stone walls. (These were to be explored last – a bit like leaving your favourite morsel of foodto the end!). Finds were abundant: pot of different kinds, bones, a few coins and some iron objects. Charcoal deposits were common. It seems that the site was thriving in the 4th century BC, destroyed by a major fire in the 3rd century BC and reconstructed during the Ist/2nd century BC.

As there was only enough money to finance a fortnight’s digging, the pace was relentless, albeit very good-natured. The people we worked with were easy-going, charming, gentle and courteous and there was much fun and laughter. We were very well looked after, though we had to, graciously, decline offers to go disco-dancing at midnight!. They all spoke Catalan and I soon discovered that my efforts to show off my few words of Spanish were defined as “politically incorrect”. The site directors were two delightful women, dedicated to the Catalan cause. So we made do with their English which they enjoyed practising and a lot of guesswork and gesture. The last Saturday we spent in Barcelona in a luxury hotel – soft beds with pillows, an enormous bath and fluffy towels. We felt more like ‘stretcher’ archaeologists by then than ‘field’ or even armchair ones! But we will always remember our experience in Catalonia with great affection!

FURTHER DIARY DATES

Museum of London, Friday lunchtime lectures, 1.10 pm – 1.50 pm

The general theme is “Excavating London Today”

November 3rd Digging at No 1 Poultry (Peter Rowsome)

November 17th Cranford Lane: a prehistoric site in west London (Mark Birley & Nick Elsden) November 24th Medieval London Bridge: lost and found (Trevor Brigham & Bruce Watson) Museum of London Study Day

PHOTOGRAPHERS’ LONDON

Saturday 25th November, 1995, 1 0.00 am – 5.00 pm Fee f15.00 (concession £7.50)

Complements the exhibition Photographers’ London7839-7994 which runs until 31st December, 1995. Essex Archaeological Symposium

Saturday 4th November, 1995, 10.00 am – 4.30 pm, at St Charles Hall, Holland Road, Clacton-on-Sea. Tickets f 4.50, includes tea and coffee, from Pamela Greenwood, Newham Museum Service, Archaeology and Local History Centre, 31 Stock Street, Plaistow, London, E13 OBX (tel 0181-472 4785)

Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Kent

Saturday 11th November, 1995, 2.15 – 5.30 pm, at Christ Church College, North Holmes Road, Canterbury. Organised by the Council for Kentish Archaeology, 5 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 9DL from whom tickets are available at £2.00, cheques payable to CKA, sae required.

LAMAS Local History Conference

BANISHING LONDON’S SLUMS

Saturday 18th November, 1995, 10.10 am – 5.00 pm at the Museum of London.

Tickets (f 3.50) and enquiries from LAMAS, 36 Church Road, West Drayton, Middlesex, 1JB/ /PX. SCOLA Open Meeting

WHERE YOU SAT IN A MEDIEVAL HOUSE (AN ARCHAEOLOGIST’S VIEW) Dr Philip Dixon, President of CBA Saturday 4th November, 1995, From 2.15 pm, Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly. All welcome, admission free.

HADAS DIARY

LECTURES;

Tuesday, 3rd October “The Spitalfields Project”

An interpretation of the skeletons from Christ Church, presented by Theya Mollison of the Museum of London.

Tuesday, 7th November “Not What There Used To Be” Presidential address byMichaell Robbins, FSA.

The reasons for the massive work of church restoration undertaken in the nineteenth century, some of the principal figures engaged in it and the controversies it gave rise to, and the intellectual, artistic, and social background to the process.

REMEMBER ! Venue for Lectures in 1995 is the Stephen’s Room, 1st Floor, Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley. N.3. 8 p.m. for 8.30 p.m.

MORNING WALK and VISIT to the TRAVELLERS’ CLUB with MARY O’CONNELL Thursday, 5th October PLEASE NOTE this event is fully booked. MEMBERS who have BOOKED, please meet at the Club at 10.15 a.m.(not 10.30)

LAMAS EVENTS

Tuesday, 10th October LECTURE by Colin Manton on “The Early Aircraft Industry of North London”

Lecture is at the Museum of London – refreshments at 6 p.m.-lecture 6.30. Saturday, 18th November

LOCAL HISTORY CONFERENCE – ONE DAY

“Banishing London’s Slums”

Conference is in the Lecture Theatre, Museum of London, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

HADAS EXAMINATION SUCCESSES 1995

MASTER of ARTS – ANDY SIMPSON, in MUSEUM STUDIES,LEICESTER UNIVERSITY

BACHELOR of ARTS – CELIA GOULD (1st Class Honours) in ANCIENT WORLD STUDIES, UNIUERSITY COLLEGE, London

BIRKBECK COLLEGE CERTIFICATE and DIPLOMA in FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY

BILL BASS, CARL HUMBERSTONE and ROY WALKER have completed the DIPLOMA YEAR; JEAN BAYNE has completed the third (final) year of the CERTIFICATE.

BIRKBECK COLLEGE CERTIFICATE in HISTORY VIKKI O’CONNOR has completed the first year of the CERTIFICATE.

We hear that TED SAMMES, who has recently had a spell in hospital, is

now safely back home again, We are sure he will soon be fully restored

to health and fighting fitness as usual

HADAS members were not the only ones curious about the identity of the bearded gentleman on last Autumn’s cover of the London Archaeologist. Sadly, it is not Paddy Musgrove after all. In the following Spring edit­ion of that magazine, Stephen Castle wrote to identify Philip Suggett, the site director, with Gilbert F. Cole inspecting a flagon at Brockley Hill in 1952. Our thanks to Max Hoathen for that information.

From Tessa Smith.

HENDON AERODROME

I had not been close to the buildings at Hendon Aerodrome for some time, although I had kept an eye on them in passing from the train or the motor­way and was satisfied that they were still standing. It was something of a shock, therefore, to walk around the area one hot afternoon in August to find that all but the Listed Buildings around the Grahame White Hangar have been razed to the ground,

The hangar, factory, and offices with control tower above are now highly visible from Grahame Park Way. The windows are boarded up and the balcony to the offices is in a poor state of repair. The neglect of these hist­oric buildings is only too evident. Unfortunately, there is not much one can do. The site retires money and that is the one thing that is lacking.

By contrast, the nearby hotel built by Grahame White for VIPs has been taken over by Middlesex University and, at least externally, looks in

good shape. One wonders what the university has done, or what the students will do, to the interior.,,but let’s be thankful that something of the Grahame White ’empire’ looks likely to survive.

From the grounds of the RAF Museum one can also see the 1930s buildings put up by the RAF during the expansion period before World War Two. These, too, are boarded up, and the weeds are growing high around them. They seem to be the next candidates for demolition. They are not unique – the RAF still uses similar buildings at other stations. However, it seems a pity that they cannot somehow be incorporated into the RAF Museum as actual ex-

amples of some of the buildings typical of RAF stations. They would be so much better than the models in the museum.

From Bill Firth.

DURHAM and HADRIAN’S WALL

The 1995 Long Weekend at Three World Heritage Sites – DAY 1

It’s ten past eight at Golders Green station, and the last group of hardy HADAS members join the coach bound for ‘Up North’. To our sur­pulse, there are a few empty seats. This, our amiable driver (Andy) explains, is because we are in a substitute coach; the one we should have had (plus loo) was leaking through the roof. By the time we reached Hadrian’s Wall in the rain, we were glad to have the water­proofed version.

The first leg of the journey took us to Tuxford, where we stopped for coffee at The Newcastle Arms. After coffee, the members divided into two main groups. One group explored the nearby church of St. Nicholas, part of which dates back to Saxon times. A stained glass St. Lawrence window dating from the 15th century could be seen – but why is it there in the church of St. Nicholas ?

From there we headed North. . The first. World Heritage site on our tour was Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Gardens, where we stopped for our lunch and a walk. Once the largest Abbey in England, and now the largest monastic remains, Fountains Abbey was founded in 1132, on a site which was later described as ‘fit more for the dens of wild beasts than for the use of man’. The buildings were reconstructed between 1148 and 1179, after enemies of the Abbot had broken in and destroyed the.Abbey by fire. The only major additions after 1179 were the Chapel of the Nine Altons in the 13th century, and the north Tower in the 15th century. At first, the monks suffered considerable hardship but the Abbey ultimately became the richest Cistercian house in England. The ruins clearly demonstrate the layout of a Norman and medieval monas­tic foundation as the whole ground plan has survived, and we could see the nave,tower, refectory, lay brothers’ quarters and cellarium with its fine vaulting, The Abbey also possesses its 12th century tunnell – ing, constructed to conduct the river Skell for waterworks and drainage. After viewing the Abbey, we then had time to walk around the beautiful water garden, dating from 1716, which is set in the steep-sided valley of the Skell. It is made up of straight canals and geometrically-shaped pools, with statues, temples and towers tucked into the land­scape of ridges and trees. An altogether enchanting place…

North again to Durham. We parked in the coach parkand transferred by minibus or on foot to St. John’s College. On arrival we were ushered into the dining hall where tea was served and rooms were allocated. Supper was taken in the dining room – a fine wood-panelled room with photographs of former college students on the walls. After refresh­ments, HADAS adjourned to the lecture theatre, where we had a short welcome talk, and then met our guide, Richard Brickstock. He present­ed an illistrated Lecture to introduce us to the area of Durham and Hadrian’s Wall, and to familiarize us with some of the local delights to come…

In summary

When HADAS from Hendon departed,

Our journey to Durham had started.

With Richard our guide,

Whose knowledge was wide,

Our experts were truly out-smarted.

Paul and Micky 0’Flynn

Day 2 – Saints and soldiers

Friday was a busy day with visits to a 12th century church, two major sites and Durham University’s Archaeological Museum.

The first stop of the day was at St Lawrence Church, Hallgarth in Pittington which was once part of the endowments of the Benedictine monastery in Durham. The church has the most wonderful carved Norman pillars, alternately octagonal and round. The octagonal pillars are decorated with vertical fluting; the round ones each have a spiral carved in relief, climbing sinuously round them from base to capital. Chi either side of the westernmost of two small windows are two impressive 12th century wall paintings, rediscovered in 1846 and restored in the early 1970s. One shows the consecration of St. .Cuthbert as a Bishop, with Ecfrith the King of Northumbria in the background. The other records St.Cuthbert’s vision of the death of “a holy person” which occurred when he was dining with the Abbess Aelfleda at Whitby Abbey. These two paintings may once have been part of a much larger cycle illustrating St.Cuthbert’s life. At the west end of the nave there is an intriguing collection of medieval sculptured stones and grave markers.

On our way to South Shields we paused briefly at the Penshaw Monument, a 19th century classical Greek temple paid for by subscriptions from Durham miners and later we glimpsed Hylton Castle, a 12th century fortified manor house, now reduced to a gutted shell.

