No. 653 August 2025 Edited by Paul Jackson
HADAS DIARY – Forthcoming Lectures and Events
Tuesday September 9th 2025 – Apologies – this event is cancelled. The guided walk of the Mithraeum in the Bloomberg building led by Dr. Jane Sidell (Historic England – Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments) will not take place.
We are considering a “bus pass” visit to the Secrets of the Thames exhibition at the London Museum in Docklands in early September. This will be on a Saturday and the cost of entry is from £16. We just want to assess numbers at the moment so if you may be interested, could you please email secretary@hadas.org.
Tuesday October 14th 2025 Dr. Wendy Morrison – “Our Cross to Bare: Chalk carvings in the Central Chilterns”
Tuesday November 11th 2025 Dr. Signe Hoffos – “Lost Churches of the City of London: 500 years of City churches lost to fire, war and urban redevelopment”
No lecture in January 2026
Tuesday February 10th 2026 Dr James Bromwich. “Great archaeological discoveries and great archaeologists of France: Alexandre du Mège: a founder of archaeological research in France – or rogue? Léon Joulin: an outstanding intellect and a founder of modern archaeology. Émile Chénon: a leading nineteenth century lawyer with a love for archaeology. Sophie Krausz: in the forefront of twenty-first century archaeology and museum presentation”
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.
Events news Janet Mortimer
I would also remind you about the dig we are carrying out opposite the Greyhound pub in Church End in Hendon from Thursday 31st July to Monday 4th August inclusive. Come along and dig or just come and support us – and have a refreshing pint in the pub afterwards. We will be there from 10 o’clock until around4 o’clock each day.
We are also going to hold another HADAS Open Day at Stephens House and Gardens, East End Road in Finchley on Sunday 21st September. The Finchley Society plan to take part in this joint event. More details will follow in our next newsletter but volunteers to help set up the stall and help out in the day would be very welcome.
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Correction to the July Newsletter concerning Committee members. Don Cooper has resigned from the Committee. It was incorrectly stated that he was still a Committee member. The Committee meeting of 22nd July formally voted Catie Teodorescu into the position of Field Office, taking over from Bill Bass.
Church Road, Hendon, NW4, HADAS Excavation 2024, Site Code CVA24 Part 2 The Finds – Bill Bass & HADAS Fieldwork Team
For Part 1 please see July 2025 Newsletter
The Finds
Most of the find’s date to within the history of the site e.g. Bennet’s School construction 1766 to becoming a community open space c1970s. There were none of an earlier date – Roman/Saxon/medieval but some of this may be due to the limited trenching. There was some (mainly) pottery which could be of a pre-1766 date but these would be ‘intrusive’ but they sit within the general dating and archaeology. Below are the individual finds reports:
Clay Pipe by Susan Trackman
The finds and their contexts
All three trenches produced evidence for clay pipe tobacco smoking. In Trench 1, Contexts 1, 2 and 4
contained pieces of pipe. Only Contexts 1 and 6 in Trench 2 contained pipe fragments and in Trench 3 pipe fragments were confined to Context 1. In total some fourteen pieces of straight pipe stem and one piece of bowl were recovered. All material showed some evidence of have been smoked.
Decoration, marking and makers
The fragment of bowl with rim (Trench 3 Context 1) is decorated. There is a raised moulded decoration of a feather or possible leaf along what would have been the centre of the bowl’s front face.
Only one mouthpiece (Trench 1 Context1) is present. It is unwaxed and does not show any evidence of
having once been waxed. Nine pieces of stem show clear evidence of a seam mould but there is insufficient material to determine whether (with the exception of the co-joining stem fragments from Trench 1 Context 4) whether they were made in the same mould. Neither the piece of bowl nor any of the pipe stems show any makers marks.
In all instances the bore hole diameter through the stems measures 5/64″ (2mm) and all holes are relatively close to the centre of the stem suggesting either a single maker or numerous proficient makers using the same width wire. One piece of stem from Trench 1 Context 4 does not conform to this uniformity. Its bore hole is well off centre. This divergence might indicate a different maker but is more likely to indicate a less skilled or slapdash manufacturer.
Dating
The fragment of pipe bowl is large enough to ascertain that its internal diameter at the rim would have been 16mm. The fragment is also large enough to ascertain that the bowl would have had an upright shape. This size together with its shape would indicate that it was probably manufactured during the 19th
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century. None of the pipe stems are datable but according to the National Pipe Archive (NPA home) the bore hole size is consistent with pipes manufactured from the late 18th century.
Bennet’s School Glass Report by Andy Simpson
Again with thanks to fellow ‘Sunday Morning’ regulars Tim Curtis and Susan Trackman for their input with analysis and discussion. Most of the glass, as discussed below, appeared to be relatively modern in date and was found in quite small pieces.
