Newsletter No 152: October, 1983
MINIMART MINIMART
What is Saturday, October 15? Why, it’s a date no HADAS member should forget: our annual Minimart at St Mary’s Church Hall, top of Greyhound Hill, NW4 (opposite Church Farm House Museum) from 11.30 am to3 pm.
Here’s a message from the organisers, CHRISTINE ARNOTT (455 2751) and DOROTHY NEWBURY (203 0950):
P1ease give us your support in every way you can. The Minimart is a mainstay of the Society’s finances – but only because of your help. The ways you can help are:
give us all the goods you can to sell – the more there is the more we shall make for HADAS, and the wider the grin will be on our new Treasurer’s face;
come and have a coffee or a ploughman’s lunch or both – as well as a gossip with new friends or old;
buy our tempting goods – there’s a tradition that no one leaves a HADAS sale without a bargain.
If you want to have your offerings collected, please give one of
us a ring; or you can bring them to the October lecture. Thrice-blessed will he/she who brings their contribution early in the month thus giving us time to sort and price at leisure instead of in a mad rush.
The items we particularly want are: small bric-a-brac; unwanted gifts; toiletries; stationery; jewellery; toys; household linens; and good-as-new men’s, women’s and children’s clothing.
We hope to entice non-members to buy too, so please publicise the Minimart wherever you can. Stickers for display on cars, front windows or in friendly shop will be available at the October meeting.
Finally, two words about food. First, will everyone who can cook please make something for the produce stall? Brigid Grafton Green says she has even extracted a promise from one of our founder members (male) to produce his celebrated rockcakes! It will help if you let her know roughly what you’re bringing – just so we don’t have a thousand sausage rolls and no iced cakes at all!
Secondly, Tessa Smith, organiser of our smashing ploughman’s lunches, would welcome offers of home-made quiches. She’s aiming at 10, so if
you feel able to offer one – or even two – please ring her on 958 9159.
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP YET?
Any HADAS member still looking for an evening class to join this winter is reminded that the Society’s own class, Aspects of Archaeology, is taking-place at Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute. Dave King gave the first lecture on September 19, but new members can still join: sign on at Lecture Room B on Monday, October 3, at 7.30 if you would like to take part.
THE DIG AT HADLEY WOOD by VICTOR JONES
‘The seasons work at Hadley Wood is now coming to a close but we hope weather permitting, to continue for a few more weekends until mid-October. Digging will start at 10.30 am each Saturday and Sunday and go on till mid-afternoon. If intending diggers can ring Brian Wrigley (959 5982) or me (458 6180) first it will be helpful.
The season’s work so far includes a detailed survey of the complete remaining parts of bank and ditch. This is a comparatively large feature: the original perimeter was approximately 800m; about 60% of the bank remains, and there are some traces of the ditch and in places the suggestion of a counterscarp. Bank and ditch surround the top of a clay feature known as Newman’s Hill.
All this has been carefully recorded and an accurate scale-plan drawn with Ordnance references. We have also produced a detailed surface profile of the bank and ditch on the steeper slope of the hillside where the evidence for bank, ditch and scarp is quite prominent.
We have dug a 10m trench to section banks ditch and possible counter Scarp. We traced about 8 strata of soil above undisturbed clay and ob¬tained samples of one distinct buried soil surface and a second possible lower level – these just might give some dating information. The bank is quite extensive at this point, still being about lm in height, as a
scarp on a 15% slope, with the bottom of the ditch about 1.2m below the top of the bank. The ditch appears to be perhaps 1.2 to 2m wide. It was not possible to define clearly the bottom of the unexpectedly shallow ditch (D F Penn reported it about 30 cm deeper in 1952), because it was so disturbed by root activity.
Finds were limited to bottles at the surface level and burnt stones lower down.
We now hope to dig rapidly a second trial trench to confirm if, on the more level part of the hill, the shape is the same; or if, as previous digs have suggested, the ditch is deeper. Also, we still hope for dateable finds.
