1

Issue 8, Autumn 2012

Greetings from the Chair Our AGM was held at the Museum of Somerset on 12 May and proved to be a very eventful occasion. John Salvatore brought us up to date with the latest developments in our understanding of the Roman legionary fortress at Exeter and the military workshops at Topsham (see below), and we were given an enjoyable and valuable tour of the new displays created for the re-opening of the museum. We also took a number of key decisions which will have a direct effect on the work and future direction of the regional group, namely: • we will publicise our forthcoming events more effectively (starting with this Newsletter!) • we will help to revive the Young Archaeologists Club across the region, supporting new an

existing branches and promoting an annual joint event in January - the first of which will be in Bristol Archaeology Dept on the 26th of January 2013

• we will revive the journal as a major feature of our website, initially by scanning in previous issues and then by publishing new issues online as they are produced

• to combat falling revenues and to keep pace with rising costs we have had to raise the regional subscription to £10 for ordinary members and £5 for students, starting in 2013

• we will be updating our constitution to ensure that we fully meet the requirements of the Charity Commission

• we will be collaborating with our neighbours, CBA Wessex, by means of a series of joint weekend events, starting in West Penwith on the weekend of the 17th – 19th of May 2013, and then moving to Wessex in the following year

• we are encouraging all members to supply us with an email address when they renew their subscriptions to help us to communicate more effectively with you

• to this end we will also be making more use of social networking, for example through the CBA SW Facebook Group and by encouraging members to follow the regional group and myself on Twitter

• our next AGM will be at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter on Saturday 11th of May 2013. We hope to see you there!

• Caradoc Peters, Chair

THE ROMAN MILITARY WORKS DEPOT AT EXETER

Evaluation and excavation from 2010 onwards at a development site at the former St Loye’s College near the centre of Exeter have revealed the remains of two successive

Iron Age enclosures, which were in turn supplanted by a Roman military works depot. This was defended, and stood astride the road from the known mid first century legionary fortress at Exeter to a Roman fort at Topsham. The excavation has produced some exciting finds, including a wooden

2

120

460

280

460

undated

Iron Age enclosure I

Iron Age enclosure II

Roman military

Roman civil

280

380

post-medieval

Illustration © Exeter City Council

0 100 metres

tablet on which writing is still legible, plus rare tangible evidence of direct contact between the indigenous Iron Age population and the Roman army. It has also demonstrated just what can be achieved through the planning system, given that the site was heavily built-up and outside the urban core, and that nothing of archaeological interest had previously been recorded there.

Timber buildings within the base included a workshop (fabrica) arranged around three sides of a courtyard with an aisled hall to the west and an accommodation block or barrack forming the north range (at the top of the plan, above). A multi-phase series of timber buildings (at the centre of the plan) would have stood alongside what is now the Topsham Road. The presence of open spaces and the apparent random nature of the building plan suggest this was not a standard auxiliary fort, and a supply base or a works depot serving the Roman army presence in the South West peninsula might be a reasonable interpretation.

The facility at St Loye’s was probably occupied from around 55 AD, and decommissioned as part of the withdrawal of the Roman army from forts across the South-West by the mid 80s AD, although specialist reports on the pottery and other dating evidence are still awaited. The timber buildings adjacent to the road would have been attractive for re- use and may have continued into the Roman

civil period. A well, thought to be of military origin and provided with substantial supports for a winding mechanism, was apparently serviceable until the late second century, when it was backfilled. A number of industrial features considered to be of the Roman civil period were recorded in the western part of the site, with a Roman field system to the east. Five inhumations were found towards the bottom of the site well away from the road. No direct dating evidence was found but a mid to late Roman date for the cemetery is suspected.

for further information about the Roman Military Works at St Loye’s, Exeter:

contact Dr John P. Salvatore, Heritage Consultant

email johnpsalvatore@gmail.com

phone 01392 446739

publica- tion

Britannia vol 42, 2011

THE CARWYNNEN QUOIT PROJECT The Carwynnen Quoit is a dolmen, or table stone monument, in West Cornwall, not far from Cambourne. It is an example of a “Penwith Chamber Tomb”, and to the west of Carwynnen, there are several other examples of these late Neolithic/early Bronze Age burial chambers. Dating them is difficult, because

3

available to download.

for further information about the Carwynnen Quoit Project:

contact Pip Richards, The Sustainable Trust

web http://www.sustrust.co.uk/conser- vation.html

email pip.sustrust@gmail.com

The Carwynnen Quoit today, from http://www.sustrust.co.uk/ conservation.html

there are few dateable finds from the time of their earliest use, but most archaeologists agree that they were built during the Neolithic period, between 35000-2500BC, and possibly remained in use into the early Bronze Age.

The capstone of the quoit once stood on three supports and was 1.5m high. It collapsed in 1834, was rebuilt and then fell again in 1967. It has remained collapsed ever since. Originally the tomb was probably covered by an earth mound, but there is no trace of this today.

