No. 649 April 2025 Edited by Sue Willetts
HADAS DIARY – Forthcoming Lectures and Events
Tuesday 8 April 2025 Hugh Petrie (London Borough of Barnet Heritage Development Officer)
Mapping the Kingdom The colourful maps of the first County Series were one of the greatest feats of the Victorian period. This lecture is the story of the first large scale survey of England made in the 1860s at 1:2500 or 25,344 Inches to the mile. The lecture looks at how and why the survey was carried out, the people who made it happen, from the labourers through to the sappers and officers of the Royal Engineers, and how the maps tell us about local history, using maps from the local studies collection of the London Borough of Barnet.
Tuesday 13 May 2025 Les Capon (AOC Archaeology) A community/HLF excavation at Cranford, Hillingdon with trenching over four seasons that discovered Romano-British roundhouses,Saxon Houses, medieval and Tudor and post-medieval remains and intact cellars. Encompassing the Bronze Age to the 19th Century.
Weekend of 7th – 8th June 2025 It’s back! Barnet Medieval Festival at Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm, Galley Lane, Barnet, Herts EN5 4RA Note new venue – not Barnet Rugby club as before due to redevelopment. Barnet Medieval Festival – Reenactment of the Battle of Barnet 1471
Tuesday 10 June 2025 – 7.30 pm Annual General Meeting to be followed by a lecture from our President Jacqui Pearce from MOLA.
A web of influences – imported ceramics in London 1000-1700
Throughout the medieval and early post-medieval period, pottery from countries outside Britain was entering the country alongside other imports. Many different wares had a deep impact on local potters,influencing their styles of decoration, and even their technology. We will be looking at a wide range of pottery, from many centres in Europe, particularly France, the Low Countries, Germany, Italy and Spain,as well as the significant and long-lasting impact of wares from the Far East. London was a particularly rich source of inspiration as a major hub for imported goods and this is reflected in the wide range of pottery recovered in archaeological excavations.
Lectures held in the Drawing Room, Avenue House, 17 East End Road, Finchley N3 3QE. 7.45 for 8pm.
Buses 13, 125, 143, 326, 382, and 460 pass close by, and it is a five-ten-minute walk from Finchley Central Station on the Barnet Branch of the Northern Line where the Super Loop SL10 express bus from North Finchley to Harrow also stops.
Tea/Coffee/biscuits available for purchase after each talk.
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Membership Renewals
It’s that time of the year again! Subscriptions again this year, therefore the amounts are: Full member
£15, Additional member at the same address £5, Corporate member £15, under 18 or student under 25 in
full time education £6.
The HADAS membership year runs from 1st April to 31st March, and so this is to remind all members
who pay by cheque that their renewal subscription will be due on or soon after 31st March 2025. With the
closure of many banks, it is helpful if payment is made by Bank Transfer using Account Number
00083254, Sort Code 40-52-40 (CAFBANK). Please include your surname and first initial in the
reference field. If you do need to pay by cheque, please post it to Jim Nelhams – address on p.8
Members who pay their subscription by standing order need take no action. We look forward to receiving
your continued membership and thank you for supporting HADAS in its objectives.
BENNETT’S SCHOOL – Additional details Andy Simpson
Whilst looking through the HADAS library shelves recently I came across a little book I had overlooked
when originally looking for background details on Bennet’s School as excavated in Hendon by HADAS
in the summer of 2024.
This is the snappily titled ‘The Story of the Hendon St Mary’s Church of England Schools Founded 1707
by the Reverend Meshach Smith, M.A Vicar of Hendon from 1679 to 1707’ Told by a Member of The
Parochial Church Council and published by the Board of Governors in commemoration of The School’s
250th Anniversary in 1957’ Brushing aside irreverent thoughts of the Monty Python sketch ‘The Bishop’
‘produced by Church of England Films in conjunction with the Sunday Schools Board’ I read on.
The story begins with a note from the Hendon Parish notes; ‘In the year 1766 another Charity School was
erected nearer the Church, which has ever since been liberally supported by voluntary contributions and
is now endowed. This was one built by Mr. John Bennett at his sole expense in 1766, on a piece of waste
ground granted by the Lord of the Manor (of Hendon), David Garrick the actor…it was variously called
‘Bennett’s Charity’ and ‘Bennett’s School’, and stood next to Daniels’ Almshouses and it was with this,
on this site, that Revd. Meshach Smith’s Charity School became united in 1788, though not actually
incorporated with it until 1801.Around 1770 Bennett’s School took in at least some of the Burrow’s
School Charity boys. John Bennett had left £100 in his will for the benefit of the school.
