Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society
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If you would like to act as a reporter of a future talk, please contact a committee member as soon as possible, as we like to have a nominee some months ahead. This page reports all talks in the CAHS programme given in the 2008-9 season. Report of the meeting held on 24th September 2008Horcott Quarry Excavations - Ken WelshThe first meeting of the Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society’s new lecture programme got underway on Tuesday 24th September at the Ashcroft Centre with an illustrated talk by Ken Welsh of Oxford Archaeology on the recent excavations at Horcott gravel quarry near Fairford. As director of the investigation, Mr. Welsh was able to give an expert and professional view of this fascinating site which bore signs of human activity from Neolithic to Saxon times. In his talk he concentrated particularly on the Iron Age and Roman periods. The first really major human development and exploitation of the area occurring in the former between 800 - 400 BC. An amazing number of post holes were uncovered which seem to relate to at least 23 round houses and some 150 grain store pits. There was evidence to indicate that all existed at the same period, representing a settlement of considerable significance and one that must have controlled a large area to have filled the grain stores. Exploitation of the gravel terrace continued into the Roman period where trackways and building in the SW corner of the site were uncovered. In the SE corner came a surprising find – an extensive Roman cemetery. The building appeared to date originally from the early 2nd century AD and was probably the home of a wealthy Romano British farmer, with some pretensions to grandeur. It was later remodelled as a stronger and possibly two story structure using foundations of limestone rather than the rag stones of the earlier building. It appears to have become disused by the end of the 2nd century AD. The cemetery appeared to date from the late 3rd and early 4th centuries AD and some 76 burials were revealed. The cemetery, situated in a wooded grove, was divided into two distinct southern and northern sections. The latter being noteworthy for the number of child burials, many indicating considerable care and attention being given to the internments. Overall a considerable number of burial practices were revealed including a number showing post death decapitations; an apparently not uncommon ritual practice of the period. Mr. Welsh concluded by discussing the Saxon finds on the site which might date from as early as the late 5th century AD. There was evidence of rectangular halls and pits and some burials. The site clearly still proving as attractive to human settlers as it had many hundreds of years before.Reporter:Gary Cowley Back to Programme 2008-9 Report on the meeting held on 15th October 200850 Years of Cotswold ArchaeologyCelebrations
of the 50th anniversary of the formation of Cirencester Excavation
Committee included various activities during 2008, and were well received and
enjoyed. The
Excavation Committee had formally established a role for archaeology in the
town, in the face of destruction by post-war development. In the half century
since then a large number of projects have been undertaken, usually where the
town’s growth has impacted upon the areas of scheduled ancient monument. Today
there is a greater emphasis upon preservation in situ as a way of ensuring that
the town’s nationally important archaeological heritage is safeguarded for the
future, whilst allowing the organic growth of Cirencester to continue. There is
always a balance to be struck in achieving this. Neil
Holbrook gave a well attended public lecture in October reviewing what has been
achieved, provoking a lively discussion and no small amount of trips down memory
lane for the diggers and other participants who had been invited back to
Cirencester for the occasion. This
was a joint event with the centenary celebrations of the Bingham Hall, where the
lecture was held, and also with Cirencester Archaeological & Historical
Society, whose members have long supported the excavations as guides and
stewards. Cotswold
Archaeology has published the latest in its series of detailed reports on
excavations in the town to conclude the celebratory year. This covers the period
1998 to 2007 and includes introductory essays bringing all the evidence together
since 1958. Tim
Darvill and Neil Holbrook give an overview on how we can now understand so much
more about the town’s early history. David Viner contributes an essay on
studying the town's buildings and wonders whether more might have been achieved.