Our main visit of the morning was to the Roman fort of Arbeia at South Shields, which lies in the middle of a residential area of the town on a flat-topped hill overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne. The importance of the site to the Romans was its position guarding a port on the riverside below (as yet undiscovered), through which passed men, materials and supplies on their way to Hadrian’s Wall and the frontier area.

Early excavation took place in 1875 when the land was cleared for housing. Many finds were unearthed and the remains of the buildings preserved as a “People’s Roman Remains Park”. Further excavations were carried out in 1930s, 50s and 60s. In 1975 Tyne & Wear Museums were given the responsibility of the site and they have been working continuously on the research area. (which covers 1000 square metres) since 1983.

Recent fmds of flint tools and an Iron Age farmstead indicate early occupation of the headland site but the date of the earliest Roman military occupation has still to be determined. Buildings dated to c. AD 125 seem to belong to a civilian settlement outside an early fort which has still to be located.

The site is very complex as buildings were altered, enlarged and adapted to the changing circumstances of the legions during the centuries of Roman occupation. In AD 160s when Hadrian’s Wall was re-occupied following the abandonment of the Antonine Wall further north, a new fort was built at South Shields. Its size indicated a garrison of 480 foot soldiers and 120 cavalry. In the early 3rd century it was enlarged to form a great supply base with thirteen huge stone-built granaries, each raised above ground level to allow underfloor ventilation of the stored grain. In the late 3rd/early 4th centuries there is evidence that many buildings within the fort were destroyed by fire and in the re-building granaries were converted into barracks. As previously, the fort was divided into two areas, the supply base to the north and the garrison accommodation to the south. A large courtyard house, a set of baths and a new headquarters building were erected. When the legions left Britain in the 5th century the fort continued to be occupied, probably by a local British chief. It may finally have been abandoned in the 7th century when the monasteries at Monkwearmouth and Jarrow were built. Dominating the site today is the impressive reconstructed West Gate, opened in 1988, which gives a vivid idea of the scale of Roman military building.

The afternoon visit was to Bede’s World, the museum of early medieval Northumbria in Jarrow. It is being developed on an 11 acre site on the banks of the River Don, adjacent to St. Paul’s Church and the remains of Bede’s Monastery. The centrepiece is a new museum building, not yet finished, designed in the style of an Italian villa complete with atrium. An experimental medieval farm is being recreated around the museum building to bring to life the world Bede knew. Medieval techniques are being used to construct timber-framed buildings and two oxen (called Wellington and Bantu) are being trained to pull a wooden plough. Ancient strains of wheat are being grown and more crops will be planted as the soil is improved. Sheep, pigs and pond complete the picture. 10,003 native species trees have been planted but unfortunately most have suffered badly in this summer’s drought. The whole ambitious project which aims to preserve the Jarrow site as a centre of historical, religious and cultural importance will cost £5 million.

The 7th century church of St. Paul built by monks from Monkwearmouth, has a beautiful Saxon chancel with fragments of some of the oldest stained glass in Europe set together in a small window. Outside the church are the remains of the domestic buildings of the monastery and the standing ruins date mainly from the 11th century. Bede came to Jarrow c.685 and taught, studied and wrote sixty books. He died in 735 and his bones now lie in the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral.

Our return to Durham was delayed by traffic approaching the Tyne tunnel and unfortunately we were too late to visit the Heritage Centre in the city. After supper we walked to the old Fulling Mill on the river bank below the Cathedral which now houses the University’s Archaeological Museum. Richard Brigstock, our guide for the week-end is Curator of the Museum and arranged to open it specially for us. The excellent displays traced the development of the City, and presented key information about the history of Northumbria from Neolithic times to the present day. Friday was a full, exciting and exhausting day -well planned and illuminated by enthusiastic guides at every stop.

Day 3 – Saturday – Hadrian’s Wall

We woke to rain and leaden skies, the Sun-god had deserted us! No Problem! Our cohort set out for Hadrian’s Wall brandishing umbrellas instead of swords and spears, raincoats instead of cuirasses. We travelled north via Penshaw Monument. Hefty black and Parthenon-like, conspicuous for miles around, until the driver of our chariot manipulated a very tight corner most skillfully and we drew up at Corbridge (Corstopitum) Fort at the point where Stanegate – East/west, met Dere Street – north/south,

The vast expanse of stone foundations was impressive indeed buttressed stores with flagged stone floors suspended ation flues – elaborate series of conduits to channel supply – an aqueduct with basin pediment and statue bases – the famous Corbridge lion astride a stag. Inside the museum we warmed our hands and used our imagination to bring the camp to life – the Roman tools, medical instruments, ornaments, rings and the fascinating boxed hoard of armour, clamoured for our attention.

ndeed, huge over ventil­the water

In Corbridge village we saw the stone arch purloined from the Roman site and integrated near the bell-tower of the church. Some of us also saw the local leek show! Huge monsters, like fallen warriors, vied with each other for prize money of over £3,000

Then on towards Housesteads (Vercovicium). En route we stopped for a really close look at part of the wall and a turret, to see the construction building material, the facing stones, and huge vellum ditch. The wall was built by three Roman legions :

II Augusta, XX Valeria Victrix, and VI Victrix, and the turrets were a third of a Roman mile apart. Hands up those of you who know how long is a Roman mile !

Housesteads itself is built on a dramatic site on the crest of a steep escarpment with a huge drop on the north side. The hills were green and wet, we were damp and cold …

‘ Over the heather the wet wind blows,

I’ve lice in my tunic and cold in my nose –

The rain comes pattering out of the sky –

I’m a Wall soldier, I don’t know why.’

(W.H. Auden, with thanks to Muriel Large)

In contrast to the barracks, the commander’s house was opulent and impressive; built round a courtyard with under-floor heating, it incorporated kitchens, latrines and stabling. Another court-yard building has been interpreted as a hospital block, and, of course, there was the granary. But the best preserved building is set at the south-east corner, with scalloped stone holding-tank, a magnificent temple-like latrine with panoramic views.

We slithered down the slippery slopes; some slithered more than others, and on to the mysterious Carrawburgh Mithraeum. Here the Roman soldiers worshipped Mithras the god of light and witnessed the slaying of the bull in dark secrecy, with initiation rites to test powers of endurance and courage. The small sanctuary contained stone altars and sculptures, one of which had a pierced halo to allow through the flickering light& a candle. Spooky !

Thence onwards to altogether more convivial and lively wining and dining at the County Hotel in Hexham. Then, for some, a final spirited gathering in the college cellar-bar, for others a sprightly search for an empty hypocaust, for all of us, reluctantly, our last night in Durham.

Tessa Smith

Day 4 Sunday, 3rd September Part One – Durham Castle

We left St John’s College, where we had all enjoyed our stay, on Sunday morning, to visit the Castle and later Durham Cathedral. It was raining hard, so we walked quickly to the Castle and all were pleased to see a canopy opposite the main entrance where we could shelter before our guide arrived. The Castle, like the

Cathedral, was built on the narrow neck of land that once guarded the approach to the City. It was originally on the site of a Saxon church, founded in A.D. 995. The Castle was built about 1072, and formerly, for a while, the seat of the Bishops before they

moved to Bishop Auckland. The Bishops were the secular as well as the spiritual lords of the County Durham – which is a County Palatine.

Before we were taken upstairs, we descended to the old Norman Chapel, started 1078, but abandoned and opened up years later in 1840. It has the original Norman floor tiles. The sandstone pillars are mixed with iron, hence the lovely shades going down each one. The windows had been closed off with soil years ago to protect the Chapel. Services are held there today. We then climbed a spiral staircase and after I got my breath back I was able to walk along the Constable’s Gallery and admire the big table which is over 500 years old. Part of this gallery had been made into the Bishop’s quarters, but not now – there was some mention

of a ghost, but not around whilst we were there !

We then went to see the Great Staircase and admired a surrounding table which was originally used for hearing in the Cathedral, but earlier thought to be an ordinary table. The stairs were really beautiful, but had to be re-inforced over the years with black-looking tree trunks, which blended with the stairs.

We moved on to see the 13th century Great Hall, which was probably built in Bishop Bek’s time and is still used by the University

for many functions, including the awarding of degrees. The Castle houses the University and is the third oldest after 0xford and Cambridge. The students still have their meals in the Great Hall and we saw the Royal Arms of Charles II. On one wall there were hel­mets from the Civil War, including small helmets worn by children, who were in the army too. The lovely woodwork walls in the Hall were put in by the University, but blended in well. Then we were taken to see the original kitchens – still in use today, but mod­ernised. Bishop Fox in the 15th century had them built, and his black service hatches are still in use – in front there are prayers carved at the top of the hatches, so when food is served it has already been blessed by the Bishop. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Castle.

P.S. On Wednesday, 6th September, I watched a repeat of ‘Songs of Praise’ on BBC 2 and it was about Fountains Abbey -how lovely to see again the Abbey and beautiful walks along the river and the ruins of the area.

Thanks to all who arranged this weekend away.

Phyllis Fletcher

Day 4 Sunday, 3rd September Part Two – Durham Cathedral

Our final visit was to Durham Cathedral. As we entered via the Galilee Chapel, we could hear beautiful choral music. There was a service in progress, followed by a Communion Service for a vast gathering of lady bowlers in their whites and panama hats. The service was not due to finish until 12.30 p.m., so we took the opportunity to visit the cloisters, almshouses and other places of interest, followed by an early snack lunch at the Undercroft Cafe. Although time was limited, we were able to see the main features of the Cathedral: the tomb of the Venerable Bede in the Galilee Chapel; the 17th century font with magnificent carved canopy; a few yards from the font, a line of Purbeck marble set in the floor marking the boundary which no woman was allowed to pass-in accordance with Benedictine regulation; the splendid nave with huge incised columns;

the Bishop’s throne built by Thomas Hatfield, 1345 – 1381; and in

the choir in place of honour, St Cuthbert’s tomb behind the altar, together with a semi-circular lead line set in the floor showing

the position of the Norman Apse. Before leaving by the North door, I could not resist touching the Sanctuary Knocker, so called because it was used by criminals and others for their safety from pursuers.

The Cathedral was the ideal setting to bid farewell to Durham.

Thank you, Dorothy, for a well organised trip, full of archaeol­ogical and historical interest.

Marjorie Errington.

THE TREASURE OF PIGSTY VILLA from John Enderby, Fontmell Magma, Dorset

About two years ago when endeavouring to create a shrubbery from waste ground by our barn, I unearthed some fifty fragments of pretty flower-patterned porcelain. One wet evening sometime later, I occupied myself piecing these together with the help of polyfilla and UHU and, to my amazement, found I had an exquisite soup tureen, from what had previously been a doll’s dinner service! Every piece, including the cover, was there.

