Newsletter 002 January 1970
Newsletter
Our second Newsletter reaches you slightly later than weintended. Various complications, not least of them the ‘flu epidemic,have delayed it. First, here is news of
Forthcoming Meetings
8.15pm Central Library, The Burroughs, N.W.4
Feb 3rd Archaeology and the Camera – a Survey Our vice-Chairman, Edward Sammes,will show slides of field monuments visited and digs undertaken invarious parts of the country. He calls it “a quick run-through fromprehistory to the 19th Century.”
March 3rd. Coins in Archaeology. The first time thesociety has had a talk on this topic, which so often provides importantdating evidence. The lecturer will be coin expert G. Smookler.
April 14th. A talk by Mrs. Hiscock, Archivist to the London Borough of Barnet, on the Borough’s local history collections.This will provide an opportunity for members to meet our new Archivist,appointed last year to the Central Library. It will also give thosemembers interested in doing research in the Borough a chance to askquestions and get first-hand information about local sources.
Please note that this lecture will be held, at the library’srequest, on the second Tuesday of the month instead of our customaryfirst Tuesday.
Outings Summer 1970
Dates:- March 21st, April 25th, May 30th, July 4th, September 19th.
Places we shall visit:- Regency Pavilion, Brighton, The Vyne,Basingstone and Calleva Museum, Sichester, nr. Reading, Ignthem Mote ? and Lullingstone Castle, Ragley Hall, Alchester, Nr. Stratford upon Avon, Burghley House, Stamford. Loncs.
Reports
Since the last Newsletter we have heard lectures on Roman potterykilns at Brauhing (by Bernard Barr) and prehistoric water engineeringat Pezohora, on the Gulf of Corinth (by R.A. Tomlinson). We also saw a90-minute colour film, “Palaces of a Queen”, which took us round theart treasures and history of Windsor, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court,Buckingham Palace, Frogmore and Holyrood House.
Mr. Barr’s adaptation of Quadrant excavation (commonly used forBronze Age round Barrows) to an almost Ploughed out Roman pottery kilnwas both interesting and instructive. The horizonal-draught kiln foundat Baughing must, I think, be the most northerly of this rare typeknown in Britain. Digging at Braughing, a very varied site, continuesin 1970 and Mr. Barr indicated thate volunteers from our Society wouldbe welcome when he tackles a possible early Roman fort this comingsummer.
Mr. Tomlinson’s discussion of the complex of water raisingmachinery and storage tanks at the otherwise waterless temple of Heraat Perachora was an eye-opener on the unsuspected engineering skill of5/3rd century B.C. Greece. His excellent slides of sunny digging daysby the blue Aegean were a splendid tonic for a colde January Evening inN.W.4.
Notes from the Archivist
Palaeolithic finds from High Lodge
The proposed exhibition at the British Museum of Palaeolithic findsfrom High Lodge, mentioned in the last Newsletter, was abandoned; weunderstand it is now unlikely to take place. Apologies to members whomade a special trip to see it.
Graeco-Roman galleries
We hope they may have looked instead at the new Graeco-Romangalleries, opened a few months ago. There are worth a special visit.Largely arranged by designer of the Fishbourne museum, they run fromthe Bronze Age of Greece to the end of the Roman imperial era. Apartfrom the intrinsic interest of the objects, display methods andlighting are outstanding. See specially the frieze from the temple ofBassae, on display now for the first time since the war.
Church Farm Museum
Nearer home, the present exhibition at Church Farm Museum –paintings and drawing of the district in the 20th century – has much tointerest any local historian and any Hendon resident with a taste fornostalgia. It continues until February 15th.
Nonsuch
Nonsuch: An exhibition on this “lost” Tudor Palace is at the LondonMuseum till Arpil 19th. This is Henry VIII’s “pleasure dome betweenEwell and Epsom” which showed an astonished 16th century England thenew Renaissance techniques of gilded slate and plaster work. Memberswill recall enjoying a lecture about Nonsuch in the eary days of thisSociety. A short article appears in the Winter, 1969, issue of London Archaeologist.
Hendon’s Roman Burial Urn
Members may remember seeing, at a meeting some years ago, the late1st/early 2nd century cremation urn found in the garden of a house inSunny Gardens, N.W.4. The owner had kindly lent it to our Society forstudy. The urn has now been published in Trans. London & Middlesex Archaeological SocietyVol. 22. Pt.2 (1969). An offprint of this article has been deposited inthe Local History Collection at Central Library, Hendon, N.W.4.
Battle of Barnet
The quincentenary of this battle,climax of the Wars of the Roses, falls on April 14th 1971. Our Societyfelt the event ought not to go unnoticed, and so convened a meeting ofother local societies to discuss possible joint celebrations. A smallcommittee has now been formed, and various preliminary arrangements arein hand, including those for borrowing armour and weapons of theperiod, maps, insignia and documents to form the basis of anexhibition.
The Newsletter will report development from time to time, andlater members of our Society who wish to do so will have ampleopportunity to help both with the preperations for and the running ofthis event.
Industrial Archaeology
In November our Society was asked by the Greater London Industrial Archaeological Society to undertake the recording of the industrial monuments of the London Borough of Barnet, and we agreed to do so.
The object is to provide not only a record which will be housedat the Central Library, N.W.4., but a duplicate record to go into thenational industrial archaeological archives. Eleven members are alreadyworking on various projects, ranging from a group of four recording theMill Hill gasworks at Bittacy Hill before it goes out of production toa member who has undertaken a survey of the remains of old forges inthe Borough.
In so large an area there is work for any number of volunteers.It can be done as and when you are able to fit it in; and the varietyof subject is great, from old post-boxes (can anyone send details ofany Victorian post-boxes still in use in Barnet?) to a major projectsuch as recording the remaining (and fast vanishing) farm buildings ofnorth-west Middlesex. If you have any time to spare, and would like tohelp, your offer will be most warmly appreciated – please ring BrigidGrafton Green (number given).
Archive Notes
Archive Notes
In the Outings Summer 1970 section the name Ignthem Mote. It was difficult to read the page and not certain this is correct. Please take a look at and check.
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