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NETWORK NEWS
The newsletter of the Leicestershire and Rutland Archaeological Network
NUMBER 25: August 2004
ARCHAEOLOGISTS ON THE MOVE
Leicestershire County Council Heritage
Services will be moving from the
Thurmaston office in the autumn of
2004. The exact date has yet to be set,
but it will be between mid-September
and
early
November.
The
archaeologists will be relocated to
County Hall, Glenfield, where we will
be joining our colleagues in the
Historic Buildings Team, Country
Parks, and so on. The next issue of
Network News will provide new contact
details; see the Contacts section below
for advice on telephoning the
archaeology staff.
MEMBERSHIP
Two parishes have joined the Network
since the last newsletter was
published: Wistow cum Newton
Harcourt Parish Meeting, and Arnesby
Parish Council. This brings the total to
187 out of 277 representative bodies in
Leicestershire and Rutland. In addition,
Seagrave has reappointed Polly
Spikins, and newly appointed Susan
Southward,
as
Archaeological
Wardens; Rearsby has added Steve
Pooley as a joint Warden.
John Hincks, founding Warden for
Gaddesby, has retired from the role; a
replacement has been appointed. Ted
Tann-Watson has resigned as joint
Warden
for
Oakthorpe
and
Donisthorpe:
imminent.
a
replacement
is
NATURAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE
INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Leicestershire County Council
Environmental Resources Centre at
Holly Hayes hosts a new programme
of sessions for the second half of
2004, organised by the Community
Heritage Initiative. This covers topics
such as "Using Historical Records to
Interpret the Landscape", "Discover the
History of your House", "Cataloguing
your Collection" and "Finding the Past:
archaeological finds". For a free copy
of the programme and booking form
contact the Centre on 0116 267 1377
or e-mail: chi@leics.gov.uk.
Places are free, but must be booked in
advance using the booking form.
RUTLAND ARCHAEOLOGY
Kate Don, Archaeological Warden for
Market Overton
The
Rutland
History
Society
Archaeological Group has been active
again on the site of the Romano-British
Town at Thistleton. Fieldwalking in
October 2003, and the subsequent
mapping and report completes the
work begun in 2001. A clear picture of
the extent of the town, which covered
100 acres, has emerged. The
intriguing dotted line left to us by
Ernest Greenfield, a Government
archaeologist who worked in advance
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
of the ironstone quarrying in the 1950’s
& 60’s, does indeed indicate the
boundaries of the town. Of the 6000+
sherds recovered from the site, just
two have been identified as Iron Age.
However small, this does add to the
growing body of evidence that there
was pre-Roman occupation. Reports
and maps for both stages of
fieldwalking are now lodged with the
Sites & Monuments Record.
A geophysical survey covering c.300
sq. metres of the town took place in
September 2003 and has produced
stunning images, particularly of the
temple and the surrounding Temenos
ditch.
Leicester University,
with
assistance from the archaeology
group, plan to carry out more
surveying work when harvesting has
taken place at end July/early August.
Anecdotal evidence from local people
should not be dismissed lightly! A
conversation with two former quarry
workers in the Black Bull resulted in a
visit to the offices of Corus (formerly
Stewarts & Lloyds) in Corby to see a
mosaic fragment in their reception
area. What greeted Kate Don and Prof.
Roger Wilson of Nottingham University
was a beautiful “fragment” measuring
5.5 metres square and patterned
rather like a chessboard (typical of the
East Midlands, 3rd/4th century AD). It
was removed from the villa in the early
1960’s and has been on display in the
offices since that time. Sadly, the rest
of the villa was quarried away. The
company has agreed in principal to
donate the mosaic to Rutland County
Museum on completion of the sale of
the building in which it is housed.
The same people also talked of going
to see the “skellingtons” unearthed at
Thistleton in 1956 and watching a
stone coffin being loaded onto a van.
They believed it was taken to Oakham
School, which then acted as the
museum for Rutland. They were right!
The coffin sits outside the classics
department (rather appropriately) and
is bedecked with flowers and shrubs.
Confirmation that it is the one removed
from Thistleton was made by
comparing measurements and other
characteristics with those noted by Mr.
John Barber, a teacher at the School
at the time. The coffin, weighing two
tons, is wedge shaped and was hewn
from a single block of Clipsham stone.
Mr. Barber observed that the occupant
was male, 5’ 9” tall and of stout build.
This was certainly a high status 4th
century AD burial, possibly a local villa
owner and official of the town.