The volume also looks forward to future priorities. The
year culminated in a presentation by Cotswold Archaeology at the Society of
Antiquaries in London’s Piccadilly, an impressive venue where the very first
meeting establishing Cirencester Excavation Committee was held fifty years
earlier. This was another trip down memory lane but coupled with the serious
purpose of reporting to the nation’s premier archaeological body on long-term
achievements made in interpreting Cirencester’s archaeology. Details
on acquiring copies of Cirencester Excavations volume six are available from
01285 771022. Reporter: David Viner Report on the meeting held on 22nd October 2008Bingham and Beyond- a Cirencester Celebration - David VinerThe Society’s October meeting in the Bingham hall on Wednesday 22nd also formed part of the Hall’s centenary celebrations and consisted of a public illustrated lecture by the Society’s Chairman and well known local historian, David Viner, on ‘Bingham and Beyond – a Cirencester celebration’ David first reviewed Bingham’s life, from his birth in a humble house in Black Jack Street in 1830 to his death in Utrecht in 1913. He spent something like the first twenty-five years of his life in Cirencester, a place he later referred to affectionately as “my dear old native town”. A town, as David stressed, with its many old jettied and gabled houses very different to the one that emerged in later Victorian and Edwardian times. Bingham found employment with the newly arrived GWR in Cirencester, working in the still existing, if now rather forlorn, Brunel designed railway building in Sheep Street. In 1855 he moved to Holland to work for the Dutch-Rhenish Railway Company. He was clearly a man of considerable business acumen for later as Company manager he made the railway a thriving and profitable concern. In 1890, when the Dutch government nationalised the line, Bingham retired with a handsome ‘golden handshake’. His main residence was in Holland, but he and his wife, Jane, also bought a house on Box, Wiltshire. He was now in a position to fund philanthropic enterprises in his old home town where relations and friends still lived. David concentrated first on Bingham’s interests in building a fully endowed and equipped library for the town. The foundation stone for Bingham House was laid in 1904, and the building officially opened, with the usual splendid Market Place junketing on 21st October 1905. Edwardian builders clearly wasted no time! Bingham would surely, David suggested, be delighted to see the library, in new premises and so recently refurbished, still playing a vital part in the life of the town. Bingham then turned his attention to the provision of a building to house a range of leisure activities. Former nursery land in Watermoor was acquired and, as with the library, the Hall, fully endowed, equipped and administered by a board of trustees, was erected. Aware of growing international friction Bingham insisted that a Rifle Range for young men be incorporated into the building which, overall, was to provide space for a vast range of activities, including gymnastics, drilling, drama, music and shows and fairs. The foundation stone was laid on 17th March 1908 and amazingly the Hall was officially opened later that same year on 14th October. After briefly surveying the various activities and groups that used and continue to use the Hall and Rifle Range, now renamed the Bingham Suite, David concluded by mentioning Bingham’s interest in helping to fund other projects, notably the clearance of old decaying buildings from the West Market Place, the restoration of the Church Porch and extensions to the Cottage or Memorial Hospital, undertaken 1911 to 1913. Cirencester, as David stressed, has good reason to be thankful to Bingham for his most ‘noble gifts’ and as Earl Bathurst said in 1904 – “Your name, Sir, will be remembered by many generations with grateful hearts.” In all a stimulating lecture enhanced by well chosen illustrations often juxtaposing old and very recent photos. Reporter: Gary Cowley Report of the meeting held on 26th November 2008Cotswold Barns - Tim JordanThe society met on 26th November to hear Tim Jordan give his illustrated study of Cotswold barns. While barns have been a feature of the landscape since the Middle Ages, most existing stone barns were built between 1600 and 1900. As form follows function, it is difficult to date barns, though fortunately some have date stones. Most are built on an east-west axis. Discussion on this point by the audience revealed that this would have the advantage of solar gain, and encourage ventilation through the length of the structure by prevailing winds. Use has changed over the centuries from storage of grain or wool to workplace, animal shelter, and machinery shelter to current reuse. Besides dwellings, some are now used as community halls, workshops or salerooms, livery stables and even a “Little Chef”. Barns are built of the local limestone so they vary in colour, as the local