Milk bottle
Trench 1 Context 002 yielded five fragments, including one rim, with United Dairies lettering. The company was formed in 1915 and merged with Cow & Gate to form Unigate in 1959.
Trench 3 Context 001 gave up several fragments, including a clear glass base lettered UGB- United Glass Bottle Co – indicating a date post 1913, with moulded dots in lines and a seam. There was also an unmarked bottle or jar base and three pieces of dimpled glass from one bottle.
Beer Bottle
Brown beer or soft drink bottle unmarked body fragments from topsoil layers 001 in Trench 1 and Trench 2(Eight pieces in the latter). Trench 3 Topsoil context 001 yielded a brown glass bottle base lettered R-P with two body fragments from the same vessel.
There was a single fragment of green bottle in Trench 3 Context 003.
Wine Bottle
From Trench 1 topsoil Context 001 there was a moulded green glass neck fragment with rim string.
Trench 2 Context 001 yielded a piece of poor-quality green glass wine bottle, pitted due to a high potash content, and probably somewhat older than most of the other glass fragments found.
From Trench 2 Context 006 there were three co-joining pieces, heavily laminated, plus two other fragments, plus one possible base fragment, all possibly from the same bottle, either hand or mould blown.
Also, from this context there was a small clear glass rim fragment, possibly machine made.
Other Bottles
From Trench 1 Context 02- clear bottle fragment with undecipherable motif or lettering. There was also a ribbed/corrugated curved over ’roll top’ fragment, function unknown.
Trench 2 Context 001 yielded a fragment of blue bottle glass, possibly burnt/mis-shapen, possibly for medicinal use, and the base of a square medicine bottle lettered ‘A’ in a cartouche on the right-hand side.
There was also the complete bottom half of a hand blown, clear glass phial of slightly irregular shape and no markings.
The topsoil from Trench 3 (context 001) yielded a fragment of opaque milky white Lattimo type glass. There was also a small vivid green bottle fragment, a hexagonal clear glass vessel side and the chamfered flat top of a jar, possibly a paste jar.
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Drinking Vessels
From Trench 1 Context 002 there was a small potash type fragment of drinking glass with part of a similar
clear glass drinking beaker from Trench 3 Context 001.
From Trench 3 Context 001 came the moulded octagonal base of a wine glass stem.
Vase
Trench 2 Context 002- Green glass barley-twist fragment – possible vase or drinking vessel.
Jar
Trench 2 Context 001- Fragment of ribbed pate jar – similar to the well-known Shippham’s Paste type.
From the same context there was a large jar base.
Plate Glass
Thick piece, possibly from a door, from Trench 1 Context 001.
Other modern type clear window glass found in some quantity in Trench 1 Contexts 002, 003, 004 and 005; Trench 2 001 and 007, and Trench 3 context 001.
Miscellaneous
Trench 1 Context 001- Small clear curved/spherical fragment – possibly from an eye wash vessel.
Bennet’s School – Building Materials Report by Andy Simpson
With thanks to fellow ‘Sunday Morning’ regulars Tim Curtis, Janet Mortimer and Susan Trackman for their
input with analysis and discussion.
Red Fabric Ceramic Peg Roofing Tile
These would have been hand-made in a wooden frame, and known as a peg tile because it would have been hung from a roof with small wooden pegs through the holes. They are difficult to date precisely but were in common use by the Fourteenth Century and in production into the Twentieth Century. See History | Karl Terry Roofing Contractors Kent & South East
With just seven fragments from two of the three trenches combined, peg tile forms only a very small
percentage of the overall red ceramic roof tile assemblage from the site.
There is one complete corner of a tile in Trench 1 context 003, and a further two corner fragments in Trench 1 Context 005 with part of a peg hole, presumed to be from the top part of the tile, along with one more with a possible edge, and part of one in Trench 2 Topsoil context 001, with two edges but no corners, again presumed to be from the top part of the tile, plus two similar smaller fragments.
Red Fabric Curved Imbrex Style Roof Tile
One large fragment from Trench 1 Context 003, probably hand made with slight sooting on one edge.
Other fragments of sooted red roofing tile came from the same context- a slightly curved fragment with sooting on the edge, plus Tench 3 Topsoil context 001.
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Red Ceramic Flat Roof Tile with Wipe Marks
One fragment from Trench 1 Context 003 with one surviving edge and very distinct wipe marks on outer
face, and traces of mortar on the inner face
There are a further eight fragments from Trench 2 Topsoil context 001, five of them probably made in the
same mould, indicated by the fact that two corners and two sides all align exactly. Two have traces of
mortar, and all have wipe marks indicating that they are hand-made.