I placed the completed article on the mantelpiece, radiating pride in my handiwork. Then some six months later, Eddie and Betty Fuson, both 91, accompanied by their daughters Joan (Cherrie) and Dawn (together with Joan’s Husband, Eric), who had moved from Lurmer Street to Fosse Cottage (where John now lives) in the 1930s, called to see what we had made of their old home. Joan now lives with Eric in Zimbabwe and was on a brief visit to her parents in Bournemouth. When Joan looked at the knick-knacks on the mantelpiece her face dissolved in tears. When she had recovered, she explained that the soup tureen was hers some 60 years ago when she used to hold pretend dinner parties in the partitioned end of the barn which she called Pigsty Villa. How her treasured possession came to be found in its broken state in what had been the yard of the barn remains a mystery, but what is a happy fact is that the treasured relic is now displayed proudly in Joan’s beautiful home in Harare, Zimbabwe, having been at last reunited with its happy owner.

‘INTERNET ARCHAEOLOGY’ a new journal available to subscribers on ‘Internet’ is reported in The Times of 21st September. Published by the Council for British Archaeology, papers sub­mitted will be judged on scholarly criteria and suitability for the new medium. General articles, excavation reports and studies of new technology applied in archaeology will be available, with the advantage of much shorter time-lags to publication.

HADAS DIARY

Tuesday 3rd October

Lecture: “The Spitafields Project”

Presented by Theya Mollison of The Museum of London.

Thursday 5th October

Visit: Morning walk and visit to the Travellers’ Club, Pall Mall. Guided by Mary O’Connell.

A booking form is incorporated within pages 5 & 6

Saturday 14th October

Minimart at St Mary’s Church Hall, Hendon

See enclosed sheet for details

Tuesday 7th November

Lecture: “Not What They Used To Be”

Presidential Address by Michael Robbins, FSA.

HADAS Lectures are held in the Stephen’s Room, 1st floor, Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley Central. Doors open at 8.00 pm for refreshments, lectures commence at 8.15 pm. The Society’s library in the Garden Room will be open on lecture evenings and can be accessed via the ground floor of Avenue House.

CHANGE OF DATE OF HADAS MONTHLY MEETINGS FOR 1996

HADAS has settled in at its new meeting venue, Avenue house, without too many problems and the Committee will be renewing the hire of a room in the House for 1996. However, one inconvenience is the location of the room – it is too high up requiring several flights of stairs to be negotiated. There is a slightly larger room on the ground floor, which has wheelchair access, that would suit our purposes but unfortunately it is booked regularly on the first Tuesday in the month. As intimated at the AGM (when June Porges took a rough poll on the wishes of the members present) the Committee has been considering changing the date of our monthly meetings so that this new room could be used.

The Committee has now decided to change our meetings to the second Tuesday in the month commencing with Tuesday 13th February. 1996. The remaining 1995 meetings will be on the 1st Tuesday of the month in the 1st floor room in accordance with the Programme Card.

This change has the additional advantage of being able to hold meetings in the month of January although the 9th January, 1996, has been already allocated to an evening at the Royal Institution and Faraday Museum with Mary O’Connell.

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED FOR HAMPSTEAD HEATH SURVEY

Preliminary work has commenced on the HADAS survey of the Anglo Saxon boundary ditch at
East Heath, Hampstead, prior to the undertaking of a long-term recording project and contour survey with the likelihood of subsequent excavation across the ditch itself. The contour surveying will involve the placing of a level line across the ditch and recording at intervals the depth from the line to the surface of the ditch thus obtaining on a scale drawing the profile of the ditch at that place. This needs to be located on the map and its height OD ascertained. This work can be carried out in several places at the same time and requires teams of three for each location. The work is not difficult (honest!) and requires accuracy rather than technical ability. Further resistivity testing will also be undertaken, this also requiring a team of no less then three, so there is a need for more members to assist in this project. The work is carried out mainly at the weekends, working Saturday mornings from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm_ On Sundays we shall work from 10.30 am till about 3.00 pm taking a refreshment break (picnic lunch) at about 1.00 pm. Please contact Brian Wrigley, Roy Walker or Bill Bass for further details.

“OLD KING COLE WAS A MERRY OLD SOUL – A MERRY OLD SOUL WAS HE . ..” Ann Trewick

Setting out from Felixstowe at 9.00 am on Saturday, 15th July en route to Colchester I felt very happy to be going to meet a merry band of souls from Hendon! The weather could not make up its mind – sunshine and showers alternated. But of course it did not deter the well-experienced members of HADAS.

The first visit was to Colchester castle and museum. In my opinion this is one of the best local museums in the country. There is a wealth of information well-displayed and the Roman exhibits are particularly informative with very fine examples of artefacts from all aspects of Roman life. There is much to interest all ages and I especially liked the “hands on” experiences so good for children. This adult enjoyed them too, going so far as to try on a Roman helmet and immediately deciding that I was not prepared to walk 20 miles a day wearing it! The chain mail was even heavier! From jig-saws, language puzzles and coin-rubbing to feeling a mortarium and a lovely Samian bowl or reclining on a “Roman” chaise-longue there was plenty to excite one’s interest. The museum is housed in a building which is fascinating and I never cease to be amazed at its history. We started our tour in the Roman vaults, the basement of the temple built in honour of the emperor Claudius. As there is no local stone the Romans had to go to the in coast – Harwich, Walton and Felixstowe – to obtain septaria, a mixture of hardened mud and stones,with which to build. (The Roman fort at Felixstowe was also built with this. The fort has, unfortunately, disappeared into the sea.) Because septaria is poor building material it was reinforced with layers of red Roman bricks. These can be seen in several buildings around the town as well as in the Norman construction of the castle. The Normans used the Roman foundations for their castle, thus building the largest Norman, keep in Britain. Later, when the castle had fallen into ruins, one John Wheeley regarded it as a stone quarry but luckily he ran out of money before the building had entirely disappeared! It was rescued by a landowner in the town who bought the castle. He delighted in having a magnificent folly on his estate. He was responsible for some of the restoration, including the dome, a study, library and some arches. He must be the only person, too, who could boast an ice house in Roman ruins!

The castle was roofed over in 1935/36 after it came into the possession of the local authority in order to protect the fabric. Yet another surprise was to come when this roof was removed to effect repairs in 1988. The remains of the Norman chapel were recognized and it is believed that the chapel in the White Tower at the Tower of London was modeled on this one at Colchester. Continuing the tradition of imaginative design shown in the museum, the new roof brilliantly suggests the chapel without reconstructing it. There is even a touch of stained glass window. The visit to the roof, however, would not be complete without viewing the sycamore tree planted in 1815 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo. The castle is altogether a very satisfactory place to visit.

After lunch we set out in three groups to explore the town of Colchester. From Roman “colonia” times to modern days, Colchester has been a thriving town with interesting stories and people connected with it. Legend has it that St Helena, the mother of that Constantine who decreed that Christians could worship freely, was born here, the daughter of Old King Cole. William Gilbert, physician to Queen Elizabeth I, was born in Colchester and is buried in Holy Trinity churchyard. He wrote about magnetism – years ahead of his time. Part of his house is still in the centre of town, in a quiet backwater. It was later owned by Bernard Mason who collected clocks and watches made in Colchester. He left this collection to the town when he died. John Constable was a regular visitor because his solicitor owned the house which is now the Quaker Meeting House. The legend of Humpty Dumpty is reputed to have begun in this town at the time of the Siege of Colchester in 1648. A one-eyed gunner named Thompson was manning a gun on St Mary’s church tower when the top of the tower was blown off by the Parliamentarians. The gun was reputed to be a shaker gun, shaped a bit like an egg! And there’s an elephant! The weather-vane on top of the water tower sports an elephant. This is in memory of Jumbo, the largest elephant ever in captivity. It commemorates the Rector complaining about the elephant-like water tower built just outside his garden in 1882. It was about this time that Jumbo was bought by Barnum and transported to America the animal eventually met a sad end after a collision with a train.

Our final visit was to Gosbecks Archaeological Park. This is a new, exciting venture. A Romano-Celtic temple and theatre have been discovered very near to the Iron Age settlement of Camulodunum, home of King Cunobelin, about 2 miles from Colchester. A huge area has been acquired so that it can be explored, studied and preserved. What an exciting concept! Finally we enjoyed tea in the nearby church. Our thanks to the ladies who provided it. Our thanks also to our guides at the castle and in the town for making the history come so alive. Our thanks to Janet Lumley and Steve Benfield for their interesting talks at Gosbecks. Although I where frequently visit Colchester both for shopping and because I belong to the Colchester Archaeological Group, I thoroughly enjoyed my day with HADAS both because of the opportunity to see old friends and because of the chance to learn so much about the castle and town. On behalf of us all, I would like to thank Tessa and Sheila for making all the arrangements and for leading on the day to create a very happy and interesting experience.

Ann Trewick has been a member of HADAS for many years and was one of our active diggers before she moved to Felixstowe. She directed the HADAS excavation at xxxxxxxx in the early 1970s and was digging at Sutton Hoo when we had an outing there several years ago.

TILL’S HANDY HINTS FOR DIGGERS No 1

The need to leave grid markers in position on sites accessed by the public can cause problems which can be overcome by the use of the plastic tops from toothpaste tubes. Instead of leaving highly visible, easily vandalised (and potentially hazardous) metal spikes in the ground, the planning co-ordinates can be
marked by nails poked through the centre of the white plastic tops, the lids can then sprung back into position before being pushed into the ground. The colour makes then simple to locate even when hidden beneath vegetation but their size and apparent unimportance protects them from unwanted interference.