housing does, from greys in the south cotswolds to orange in the north. Limestone is workable when first quarried and hardens with age. Traditional rooftiles are also of limestone, in this case some stones are more easily split by frost action. Tiles vary from the large eaves to the smallest at the pitch. Examples of tilers measuring sticks were shown, together with the many names given to different sizes, the names differing over fairly short distances, showing that tilers did not need to travel far for work. Tim described the three main types of barn construction and gave a derivation of the term “threshold”. Barns are of all sizes, but large does not necessarily mean it was a tithe barn; there were also manorial and rectorial barns. Much more fascinating detail was given in a thoroughly enjoyable talk.A photomontage illustrating some features described is on Eynsham Parish website Reporter: Peter Watkins Report of the meeting of 28 January 2009How Old is Your House? - Averil Kear
How old is your house is a question very likely to get an interesting response in Cirencester, and the Society was delighted to have Averil Kear of Gloucestershire Archives give a lecture on how we might find out more about the history of our homes. Mrs Kear suggested first looking carefully at doors, windows and roofs for original features that could be dated by their style. She also reminded us not to overlook the obvious: house names and signs that may indicate former uses such as pubs, shops, mills, schools and places of worship. Averil then ran through some of the many resources
available at the Gloucestershire Archives, although many of the map resources
are available from the Local Studies department of Cirencester Library. Her tip
for using historic maps was to keep a detailed modern map to hand for reference,
to help to locate your property on the older maps. Ordnance Survey maps go back to the late 1800’s, and she
particularly recommended the 50” to the mile series of the 1880’s which
covers Cirencester. These lovely maps not only show details of houses,
extensions and glass houses, but also garden features, such as paths, ponds and
trees. Other particularly valuable resources are sales particulars
for properties, held at Gloucestershire Archives. These may include plans,
photographs, and even inventories giving the contents of individual rooms, right
down to the colour of the curtains! Older houses, likely to have been built before 1840, may be
depicted on the Tithe Map, which will also tell you who owned and occupied each
house, and what any associated land was used for. Other ideas for information included tax returns, trade directories, electoral registers, census returns, newspapers and planning records. For those interested in these resources, a trip to the Archives is thoroughly recommended! Reporter: Gail Stoten Report of the meeting of 25 February 2009
The Croome Lecture: Berkeley Minster and the Anglo Saxon Church in MerciaDr Mark Horton, an eminent archaeologist, whom people will perhaps know best from his television appearances on programmes such as Coast and Time Team delivered the annual Croome Lecture to members and guests of the Cirencester Civic Society and the Archaeological and Historical Society on Wednesday, 25th February. Mark Horton, a most enthusiastic and erudite lecturer, reminded us that Berkeley Castle is the longest continuously-occupied building by the same family in the country. The current archaeological dig – which was started four years ago and will continue for many years to come – has unearthed, among other finds, a Saxon quern stone together with a couple of contemporary coins. Outlines of buildings terraced into the hillside are thought to be ruins of the Anglo Saxon monastic enclosure. Female skeletons lying just outside an existing wall are believed to be those of nuns. However there has been a suggestion made that the minster was in fact situated further away from the castle and actually was at Oldminster near the Sharpness Docks, as the name would imply. It is hoped that further painstaking digging at Berkeley over the coming years will provide more answers but will probably also throw up more questions. Reporter: Lynn Longridge (Cirencester Civic Society) Report of the meeting of 11 March 2009Isotopes in Archaeology - Alistair Pike
At
the annual joint lecture of the Cirencester Science & Technology and
Archaeological & Historical Societies held at the Ashcroft Centre on
Wednesday 11 March the speaker was Dr Alistair Pike of the University of
Bristol. His subject, “Isotopes in Archaeology: From Dating Rock Art to
Prehistoric Diet” was ideal in that it showed how the application of science
could help archaeologists with dating and understanding how ancient people
lived. After
a brief overview of isotopes, Dr Pike described an application of
uranium-238/thorium-230 to the dating of prehistoric rock art. The unstable uranium isotope decays to thorium-230 and unlike uranium