Elaine Jones (Archaeological Warden
for Uppingham)
has continued
fieldwalking the ridge between Ayston
and Glaston and the assemblage of
finds is said by Heritage Services to be
a splendid teaching tool, containing as
it does material from the Palaeolithic
onwards. The team celebrated their
summer reunion by setting forth on a
trek round East Anglia. Morning coffee
was taken at the West Stow Anglo
Saxon village, the picnic lunch at
Grimes Graves Stone Age flint mines,
afternoon tea at Holme Hale Hall to
see the walled kitchen garden
redesigned by the Chelsea award
winner Arne Maynard. “Sundowners”
were at the Denver sluice where four
fenland rivers and the sea converge
into a network of waterways, some
over 400 years old.
In April the group assisted Bob
Sparham of Nottingham University to
fieldwalk at Wymondham, Leics. The
site lies adjacent to a 2nd - 4th century
Romano-British villa excavated by the
University over the past two summers.
Good evidence of further building(s)
was found, and the group will help with
excavation in July and August. The
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
size of the villa and the pottery so far
recovered indicates a high status
dwelling.
So, what’s next? We know that a
Romano-British Town like Thistleton
would have had more than one villa,
and possibly several. We will
endeavour to find one! Fieldwalking on
the
Ayston-Glaston
ridge
will
recommence in October. If you would
like to join us, phone Elaine Jones on
01572 823421 or Kate Don on 01572
767701.
THE ALDEBY PROJECT
Submitted by Mark Carne of the
Enderby Heritage Group
The Enderby Heritage Group decided
in October 2001 to undertake a project
based on the area in the parish known
as both St John’s and Aldeby. This
was known to contain the ruins of a
church that was founded in the Anglo
Saxon period. Local stories about the
site say that the church was taken
down in the late 13th century and
rebuilt on the present site of the parish
church in Enderby, the excuse of
flooding being given for this change of
location, but if flooding was a problem
why was the church originally built on
this site?
This and many other
questions needed some investigation,
such as why there had been two
churches in the parish of Enderby in
existence at the same time with the
same dedication (St. John the Baptist)
a very unusual occurrence.
The Aldeby church site had been much
neglected over the last fifty years. In
1985 the church and surrounding
burial ground were scheduled as an
Ancient Monument, after the ancient
burial ground had been finally closed
for burials in 1984 (though the last
known burial recorded took place in
1872). This neglect has been
compounded over this period as a
result
of
the
incomplete
and
unrecorded excavation between the
years of 1952-1953 that was never
back filled. [Finds and records from
this
excavation
are
in
the
Leicestershire County Council Heritage
Services Collections.] The site had
become overgrown with brush, self
seeded trees and nettles to such an
extent that one could only with the eye
of faith even think that a church of
Saxon origin could be concealed by
such growth. The local District Council
maintained the burial ground on behalf
of the Parish Council but only in the
state as it was when closed. This
mainly consisted of cutting the grass
once a year and this practice led to a
very interesting wild flower meadow in
the late summer as a consequence.
The Aldeby Project was formulated to
have two main aims
1.The clearance of the scrub on the
church site; recording the Church
remains;
and
investigate
the
possibilities of conserving the site and
making it more visitor friendly.
2. A study of the historical records and
writings about the area in an attempt to
establish the true history of the site
and possibly solve the mystery of the
lost village of Aldeby.
In order that the first aim could be
undertaken, the permission of the
owner of the site (the Vicar of Enderby)
and English Heritage had to be sought
and given. This at times seemed never
ending and the project nearly
foundered. However all the necessary
permissions were finally obtained in
November 2003. An extract from the
English Heritage letter reads as
follows:
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
“English Heritage is pleased to support
the proposal by Enderby Heritage
Group to carry out a programme of
scrub removal on the scheduled
church site over the next two seasons
(weather and volunteers permitting!). I
confirm that Scheduled Monument
Consent is not required for this work,
provided that scrub and shrubs are cut
at the base and the stumps left in the
ground (these can be poisoned to
prevent re-growth). All timber and
brush must be removed from the site”
The Enderby Heritage Group could
now begin to clear the scrub and
nettles surrounding the church site to
ground level only.
Work began in November 2003 and
commenced in the south western
corner of the site where there
appeared to be a thinning in the scrub
allowing access to the nave area. This
soon exposed some walls forming the
south west corner of the church. As it
was late autumn many of the nettles
had died back and it was possible to
remove the shrubs at ground level.
Work continued for several sessions
clearing the area occupied by the nave
both internally and externally. This was
followed by clearance from the chancel
area but this was rather sporadic
mainly due to weather conditions.