We were fortunate at the start in having advice from Dr John Kent of the British Museum on the selection of the site and the method of in¬vestigation. Bernard Johnson, an experienced rescue archaeologist who has met many types of soil in motorway rescue work, advised us on digging methods and soil level identification throughout the dig. Palaeobotanist Richard Hubbard – well known to West Heath diggers – kindly advised us at the beginning of the season on how and where to look for buried soil samples. He may be able to help with further investigation of those we have found. We had welcome help from several new members who joined on hearing of the dig back in July.
OF CROMLECHS AND CROSSES
TESSA SMITH reports on the HADAS long weekend in Wales
Two mini-buses transported us through space and time, from Barnet 1983 to historic sites in Wales. Romanist members were especially keen to explore the site of Inca (Caerleon), our lunch stop. The small porticoed museum housed a good variety of locally excavated materials including a tombstone inscribed in red commemorating a Roman veteran who died aged 100. The barracks and amphitheatre of the II Augusta Legion looked brassily serene, the only approximation to animal-baiting being HADAS members offering picnic leftovers to two Welsh collies.
As we approached Dale Fort the weather worsened, the first rain peppered the windscreen and with slight apprehension we drove up to the Victorian fort, an ominous stronghold built in 1856 in defence of Milford Haven. As Charles George Gordon (later of Khartoum) wrote “I pity the
officers and men who will have to live in these forts as they are in the most desolate places.”
That evening the Warden, Mr D Emerson, gave us a brief talk on the history and rules of the fort, now converted to a Field Centre. As chief meteorologist of the area he also informed us that a ‘vigorous low’ was approaching. Luckily the Centre was well equipped for marine biology:
Next morning Professor W F Grimes, our President, met us at break¬fast and the weather and our spirits brightened. We climbed briskly to the Iron Age promontory fort where his current excavation has so far disclosed the gateway and gatestone of the settlement. We then whisked’ on to St David’s Cathedral, small and solidly built of purple sandstone, where the delicate roof-carvings contrasted with the remains of the shrine itself. Some of us explored the gloriously arcaded ruins of the nearby Bishops Palace before travelling in search of crosses and cromlechs.
Near the south wall of Nevern Church we examined a high Celtic cross with richly patterned carvings in Prescelly stone. Inside the church the Maglocunus Stone, embedded in a window sill, was inscribed in Ogham (Irish-Celt) and Latin. This bi-lingual inscription has helped to provide the key to the Ogham alphabet.
The first cromlech I have ever seen was also the finest in Wales, Pentre Ifan, breathtaking in its monstrous elegance and idyllic setting. Professor Grimes, who excavated the site in 1937!), explained the unique structure of this neolithic burial chamber. From there we
cromleched from the dumpy Carreg Coitan to the multiple Carrig-y-Gof to Carreg Samson with the biggest capstone in Wales. We learned that the term ‘cromlech’ comes from the Welsh ‘crwm’ (curved) and “llech” (stone).
That evening the Professor took us on a slide-projected tour around Pembrokeshire in prehistory.
On Friday the ‘vigorous low’ arrived and winds were blustering erratically over the Prescelly Hills as we climbed upward. Like a line of fluorescent mushrooms in our wet-weather gear we dared the realms of the ‘blue stones,’ an area rich in megalithic remains and the source of the Stonehenge imports. We must have invoked the wrath of the Welsh weather-dragon for, on reaching the craggy shelter of one of the cairns of Carn Meini, rain turned to stinging sleet and further advance was in-advisable feeling betrayed we turned to face the full blast of a gale force 8 whiplash and beat a retreat. It was the worst mountain weather ever remembered by the Professor himself and that night two yachts were wrecked in the estuary right below Dale Fort.