Around 1788 there were further developments on the site. A charity School in nearby Brent St moved –
contemporary minutes record ‘That for the accommodation of the children who are Day Scholars as also
of the Sunday Scholars, a Room be built adjoining the Old School House near the Church, agreeable to
the plan now produced by Mr. Cole the Surveyor and estimated to cost around £130, which he engages
shall be built in a workmanlike manner, & not to exceed such estimate’ We need more map work I
suspect to figure out which building was which, although I would guess the two story central building
was the original schoolhouse.
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This new schoolroom was next to the old Bennett’s School building, built on the piece of waste ground
between Daniel’s Almshouses and what was later the entrance to Wroughton Terrace at Church End. The
buildings were demolished in 1937.
The Masters and their wives, together with a number of scholars, were examined annually – this led to the
dismissal of one couple (on a joint salary of £70-80 per year) since the governing committee judged ‘the
present Master and Mistress are too imbecile, and full of engagements, to do justice to the important
charge that the Subscribers have placed in their hands.’
Detectorist strikes gold with £10k medieval ring Stewart Wild
A metal detectorist is celebrating after discovering a stunning gold medieval ring worth more than
£10,000. Steel worker Paul McLoughlin, from Carmarthenshire, South Wales, had been searching for
two years without ever finding gold before he took part in a rally in Salisbury, Wiltshire.
After a day during which he unearthed only a rusty bolt, a horseshoe and bits of lead, he was stopped in
his tracks by a strong signal. The 32-year-old dug 8 inches into the soil and spotted the exquisite gold ring with an intricate engraving of martyr Saint Christopher on it.
Mr McLoughlin said that he would split the proceeds of the sale with the landowner.
SOURCE: Daily Telegraph, 28 December 2024, item edited by Stewart Wild
Honey-basted venison was on Bronze Age menus Stewart Wild
Bronze Age families dined on meat stews with dumplings and honey-basted venison, a Cambridge
University study has found. The Must Farm settlement near Peterborough – known as the Pompeii of the
British Isles – has produced the largest collection of everyday Bronze Age artifacts discovered in the UK.
Among the items that survived after a catastrophic fire destroyed the settlement nine months after it was
first occupied 3,000 years ago were the remains of dishes including porridge topped with meat juices.
Studies by Cambridge University’s Archaeological Unit (CAU) of the best-preserved Bronze Age
dwellings in Britain have given an unprecedented insight into the domestic life of our ancestors.
Researchers found that the fenland site’s destruction and collapse meant that objects that became buried
in the muddy water below mirrored their original positions inside the houses, enabling archaeologists to
see how spaces were used. The combination of charring and waterlogging caused thousands of domestic
items to survive, including 200 wooden artifacts, over 150 fibre and textile items, 128 pottery vessels and
more than 90 pieces of metalwork.
This time capsule also contained rare personal items including decorated textiles along with pots and jars
containing food remains. The foodstuffs were analysed using a combination of lipid analysis and
microscopy, including scanning electron microscopy, to help identify the components.
This showed that the villagers ate meat stews, dumplings and bread, lamb and pork chops, along with venison with honey and a wheat-grain porridge mixed with fat from goats or red deer.
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They appeared to have favourite cuts of meat, often only bringing the forelegs of a boar back for roasting, as well as eating pike and bream caught in the waters around them.
Following fears about the location and future preservation of the site, the remains were removed for
recording and analysis by CAU as part of a £1.1 million excavation project funded by Historic England
and landowner Forterra.
Dr Chris Wakefield, the CAU project archaeologist, said: “The site is providing us with hints of recipes for Bronze Age breakfasts and roast dinners. Chemical analysis of the bowls and jars showed traces of honey along with ruminant meats such as deer, suggesting that these ingredients were combined
to create a form of prehistoric honey-glazed venison.”
SOURCE: Daily Telegraph, 20 March 2024, item edited by Stewart Wild. Note: Flag Fen and Must Farm
have been visited by HADAS on three occasions, the last being in August 2008.
Further information. The 2-volume publication on Must Farm is open access – free to read online.