Red Roof Tile Incorporated into Blocks of mortar
Interesting structural phenomenon with two pieces found in each of Trench 1 Contexts 002 and 003
demolition rubble.
Red Fabric Curved and Ridged Tile
One fragment from Trench 2 context 006, with traces of mortar. The same context includes one flat piece
with two edges, one corner, and a very clear incised manufacturing line on the inner face and a slightly
dished presumed outer face. The same trench, context 007, revealed just one small flat fragment with no
edges.
Blue-Grey Roofing Slate
Huge quantities of this materiel were exported from the North Wales slate quarries in the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries in particular.
Found in all three trenches- including pile of recovered slate placed on demolished wall footing in Trench 1, and in topsoil layer 001 in trenches 2 and 3.
Hand-Made Brick
As with the peg tile, it would have been hand-made in a wooden frame. One complete, hand-made red brick from Trench 3, Context 002. Slightly frogged, heavily mortared, with very white chalky mortar on both faces, so clearly from out of a wall during demolition. One particularly noticeable handmade brick came from Trench 1 context 002, with big inclusions and white mortar; another handmade fragment from the same context also had chalk mortar, as did two very porous looking brick ends, one in brown fabric, slightly frogged, from Trench 1 Context 003. A red brick fragment with white mortar from Trench 1 Context 005 had very visible large pebble inclusions. Another from the same context had red flint inclusions.
Burnt Brick
One probable hand-made brick, very burnt, from Trench 2 Context 001. Further fragment of slightly burnt
dark red hand-made brick with traces of mortar from Trench 1 topsoil context 001.
Machine-made Red/Brown Brick
Machine-made red and brown bricks/brick fragments with uniform inclusions found in Trench 2 Topsoil
Context 001. And two other, machine made with cement (not chalk) mortar fragments from Trench 1
context 002.
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Yellow Brick
Typically, nineteenth century London Stock type. Two fragments from Trench 1 context 002; presumably
originating from the outhouse or similar footings/wall in Trench 3 at the rear of the site, made of the same type of brick. Very informative history and discussion at 41: London’s yellow Stock Brick – Building
London – what London is made from and where it came from!
White Limestone Architectural Fragments
Possibly originating from a Tudor-style refacing of the two-story east-end building and the single-story
building to its immediate east in the early nineteenth century shown in two early engravings and the pre-
demolition 1937 photograph- see engravings reproduced in HADAS newsletters 645 December 2024 and
647 February 2025. Four in all, from Trench 1 Context 005, one small fragment with an obvious curved
moulding- one flat face, one curved, possibly from a window;
Sewer Pipe
One modern brown glazed white bodied fragment of the type without which no HADAS site seems
complete!
Wall Tile (Museum Code Walt)
One corner fragment with pale yellow glaze on white slip from Trench 1 Context 003. ‘Frogged’ on back to
trap the mortar; Long thin rectangular type, possibly decorative ‘Dado’ type.
And from Trench 3 Topsoil context 001., one dark green glazed fragment, broken into five co-joining
pieces, and three pieces (two of which co-join) of the same yellow-brown-glazed tile with a prominent nob on the rear face, lettered (MAD)E IN ITALY.
White-Glazed Sanitary Ware
All from Trench 2 Topsoil Context 001- a small piece of lugged tile, a square corner possibly from a sink,
and two partly burnt thick curved co-joining fragments possibly from a wash basin, and one burnt fragment possibly from a toilet pan.
Further instalments of the report will include more finds and phasing of the site.
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OTHER SOCIETIES’ EVENTS Eric Morgan
As always, please check with the societies’ website before planning to attend, since not all societies and organisations have returned to pre-covid conditions.
Friday 15th August, 7 pm. C.O.L.A.S. – Guided Walk of West Norwood Cemetery. Further details are not yet to hand, the details will be on the C.O.L.A.S. website. Please visit www.colas.org.uk
July 23rd until Friday 19th September. Society of Antiquaries. Burlington House, Piccadilly, London.W1J 0BE. Magna Carta 1225 -2025 – 800th Anniversary Exhibition. Free. Wednesdays to Fridays11 am. – 4 pm. Unique opportunity to explore the legacy of Magna Carta (1225) and the Charter of the Forest, marking 800 years since its re-issue by Henry III – the version enshrined in English Law.
Sunday 7th September, 11 am. Heath and Hampstead Society. Meet at the Flagstaff at Whitestone Pond(top of Heath Street, NW3). Follow in the footsteps of painter John Constable and trace his inspiration and life story across the Heath and the adjacent village. Walk led by Suzanne Grundy. Please turn up 5 – 10 minutes before the start. Lasts approximately 2 hours. Walk is now free. For further details please telephone Tereza Pultarova on 07776 649163 or email hhs.walks@gmail.com Or www.heathandhampstead.org.uk.