A monstrous yellow beetle also met a watery grave that night when it inadvertently strayed into the shower. In spite of mass research into the Dale Fort library of Coleoptera it could not be identified and became known as the Coleopte Gigantica Trewickii:
Tenby Museum on Saturday was much more calm and welcoming. It is an excellent museum, built high on the site of a medieval castle. It is run by a voluntary committee and the hon. curator, Mr Harrison, in a brief talk, introduced us to the history of the area.
After a picnic lunch, high above Tenby sands, we travelled to Carew Castle, tidal mill and cross. We approached the early 13c castle from the mill-stream side, admiring the unusual combination of a massive defensive fortress with the delicate oriel windows of a Tudor residence. We were told that the building is being taken over by the National Trust this month. The French tidal-mill nearby won an award for restoration in
the 1970s but already seems broken and neglected. In theory sea-water enters the mill-stream at high tide and is dammed and controlled by lock gets. Near the entrance to the castle is one of the finest wheel-headed Celtic crosses in Britain, commemorating King Margiteut.
On Sunday morning the more self-destructive of us dragged ourselves up for an early morning coastal walk in the rain, before setting off for home. En route we enjoyed a Private opening of the gates in front of Llawaden Castle and later cast quizzical eyes over the restoration of Mordinium Roman amphitheatre.
Our Welsh trip was a most stimulating success, mainly due to Peter Griffiths’ excellent organisation and good-humoured shepherding. Our thanks to Professor Grimes for his spirited leadership on Thursday and Friday, to Jenny Griffiths, our chief navigator, and to Pete himself
and Hans Porges, the co-drivers who transported us so safely and smoothly, finally back to Barnet and 1983.
FROM BOOK BOX TO LIBRARY
For many years what is now the HADAS ‘library’ was carried by our previous Hon. Librarian, George Ingram, from his home to the Burroughs for display at monthly meetings. It started life as 34 books in a blue cardboard suitcase, lived in George’s spare room, and was faithfully tended by him.
Over the years the collection grew, mostly through the addition of books kindly contributed by HADAS members, and co-incidentally, as George and his spare room both felt that enough was enough, the Society was offered a small room at Avenue House which it was decided to use as a library-cum-workroom. Shelves were installed, the books transferred, and George gracefully retired after many years of sterling work.
Now we have over 500 items in our stock, many of which can be of help to members attending evening classes (including Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society and LAMAS Transactions) and many of which are just Plain interesting. JUNE PORGES is now Hon. Librarian and is in the pro¬cess of cataloguing the collection. She hopes that fairly soon there may be a list of books available for members.
At every lecture a selection from the HADAS Library is on display at the front of the hall and members may borrow from these or may visit Avenue House from 8-9pm on the Friday before each lecture. This is an opportunity to browse and have a little get-together with other members. A HADAS dream has long been to have premises large enough to have a bigger ‘dropping-in’ place where we could work, browse and chat – so if anyone knows of any suitable accommodation, please speak to a member of the Committee. Meantime, do come to Avenue House. We now have a whole wall of bookshelves, but to some long-standing members the Library will always be the ‘Book Box;’ and the old blue suitcase still stands in the corner as a nostalgic reminder.
Ring June Porges on 346 5078 for information and to check that Avenue-House is open. June will be happy to meet members there on other evenings if Friday is not convenient.