Publications | Must Farm. Links to volumes below:
Vol 1. Landscape, architecture and occupation https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/400b29d5-2e22-4321-878c-cb122d291660
Vol 2. Specialist reports https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/items/7bc599e9-d8be-4a49-8dfe-4bb6c324fac4
Prehistoric axe head in an auction sale Sue Willetts
The Hellenic and Roman Library has recently acquired some auction catalogues including one from the
Classical Numismatic Group, Inc – offices in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and London, dated 16th September
1988. Amongst the antiquities section there was an item, marked as rare, found in November 1905. It is
not known if this was sold – I would doubt it at the suggested price of $750.00.
Does anyone know any more about Hales Works, Church End, Finchley?
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Advance information:
Festival of Archaeology 2025.
This year’s theme for the Festival of Archaeology – 19th July – 3rd August has as its theme – Archaeology
and Wellbeing. More information https://www.archaeologyuk.org/festival.html
Online lectures:
Beatrice de Cardi Lecture. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeTTkAy_BCo
Dr Claire Nolan, a postdoctoral researcher at University College Cork, delivered the 2025 Beatrice de
Cardi Lecture ‘Being Present with the Past: Finding meaning through mindful engagement with
archaeology’.
Genetic Histories of Kinship and Ancestry in Roman Britain by Dr Marina Soares da Silva. Lecture given at Society of Antiquaries 4th March 2025. 49 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeQZAojuzYI
Other Organisations’ / Societies’ events Eric Morgan / Sue Willetts
As always please check with the societies’ websites before planning to attend since not all societies and
organisations have returned to pre-covid conditions.
We realise this newsletter is intended to allow for forward planning, but a note about some April events
may be of interest to members.
Thursday 3rd April, 7.00 pm. Digging for Erlestoke is a community dig with a difference, the
community being a group of male prisoners from HMP Erlestoke, a category C prison in Wiltshire.
Designed and delivered by Wessex Archaeology and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund,
the project set out to improve wellbeing through access to archaeology and heritage. In the process, the
project took on its own unique energy; a small band of men found meaning and fulfillment and
experienced a profound change in their mindset and outlook on life.
Not only that, but they also made a genuine contribution to the archaeological record, uncovering a story
that spans 6000 years on a seemingly insignificant Greensand outlier within the confines of the prison.
Join Leigh Chalmers and Dr. Phil Harding as they discuss the project’s impact, exploring how
archaeology can be a tool for rehabilitation, the discoveries made during the dig, and the personal stories
that emerged from this unique initiative. Free to join this lecture – but need to register via the link below https://www.archaeologyuk.org/get-involved/events-and-activities/this-is-archaeology-lecture-series.html Text taken from CBA website.
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Wednesday 9th April. 5.00 pm. Royal Archaeological Institute. Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BE. Digging deeper: Initial results from the A428. Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Improvement Scheme revealed evidence for Iron Age Pioneer Settlements in the Claylands of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, as well as Roman development of infrastructure and food production.A portion of deserted Medieval Village was also excavated along with two 8th-9th century AD ovens and a post-medieval mill. Talk by Simon Markus. Non-members welcome but should make contact in advance www.sal.org.uk/event.
Friday 11th April 1pm or 2pm The London Archives, 40 Northampton Road, EC1R 0HB. Free. Tramways Posters. Trams were a common sight on London streets in the first half of the twentieth century, and the tramways service was managed by the London County Council from 1899-1933.The council’s archives include a rich collection of posters created to promote the service. In this informal session we will display a range of original artworks and posters for you to browse, with staff to answer your questions. Use this link to book. Archives on Show: Tramways Posters Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite. Doors open from 12.50pm.
Friday 11th April 7.00-8.30 pm. Enfield Archaeological Society Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane,Junction Chase Side, Enfield EN2 0AJ Recent Fieldwork by the EAS (preceded by AGM) Ian Jones and Martin Dearne £1.50 for non-members. Refreshments and sales from 7.00 pm. https://www.enfarchsoc.org/
Thursday 17th April 8.00 pm. Historical Association. Hampstead and N.W. London Branch. Fellowship House, 136A Willifield Way, London, NW11 6YD –off Finchley Road, Temple Fortune. Past and present of the British Welfare State. Talk by Prof Patricia Thorne, Birkbeck College, University of London. Please email Dudley Miles (HADAS) dudleyramiles@googlemail.com or phone 07469 754075 for details of the link and how to pay. There may be a voluntary charge of £5. Refreshments afterwards.