BOXGROVE – A STEP BACK INTO THE DISTANT PAST Jack Goldenfeld

HADAS was privileged to visit this c500,000 year-old site on July 30th, 1995, a brilliant summer’s day, thanks to Percy Cohen, our organiser June Porges and our hosts, English Heritage. Our able guide, Simon Parfitt, provided the background to the site by explaining the way in which the geology reflected the changing landscapes over millennia. Successions of stratified beach and cliff-lines were laid down as sea levels responded to climatic changes with the evidence of a long series of intermittent floral, faunal and human activities present, trapped within the layers and frozen in time, revealed only now through massive commercial gravel and sand extraction processes. We learned of the way in which random surface finds of chipped flint artefacts led to Boxgrove’s inclusion in Andrew Woodcock’s survey of palaeolithic sites in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the ongoing yearly investigations there by Mark Roberts through the late 1980s for English Heritag. After a tour through three separate areas to familiarise us with the general topography of the site ,and its differing stratification patternings we were taken to the area designated Quarry 1B where the excavation team were hard at work in the baking heat and dazzling white sand. This area had anciently been a source of spring water which had channelled the landscape, creating a marshy environment, probably with pools and perhaps extensive enough to be an inland lagoon or fenland. Bone small remains of carnivores, bear, rhino, red deer, bison, equids and bird varieties were plentiful and in a good state of preservation, together with flint debitage and finished hand-axes, showing that tool-making butchery practices occurred upon these light silt and marine sand surfaces. The unmistakable association of these two classes of data, in an undisturbed context, and with a clear indication of a series of have been able to see this working area. It was from this part of the site that the human tibia was recovered and, of course, the search continues for other skeletal evidence, particularly cranial or mandible fragments. The high levels of expertise and precision demonstrated by the archaeologists in their excavation and recording techniques were very apparent. It was clear that they were operating under skilled direction with pinpoint plotting accuracy and clear time/space relationships of faunal and artefactual data as prime objectives. Our visit ended with a close look at some of the processed finds – flaked hand-axes, both finished and “rough-outs”, bones and teeth of rodents like vole and mink, rhino teeth and larger bones with humanly-made butchery marks. We also saw a cast of the famous tibia – Homo Boxgrovensis something that we may never be able to see and again!

The Society was fortunate indeed to have had the opportunity of visiting Boxgrove, even though only eighteen members were able to be present. Those of us who were there have a very special and enlightening experience to remember.

separate events but each within a relatively short time-span, is rare to say the least, and I was thrilled to

Those who attended were impressed by the clarity of Simon Parfitt’s explanation of the geology and archaeology of this complex site making the day very worthwhile indeed. It was unfortunate that the time factor did not allow a fully-fledged HADAS outing to be organised which led to the small turnout. However, if you were unable to visit the site don’t despair! It is hoped to arrange a lecture by Mark Roberts or Simon Parfitt (of the Institute of Archaeology, University of London) on the subject of the Boxgrove excavations early in 1996.

TILL’S HANDY HINTS FOR DIGGERS No 2

HADAS work on Hampstead Heath has required stringing lines across well-used footpaths with the danger of tripping passersby or the fairly frequent jogger. Originally these danger points were highlighted by taping red card to the string but more convenient is the use of coloured plastic clothes pegs as they are reusable and easily transferrable to other locations on site as necessary.

Arthur Till recently contributed to the Society an extendable auger that he made from an army-surplus 1 inch drilling bit, two pieces of gas pipe, much solder and drilling. This has enabled us to probe to a depth of 1.5 metres on Hampstead Heath and is a much-welcomed and appreciated addition to our excavation equipment. The digging team is hoping he will now make a solar-powered motor to assist in pulling the auger from the ground.

WOT, NO CASTLE? ROY WALKER

The August outing fell neatly into three historic and gastronomic sections – Roman Silchester and coffee in the morning, rural Tilford and tea in the afternoon with lunch in late-medieval Odiham sandwiched in between. Perfect organisation by Bill Bass and Vikki O’connnor who also laid on suitable weather for a totally outdoors day.

First, after a refreshment stop at the Red Lion Inn, Mortimer West End, we headed for Silchester Museum where our two guides provided a choice of long or short tour of this Roman settlement. The cooling breeze on what would have been another very hot day perhaps encouraged the majority to opt for the longer perambulation of the walls. Rampier Copse, the pre-Roman bank and ditch was pointed out to us as we followed the remains of the Roman walls from the west gate around to the turn of the south gate. Calleva Atrebatum was abandoned around AD 450 and was never fully reoccupied by later settlement although the amphitheatre which we visited had signs of a 12th century

hall which may have had the defensive advantage of the surviving seating bank. A short stop in the neighbouring 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin completed the morning of this leisurely visit to Hampshire. We departed for lunch at a village which combines an ambiguous mixture of those peaceful days of yore with the intrusive 20th century. Odiham is the home of the RAF’s helicopter training school but as the RAF sleeps at weekends we did not see or hear the twin-rotored Chinooks that regularly overfly the village. We were not able to see the 13th century, much decayed, octagonal keep of Odiham Castle. This unfortunately is quite a distance from the village, over stiles and through fields, alongside the Basingstoke Canal. The Canal was originally designed in the 18th century to link London with Bristol and Southampton but was never completed. Lunches were mainly taken in the vicinity of the much-restored 13/14th century church of All Saints which was open as was the Pest House in its churchyard, once used to isolate victims of contagious diseases such as the pox. This village had all the charm of rural Hampshire – timber-framed buildings, flowers in bloom, 17th century almshouses behind the church, and, most-importantly as this was lunchtime, pleasant public houses. Feeling sentimentally bucolic, we left Odiham in search of more of our rural heritage. The Rural Life Centre at the Old Kiln Museum near Tilford is a collector’s dream. It might also be

a restorer’s nightmare judging by the number of items awaiting attention on the periphery of the ten acre site! Henry Jackson has superbly transformed his collection of rural artefacts into discrete groups representing various aspects of country life. And what a collection it is – a shepherd’s hut, a wheelwright’s shop, two forges, farm vehicles and carriages and assorted household items. Hands up those who said”my grandmother had one of those”? Th was even a special VJ Day exhibition. One feature is the craft demonstrations, this time a lace-maker and a wood-turner although upto thirty have displayed on special craft days. The turner showed the 3 feet long object illustrated and asked “What is it?” It was a joke walking stick designed to be used in either the left or right hand! An enhancement to the site was the hundred or so trees from around the world planted by Mr Jackson. This was an the ideal stopping point to recharge our batteries with a cup of tea (or two) and slice of cake, have a stroll round the grounds or just sit and imagine a rustic life far from London before we rejoined the madding crowd on the M25.

MARY O’CONNELL’S MORNING WALK AND VISIT TO THE TRAVELLERS’ CLUB, PALL MALL
THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER, 1995
MEET 10.30 am AT THE TRAVELLERS’ CLUB, 106 PALL MALL

The Club was built 1829-32 to the Italian Renaissance designs of Sir Charles Barry who also was responsible for the Reform Club next door. Our morning will start with a tour of the building and a welcoming glass of sherry. Afterwards we shall undertake a short tour of the Pall Mall area, the heart of London’s clubland.

Please complete the booking form overleaf and return as soon as possible

WHY THERE WAS NO CASTLE Vikki O’Connor

In the course of arranging the Hampshire trip we visited Odiham twice. The first visit was on early closing day and we were unable to get any detailed information on the area, so the plan was to learn the lay-out, visit the canal and find King John’s castle. The canal was no problem, but, the Canal Authority information board was ambiguous regarding orientation – so we went in the opposite direction from the castle and ended up on the wrong side of the towpath hacking through the undergrowth with a Swiss army knife. ….An hour or so later we backtracked to a small marina and guzzled several cans of Perrier. Not to be defeated by this off-the-beaten-track castle, we tramped through the village, along the B3349 to North Warnborough and found a clue – a c1550 terrace of timber-framed buildings called Castlebridge Cottages. Some 600 yards down a small turning on the other side of the main road, we came to a deep muddy puddle overhung with trees, and just a few yards further was the ford proper a foot or so deep with such clear running water it could have come from a tap. If only all streams were this pure. The castle was not signposted and we followed a footpath over a stile, field and second stile on to the towpath of the

Basingstoke Canal. A few yards away was the entrance to the site where a lone English Heritage board gives basic details about the castle which is surrounded by high trees and is only visible when you stand before it.Having trekked thus far it would have been

useful to have seen a detailed plan of the total castle area. Can we assume that the canal cut across it? The ruins have a slightly mystic quality about them, I imagined visiting them on a misty November afternoon… The second time we visited was, frustratingly, to confirm that there were no way a coach could get to the ford from either end of the, road. So we couldn’t share with HADAS our visit to the swing bridge (which wasn’t freshly greased and didn’t look as if it had swung for some time), or the swans with their ten(!) or so young, the horse and buggy trotting through the ford leading a foal, or the sight of the local children paddling in the ford. Yes, I did join them – on both occasions. That cold fresh water performed miracles on red-hot feet; I wish I could have shared that bliss with you all. The stream is in fact the aptly-named Whitewater, but in the past it bus was known as the Weargeburna or felons’ stream – where wrongdoers were drowned. Odiham is now a village, not a town, the market house having been demolished last century. In the course of “researching” the local pubs for lunch stops, we spent a hour or so at The Crown chatting with Chris, a retired wheelwright who lives in a house the edge of a chalk quarry where French prisoners of (the Napoleonic) war worked and were housed in his cellar. The Crown sells a monthly newsletter called The Voice (news with a from all the villages) with a real community flavour. In one article we learn that Odiham police are testing an electric ‘stealth’ Ford Escort van; then, in the local Bobby’s column that the same vehicle is having its front end repaired. Was it so stealthy that the vehicle in front didn’t see it?

If any members are interested, our HADAS library holds a book called Odiham Castle by Patricia McGregor – one of the several interesting books donated by Jean Snelling. Having read it you may wish to visit the castle: by car, head for North Warnborough; on public transport, trains from Waterloo to Hook leave half-hourly and the Hampshire from Hook to North Warnborough (5 minutes journey) leaves hourly. Nearest stop: The Jolly Miller – we don’t recommend the beer, but the local architecture is interesting.

NEWS FROM FONTMELL MAGNA, DORSET

We have received from Dorset the following item from The Gossip Tree., a monthly village magazine produced by HADAS Vice President, John Enderby.

In the Parish Churchyard, near the remains of the massive ivy clad Yew, said to be the oldest tree in the village, is the headstone of Sapper II J Whiteman who was accidentally killed by a traction engine at Iwerne Minster on 29th August 1898. The wording on the memorial has invoked the following verse from a reader of the Gossip Tree:

How on earth it happened

Must be considered weird

For carelessly he crossed the road

as the huge Steam Roller neared,

He did not see it coming

and he’s truly in a fix,

Now he’s in the local hospital

in Wards 4, 5 and 6!

ROMAN GARDEN AT FISHBOURNE

A new feature at the Roman “Palace” at Fishbourne, near Chichester, is a reconstructed Roman garden which includes an outdoor dining area, a 1st century water feature and trellis work. Research into works by Pliny and Dioscorides has led to the selection of 500 authentic plants and the layout was the product of study of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculanium. A museum of Roman gardening which exhibits replica horticultural tools is associated with the garden.

“ANTIQUARIANS INTO ACADEMICS”
St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society 1845 -1995

Four commemorative public lectures are to be held at St Albans School assembly hall under the Chairmanship of The Rt Rev Lord Runcie MC, DD. Tickets for each lecture (Members £1, public £2) are available at the door, tickets for the full programme (L3 & £6) can be obtained from David Aubrey, 28 Faircross Way, St Albans, Herts, AL1 4SD (tel 01727 855843). The four lectures which commence at 8.00 pm are :

13th September RAILWAYS, RELIGION & ROMANCE: Antiquarians & Architects around 1845

John Cherry FSA, Secretary of the Society of Antiquaries.