Sunday 7th September, 11 am. – 5 pm. Angel Canal Festival. Regents Canal, City Road Basin, Islington, London. N1 8GJ. Lots of stalls including London Canal Museum. Also boat trips, craft stalls, food and live music. For more information please visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/events.
Monday 8th September, 3 pm. Barnet Museum and Local History Society. St. John the Baptist Church, Chipping Barnet, corner High Street/Wood Street, Barnet. EN5 4BW. Make Do and Mend – Fashion during WW2. Talk by Kat Alston Cole. Please visit www.barnetmuseum.co.uk
for further details. Refreshments are available afterwards. Visitors charge £2.
Tuesday 9th September, 8 pm. Amateur Geological Society. Finchley Baptist Church Hall, 6 East End Road, corner Stanhope Avenue, London. N3 3LX. (Almost opposite Avenue House). The Surface of Mars as seen by NASA’s Curiosity Rover – A Robotic Field Geologist. Talk by Joel Davis. Full details on www.amgeosoc.wordpress.com
Friday 12th September, 7.30 pm. Enfield Archaeological Society. Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane/Junction Chase Side, Enfield, EN2 0AJ. Imperial Logistics in early China, the first Emperor’s Mausoleum and the making of the Terracotta Army. Talk by Andrew Bevan. Please visit https://www.enfarchsoc.org/
for further details. Visitors charge £1.50. Refreshments, sales and information from 7 pm.
Saturday 13th September, 11 am. – 4 pm. Christchurch U.R.C. Chase Side, Enfield, EN2 6NJ. Tocelebrate the 150 years since the first services. Part of the London Open House Week with refreshments and guided tours around the church. Also visual displays and exhibitions on the history of the Grade II listed church and its predecessors – Zion Chapel and Chase. Side Chapel and the people and activities associated with Christ Church. A new illustrated publication ‘from Zion Chapel to Christ Church –A story of Congregationalists in Enfield’ will be available. For more information on events throughout the year please visit www.ccurc.org.uk for more on Open House London, Saturday 13th – Sunday 21st September 2025– Free entry to London’s best buildings not normally open to the public www.openhouse.org.uk or https://open-city.org.uk.
Sunday 14th September, 12 -5 pm. Queens Park Festival – off Chevening Road or Harvist Road, NW6. Lots of stalls including Willesden Local History Society. Also craft stalls, food and live music.
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Thursday 18th September, 8 pm. Enfield Society. Jubilee Hall (Address as for Friday 12th September). A Brief History of the Enfield Society. Talk in anticipation of the Society’s 90th anniversary in 2026 will celebrate the history, successes and aspirations of the society – preceded by AGM.
Thursday 18th September, 8 pm. Historical Association: Hampstead and N.W. London Branch. Fellowship House, 136A Willifield Way, London. NW11 6YD (off Finchley Road, Temple Fortune). The British Anti-slavery Movement 1780-1833. Talk by Professor Lawrence Goldman, examining both the abolition in 1807 and the Emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1833. Also on Zoom. Please email Dudley Miles (HADAS) on dudleyramiles@googlemail.com or telephone 07469 754075 for details of link and how to pay (there may be a voluntary charge of £5) Refreshments to be available at the meeting.
Friday 19th September, 7.30 pm. Wembley History Society, St Andrew’s Church Hall (behind St. Andrew’s new church), Church Lane, Kingsbury, London. NW9 8RZ. Arthur Elvin – Mr Wembley. Talk by Philip Grant. Visitors charge £3. Refreshments to be available in the interval.
Wednesday 24th September, 7.30 pm. Friern Barnet and District Local History Society. North Middlesex Golf Club, The Manor House, Friern Barnet Lane, London, N20 0NL. John Betjeman. Talk by Terence Atkins. Please visit www.friernbarnethistory.org.uk for further details. Non-members charge £2.
Thursday 25th September, 7.30 pm. Finchley Society. Drawing Room, Avenue (Stephen’s) House, 17East End Road, London. N3 3QE. Talk by the Finchley Society Planning Committee will be givingupdates on major planning projects in the Finchley area including North Finchley Town Centre, LodgeLane, The Great North Leisure Park and the Pentland Development. For further details please visit www.finchleysociety.org.uk.
Non-members charge £2. Refreshments to be available in the interval.
Thanks to our contributors this month: Bill Bass, Eric Morgan, Janet Mortimer and Stewart Wild.
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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