However by the end of March 2004 the
scrub had been cleared with the
assistance of Blaby District Council in
cutting down the larger self seeded
trees and helping clear the scrub off
the site. The full extent of the ruins was
now visible and it appeared that a
mound
of
broken
stone
was
surrounding the remains of the church.
These ruins and the extent of the
church remains including the mound
have now been measured and plans
drawn.
This work is still in progress and the
killing of the nettles and other weeds
has only just begun. As areas within
the church are becoming weed free
they are being recorded in detail and
will be used with the excavation diary
of 1952/3 to produce a report on the
site.
The Enderby Heritage Group are
keeping a record of all work carried out
on the site by them in the form of
record sheets. Numerous photographs
have been taken through all the stages
of clearance and of any interesting
parts of the ruins.
The site will then be recorded before
hopefully being restored to its pre 1952
state using the spoil heaps that have
been identified from that excavation,
with interpretation boards and ground
plans, though these future actions will
of course be subject to a site
management plan as well as being
able to obtain the necessary financial
assistance to bring about this work.
While permission for the physical work
was being sought, investigation into
the historical documents was started
and a chronology of the site’s history is
being developed. The local tale about
flooding being responsible for the
demise of the church in the 13th
century does not seem to be based on
fact as both the written and
archaeological evidence all point to the
fact that a church was still standing on
the site in the early 16th century.
However by the early 17th century all
trace seems to have vanished. Further
research will be published sometime in
the future. The Group is also trying to
relate the site to the landscape through
time.
As each answer to a question is found,
more answers to new questions are
being sought. It has proved a valuable
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
project that has so far linked the local
heritage group with many other
organisations and as such has become
of interest within the county. One of its
members of the Group who is also a
member
of
the
Leicestershire
Museums Archaeological Fieldwork
Group was awarded “The Miss Linford
Award" for 2004 by submitting an
overview of the total project to date.
GREAT BOWDEN
Great things have been going on in
Great Bowden thanks to the Heritage
Group.
Rosemary
Culkin,
joint
Archaeological Warden, sent the
following report.
"The field walking group is growing,
under Robert Haynes's supervision.
We walked one field in April 2004 and
found a lot of flint flakes and cores but
only one or two tools. This was on
ground rising from the River Welland
and so we think it was probably a work
site. There was also a lot of pottery
sherds, some quite early. We have
another field to walk at the western
extremity of the village (in fact just
outside the parish as it is across the
canal).
"The other activity that has produced
more recent finds is the Recreation
Ground in the centre of the village. A
new pavilion is being built and entailed
foundations of 6 ft. They hit the clay
very quickly, in a matter of 3/4 inches,
although the rest of the Rec. shows
signs of ridge and furrow so we
assume the soil in the playground
area, where the excavations were
taking place, must have been removed
in the past. Finds were mostly pennies
from Edward VII onwards, lead
soldiers, a watch and an unusual
whistle. Only one piece of pot Midland purple, of late 14th-16th century
date.
"Details of our work are on our website
on www.marketharboroughonline.co.uk
You click on Great Bowden on the map
and we have two sites for both
archaeology and heritage."
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
"Found in Leicestershire" is a major
temporary exhibition to be opened at
Donington-le-Heath Manor House on
30th September 2004. It will feature
archaeological finds discovered by
members
of
the
public,
and
demonstrate the important role that the
public has to play in the recording of
Leicestershire
and
Rutland's
archaeology. The exhibition will run
until 29th March 2005.
PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME
A Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds
Roadshow will be held at Donington-leHeath
Manor
House
on
27th
November: this is the Midlands venue
for an event that will be held at
regional venues throughput England
and Wales.
Objects to be submitted for recording
under the Scheme can be deposited
with staff at the reception desks at the
following locations:
Leicestershire
County
Council:
Charnwood Museum, Donington-leHeath Manor House, Harborough
Museum, Melton Carnegie Museum
(see below for opening times of these
four museums). Bosworth Battlefield
Centre (Sutton Cheney, near Market
Bosworth, tel: 01455 290429). A car
parking charge of £1.00 must be paid
at the Battlefield Centre, but reception
can be accessed without paying the
admission charge to the Visitor Centre
itself. Opening times subject to review:
in 2004 these are April to Oct 11.005.00 daily, Nov/Dec Sun 11.00-4.00).
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
Leicester City Council: Jewry Wall
Museum, Leicester (0116 225 4971).
Note that from 1st October this
museum will only be open one day a
week, Saturday, between 11.00-4.30,
and will be closed altogether for the
latter part of December.
