Newsletter
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HADAS DIARY
Tuesday 10 June ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 8pm prompt in the drawing room, ground floor, of Avenue House, East End Road, Finchley, N3
Saturday 14 June OUTING TO WHEATHAMPSTEAD AND ELY with Micky Watkins At Wheathampstead Simon West will show us his excavation which will be in progress in June — a rare opportunity. At Ely we can visit Cromwell’s House, the local museum, the Stained Glass Museum as well as the Cathedral. (Application form enclosed)
Till 15 June – DON’T MISS ! The two exhibitions currently at the Church Farm Museum have been extended to 15 June by popular demand! For details please see the April 2003 Newsletter — ‘Hendon’s Hidden History: finds made by HADAS at Church End Hendon area over the last forty years’, and ‘Weird and Wonderful Contraptions: everyday gadgets 1800-1950.’ Admission to the Museum is free. It is open Monday-Thursday 10-12.30 and 1.30-5, Saturdays 10-1 and 2-5.30 and Sundays 2-5.30. It is closed on Fridays.
Saturday 26 July OUTING TO READING AND SILCHESTER with Tessa Smith and Sheila Woodward. (Did anyone happen to tape the ‘Meet the Ancestors’ programme on Silchester? It would he very useful before the Silchester outing. If you can help please contact Tessa)
Thursday September 11 — Sunday September 14th LONG WEEKEND TO WORCESTERSHIRE, HEREFORDSHIRE AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE. Please contact Jackie Brookes to check if there are any places left or cancellations
The Museum in Docklands opened on 24 May in one of London’s oldest warehouses
It will illustrate the story of London’s river, port and people from Roman times to the present.No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Road, E14 4AL (0870 444 3856)Open 7 days 10am — 6pm
Victor Jones’s Legacy by Don Cooper
As recorded in the January 2003 Newsletter, Victor left £1,000 to HADAS for use towards providing more archaeological information to the schools in the Borough. The Museum of London run a scheme whereby boxes of artefacts from their vast collection are provided to schools to use as a teaching aid. Each box contains pieces of Roman pottery and other suitable objects to interest children. Ideally, every school should have one, but money… The Museum of London have agreed to provide Barnet with up to 22 new boxes using Victor’s generous gesture. The boxes will record his donation and will include a HADAS leaflet. I am sure Victor would be delighted to know that his legacy has been put to such good use.
Roman Southwark by Harvey Sheldon Don Cooper
In the last lecture of this year’s series, Harvey Sheldon, our current HADAS President, introduced one of his favourite subjects, that of Roman Southwark. He sets the scene by showing some fascinating slides of the development of North Southwark since the Second World War. These were mostly slides of ghastly high-rise tower blocks, which not only spoilt the skyline; but also as a result of the deep foundations they required, destroyed the archaeology. He outlined the search for the Romans in Southwark by archaeologists over the years, from the early finds by antiquarians, through the work of Mortimer Wheeler and especially the good work done on five sites by Kathleen Kenyon after the war, while W.F.Grimes was excavating in the City. Again he showed some fascinating slides of those early excavations. Southwark on the South side of the river is topographically lower than the North side, and in pre-Roman times, was not a contiguous river hank but a series of islands surrounded by marshes and water channels. Evidence of the prehistoric occupation of the Southwark area comes from plough (ard) marks from a number of sites as well as fragments of Beaker pottery. However, it seems that the area was occupied by small farmsteads rather than there being a settlement. It was clear from aerial views of the Thames estuary why the Romans chose the area around what is now London Bridge, at what was near the first achievable crossing point with good estuarine access for shipping. The Roman roads in Southwark took advantage of the high ground of the islands in the river. Watling Street ran along the line of what is now Borough High Street; somewhere along the way it was joined by Stane Street, the Roman road to the Wealden industries. There is a third, very substantial road, which may go between the main Roman crossing point and perhaps an earlier crossing from Lambeth, over Thorney Island (where the Houses of Parliament now are) and on to the North side of the river. As well as the northern part of the Roman city being destroyed during the Boudican revolt, it has now been established that the settlement in Southwark was also destroyed. Evidence of the status of Roman Southwark is indicated by the excavations at Winchester Palace by Southwark Cathedral, where a large Roman masonry building was found with hypocausts and high quality wall paintings. It is possible that this was a military building. Recent excavations at Tabard Street and Long Lane have uncovered a complex of Roman masonry buildings, including one, which is similar in shape to a Romano-Celtic temple. A dedicatory plaque was found nearby, apparently by a trader from Gaul, which might also indicate a temple in the vicinity. Other evidence comes from the large cemetery recently discovered and not yet fully analysed. Harvey emphasised that there is still lots of work to be done in Southwark and he promised to come back again soon to tell us more.
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LAMAS CONFERENCE Eric Morgan
Once again HADAS was represented, though fewer of us could attend due to the unfortunate restriction in numbers allowed this year. We had our stand and managed to sell some hooks. Overall the conference seemed to go down very well. The morning session started with the presentation of the Ralph Merrifield award by our President Harvey Sheldon to the joint inventors of the ingenious full-sized reconstruction of the water-lifting machine, which they kindly demonstrated during the lunch break. The rest of the morning session reviewed recent work in progress, including a Paleolithic site at Lower Kingswood in Surrey; another at Canons Farm, Banstead nearby, which is thought to have been occupied by Homo Heidelbergensis. The work was done by the PAD MAC Unit of Oxford University and the Plateau Group. This was followed amongst others, by a review of a Roman building at Carshalton; of the excavations at Southwark by Pre-Construct Archaeology; of which we heard recently; and on developing a framework for London archaeology. The afternoon session was devoted to London’s prehistory. It started with an introduction by Jan Cotton of the Museum of London on their new gallery, ‘London before London’. This was followed by a review of the prehistoric landscapes at Perry Oaks, Heathrow, the work was done by Framework Archaeology; then of the Bronze Age political economies along the river Thames; of prehistory in the City; and finally of London in the Iron Age.