11th October THE EVOLUTION OF ENGLISH LOCAL HISTORY

Professor Christopher Ellington FSA, Former General Editor of the VCH.

8th November STOWE AND THE TEMPLE OF CONCORD AND VICTORY

Peter Inskip RIBA, Consultant Architect to the National Trust.

29th November DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ARCHAEOLOGY: The St Albans Experience Martin Biddle FBA, Professor of Archaeology, University of Oxford.

BIRKBECK COLLEGE – ASSESSED COURSES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Birkbeck’s Extra-Mural programme now includes courses with a lesser element of assessment than the traditional certificate and diploma courses. For example, two pieces of work (essays, logs, case studies etc) for a course of 20 meetings. Full details are in the 1995/96Prospectus but the following “assessed” courses to be held locally may be of interest to HADAS members.

INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY (Denis Smith) Ewan Hall, Wood Street. 20 meetings from Monday 2nd October, 1995, 7.45 – 9.45 pm.

BRITAIN’S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE (Denis Smith)

Cuffley Junior School, Theobalds Road, Cuffley, Herts.

20 meetings from Tuesday 26th September, 1995,8.00 – 10.00pm.

BRITAIN AFTER THE ROMANS (B D Adams)

Borehamwood Community Centre, Allum Lane, Elstree, Herts. 20 meetings from 26th September, 1995,7.30 9.30 pm.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROME (Janet Corran) The Stable Room, Rudolf Road, Bushey. 24 meetings from Wednesday 20th September, 1995,10.00- 12 noon.

ARCHAEOLOGY OF EARLY LONDON{ John Maloney) Barnet College, Wood Street site. 24 meetings from Thursday 21st September, 1995,7.30- 9.30 pm.

For beginners to archaeology who may find the prospect of a three year certificate course daunting, there is an assessed course in METHOD AND PRACTICE IN ARCHAEOLOGY run by Tony Legge at 26 Russell Square, London, WC1. it commences Monday 2nd October for 18 meetings, 6.30- 8.30pm

The Extra-Mural Information Bureau can be contacted on 0171-631 6633 for further details.

ISSUE No. 293 AUGUST 1995

EDITED by ANNE LAWSON

DIARY

Saturday, 10th August SILCHESTER and ODIHAM and TILFORD

with Vikki O’Connor and Bill bass

(Details and application form enclosed.)

Thursday,3lst August to Sunday 3rd September LONG WEEKEND in

DURHAM, SOUTH SHIELDS and HADRIAN’S WALL with Dorothy Newbury.

Tuesday, 3rd October Our LECTURE SEASON begins with a TALK

by Theya Mollison on ‘The Spitalfields Project’.

Lectures will resume at Avenue House, East End Road, N.3. 8 for 8.30 p.m.

Any new members requiring a map or details, please ring June Porges on 0181 – 346 – 5078.

Thursday, 5th October MORNING WALK and VISIT to THE

TRAVELLERS’ CLUB, PALL MALL, with Mary O’Connell.

Saturday, 14th October MINIMART ! MINIMART

OTHER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY AT THE CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM – see Page 7.

STOP PRESS STOP PRESS !

DURHAM WEEKEND

Four members who have booked for this trip may have to drop out due to medical or work commitments.

Please ring Dorothy Newbury on 0181 – 203 – 0950, if you would like to go, or to have your name put on the waiting list.

Text Box: THE FOUR BURYS Roy WalkerAndrew Reynold’s lecture to the Society in March this year had certainly fired our members’ enthusiasm for landscape archaeology – the complementary outing to Wiltshire on 17th June was oversubscribed by more than twenty.

The first stop was for refreshments at Marlborough, thought by some to be the ideal centre for a future outing, and then we moved into the vicinity of the Compton Bassett Area Research Project (CBARP). At Yatesbury Manor Farm we were shown the results of several season’s careful excavation in a field containing residual earthworks plus parts of dismantled aircraft. CBARP has been investigating settlement patterns and by excavation together with extensive map and historical research has shown how the village has been replanned through the ages. Our guide pointed out the remains of an enclosure which had been maintained from the late Roman period through the early Anglo Saxon period and survived until the mid-18th century. Within the farm area, traces of Anglo Saxon house platforms and terraces had been located and the existence of a pathway through the site was confirmed by a gap within the enclosing earthwork.

One puzzle which we were asked to help solve was the mortared platform lying half a metre below the surface. There was no dating evidence and no local knowledge of it having been a base to any structure. Geophysical survey had ruled out any adjoining archaeology. The team cannot interpret this feature. My view was that it may have been linked to the nearby airfield, a large training base during the war. It was noted with some amusement that in the field next to the excavation was a mixed flock of rare breed sheep which included a Wiltshire which had the build and stance of a bull terrier!

We moved on to Avebury for lunch and a tour of the locality, this time not to look at the monument but to see the work carried out by the team. However, a brief history was given,plus details of the reassessment of the Avebury road patterns which show that four roads possibly led to the site. The church had been surveyed by the team as had the ones at Yatesbury and Cherhill. St James’s, Avebury, is of Anglo Saxon foundation, dated to around 1000 AD, and displays building features of the period – side-alternate quoins; round-headed windows; original plaster within the north aisle and a long string-course. A piece of the shaft of a late Anglo Saxon stone cross has been incorporated into the west wall of the church. The tour took us to edge of the village where the movement of the settlement since Roman times was explained. It was interesting to see Silbury Hill from a new viewspot and perhaps appreciate this prehistoric landscape a little better.

Our final port of call was another “bury” that of Malines. Malmesbury Abbey, founded on the site of a 7th century hermitage, competed with Salisbury to be the most splendid ecclesiastical building in the west country and required a superb tower surmounted by a spire in order to eclipse its rival in height. Predictably this tower collapsed at the end of the 15th century demolishing most of the east end of the Abbey. The west tower, dating from the 14th century collapsed two hundred years later taking three western bays with it. Accordingly we were shown around a severely diminished church with a disproportionately high ceiling but its splendour is still apparent. Here among the late Romanesque pillars and arches of the nave we were presented with another problem. Jutting out from the triforium was a large stone “box”, with windows. Its purpose was obscure – was it a lookout post for the medieval security guard ensuring the faithful did not misappropriate any holy relics or was it a penance chamber or a screened seat for a visiting dignitary? My view on this one was that it was where Elmer the flying monk was locked away for his own safety. In the early 11th century, Elmer made a pair of wings and “flew” 200m from the Abbey tower, being severely injured upon coming down to earth. lie is commemorated by a stained glass window.

This was truly a HADAS outing, covering as it did a range of archaeological periods with the bonus of being linked to a lecture. Micky Cohen and Micky Watkins were thanked for the work that went into preparing the way and finding two ideal refreshment stops, the second next door to the Abbey. There was only one problem – we went a day early. Summer started the following day, we caught the last of the April showers!

There is a fifth “Bury” – Dorothy Newbury – who co-ordinates the arrangements for outings and our thanks go to her as well.

WHAT HAPPENED ON CHAPEL HILL ? AUDREE PRICE-DAVIES

Excerpts from an account written by Father Cuthbert in 925 A.D. (Translated from the Latin.)

MONDAY I was up early for my morning prayers – earlier than usual.

The light was just breaking through into my cell in the woods – a wattle and daub structure with a reed roof. I live here away from my keeil to escape the notice of the Vikings. I go down to the keeil
every morning, and although it is ruined and roofless, I say my morn­ing prayers, and where the altar would be, I use a simple cross of twigs as a focus, and if I am sure I am not detected I burn a taper.

Recently I have noticed – in the semi-darkness – that they are digging opposite the keeil inside the hill-fort enclosure. There is a boat alongside the digging

TUESDAY To-day I went – in ordinary clothes – to visit Edwin, the

Celtic chieftain in his round-house. He was worried and pale. Seeing the Viking long-house near the shore on my way to visit Edwin, I saw that they were making a pyre – wood and brushwood were piled up. I mentioned this to Edwin, who told me that Ericson the Viking chief has been killed in a raid on Ireland. His body has been brought back for
a ship burial. The warriors have laid out the body on a wagon in the long-house. Ericson married Branwen, Edwin’s daughter, and they have

a son, Anund, who is four years old………………………………..

The Vikings used to raid our shores and rob and pillage. They burnt the keeil and stole the cross and the communion plate and they killed Father Aidan. I have been here ten years – in hiding Now, the
Vikings no longer return to Scandinavia in the winter after the raid­ing season – they have settled here and married our women. We are a conquered people – we work for them, collect and store the grain and herd the cattle. They make raids on Ireland and on Meirioneth in North Wales and they bring the treasure back, but we are no longer free ……….

FRIDAY Even through Odin’s day, Thor’s day and Frey’s day,the digg-

ing goes on. The boat is 11 metres long and 3 metres wide, so Mordant tells me. He is one of Edwin’s nephews and he lives in the round-

house, but he oversees the slaves who are digging…………………………………………………

They have built a wall around the space to hold the boat – this is to hold back the earth. Mordant had been upset because they have un­earthed Christian graves in the digging. The remains were in stone-lined graves, with no grave goods. Morcant wanted to stop digging

and move the graves, but Leofric the Viking warrior in charge, insisted they dig on. The covering slabs of some graves and even the wall slabs have been removed he says. Some of the bones have been disturb­ed and spread out over the earth ………………………………………………………………

SUNDAY The burial is fixed for Wednesday – Odin’s day. The warr-

iors believe that Ericson will go to Valhalla and live feasting and fighting. Each night his wounds will be healed and he will fight again the next day. It has been decided that Branwen must accompany her husband’s passage to Valhalla as his companion.

WEDNESDAY Yesterday the feasting of the warriors in the long-house

carried on into the night and into the early hours of to-day. They lit the fire and what was left of the bones and what they did not eat, was thrown onto the pyre and burnt – joints of pig, ox, horse, cow, were all consumed by the fire.

Two wagons have been loaded – the first one with the body of Ericson and his grave goods. With him will be buried his shield and his sword,

Contd

CHAPEL HILL (Contd.)

his knife and the hone for sharpening the blades and a flint flake. There are also his stirrup irons, his spurs and mounts, and the straps and buckles of his horse and the bridle mounts of his horse. There is also a cauldron. His cloak is fastened with abronze ring-headed pin, a Celtic brooch fashioned to Viking taste.

The other wagon is loaded with the calcined bones and the ash from the pyre.