Friday 9th May, 7.30 pm Enfield Archaeological Society. Imperial Logistics in Early China, the First Emperor’s Mausoleum and the Making of the Terracotta Army, Andrew Bevan. Talk on Zoom, visit website for further details Enfield Archaeological Society.
Sunday 11th May, 1.00 – 4.00 pm Coppetts Wood Festival. Entrance from Colney Hatch Lane, N11 or off Summers Lane, N12 – where there is a car park. Lots of craft and food stalls. Finchley Society have a stall here, also music and entertainment.
Tuesday 13th May, 6.30 pm LAMAS Joint meeting with Prehistoric Society. Hunter Gatherers in Tottenham. Talk by Shane Maher, (Pre-Construct Archaeology). PCA undertook an excavation on land at the Welbourne Site, Tottenham Hale Centre, between 21st November 2019 and 13th March 2020.Three Early Mesolithic lithic scatters of high density were found stratified in the upper horizon of the Enfield Silt brickearth. To attend on Zoom, members are requested to book on Eventbrite with booking generally available 2 weeks before a lecture. Non-members are very welcome. There is a charge of £2.50 for non-members attending either in person (please note we are only able to accept cash) or attending on Zoom.
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Friday 16th May, 7.00 pm. COLAS. St. Olave’s Church, 8 Hart Street, EC3R 7NB. Talk also on Zoom. A Late Medieval Tannery in Stratford, Excavations at Jubilee House by Harry Platts (PCA) Book via Eventbrite www.colas.org.uk. HADAS may send out link to its members.
Friday 16th May, 7.30 pm. Wembley History Society. St. Andrew’s Church Hall, behind the new Church, Church Lane, Kingsbury, NW9 8RZ. Wembley 1924: The first concrete city. Talk by Kathryn Ferry on the art and architecture of the British Empire Exhibition site and its innovative artists. Dr Ferry specialises in architecture and design, particularly as they relate to the British seaside. Her next book on Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture will be published by Batsford in May 2025.
Visitors £3.00 Refreshments in the interval.
Saturday 17th May. 11am start. Herts Association for Local History, Spring meeting and A.G.M. Dagnall Street Baptist Church, 1 Cross Street, St. Albans, AL3 5EE. Admission £2 for visitors. Morning session: Short presentations from Local History Societies on their activities. Afternoon session A.G.M.followed by Lionel Munby lecture given by Dr John Morewood (President St. Albans & Herts Architectural and Archaeological Society) St. Albans and Western Hertfordshire in the 17th century British Civil Wars: Trials and Tribulations. https://www.stalbanshistory.org/ for details.
Wednesday 19th May 7.30 pm. Enfield Society. Jubilee Hall. See 11th April for the address. The Battle of Barnet. Talk by Paul Baker. (Barnet Local History Society and City of London Guide). www.enfieldsociety.org.uk.
Wednesday 21st May, 7.30 pm Willesden History Society St. Mary’s Church Hall, bottom of Neasden Lane, round corner from Magistrates’ Court) NW10 2DZ. Grand Junction Waterworks. Talk by Rob Enges (Guide at the London Museum of Water and Steam) On the challenges faced by the waterworks in the 19th century, introducing some of his unpublished research. For details www.willesden-local-history.co.uk.
Thursday 22nd May 7.00 pm. London Archaeologist. UCL Institute of Archaeology, 31-34 Gordon Square, WC1H 0PY. Usual short A.G.M. will be followed by the annual lecture. Free. Hopefully also on Zoom. Lecture details not yet listed. Book on website www.london.archaeologist.org.uk.
Thanks to our contributors this month; Andy Simpson, Eric Morgan; Stewart Wild.
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Hendon and District Archaeological Society
Chair Sandra Claggett, c/o Avenue House, 17 East End Road, Finchley N3 3QE
email : chairman@hadas.org.uk
Hon. Secretary Janet Mortimer 34 Cloister Road, Childs Hill, London NW2 2NP
(07449 978121), email: secretary@hadas.org.uk
Hon. Treasurer Roger Chapman, 50 Summerlee Ave, London N2 9QP (07855 304488),
email: treasurer@hadas.org.uk
Membership Sec. Jim Nelhams, 61 Potters Road, Barnet EN5 5HS (020 8449 7076)
email: membership@hadas.org.uk
Website: www.hadas.org.uk
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