Pottage was surprisingly tasty
Gloucestershire Local History Association (GLHA) is a voluntary organisation of around 50 local history groups across Gloucestershire. We aim to promote local history throughout the County and to encourage as many people as possible to become involved in the history of where they live. You can find out more about us at www.gloshistory.org.uk.
One of the Association’s most active members is Chipping Campden History Society, which is currently engaged in a Lottery-funded project to discover more about old Campden House and Gardens.
Chipping Campden History Society reported:
This has been an exciting summer for the project, with some discoveries and some challenges to our assumptions about what Campden House looked like before it was burned down in 1645, only thirty years after it was built. The two Banqueting Houses still exist, at the ends of the terrace in front of the remaining ruin of the main house, together with some ancillary buildings. Using a combination of archaeological digs and documentary research, we are trying to create a view of Sir Baptist Hicks, his buildings and achievements, and his impact on the town.
We have done two digs so far, excavating the parterre and the outline of the building shown by our earlier geophysical survey. In total, twenty-eight volunteers participated - not all at once! The interim report on the two digs has now been completed and a further dig is planned, to explore the conclusions further.
We were able to test our thinking about the design of the house with group outings to Aston Hall and Hatfield House, both built at around the same time; and members have been reporting on their own visits to other houses of the period, providing examples for our attempts to rethink 'the great burnt howse'.
Document research is supporting the archaeology: Gloucestershire Archives has provided a valuable resource with the Hicks-Beach papers that include family wills and some love letters written by Baptist Hicks. Many other old documents have been transcribed, giving a fascinating insight into life and attitudes at the time. Two volunteers have been inspired to sign up for online learning courses, about Jacobean food and Elizabethan life.
The Old Campden House site is owned by the Landmark Trust who opened it to the public one weekend in June. We put up a display and in spite of the very hot weather well over two hundred people came to find out more about our discoveries. On the first day two volunteers sat marking finds and this encouraged interest and conversation.
Two volunteers prepared a session for the top class at St. James' Primary School, taking food and quizzes to show the food eaten by rich and poor people: 'pottage' was surprisingly tasty! The pupils tasted spices and made their own sweetmeats. Then they visited one of the Banqueting Houses to recreate the dessert course, complete with musical accompaniment, 'Greensleeves' on guitars. The sweetmeats were a little the worse for wear, but we offered biscuits from an original recipe.
Many more activities are planned for the second year of the project – so do look at our project blog via www.chippingcampdenhistory.org.uk
Rev Andrew Freeman - Priest, Photographer, Scholar
Dr James Berrow writes:
Readers of the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub newsletter may be interested to know that the County Archive and, particularly the diocesan records, were an invaluable source in the preparation of a substantial volume (308 pages hardback) on the life and work of the Reverend Andrew Freeman (1876-1947). For many years he was the incumbent of Standish with Hardwicke, in the county. As well as his duties as a parish priest, he was a revered historian of the pipe organ and achieved international attention as a photographer of organ cases. His invaluable notebooks and collection of glass negatives is now in the care of the British Organ Archive, housed in the Cadbury Research Library of the University of Birmingham. The digitised photographs (many of Gloucestershire subjects) can be accessed online by pasting this link into your browser:
http://calmview.bham.ac.uk/TreeBrowse.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&field=RefNo&key=XFreeman
Anyone interested in knowing more about his significant research and contribution to the subject, along with 234 full-page reproductions of his photographs, can purchase In Search of Organs, Andrew Freeman: priest, photographer and scholar, for £35.
To obtain a copy visit the website of the British Institute of Organ Studies at: http://www.bios.org.uk/index.php
Archaeological in the Forest of Dean
Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service has recently completed an archaeological Research Framework for Forest of Dean district in west Gloucestershire.
Area covered by the research framework
An enormous amount of new archaeological information about the Forest of Dean has come to light in recent years.
The Research Framework was funded by Historic England and is the culmination of Stage 4 of the Forest of Dean Archaeological Survey. It takes account of the enormous amount of new archaeological information about the Forest of Dean which has come to light in recent years, not only from that survey, but also from other large-scale research projects (such as the Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment and four National Mapping Programme projects), smaller-scale development-led archaeological projects and other research, and also discussion with a number of specialists who were consulted during the Research Framework’s preparation.
The Research Framework broadly follows the model set out in Frameworks for our Past (Olivier 1996), and consists of a Resource Assessment which summarises the current state of knowledge and describes the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental resource in the Forest of Dean. This is followed by a Research Agenda which identifies gaps in that knowledge and what research is needed to address these, and sets out research priorities (which may be flexible over time) for the district and identifies suitable methodologies for future research.
Forest of Dean district is within the area covered by the Regional Research Agenda of the South West Archaeological Research Framework (Webster 2008) which includes a wide range of overarching Research Aims covering methodological approaches, and addressing period- or theme-based issues for the region. The Forest of Dean Research Agenda does not replace the South West Archaeological Research Framework but operates within it by adopting the same thematic approach and highlighting those themes and research aims which are of particular relevance to the Forest of Dean. It also takes account of other research agendas relevant to the Forest of Dean particularly the National Association of Historical Mining Organisations research agenda for the Archaeology of the Extractive Industries (Newman 2016), and the Historical Metallurgy Society’s archaeometallurgical research agenda (Bayley et al 2008).
The Forest of Dean Research Framework is available as a pdf document from
http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/16569/forest-of-dean-gloucestershire-research-framework-2017.pdf
References
Bayley, J, Crossley, D and Ponting M 2008 Metals and Metalworking. A Research Framework for Archaeometallurgy, The Historical Metallurgy Society, Occasional Paper No. 6
Newman, P (ed) 2016 The Archaeology of Mining and Quarrying in England. A Research Framework for the Archaeology of the Extractive Industries in England, Resource Assessment and Research Agenda, National Association of Mining History Organisations in association with Historic England
Olivier, A 1996 Frameworks for Our Past: a review of research frameworks, strategies and perceptions. English Heritage. http://www.eng-h.gov.uk/frameworks/
Webster, C J (ed) 2008 The Archaeology of South West England, South, West Archaeological Research Framework, Resource Assessment and Research Agenda, Somerset County Council.
John Hoyle, Senior Project Officer,
Heritage Team, Gloucestershire County Council
Late iron age oppida sites in Gloucestershire
Durham University are currently undertaking research within the late Iron Age oppida sites at Bagendon and Salmonsbury Camp, Bourton-on-the-Water as part of their REFIT project (Resituating Europe's First Towns). The project aims to share understanding about how the interactions between humans and the natural environment have shaped the landscapes we see today. Oppida (singular oppidum) are large fortified iron age settlements.
As part of the project Durham have produced self-guided walks, suitable for all, around Bagendon and Salmonsbury Camp and the Greystones Farm nature reserve. Salmonsbury and the landscape around it are now part of Greystones Nature Reserve. The area includes meadows and a working farm.
Bagendon Salmonsbury/Greystones Farm
Click on an image above to download the walking guide PDF.
There is also an on-line guide for those that can’t get to Bagendon. Click here
Durham University is seeking your views on how organisations and communities can best manage the Cotswold landscape for the future. To take part requires just 5 minutes of your time. If you’d like to help please click on this link which will take you to a short survey. The results will be shared on the project's website once the data collection is complete – expected to be by early 2018.
Toby Catchpole - Heritage Team Leader
Gloucestershire County Council