The hill is steep and the horses strain and pull with the heavy wag­ons. The Vikings, in full armour with shields and swords, stride cheerfully past us as we make our way sadly but steadfastly to the enclosure. Branwen holds Anund’s hand. He talks excitedly, amazed at the number of people – Branwen makes no attempt to silence him. She is quiet and composed, as is also her father. We are the ones who feel sick and trembling. We file into the enclosure at the top of the hill and no-one seems to notice me.

The boat is in position in the hole and the space between the retain­ing wall and the boat has been filled with earth so that the boat is firmly in position. We look on silently and uncomfortably, and then a woman, veiled and dressed in black, steps towards us and takes Branwen’s arm. She offers no resistance and walks towards the circle of warriors – seven or so – who are standing in front of the burial place. Two warriors appear with a rope which they twist round Bran-wen’s throat, each taking one end. As they pull at the rope, the other warriors beat their shields with their swords, so that no screams are heard – but Branwen would not scream. A warrior slides his sword under Branwen’s ribs as she slides lifeless to the ground, and the shield-beating stops. There is a stunned and sustained sil­ence. Anund, frightened by the noise and then the silence, runs screaming to Morcant, who picks him up and takes him away.

The warriors place Ericson in the boat with the grave goods alongside him and then place Branwen in the boat. She still wears her cloak with the belt and her ankle bracelets. A layer of stones is placed across the dry-walling and the boat, and on top of this the calcined bones and the ash – the remains of the previous night’s feast. On top of this, the slaves are placing stones …………………………………………………………….

Unable to watch any longer, Edwin moves away down the slope and the Vikings also move away. There will be more feasting to-night, but later they will sleep with their wives in the Celtic round-houses …

THOR’S DAY On Chapel Hill, a white sail flies above the burial

place, which is now 12 metres long by 5 metres wide. The sail is att­ached to a post erected where the prow of the boat would be.

Ericson is sailing to Valhalla.

The characters are fictitious, the story is imaginary.

The archaeological details are in accord with the account of the ex­cavation as recorded in “Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man”

by Gerhardt Bersu and David Wilson.

other material is taken from “Vikings” by Magnus Magnusson,

12The Vikings” by James Graham-Campbell and Dafydd Kidd,

“The Celts” by Nora Chadwick, and “Celtic Britain” by Charles Thomas.

SITE WATCHING Bill Bass

Bridgedown Golf Course, Barnet

This was a large-scale evaluation undertaken by the

Hertfordshire Archaeological Trust (HAT), on a site just north of Chipping Barnet, adjacent to the west of St Albans Road but on the Hertsmere side of the boundary.

They found very little in the way of archaeology due to “a reflection of the underlying geology, an unattractive heavy clay which is prone to waterlogging”. They did, however, locate a small number of ‘features’ containing Roman or Saxo-Norman pottery.

It would be interesting from a HADAS point of view to find-out the nature of this pottery and types of feature, even if they are ephemeral. As in the case of any Roman finds, these are very few and far between in the area (Chipping Barnet). I will ask if there is a report available.

HAT have also carried out evaluations at 311-313 Regents Park Road, Finchley (April ’94), nothing found. And at the junction of Regents Park Road and North Circular Road (Oct. ’94), “one early post-medieval ditch”.

English Heritage have written to confirm that Barnet’s War of the Roses battlefield is included on their Register of Historic Battlefields, published by EH on 7th June 1995.

A DIFFERENT ANGLE ON WESTMINSTER A.M. LARGE.

Westminster Abbey is reaching the end of a 23-year restoration, and is looking resplendent, with stonework cleaned or restored as necess­ary.

Until 30th September there is a small but fascinating exhibition on the work, finds, etc. Entrance is via the north door in St. Margarets church nearby. The modest admission fee includes a chance to visit the stonemasons’ yard, where some work is still in progress, and, for a small extra fee, visitors may be lifted by hoist to see part of the work on the roof at close quarters, 90 feet up. The modern grotesque animals are a delight.

You will be issued with a ‘Hard Hat’: hildren may also like to do

the trip – the view over Westminster is one that is rarely seen.

GARDEN SUBURB WEEKEND

A worthwhile £30 worth of various books were sold on the HADAS stall in the Suburb Tea House during the Suburb Weekend, 24th and 25th June.

Text Box: BOOK NEWS Bill FirthBARNET AT WAR – Percy Reboul & John Heathfield. Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. £7.99.

To write an account of the Second World War in an area as large as the present London Borough of Barnet, which at the time was administered by five separate councils in rather disparate areas, would seem to be either impossible or to require at least five volumes, but John Heathfield and Percy Reboul, who are both well known to members, have succeeded admirably. By taking typical examples they have succeeded in recounting the effects of the war throughout the borough so that a missing favourite story from one area is compensated by an equally apt one from another.

The story too seems to be comprehensive. It starts with preparations for the expected air attack, not in 1938 when such preparations became more obvious to the public, but in 1935 with the formation of a sub-committee of the Imperial Defence Committee to consider what needed to be done and we can see whether the plans succeeded or not.

It ends in October 1945 under the heading “Home at Last” with the finding of 11 Salvation Army nurses, “now fit and well” in Java but I was a little disappointed that there was nothing about the returning servicemen.

In between, every possible subject seems to have been covered, some of which few of us would ever have thought of. It may sound macabre, but to cope with the vast numbers of casualties, which it was thought would materialise but thankfully did not, temporary mortuaries were built. In 1942 the, furnishings at Hendon mortuary behind the town hall were valued for insurance at £85.

The ethnic and religious mix of the area led to particular problems. The Jewish population in Golders Green and Hendon was particularly affected by the shortage of fish, a situation whch was aggravated because they could not always get kosher meat. Long queues occurred at fishmongers and the local food committee in Hendon reported “an added irritation is that the queues are often substantially composed of foreigners”.

The involvement of the civilian population in total war with the bombing, both high explosive and incendiary, and the Vls and V2s is reported with many personal stories often of great courage but also showing the fortitude and humour shown by the people – ” we were all suffering from shock, but you can soon shake that off with willpower and a cup of tea”.

There has been a spate of books commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This one does not claim to be an anniversary publication but it is timely in that we can still record the memories of some of those who took part in the momentous events of the time. This is local history at its best.

No doubt the book will be available at many outlets but it can be bought at local libraries. I urge you to go out and get your copy now.

HADAS LIBRARY AND HADRIAN’S WALL Roy Walker

There are two books in the library at Avenue House which may be of interest to members participating in the outing to Durham as they are likely to be out of print. The first is “A walk along the Wall” by Hunter Davies (1974). It is a chatty traveller’s guide which recounts the author’s experiences at Hadrian’s Wall and should make good bedtime reading before the outing. The second is “The monks of Durham” by Anne Boyd (1975), an ecclesiastical history, more specialised in its subject but not too technical in its content. Please contact me on 0181­361-1350 if you would like to borrow either of these.

A recent guide to Hadrian’s Wall is the English Heritage/Batsford “Hadrian’s Wall” by Stephen Johnsons one of the excellent series covering all aspects of British archaeology from individual sites to regions and periods. This costs round £15 paperback but English Heritage also publishes a much cheaper “Souvenir Guide, the Roman Wall” which is a very adequate guide for short trips. Guide books are available for individual sites on the Wall such as “Corbridge Roman Station” by Eric Birley and “Roman Vindolanda” by Robin Birley. These are best purchased at the Wall where a full choice is available.

Finally, one warning: in 1990 the Ordnance Survey issued a map of Hadrian’s Wall for the non­specialist market. Professor Sheppard Frere called the map “disgraceful” as it contained historical errors. For example, it stated that the Wall was attacked by the Scots at a time when they were an obscure group in Ireland; that it was abandoned in 383 AD instead of after 400 AD and that it was built by two legions instead of three. The lack of field boundaries made it difficult to know whereabouts on the Wall you were and evidently the scales were wrongly printed further adding to the confusion. The earlier OS maps (1964 and 1972) are considered accurate. You are therefore advised to check the date of any map before making a purchase.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS AT CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM

‘Spirit of Place’

Saturday, 16th September to Sunday, 5th November – an exhibition of water colours and etchings of local important houses, by Peter Hume.

Also included in the exhibition are water colours of Venice, by the same local artist.

1 A Small World of Mini Mansions’

CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION this year at the Borough’s Church Farmhouse Museum in Hendon will feature dolls’ houses over the last 20D years.

The museum is keen to include examples owned by local resident s in the Borough, and would be very pleased to hear from anyone who wou ld be prepared to lend material for the exhibition. Dolls/ houses a nd mini-ature furniture of all types and periods would be of interest, but early examples and any made within the Borough would be particularly welcome.

If you have anything suitable for the exhibitio n, please conta ct the museum’s Curator, Gerrard Roots, as soon as po ssible on 0181- 203-0130. All loans and assistance will be gratefully ack nowledged.

The Christmas Exhibition will open on 25th November, and be on show until Sunday, 14th January,1996.

WASHDAY IN THE SCULLERY AT THE CHURCH FARMHOUSE MUSEUM

The museum is gradually developing its collection of artefacts re­lating to washing and cleaning, so that the kitchen scullery can be completely re-arranged with new displays. If you have any items you would be prepared to give, or to lend on a long-term basis, please contact the curator, Gerrard Roots, at the museum.

Small objects like clothes-pegs, soap packets and cleaning brushes will be very useful, but most urgently the museum needs white sheets – to

be put in the linen press and through the mangle to show how they worked.

Does anyone have a collarless shirt or a pair of ‘long johns’ they no longer need ? If you have anything you think may be suitable, please phone Gerrard on 0181-203-0130.

ISSUE NO 292 Edited by Peter Pickering JULY 1995

DIARY

SATURDAY JULY 15 Outing to COLCHESTER with Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward. (application form and details enclosed)

SUNDAY JULY 30 BOXGROVE, near Chichester.

We have, unexpectedly, through the good offices of Percy Cohen, been given a chance to visit Boxgrove, the Middle Pleistocene site where part of the tibia of the “Oldest European” has been found. The 500,000-year old tibia was associated with stone tools (biface handaxes> and butchered animal bones. Digging is continuing through this summer, but the site may have to be covered at the end of the season as the money is running out. So this is a unique opportunity to see this dig. At this late date we have not been able to lay on the usual organised HAMS outing, so interested members are asked to go in their own cars, offering lifts to as many people as possible. The site is near Chichester (West Sussex near to Goodwood House). Maps will be provided. No meals will be arranged – picnic lunches would be a good idea. After the visit (planned for 11 am) everyone will be free to visit other places of interest in the neighbourhood – Chichester, Arundel, Goodwood House and Fishbourne are all close and teas can be obtained there. Please fill in the enclosed form if you would like to come, June Porges will do her best to co-ordinate lifts.