CHRONICLER OF BUILDINGS,
Many members will have heard with sorrow of the death in August of Sir Nikolaus Pevsner. There must be few of us who have not wandered, clasping’ a ‘Pevsner’ in our hand, through cities, country towns and even villages, seeing the buildings and their grouping so much more clearlyby virtue of his imaginative and informed eye and his clear and picturesque pen. Pevsner’s ‘Buildings of England,’ even though the later volumes became pricey, have a hallowed place on most historians’ and archaeo-logists’ bookshelves. I have a ‘Middlesex,’ bought secondhand at 6s (old Money; and one of the best six bobsworths I ever spent) and a Herts, also 6s. Both had started life at 3s.6d (today’s Herts, revised 1977, will set you back £4.75, if you can find it). Pevsner was one of the great – perhaps the greatest – of archi¬tectural historians writing in English. I stress the last three words because that is what made him so extraordinary. He had been born in Leipzig, educated at German schools and universities and worked in German galleries till he was 30. During the second war he was even interned here for a short time as an enemy alien. Yet his fame rests – and most solidly’- on his English writings – the 46 volumes of the Buildings of England, the Pelican History of Art and the Outline of European Architecture He had many links in our area. He lived just on the Camden side of the Camden/Barnet border, in a terraced Victorian house behind the Old Bull and Bush at Hampstead North End, within a stone’s throw of Wyldes Farmhouse (one of Barnet’s most historic buildings) and an estate which he greatly admired – the Hampstead Garden Suburb. When he came to England, a refugee from the Nazis, in 1934, the ‘vintage’ Suburb was complete. In 1957, the year of the Suburb’s Golden Jubilee, he wrote an article entitled ‘Master Plan’ for the Jubilee souvenir booklet.’ His final sentence was a prophesy: “Unless I am severely mistaken, our quinquagenarian will emerge … as the most nearly perfect example of that English invention and speciality, the garden suburb.” Sir Nikolaus is buried beside his wife, who died 20 years ago, in the Wiltshire churchyard of St Peter at Clyffe Pypard, where they had a country cottage. He described this country churchyard himself, years before, in ‘The Buildings of England,’ as “in a lovely position, below a wooded stretch of the cliff.” BGG
ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
Members’ examination results during last summer continue to trickle through. Latest we’ve heard is that PETER LOOS, who joined HADAS in 1980, has passed his, final exams in the internal degree course at the Institute of Archaeology – moreover, he topped the list.
Another success story comes from DANIEL LAMPERT, a HADAS member for nearly 10 years, who has got through his 3rd year Diploma exams.
From JOANNA CORDEN, Borough Archivist and HADAS member, comes the news that her job in the Local History Collection in Egerton Gardens will be split in the near future, so that she will share it with archivist
Dr Pamela Taylor, each of them doing 18 hours a week.
HADAS researchers need not fear that this will cut the time the Local History Collection is available: it will in fact increase it, allowing for full-time opening every Saturday. We shall in fact have two
half-time archivists instead of one full-time – and both of them, mothers of young families, will have more time to spend with their children. It seems a sound idea from every point of view.
Dr. Taylor, like Joanna, lives in the Borough – at Long Lane, in East Finchley. The precise starting date of the new system hadn’t been decided when the Newsletter went to press.
The Newsletter is somewhat late congratulating ALBERT DEAN and his Wife on the birth of their first baby. When we talked recently to Albert about the happy event he said their new daughter is already 5 months old and has just cut her first tooth. He name is Tania Kristi (which comes from the same Scandinavian root as Scots Kirsty). She took a poor view of the heat and humidity of this summer, poor mite, and Albert confesses ruefully “we’ve had hardly an uninterrupted night since she was born.” The Newsletter can’t help remembering that when Albert first joined HADAS over 10 years ego he put down as one of his specialist skills ‘solving problems.’ We hope his daughter hasn’t presented him with an insoluble one – and wish her and her Mum and Dad lots of peaceful nights to come!
Finally, news of a HADAS invalid, for which we thank Ted Sammes: he tells us that FREDA WILKINSON, who has been recuperating at Hove, is pleased with the early results of her eye operation, and can see flowers in colour again and read – though slowly still – with a magnifying glass. We are delighted to hear such a good report and send her our very best wishes for continued progress.
A DIRE WARNING from the Membership Secretary
Alas and alack – some members are not going to get their November Newsletter – the members who have not yet paid their 1983-4 subscription, which has been due since April 1 this year.
During October the Hon Treasurer and I will be going through the membership list and removing the names of all who have not yet renewed. If therefore you want to come to this season’s lectures and to go on receiving the Newsletter, please pop your sub in the post right away.