Rutland County Council: Rutland
County Museum, Catmose Street,
Oakham (tel: 01572 758440). Open
Mon-Sat 10.30-5.00, Sun 2.00-4.00.
THE ARCHAEOLOGY COLLECTIONS
OF
LEICESTERSHIRE
COUNTY
COUNCIL
What is in the collections?
The collections form a representative
sample of finds from the County of
Leicestershire, and range in date from
over a quarter of a million years old to
the 20th century. The Centre unites the
objects themselves with the records
relating to their history: excavation
archives, photographs, site plans,
correspondence and so on.
Where are they?
The objects on display in the County
Council's museums, and at Jewry Wall
Museum (Leicester City Council), are
but a small part of the collections. The
greater part of the County Council's
Archaeology Collections are housed at
the Collections Resources Centre.
The separation of City and County
museum services in 1997, and the
creation of the Collections Resources
Centre, has provided the opportunity to
bring together all of the County
Council's archaeology collections,
excepting those on display or out on
loan.
How does the County Council's
Heritage Service acquire collections?
New accessions to the Collections
come from a variety of sources,
including:
 Volunteers - notably collections from
fieldwalking, but also chance finds
of special interest;
 Developer funded fieldwork;
 Objects declared by the coroner to
be Treasure and purchased by the
service;
 Research and training fieldwork by
universities and other institutions.
Would the Service like to have …?
The collections are developed in
accordance with a Management Policy
which governs what the Service
collects and how it looks after the
material in its care. The Service is
always interested in acquiring new
material from the voluntary sector and
general public, particularly where this
fills
gaps
in
the
typological,
chronological,
and
geographical
ranges represented already.
Archaeological objects and records
offered as donations and loans, or for
sale, can be left with reception staff at
any of the County Council's museums
(see below), who will ensure that an
Entry Form is filled out and the pink
receipt copy is given to the donor or
lender. It is, however, worth contacting
the Archaeology Collections curator in
advance to establish whether the
Service is likely to be interested in
acquiring the material, particularly
where items are offered for sale.
What has the Service got?
General enquiries about the collections
are always welcome, though the more
tightly focussed the enquiry, the easier
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
it is to deal with: for example, by
specifying a place or area, age or type
of find.
Can I see, or borrow, the collections?
Enquiries about access to study the
collections housed at the Centre are
always welcome; booking at least ten
working days in advance is advisable,
and visits are normally restricted to
weekdays, between 10.00 and 3.30.
Copying and photographing of the
archives for research purposes may be
possible, and the Service is always
keen to promote its collections and the
archaeology of the County through
publication, but requests should be
discussed in advance with the curator
in order to clarify issues of copyright,
conservation, and security. There is
normally a charge for the photocopying
and reproduction of images held in the
collections.
Much of the collection is available on
loan for public events such as local
history exhibitions, or to institutions for
research and exhibition, subject to
certain conservation and security
conditions being met. Please approach
the curator at least ten weeks in
advance.
CONTACTS AT LEICESTERSHIRE
COUNTY COUNCIL, ENVIRONMENT
AND HERITAGE SERVICES
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES TEAM
AND THE ARCHAEOLOGY STAFF IN
THE HISTORIC AND NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT TEAM WILL BE
MOVING FROM THURMASTON TO
COUNTY HALL, GLENFIELD
SOMETIME IN THE PERIOD MIDSEPTEMBER TO EARLY NOVEMBER
2004.
IT IS UNCERTAIN, AT THE TIME OF
THIS NEWSLETTER GOING TO PRESS,
WHETHER THE TELEPHONE
NUMBERS GIVEN FOR THESE TEAMS
BELOW WILL REMAIN OPERATIVE IN
THE SHORT TERM. IF YOU CANNOT
RAISE THE MEMBER OF STAFF ON
THE GIVEN NUMBER, PLEASE DIAL
0116 2323232 (COUNTY HALL
SWITCHBOARD) AND ASK FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL BY NAME, STATING THAT
HE/SHE IS AN ARCHAEOLOGIST IN
ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE
SERVICES.