SATURDAY AUGUST 19 Outing to SILCHESTER with Bill Bass and Vikki O’Connor

THURSDAY AUGUST 31 – SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3

Long weekend away to DURHAM, staying at St John’s College. We are lucky to have obtained the help of Richard Brickstock, Curator at the University Museum of Archaeology. He will guide us during our stay, visiting Hadrian’s Wall, the current Roman excavation at South Shields, and other sites ranging from Roman to Industrial. Further details enclosed for members who have booked for this trip.

New members may find it helpful to be told that we do not acknowledge your outing applications – unless we notify you that the trip is full. You are welcome to ring Dorothy Newbury (0181-203 0950) if you want to confirm that your application has been received. The June trip was overbooked, and had 24 members on the waiting list, When this happens, those members have priority for the next outing. But please ring 0181-203 0950 straightaway if you want to take up this offer.

Members’ NEWS

Ivor Leverton has resigned his membership after many years as he is no longer able to participate in our activities. We wish him well.

And, a reminder to the members who have not yet renewed their subscriptions – please do so!

Car Boot Sale at Edgware on June 4th. The weather was awful on the day Gill Baker, Gwen Searle and Tessa Smith struggled to dispose of left-overs from last year’s minimart. Nevertheless, they managed to make £30 which is a very helpful addition to our funds and was well worth the effort. Our thanks to them for braving the weather. Can we have any volunteers to run a table at the Cricklewood Car Boot Sale? We still have lots of surplus goods, particularly summer dresses which we can’t sell in October. Any volunteers ring Dorothy Newbury on 0181-203 0950

EXCAVATION REPORT – ST MARTHA’S CONVENT SCHOOL, MONKEN HADLEY (CTY95) by Roy Walker

A brief report on TRENCH 1 was made in last month’s Newsletter. The continued excavation revealed that the “wall” was only one course of brick and rubble and contained a piece of metal foil indicating its modern origin. This “wall” as found could have been a garden feature limiting the end of the path. It was placed on a brown clay with charcoal flecks which ran the full extent of the trench and overlay the natural (clay and sand), As mentioned previously, the stratigraphy varied either side of the “wall” showing the effects of cultivation on the mound (now lawn) side.

TRENCH 2 Extensive probing of the lawn had revealed in places the existence of a hard layer beneath. This trench, one metre square, was the first of three to investigate the nature of this feature.

The turf was lifted in three strips revealing a very dry, powdery, humic soil about 4cm deep. Beneath this was yellowy brown sand with some clay flecks, dry but firm. This 3cm deep layer contained pottery fragments, glass and ceramic building material. The hard surface was beneath this – a layer of pebbles covered the full 1 square metre area of excavation at a level of between 126.21 and 126.18 m OD. This is over one metre higher than the pebble layer found in Trench 1 (125.35 m OD) which has been interpreted as an earlier pathway based upon its location, At present the pebble layer in Trench 2 is tentatively regarded as a levelling or drainage layer for the turf. Brick and slate were associated with this layer.

The trench was then half-sectioned•reducing it to lm by 0.5m. The pebble layer (4-5 cm deep) rested upon 12cm of firm, light brown clay contaminated with soil intrusion possibly due to root action. Below this was a 4cm layer of yellowy brown sand containing brick fragments which rested upon a brown sandy/clay containing flecks of charcoal probably the same as context 108 located in Trench 1 although the Trench 2 layer is around 0.35m higher. This context was not excavated owing to the need to backfill and reinstate the turf but augering revealed a clay beneath, interpreted as natural by comparison with Trench 1.

TRENCHES 3 & 5 These further two trenches, dug to investigate the nature of the “hard layer” beneath the lawn produced similar results. In summary, the stratigraphy from the top was sandy clay beneath which was a pebble layer with a sandy brown clay matrix and patches of dumped clay. The lower layers were disturbed clay with sand beneath, interpreted as natural.

SUMMARY OF TRENCHES 2,3 & 5 The mound, a photograph of which formed part of the original research design, had been lowered to its present level and grassed over. The area we investigated was below the mound and contained no archaeology.

TRENCH 4 A further trench was dug on the northern edge of the lawn near to an existing classroom block to investigate the nature of a curved parch mark. This trench contained modern building material close to the surface thus reducing the depth of soil.

WATCHING BRIEF ON SITE OF NEW CLASSROOMS

The trenches for the floor beams for the new classrooms were machine-dug on 24th and 25th May 1995. The trenches around the perimeter basically followed the line of the previous sleeper wall with others crossing the site east/west and north/south linking the series of piles sunk over the previous seven days. The trenches were excavated with a half-metre toothed-bucket to a uniform level but the unevenness of the ground gave a depth range of between 1.90 and 0.40 meters. All the ground was disturbed -seemingly excavated and re-deposited during the construction of the now-demolished classroom block. The matrix was a dark brown clay/silt mix, loosely compacted, with patches of dumped brown clay. the higher layers contained building debris including bricks, window glass, lino tile fragments, ceramic tile fragments and broken glazed sewer pipe, but lower down within the walls of the trenches and embedded in the base were brick fragments, brick flecks, not all of which had been redeposited during the current building works. In places, at c20cm below ground level, redeposited turf was visible – in divots, not as an earlier land surface.

No cut features were observed within the sections but two pits were noted on the floor of two trenches at c70cm below surface level. They had a burnt clay infill, blue/black, containing charred treewood. An edge to these deposits was confirmed by trowelling although they could not be fully excavated and the full diameters could not be ascertained owing to containing by the sides of the trenches and truncation by the new piles. They were both in excess of 60cm wide. Within the top few centimetres were a clay pipe stem, modern crockery fragments, fragments of pottery (flowerpots?), a piece of bone and oyster shells. These features are post mediaeval or modern.

The floor of the new building will be suspended upon the beams laid in these trenches and it is therefore unlikely that there is any additional risk to archaeological remains not revealed by the current works.

Our investigation at the School has now been completed and our thanks go to the volunteers who assisted at weekends, and especially to the Headmistress for her helpfulness and co-operation throughout. A full report is now in preparation.

SITE-WATCHING AT HENDON CAMPUS, MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY, THE BURROUGHS, HENDON

Brian Wrigley

During May, the South-East London Archaeological Unit (SELAU) undertook to watch earthmoving operations for the building of a new sports hail at this site, which is of archaeological importance particularly because of the finding, in 1889, of Roman material nearby, in what were then the grounds of Grove House, by Dr Hicks. According to the Borough’s Archaeology Adviser, Robert Whytehead of English Heritage, who attended the site for the earth-stripping, some remains of a gravel pit (possibly the pit the Roman finds came from) were revealed plus the fact that the surrounding area had been so much terraced in the past that no ground surface from Roman times remains.

HADAS had been asked by the contractors, at the beginning of May, to help by preparing “a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation” for approval by the Planning Authority before development. We did not feel able to take this on, and pointed out that we knew from our past excavation (Church Farm Museum) that on this slope an ancient land surface is overlain by slipped sandy soil from above,

and any archaeological recommendations would require detailed examination of the local geology as evidenced by records of previous works in the area, and of any changes made, plus consideration of the precise location, depth and likely effect of any ground disturbance for the proposed building. We suggested MoLAS, but in fact the contractors went to SELAU whom they had, I gather, used before. From copy correspondence I have seen, it is clear that our comments were passed on to SELAU.

THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY SPRING CONFERENCE, PERTH

Myfanwy Stewart and Brian Wrigley

HADAS members were 4 out of the 32 prehistorians on this expedition to this land of (as some of us learnt for the first time) the Picts. Our visit coincided with the Parliamentary by-election and rumour was rife of famous (or notorious) national political figures being seen in the bar of our hotel. (Famous archaeological figures were of course commonplace!)

Our guides were from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and it was most instructive to be told about the sites by their excavators. Strat Halliday described the increase in recent years of knowledge of Scottish prehistory, with new scientific techniques of dating and aerial photography. We got a feeling of the excitement and enthusiasm of the Commission in its programme of newly-identified sites, (We Sassenachs were also reminded that, because of Scottish/Pictish success in limiting Roman incursions, prehistory here goes on later than in England!)

On the first day we visited some of the hill-forts of Strathmore (=”wide valley”). The former assumption that such forts are Iron Age is now becoming misleading, as thermoluminescence dates from forts in Scotland where vitrification has resulted from burning range from 2300BC to 1000BC. We saw 3 forts, the White Caterthun, the Brown Caterthun and, on the south side of Strathmore, Turin Hill. In each there are multiple earthworks, apparently not built at the same time, and suggesting activity over a long period with reconstructions from time to time for different purposes – quite possibly starting from Neolithic times.

The second day we went to the Balfarg prehistoric ceremonial complex, including a henge and remains of an earlier henge, mortuary enclosures, the Balbirnie stone circle with 4 cists, ring ditch and ring cairn, and sundry pits. Roger Mercer, who excavated the henge in 1977/8, told us that, at the time a housing estate was planned, what was known of the site was the 2 standing stones and a circular mark in air photography. The authorities recognised that archaeological investigation was needed, and excavation revealed a nearly complete circular ditch, originally with a bank outside, and inside it the holes for a timber-post circle and a later stone circle, of which the 2 surviving stones had been part. The building plan was changed, to preserve the henge, now encircled by a road with houses numbered “1 The Henge” etc, with a reconstructed circle of wooden posts.

The nearby mortuary enclosure has been partly reconstructed with wooden posts in the original postholes. This is thought to have been an examination platform for bodies before communal burial, and had been covered by a mound with ritual deposits when it went out of use, and surrounded by a henge-type ditch, part of which survives; this in turn went out of use when the great henge was made.

The Balbirnie stone circle has been re-set about 125 metres from its original site to allow for road-building. The earliest activity here was probably the deposition of pottery and burnt bone, before the construction of the great henge. Then the stone circle was erected some time after 3000 BC and after the henge. There are 4 burial cists. At some stage these were sealed with a cairn, but small deposits of cremated bone were inserted later into the surface of the cairn. It was impressive to see how the

pottery and other dating evidence have enabled the investigators to construct a sequence and time-table for the use of this ceremonial site during three millennia, from the early Neolithic to the late Bronze Age.

We then went to the fort and broth (a small diameter circular fortification) at Laws Hill, Montifieth (the broth may be 1st century AD, and later than the remaining segment of fort wall) and then to an underground chamber typical of the Angus area, a souterrain at Tealing -happily its excavation has left it open to the air, so we did not have to scramble underground to inspect it Its likely date is later 1st century BC or 1st century AD.