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Daisy Hill remembered
Dorothy Newbury writes: Last week I received a letter from a friend of Daisy Hill, one of our Vice Presidents. She regularly received and enjoyed our Newsletters, and I spoke to her last year, hoping she could send us some interesting memories of our early years. Sadly she did not do so. John Enderby, our only remaining founder member, who was on the committee with her in the 60’s, has kindly sent us some memories of her. John Enderby: We are very sad to report the death of Daisy, a Vice President of the Society and a very early member, at her home in Chesterfield on 16 April after a massive heart attack at the age of 86. She will be remembered as a Hendonian with a deep knowledge of the area who contributed to HADAS in many ways. Before her retirement from a long-standing position with a coal merchant in Hendon in 1982 and her move to Chesterfield, she was a hard working Secretary of HADAS for several years. In 1969 she published its first Newsletter; the first since the Society’s foundation in I961. It was fulfilling a long wanted need. She was then living in Prince of Wales Road spending much time tending her garden, which was a delight to see — an interest that occupied her retirement in Chesterfield. Daisy will be remembered as a private person but a valuable committee member’ who worked closely with Ted Sammes and Bridget Grafton Green in particular on many archaeological ventures. She was never afraid to express herself strongly if she felt it necessary, but her opinions always had a sound factual basis. R.I.P. P.S. Dorothy Newbury… Many members will remember a day trip in 1998 to Shaftesbury and to the delightful village of Fontmell Magna where John now lives after retiring as Principal of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute for 31 years. I am hoping we can twist his arm for a “repeat performance” next year — he says there are more things to show us.
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Training Excavation in Lewisham: The Roman Road-Lewes Road 9 June-11 July 2003
Applications are invited for this year’s Birkbecks summer training excavation at a site in the Bellingham-Bell Green area between Catford and Lower Sydenham. Attendance must be for a minimum of one week and for a maximum of two. Each week will provide training in surveying, excavation and recording techniques, initial finds processing and other aspects of archaeological investigation. This is a non-residential project costing £155 per week. The course organisers are Harvey Sheldon and Louise Rayner. (Contact: Phil Jefferies, Birkbeck College (020 7631 6627)
Enrich UK net
A new portal has been launched providing free access to some 150 digitalised collections in Britain’s libraries, museums and galleries, including some voluntary and community organisations and small local museums. (CILIP Update April 2003)
Tudor Self Catering
Christopher and Juliet Hawkins of The Hall, Milden, Lavenham, Suffolk, will make one of their early 16c.barns available for self catering in Tudor style with access to herbs from a Tudor garden and many foods grown or imported in Tudor times. Christopher is a keen amateur historian and local parish recorder, and collects and catalogues Roman and medieval pottery. This year, for the first time, the Hall is also part of the Suffolk Historic Houses Invitation to View, in which 18 houses not open regularly to the general public will admit visitors for special tours. Tours will be held on June I0 and 30, and July 15 and September 10. (The Times 1 May 2003)
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OTHER SOCIETIES EVENTS by Eric Morgan
Thursday 5 June 7.30pm London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, Kings Cross, NI.Waltham Abbey/Gunpowder Canals. Talk by Richard Thomas (HADAS visited in 2001)
Saturday 7 June 10.30 – 4pm LAARC Open Day: Life in Islington and Hackney. Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, N1
Sunday 8 June 2 – 4pm Friern Barnet and District Local History Society. Meet by statute near Friern Barnet Lane, N11. Cost £1.00. Friary Park and St. James’s Church. Circular walk with Oliver Natelson. (Includes ancient cemetery where HADAS did a survey)
Wednesday 11 June 8pm Barnet and District Local History Society, Wyburn Room, Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, Barnet. London in the 1880 ies. Talk by Jeff Page
Wednesday 11 June 8pm Homsey Historical Society. Union Church Hall, corner Ferme Park Road, Weston Park, N8. The Two Remarkable Stephens. (of Avenue House) Talk by Norman Burgess.
Sunday 22 June 2pm Friem Barnet and District Local History Society. Meet by forecourt of Friern Barnet Town Hall. Tour of Colney Hatch and St. John’s Church with Oliver Natelson. Lasting 1-2 hours. Cost £1.00
Tuesday 24 June 8pm. Friern Barnet and District Local History Society. Old fire station next to Town Hall, Friern Barnet Lane, N11. New Southgate revisited. Talk by Colin Barratt. Cost £1.00
Thursday 26 June 8pm. The Finchley Society. Drawing room, Avenue House, East End Road, N3 AGM followed by talk by Laurie Chivers. Trading: small businesses in East Finchley and the effects of supermarkets.
Sunday 29 June 1-6pm Cricklewood Festival. Clitterhouse playing fields, Claremont Road, NW2(HADAS will have a stand and would welcome offers of help on the day or part of it)
Sunday 29 June 2 – 4pm Friern Barnet and District Local History Society. Meet at entrance to Homebase, Station. Tour of New Southgate with Colin Barratt. (Includes 90 year old gasholder, former cattle byre and dairy, 100 year old postal sorting office) Cost £1.00