STAFF BASED AT THURMASTON, Fax
(0116) 264 5819. Working hours variable,
core working hours 10.00-3.30 Mon-Thurs,
10.00-3.00 Friday.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES TEAM
KEEPER OF ARCHAEOLOGY, also
FIELD SURVEY, FIELDWORK GROUP:
Peter Liddle (0116) 264 5810
ARCHAEOLOGY COLLECTIONS,
LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND
ARCHAEOLOGICAL NETWORK:
Richard Pollard (0116) 264 5803
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
(DONINGTON-LE-HEATH):
Richard Knox (0116) 264 5811
FINDS LIASON OFFICER, PORTABLE
ANTIQUITIES
SCHEME,
and
ARCHAEOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATIONS
SERVICE CONTACT:
Wendy Scott (0116) 264 5807
YOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS CLUB:
Pete Liddle (0116) 264 5810
ARCHAEOLOGY STAFF IN THE
HISTORIC AND NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT TEAM
SENIOR PLANNING ARCHAEOLOGIST,
also SITES AND MONUMENTS
RECORD:
Richard Clark (0116) 264 5812
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819
ASSISTANT
PLANNING
ARCHAEOLOGIST:
Helen Berrington (0116) 264 5813
SMR ASSISTANT:
Michael Henderson (0116) 264 5800
LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
MUSEUMS
CHARNWOOD MUSEUM
Queen’s Hall, Granby Street,
Loughborough, Leics LE11 3DU
Open 10.00-4.30 Mon-Sat; 2.00-5.00 Sun.
Tel: (01509)
233754. Keeper: Susan
Cooke.
COLLECTIONS RESOURCE CENTRE
Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire.
Tel: (01509) 815514. Guided visits by
appointment with the Site Manager, Fred
Hartley.
Appointments
to
examine
collections should be made with the
relevant collection curator, but will
normally be between 10.00-3.30 MonThurs, and 10.00-3.00 Fri. Contact:
Archaeology - Richard Pollard (0116 264
5803 or 01509 815514); Art and Costume
- Philip Warren (01509 815514) (but note
that for operational reasons Philip will not
be available until the summer of 2005);
Geology - Susan Cooke (01509 233754);
Home and Family Life - Fiona Ure (01530
278442); Natural Life - Tony Fletcher;
Working Life - Fred Hartley (both 01509
815514).
DONINGTON-LE-HEATH
MANOR
HOUSE
Manor
Road,
Donington-le-Heath,
Coalville, LE67 2FW. Open 7 days a
week, October - March, 11.30-3 pm, April September 11.30 - 5 pm. (Dec, Jan and
Feb, open weekends only, 11.30-3pm.)
Tel: (01530) 831259 . Keeper: Peter
Liddle.
ENVIRONMENTAL
RESOURCES
CENTRE (HOLLY HAYES)
216 Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4
4DG. Open 10.00-4.00 Mon-Fri by
appointment. Tel: (0116) 267 1950.
HARBOROUGH MUSEUM
Council Offices, Adam and Eve Street,
Market Harborough, Leics. LE16 7AG.:
Open 10.00-4.30 Mon-Sat; 2.00-5.00 Sun.
Tel:
(01858) 821085. Keeper: Zara
Matthews.
MELTON CARNEGIE MUSEUM
Thorpe End, Melton Mowbray LE13 1RB.
Open 10.00-4.30 Daily. Tel: (01664)
569946. Keeper: Jenny Dancey.
THE
RECORD
OFFICE
FOR
LEICESTERSHIRE,
LEICESTER
&
RUTLAND
Long Street, Wigston Magna, LE18 2AH.
Open 9.15-5.00 Mon, Tues, Thurs; 9.157.30 Wed; 9.15-4.45 Fri; 9.15-12.15 Sat;
closed on Suns.
Tel: (0116) 257 1080. County Archivist:
Carl Harrison.
SNIBSTON DISCOVERY PARK
Ashby Road, Coalville, LE67 3LN
Open daily 10.00-5.00. Admission Adults
£5.70, Child £3.60, under 5's free;
Concessions £3.90; half price after 3pm.
Group discounts : call for details.
Tel: (01530) 278444. Collections Curator:
Steph Mastoris.
There are many other museums and
historic buildings in Leicestershire and
Rutland open to the public, run by the
voluntary sector and other organisations.
Details should be available at your local
library.
THIS
NEWSLETTER
HAS
BEEN
PRODUCED
BY
THE
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES TEAM
FOR THE LEICESTERSHIRE AND
RUTLAND
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
NETWORK
Heritage Services, Suite 4, Bridge Park
Plaza, Bridge Park Road, Thurmaston,
Leicester, LE4 8BL
Tel: (0116) 264 5803/5810
Fax: (0116) 264 5819
Heritage Services
Suite 4, Bridge Park Plaza, Bridge Park Road,
Thurmaston, Leicester, LE4 8BL
(0116) 264 5800 Fax:(0116) 264 5819