MUDLARKING AT WEST HEATH by MARGARET MAHER
On Monday July 25 an intrepid band of four wellie-booted stalwarts, trowels in hand, gathered at the Leg of Mutton Pond, West Heath, to wit¬ness the dredging of 30 years accumulated silt and rubbish. Work was scheduled to last one week but in fact took three, and apologies are here tendered to those members who would like to have taken part. Due to very short notice, it was impossible to inform people via the Newsletter. As a consolation, they also missed the odiferous aroma and black oozing -gunge!
We were there for two reasons – the first to try to assess how much the shape and form of the pond were natural and how much artificial. It was reputed to have been constructed about 1820 by damming the gorge of a small stream at its western end. In fact two small streams converge at the eastern end and the naturally sloping bank contours appear to be unmodified at that end. At the western end, near Sandy Road, the banks show truncated profiles suggesting that the gorge was artificially widened to give the shape of the pond as it is today.
As the pond is so close to the Mesolithic site excavated by the Society from 1976-81, the second objective was to search the debris re¬moved during the dredging operations for worked flints. None were identi¬fied because of the difficulty of handling oozing black mud, and it is hoped that as the material dries and weathers, a search will be more feasible. Most of the debris – which contains many modern artifacts – has been deposited east and west of Sandy Road, and adjacent to the pond on the north and south sides.
We are grateful to Mr Challon for his kindness in informing us when work was due to start and for allowing access to the pond, and to the machine drivers who were most helpful. Any members who would like to take part in a search of the debris are asked to telephone me on 907 0333.
MORE ABOUT WEST HEATH
As we’re on the subject of West Heath, here is something else. It
is interesting how often, even before the publication of its final report, West Heath is being referred to in archaeological literature as a key Mesolithic site.
There is an intriguing article, headed ‘Homo Sapiens or Castor Fiber?’ in the current Antiquity, that erudite but never dull quarterly much read by HADAS members. The paper is by John Coles (who, handling a different subject, will be HADAS’s first lecturer of the season) and
Bryony Orme, joint directors of the Somerset Levels project. It gathers
together evidence for the effects on the prehistoric environment of the -beaver, which was present in Britain (on evidence from bones) during the interglacials and. throughout the prehistoric postglacial period, till as late as the Iron Age. Beaver colonies led, because of their damming operations, to the fall of timber and the spread of marsh conditions with subsequent further deforestation.
The authors focus particularly on Mesolithic sites and in this context say, of the evidence gathered at the West Heath spring site by
Maureen Girling and James Greig, and reported in Nature (268, 45-7): ‘The analysis of both pollen and coleoptera from a site at Hampstead Heath, London, was based on samples taken fromdeposits near a spring with mesolithic artifacts in the Vicinity. Together with the pollen evidence for the elm decline, there is an increase in deadwood feeders, followed soon afterwards by the appearance of aquatic beetles and seeds of aquatic plants, and dung beetles. The topography and the increases in these particular groups of beetles allow for interpretation in terms of a beaver pool, flooded trees and a local increase in food for herbivores, a combination that then attracted human use of the area.’
That’s an interesting possible pointer to the reasons which brought Mesolithic man to the West Heath site.
‘THOSE WERE THE DAYS’ AGAIN
Some of HADAS’s past work crops up in another publication, at the opposite end of the time-scale.
The current issue of The Local Historian carries a review of various – local history publications by Robin Chaplin. ‘Those Were the Days’ is mentioned on p.422. Mr Chaplin writes:.
‘The material is handled with great clarity – each person
gives an exact date of birth (in one case the exact time) . with the exception of the milkman. And the title tells you, on the cover, what this booklet is about, another point where amateurs frequently fall down. The book is sub-divided into Tales instead of chapters. This is a nice idea
If any of our newer members have not yet got round to buying this particular publication, you can get a copy, price 95p (add 25p for post and packing) from our Publications Manager, Pete Griffiths 8 Jubilee Avenue, London Colney, Herts. It is our Occasional Paper 5, by Percy Reboul.