The third day was devoted to the 9th and 10th century Pictish sculpture for which this part of Scotland is renowned. More than 30 carved stones and fragments have been found in the Meigle district and many are in the Meigle Museum. Gazing at these splendid carvings, the uninitiated soon became familiar with the round mirrors, combs, serpents, fish and “Z rods” which typify this art form. We were intrigued by lions, elephants, a kneeling camel and a winged Persian god, while the horseman, foot braced in a pocket at the lower edge of his saddle cloth, demonstrated riding techniques at a time when the stirrup was unknown in Scotland.

The Pictish cross in Eassle Church is famous for its clear depiction of a cloaked warrior marching along carrying his spear and square shield. The cross is filled with interlaced designs and opposite the warrior is a finely carved stag. On the back of the stone, 3 cloaked figures are shown together with a typical double disc design, a Z rod and a mythical beast.

At Glam.’s, a cross slab in the Minister’s garden shows the two main aspects of Pictish art. On one face, the mirror, a fish and a serpent were very clear and, on the reverse, the cross is completely filled with complex interlaced designs. Reminders of the more violent aspect of life were two men facing one another, each armed with an axe, and the cauldron from which two pairs of legs protruded! We then walked with the Minister to the nearby sacred well and lunched in the idyllic setting of the river and gardens.

The St Vigeans Museum, in one of a row of weavers’ cottages, had more sculptures the most noted of which bore a rare Pictish inscription in Roman script, a hooded archer and the equally rare depiction of a crossbow

On the morning of day 4 we walked the 1820m of the Cleaven Dyke neolithic earthwork which was once thought to be of Roman date. Similar to a curses, its central bank, some 8-10m across and 1-2m high, is composed of linked dumps giving five breaks in all. The two flanking ditches, between 45 and 51 m apart, are also segmented and, like the dumps, each is slightly out of alignment. Limited excavation in 1993 revealed a construction technique of layers of turf and soil and a pre-monument hearth dated to 4,587-4,002 and 4,653-3,999 Calibrated BC. Work is now in progress to clear the woodland covering the earthwork and to annihilate the plague of rabbits which threaten the site. A new section has recently been put through the bank, a detailed survey is almost complete and further palaeoenvironmental work will be undertaken. It is hoped that all this will shed more light on this important earthwork and its relationship with the surrounding area.

In the afternoon was a field study of the complex series of ring cairns, stone circles, round cairns, but circles and the later earth and stone foundations of rectangular houses which are all to be seen in the Balnabroich landscape. The group extends over one square kilometre in terraine composed of rough pasture and higher moorland rising to 330m OD via a series of terraces and ridges. We tramped up through the heather, eyeing the black-face sheep and the snow on the distant corries, and grateful for the clement weather.

Day 5 began with the neolithic Pitnacree round cairn. Excavations in 1964 had revealed a rectangular stone mortuary enclosure in the centre of this impressive cairn. Dr John Coles, the excavator, added greatly to our

knowledge and enjoyment of the site. At Lundin he described the fourposter stone circle, incorporating a round cairn. The visit to Fortingall was prefaced by a warning to keep together and not stray on account of the bull and his retinue of wives who were in the vicinity! Fortunately the pleasure of seeing one of the few unploughed areas of land along the lower valley of the Lyon was unmarred. The long cairn, the ring ditch with its recumbent cup-marked stone and the mediaeval moated homestead again attested to the long-time settlement of the area.

A crannoch is a man-made island built out in the waters of a river or loch. At Loch Tay a replica is being built directly over the remains of the Iron Age crannoch which lies beneath the water. Based on the evidence obtained from the under-water archaeology, concentric rings of the tall tree trunks which support the platform have been set in position and lashed together using only techniques proved to have been used in the Iron Age. The excavations have yielded artefacts and evidence of construction methods. Amongst the finds were a wooden spoon and plate, with a wooden dish which, we were assured, still contained traces of ancient butter.

Some intrepid members went, via a raft, to the reconstructed crannoch, climbed the steep ladder and braved the alarming gap between the top of the ladder and the upper platform. Others watched the video made by Dr Nick Dixon and his team and visited the exhibition. All took tea and shortbread before leaving for our final site, the imposing Croftmoraig stone circle with cup-marked stones in the inner and outer rings.

THE ROMAN CITIES OF TUNISIA Peter Pickering

At the end of March we went on a week’s tour of the Roman cities of Tunisia. Africa Proconsularis was one of the wealthiest parts of the Roman empire, since it supplied Rome with corn, and much evidence of that wealth has survived the depredations of subsequent invaders. Although there is a clear family resemblance, each of the thirteen sites we visited has some distinctive feature. Bulls Regia, for instance, has two-storey houses, the lower storey being underground, perhaps for coolness; Thysdrus (El Diem) a very well-preserved amphitheatre, second only to the Colosseum in Rome; Mactaris massive baths; Sufetula a forum with three temples to each of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, rather than the usual single temple to the Capitoline Triad; and Thugga a theatre with stage-buildings, and a public square with a large compass incised on it, its twelve points each inscribed with the name of a wind.

Impressive triumphal arches are ubiquitous, but most impressive are the mosaics. Most of the figural ones (some very beautiful) are in museums, and most, except for El DJem, in the Bardo museum in Tunis; but many of the patterned ones in situ are very fine, The baths of Mactaris have one with a complex maze.

The Romans have a clear domination over earlier and later civilisations, though there is a Numidian tower tomb in Thugga, and the poignant remains of the tophet in Carthage – it seems much more likely to me that the Carthaginians sacrificed children than that they had such an affection for them that they had a special children’s cemetery. The Vandals have left little trace, but many places have the massive walls built by the Byzantines following their reconquest of North Africa; most evocative of these is the remote Ammaedara, with a church paved with crudely inscribed graves. Nor can one forget the holy city of Kairouan, its Great Mosque a veritable museum of Roman columns.

The sites are reasonably well looked after, and restoration is going on. There is also some excavation in progress, rather less professional than HADAS would achieve; at one site in Thugga we saw some pots and a Roman lamp being unearthed at the corner of a room. “Tresor” the diggers

said, and put them carefully on one side; but we were forbidden to take photographs. I do not think the dig was clandestine – there were several diggers, in full daylight – but it looked the next worst thing.

LONDON LOCAL SOCIETIES MEETING 15th May 1995 Brian Wrigley

I attended for HADAS this twice-yearly meeting organised by MoLAS, as an opportunity for exchange of information, ideas and problems on the working of archaeology in London. Brief summaries were given of work done recently by local societies and professional bodies (I contributed for HADAS). Some concern was shown about the working of PPG16 in London, seemingly sometimes varying between different planning authorities. SCOLA have been surveying this matter, and are expected soon to produce a report of findings and recommendations.

There was also some concern about units from outside London operating in London failing to keep in touch with societies; it was agreed that this Committee could be a useful forum to help on this.

Work done by statutory undertakers, not requiring planning permission and hence liable to be missed by archaeological watchdogs, was also raised, and it was agreed that all should keep eyes out on this, and report any failings to this committee who might be able to draw attention to the problem. (I am not aware that we have many such problems in Barnet, but it could be useful if members would keep an eye out and let me know of any things such as public utility roadworks in sensitive areas which might not have been spotted in planning applications.)

LIBRARY NEWS Roy Walker

We have recently received three Site Reports from MoLAS, which are available for loan upon application to Roy Walker (0181-351 1350) 1182-1228 High Road, Whetstone (Lawson’s Timber Yard)

Church Farm Industrial School, East Barnet

The Wimpey Sports Ground, Brockley Hill

As this last will be of interest to the Romanists in our membership, I set out the abstract to the Report:-

“Fourteen archaeological evaluation trenches were investigated in order to determine if archaeological evidence survived for the Roman road, Watling Street, and any associated Roman roadside settlement or pottery kilns as have been located to the north of the site in the area of the Scheduled Ancient Monument (Sulloniacae). In six of the trenches adjacent to the modern road a Roman road with a ditch on the west side was found directly below the topsoil. Limited investigation showed that the road had been constructed an a bank of clay and pebble layers, and had undergone periodical maintenance as indicated by a number of earlier layers of road gravels and recutting of the ditch when it had silted up. Dating evidence confirmed the road was in use into the 4th century AD. Early Roman pottery was of the type produced at Brockley Hill and the Roman ceramic building material was of fabric types produced in kilns found alongside Roman Watling Street. The Report concluded that these are significant archaeological remains of national importance and as such merit preservation in situ or full archaeological investigation where below-ground disturbance is unavoidable.

NORTH LONDON ARCHAEOLOGICAL LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING Brian Wrigley

I attended this Committee for HADAS, and reported on our work since the last meeting. Reports from MoLAS included two Barnet sites, Church Farm Industrial School, East Barnet, where only the remains of the Victorian

school were found, and the rear of Tapster Street, Barnet, where signs of mediaeval activity were found but most of the area dug showed gravel pits. MoLAS produced a Publication Programme, some of the titles in which will be of interest to HADAS. Our Librarian, Roy Walker, has this list and will be on the watch for publication (though it should be said that the dates for the “finished drafts” go on to the year 2000!). Many of them are bound for the London Archaeologist or LAMAS Transactions.

There were also reports of work starting on the LAMAS project for archaeological survey of the Thames foreshore, for example in Richmond. There are encouraging signs suggesting that there is not so much disturbance by the river of deposits and artifacts as previously assumed and, for example, it could turn out that deposits of bronze weapons, formerly thought to have been ritually thrown into the river, were actually dry-land hoards later covered by a change in water-course.

SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS

We have just reprinted “Those were the Days”, our ever-popular booklet about Barnet between the wars. It was compiled at the end of the 1970s from tape-recordings by Percy Reboul, and the titles of some of its chapters (“The Brewer’s Tale; The Commercial Traveller’s Tale; The Postman’s Tale” give the flavour of its contents. If any new members do not possess their own copies, Dorothy Newbury will let you have one for £2.50 post free.

KINGSBURY MULTI -CULTURAL FESTIVAL

This will take place on the 8th and 9th of July in Roe Green Park Kingsbury Road NW9. There will be a “local history hail” at Holy Innocents’ Church Hall, Roe Green, and besides your favourite Society, the Grange Museum, Harrow Museum and the Church Farm House Museum, and local history societies will be exhibiting. The Wembley Observer will be displaying historical photographs from its archives.

TAILPIECE (From the Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, via Private Eye)

Sally Morgan’s work explores the fragility of knowledge and the impossibility of certainty. You are invited to measure your heart and to understand what cannot be understood. You are invited to make truth immutable through the exacting processes of archaeology. The crypt will be open over two days, during which time you may enter the installation and, if you choose, excavate for meaning.

(Why then did not more of you members come along to excavate for meaning in St Martha’s Convent, Monken Hadley? – Editor)