compounds that are soluble in water thorium salts are less so. This means that they are selectively precipitated from solutions such as
those that lead to stalactites. Rock paintings are often at least partially
covered with similar layers. By
carefully scraping off small amounts from the surface and measuring the ratio of
uranium to thorium it is possible to estimate a date before which the painting
must have been made. The paintings in the Cresswell caves in Derbyshire have
been shown to be at least 10,000 years old. Dr Pike is currently working on cave paintings in Spain. Carbon,
nitrogen and oxygen each have a stable isotope that is always present in fixed
amounts. However in many natural
processes one isotope reacts preferentially to the other. Thus photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation can lead to differing isotope
ratios in plants and these differences can pass up the food chain. This makes it possible to determine diet from samples of hair and bone
collagen. This confirmed that
Neanderthals were essentially meat-eaters, the Mesolithic inhabitants of Orsay
ate mainly fish and Neolithic peoples were omnivores. Strontium also has a stable isotope and this has been used to look at diet by measuring the isotope ratio in teeth. This approach showed that the Amesbury Archer must have originally come from Scandinavia. A grave site in Germany, with remains dated from about 2500BC were shown by DNA analysis to be of several families. Isotope analysis of the teeth showed that all the children and adult males had essentially the same diet. However the diet for all the adult females was different indicating that the males sought mates from another settlement about 200 kilometres away. Geoff Richards (CSTS) Report of the meeting held on 18th March 2009A Rich Resource: studying Cirencester's Historic Buildings - David VinerThe society made its annual visit to the public lecture given by Cotswold Archaeology on Wednesday 18th March. This year the lecture was by our own chairman, David Viner, who gave an impassioned talk concerning Cirencester’s historic buildings. Based on his essay in “Cirencester Excavations Volume 6” published by our hosts, David had much to say about lost opportunities in recording our local buildings. While Cotswold Archaeology fulfils its brief well to study what is found underground whenever development occurs, there is very little recording of existing historic buildings. He cited Reese and Catling’s 1970s publication, sequencing the buildings of the town, and there are several books, including those by the speaker, describing some of the town, but almost nothing in the public domain with detailed measurements inside and out. An honourable exception was 32-38 Cricklade Street, severely damaged by fire in 2004. This has been rebuilt with at least a replacement façade, due to a detailed architectural survey made in 1989. David mentioned examples of what can be done; a recent book on Burford, sponsored by Victoria County History, and a detailed study of a 16th century farmhouse at Bledington. Cirencester has a fine stock of listed buildings, of which in general only photographs of exteriors and brief details are recorded. There is a new Community Plan in formation, and he hopes this may be a way of stirring action into recording, perhaps as a way of assisting change. He reminded us that the Market Square was not so long ago full of buildings, and there were many alleyways leading off the surrounding streets. Castle Street was widened by tearing down the mediaeval buildings on one side. No record of what has gone exists. He warned of reliance on artists views, showing two paintings in the Town collection of Blackjack Street, one showing a fancy building that never existed, and another the houses on the other side moved by the artist to show the church more clearly. Bringing us up to date, photographs of Woolworths show it as a stock company design, yet Whittard’s a short distance away is still clearly an old timber framed building. He advocates tree-ring dating as a valuable aid to showing us the age of buildings, as was done very successfully during the recent protective work on St Johns Hospice, which showed mostly 15th century timber with some re-use of 12th century beams. A quick look at the industrial estate shows changes that are likely to go unrecorded, even though they may not look beautiful. Reporter: Peter Watkins Report of the meeting of 22 April 2009John Jefferies and Son – The History of the Royal Nurseries - Martin PortusMartin, a landscape garden designer, had worked for the firm in the early ‘80s and had since explored the 14 boxes of the firm’s archives, now deposited in the Gloucestershire Archive. Only two of the boxes have so far been catalogued and Martin was well aware he was only scratching the surface of a topic awaiting full and detailed research. A nursery had been established in Cirencester in 1795 by a Richard Gregory. John Jefferies (1818 – 1907) worked for him, becoming his chief assistant and taking over the business on Gregory’s death. With his sons the business expanded and, on supplying plants to Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales, became known for a while as ‘Jefferies, the Royal Nurseries.’ Their main nurseries were located, as in Gregory’s time, in Watermoor, but other plots were in Tower Street and London Road in Cirencester, as well as in Siddington and Somerford Keynes. Business particularly flourished in the interwar period. Martin was able to show examples of some of the exquisitely detailed coloured garden design drawings and also, through photographs, how many of these original features still survive in one local garden. The firm also cultivated its own plants; the Jefferies ‘Lady Meriel Bathurst’ rose, the ‘Corinium’ Brussels Sprouts and the ‘May Queen’ lettuce being some examples. Many Cirencester residents will remember the main Jefferies shop on the corner of Castle Street, facing the Market Place, and also John Jefferies (1907 – 2007), the head of the firm and great grandson of the original John Jefferies. He played a full role in the life of the town becoming a town councillor and Mayor. In the Second World War he was Captain of the Home Guard and throughout his long life showed great interest in the cultural life of the town. By the mid 1980s the firm, which then employed some 40/45 staff was facing increasing difficulties and although a large out of town garden centre was opened at King’s Meadow, now the out of town Tesco site, the business was forced to close and the nurseries were sold off. In all a fascinating insight into an important aspect of local history brought to life by Martin’s own personal memories and well chosen illustrations. Members of the Jefferies family were present for the talk Reporter: Gary Cowley Report of the meeting of 27 May 2009Rodmarton Manor - Simon BiddulphThe CAHS AGM for the 2008/09 season was followed by an illustrated talk on Rodmarton Manor 1909 – 2009, given by Mr Simon Biddulph, the owner of the manor. It was particularly applicable that the society should hear about Rodmarton in 2009, as the first stone of the building was laid in April 1909, so this is the 100th anniversary of this jewel of the Arts and Crafts movement within our local area. Rodmarton Manor was one of the last country homes to be built by local people with local builders entirely by hand. Simon Biddulph was able, with the aid of numerous pictures, to give a fascinating look into not only the development of the building, but also characters within his own family history. It was his ancestor, Claud Biddulph, who inherited the Rodmarton estate in 1902. At the time he lived in a small cottage, but after his marriage to Margaret Howard, he decided to have a grander house build. His obvious choice to build the house was Earnest Barnsley, an already well recognized craftsman. Several plans were drawn and adapted before the building work finally began. What was particularly fascinating for the audience was the number of photographs of the stages of the build that Mr Biddulph had to show. The house was finished in the 1920s, and the garden in the 1930s, but by 1914, C. R. Ashbee wrote “The English Arts and Crafts Movement at its best here.” Claud appears to have been a stickler for rules, and a rather quiet person, and it was his wife, Margaret who was keen on Tennis Parties and Village affairs. However, both were keen on a healthy lifestyle. There were 622 windows in the house, and they were often all open! They liked fresh air, and believed in the disinfecting quality of the sun. The army of servants, gardeners and chauffeurs had to abide by strict rules, all of which were written out, and they learned that it was more acceptable if anything went wrong to say ‘I beg pardon’ rather than ‘I’m sorry’! However, what makes Rodmarton Manor so fascinating is its connection to the ‘Arts and Crafts’ movement in the Cotswold area. The movement believed in creating well-made but simply decorated, functional furniture, the decorations often inspired by nature or simple geometry. Examples of the work of a huge number of the sort after artists of the ‘20s and ’30 can be found in the house. Names such as Hilda Benjamin, Gimson, Edward Payne, Frank Baldwin, Sidney Barnsley are all represented. The drawing room was set up for people to come and learn a variety of crafts, village women were taught the art of appliqué needlework and there are wonderful examples of their work still on view. The Ballroom of the house was used for village ‘dos’, concerts, amateur dramatics and particularly William Simmonds famous ‘Punch and Judy’ Claude died in 1954, but craftsmen continued to produce beautiful handmade furniture and ornaments until the 1970s. Rodmarton Manor is set within beautiful gardens which create a series of outdoor rooms. The house and gardens are open to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2.00pm -5.00pm until the end of September. Reporter: Aileen Anderson
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