COMMITTEE CORNER
The Committee met in mid-September after the summer break, and these were some of the topics discussed.
The Excavation working party (consisting of the Hon Secretary and Treasurer, Elizabeth Sanderson, Paddy Musgrove and Brigid Grafton Green) reported on recent meetings, including one with two officers of the new Greater London Archaeological Service. The Committee agreed that the Working party might invite one of these officers to sit in on its future meetings from time to time while matters likely to be of interest to the now service (such as site watching) were being discussed. It was also agreed that the working party should be enlarged to include representatives from groups such as the Prehistoric and Roman.
Recent – and somewhat confusing – statements by the Government on future Green Belt were mentioned, and the Committee agreed that
HADAS should show its interest in this Matter in the Borough of Barnet.
The Borough Planning Officer has recently sent to the Society, for comment, a copy of the Council’s draft Topic Study on Housing, which mentions
LBB’s attitude to the Green Belt. It was thought that this gave us an opportunity to put forward our views. The Topic Study will therefore be made available to as many Committee members as possible in the time allowed (it is a document of 90 pages) so that a summary of our views can be sent to the Borough Planning Officer.
The Society hopes to re-activate the suggestion – which we first put forward three years ago – that the remains of the fine moat at Old Fold, Hadley, should be scheduled as an antiquity. We first wrote to the DoE about this in February, 1980, when they replied that the moat was ‘certainly a possibility for scheduling.’ Subsequently we provided
DoEi on their request, with a scale survey of the moat made by. HADAS member BARRIE MARTIN. Despite subsequent enquiries, nothing further has been heard of this project.
Arrangements have been made, by kind permission of the Libraries Department and the Curator, for some of the Brockley Hill finds to go on display in one of the downstairs rooms at Church Farm House Museum.. TESSA SMITH, HELEN GORDON and ANN TREWICK will be organising the first display during October.
HADAS PROGRAMME
Tues Oct 4. Opening lecture of the winter season will be by an eminent
prehistorian and a lecturer well-known to HADAS: Dr John Coles, MA, PhD, FBA, FSA, Past President of the Prehistoric: Society and initiator of the Somerset Levels project, of which he is still a co-Director. Despite all these honours, he ‘is most approachable and an entertaining and interesting lecturer. He last spoke to us exactly 4 years ago in
October 1979, on the Somerset Levels. This time his chosen subject is Bronze Age Rock Carving in South Scandinavia.
Tues Nov I. Britons and Romans in Hertfordshire Tony Rook :
This lecture will be preceded, at 8 pm, by a Special General Meeting – see letter enclosed with this Newsletter.
Tubes Dec 6. Christmas Party will be a dinner at Whitbread Brewery,
Chiswell St, Ecl. The Brewery, over 200 years old, houses such unexpected gems as the Lord Mayor’s coach and the Over¬lord embroidery.
An application form for this event is enclosed – if you would like to join us, please fill it in as soon as possible and post it, with remittance, to Dorothy Newbury.
NEWSLETTER INDEX
Thanks to HADAS member JEAN NEAL, we can now offer members the index for the 1980 HADAS Newsletter, covering No 107-118.
Previously – for issues from No 1-106 – FREDA WILKINSON provided indexes. Both she and Jean are professional indexers, so we have been extraordinarily lucky, because our indexes are really admirable tools for anyone who wants to find a fact quickly. If you keep a file of your News¬letters, you are strongly advised to acquire a copy of the latest index. The Libraries to which the Newsletter goes – such as GLC Record Office, Barnet Libraries, Camden Local History Collection – always do so.
The 1980 index costs 50p – for 7 pages of photo-copying, plus post. Obtainable from Brigid Grafton Green. Incidentally, Jean Neal is now working on a combined 2-year index for 1981-2.
NEWS FROM THE GROUPS
PREHISTORIC. A meeting will be held at 2+ James Close, Woodlands, NW11, on Tues Oct 18 at 8 pm. Plans for the forthcoming season, and the possible re-opening of the West Heath site next year, will be discussed. Please ring Daphne Lorimer (458 5674) if you can come.
ROMAN. A working pottery weekend has been arranged at the Teahouse,’ Northway, NW11, on Nov 12/13. There will be plenty to do – indexing, sorting, mending, drawing and mapping – so why not come along and help? Sessions will be from 10am-5pm each day. Bring a packed lunch if you wish – coffee and tea-making facilities are available.
Next meeting of the Group will be on Wed Oct 19 at Sheila Woodward’s, 8 Hereford House, Stratton Close, Edgware, at 8 pm.
PREHISTORIANS IN THE NETHERLANDS by TED SAMMES
A party of 44 prehistorians spent a pleasant and highly informative week in the Netherlands this summer. Among them were several HADAS members. We kept the same coach and courier from our start at St Pancras right through the trip and back again. The itinerary had been carefully planned by Professor P J R Modderman of the Netherlands and Andy Lawson, meetings secretary of the Prehistoric Society. The initial programme made a full week, and the Professor managed to pack in a few extras too.
We got thoroughly damp looking at the gravel sections at Belvedere one morning; and the same afternoon we were drenched coming away from the Neolithic flint mines at Rickholt. To view these a tunnel has been
driven into the side of the hill,it gives a view of the original miners’
tunnels, which are now alas behind grills on either side. Having got so very wet outside, it’s no wonder that the cafe at the bottom of the hill did a roaring trade in warm alcoholic beverages for the inner man.
Next we moved north to study the Groningen neighbourhood. Here,- beside the older Dutch houses, we visited buried village sites and long barrows. One of the latter was in course of excavation and others were standing above ground. This brought home to us the magnitude of the Changes which have taken place in sea/land levels – at least since the Neolithic period.
In Assem we had A pleasant look around the museum which, in stark contrast to prehistory, also had a display on the history of plastics.-
The ship museum at Kethelhaven was memorable if only for the diversity of post-medieval boats and pottery – and there were some of those small yellow bricks we found at Church Terrace: There was also a brick hearth from a boat, similar to that found in the Mary Rose.
This area, close to the sea, emphasised for US the fact that we were well below sea level.
On day 7 we visited Leiden and were received in its fine archaeological museum. This is normally closed on Mondays, but was opened up specially for us. The arrangement was modern and we were especially impressed by one long room with archaeological displays of selected periods. Last stop was Dordrecht, a meeting place of many waters. It has a long history, of special importance for the period of the estab¬lishment of the Netherlands. We viewed the excavation of an early church with burials in wood coffins, all preserved by black, damp mud. Above this were later churches, and again we saw in use yellow bricks of the 17-18c at the higher levels.
SITES FOR WATCHING
The following are some recent applications – or amended applications for planning permission which might be of possible archaeological interest if approved:
69a High St, Barnet single storey storage .building
Elizabeth Sanderson (950 3106) will be glad to hear from any HADAS member who notices signs of activity on any of these sites.
AROUND AND ABOUT
London. Some of the autumn Workshops at the Museum of London sound interesting. They start at 1.10 on Thursdays and include:
Oct 6 Archaeological drawing: recording & publishing structures Oct 20 Death & mourning in Georgian London
Nov 3 Textiles: damage, decay and conservation
Dec 3 Roman Samian pottery: a practical session
This year the Museum will be a venue for evening classes. A series of 24 on Thursdays, 6.30-8.30, on Everyday Life in Roman London sounds interesting. First lecture was Sept 29, but we didn’t receive information about it in time for last month’s Newsletter. If you fancy this course,