Royal Institute of Cornwall photo of Carwynnen Quoit in the 1930’s, from http://www.sustrust.co.uk/contact_us.html

The Quoit has now been bought by the Sustainable Trust with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and they are working with Cornwall’s Historic Environment Service and a team of volunteers to find out more about the site, with a view - eventually - to re-erecting the Quoit within a setting which is as close as possible to the way the area might have looked when the monument was first erected. At the same time a Writers’ Group is collecting stories and promoting creative writing, and an impressive education pack is

EXCAVATIONS AT DR JENNER’S HOUSE IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE

The Chantry in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, is the house that Edward Jenner owned from 1785 until his death in 1823. The house itself dates from the 1740s, but it is thought that there has been a building on this site since at least the Anglo-Saxon period. Today The Chantry is known as ‘the Birthplace of Vaccination’, but it is also significant as the focus for an extensive programme of archaeological excavations.

from http://www.jennermuseum.com/the-garden.html

In previous years, staff and students from the University of Bristol, led by Prof Mark Horton and Dr Stuart Prior, have found the ruins of a double Anglo-Saxon monastery, a Roman skeleton and some coins, and more recently evidence has been found for a Roman villa in the shape of post holes and rubbish pits, although the villa itself probably lies under the nearby village church. The is considerable evidence that building materials from the Anglo-Saxon site were re-used in the construction of the later castle, which is also covered by the wider project in Berkeley.

The relevant page of the website of the Bristol University Department of Archaeology and

4

Anthropology (see below) includes three films of the excavations, access to a number of reports in the Gloucestershire Gazette, and a link to a report in British Archaeology.

for further information about excavations in Berkeley:

contact Professor Mark Horton and Doctor Stuart Prior

address Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UU

phone 0117 954 6050

web www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/events/ berkeley.html www.jennermuseum.com

OPINION: THESE TESTING TIMES FOR COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE PUBLICITY

The Bristol University website mentioned in the previous item is an excellent example of the effective and imaginative use of modern media to disseminate the outcomes of research, but Ken Taylor of the Brislington Community Archaeology Project (Issue 7, Spring 2012, page 5) has some timely advice on the importance of publicity outside professional or academic circles.

In this difficult economic climate, (he writes) it increasingly falls to volunteers to help ensure our heritage is preserved where possible, and recorded where necessary. The role of amateur or community archaeological groups is therefore more important than ever. Traditional sources of funding are drying up, it is difficult to maintain current projects, let alone invest in exciting new ones, and so it becomes more and more difficult to attract new members. As a result the workload of existing members can become intolerable.

Word of mouth is the best form of recruitment, but it needs to be supplemented by effective publicity. It is not enough simply to put up posters advertising the next public meeting; there needs to be a coordinated campaign, designed to raise the

Photograph by Alison Davies of BCAP, in whose garden the excavation was taking place.

profile of local archaeology in general, and of the individual group in particular. The results of every research project, the findings of every excavation, should be published promptly: after all, the information belongs to the community, and can open a window onto a shared past, thereby revealing the present in a new light. The more people who are inspired to cherish the past, the more people will be drawn to participate in exploring their heritage. and thus to develop a sense of belonging. Local outlets range from parish magazines to newspapers and even radio stations, and all are constantly on the look out for human interest stories with a local dimension. If there’s a colourful photograph, so much the better, and even small items can help an editor fill an inconvenient gap in the layout. The secret is to plan ahead, and to decide what you want to publish, and when. Aim to make the media work for you, so don’t always rush to publish – you might choose to withhold a good story until you’re ready to use it to make a splash and publicise a major event, for example. In this way you can give your community the information it deserves, while providing your members with the kudos of having their work publicly recognised.

5

Sharing information in this way has the added benefit of helping to establish your reputation among neighbouring groups and professionals, and thus creating opportunities for networking and mutual assistance in these challenging times. But most of all, new members are more easily attracted to a group that is seen to be active, open, and fun to be part of. For some new members at least, their subsequent journey will be long and rewarding, carrying them far into the future where, hopefully, archaeology will not be a thing of the past.

for further information about the Brislington Community Archaeology Project, and about the ideas in this article:

contact Ken Taylor

email info@brislingtonarchaeology.org.uk

web www.brislingtonarchaeology.org.uk

for information about Ken Taylor’s new gaz- etteer of global archaeoastronomy, Celestial Geometry, contact Ken at

address 59 Hampstead Road, Bristol, BS4 3HW

email ken@wavewrights.com

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PETER ORLANDO HUTCHINSON

Peter Orlando Hutchinson was born in Winchester in 1810, but spent all his adult life in Sidmouth, where he pursued a very diverse range of interests. He was an artist, a musician and a stone carver; he developed expertise in the preservation of telegraph poles, but above all (from our specific point of view) he was a

Hutchinson’s painting of High Peak, prior to tree planting. From the Project’s Year 2 Progress Report at www.eastdevonaonb. org.uk/uploads/documents/conserve/Culture

passionate student of geology and archaeology, and a prolific recorder of all he saw and did in the thousands of pages of his diaries.

‘In the Footsteps of Peter Orlando Hutchinson’ is a community heritage project designed to raise awareness of landscape change, help conserve and enhance historic features and continue the legacy of volunteer study of, and involvement in, landscape heritage under the aegis of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. More specifically, the project will revisit many of the historic features of the landscape that Hutchinson recorded, such as hill forts, tumuli, medieval chapels, quarries and so on, with a view to their conservation, enhancement and interpretation and to encouraging members of the public to enjoy them more fully.

A fieldwalking exercise undertaken by POH Project volunteers in conjunction with the Branscombe Project. Source as above.

Volunteers have been making his drawings available on-line, transcribing his diaries into searchable Word documents and undertaking extensive field work, often using his watercolours to help interpret sites such as High Peak. Vegetation has been cleared from coastal and inland archaeological sites identified and described by Hutchinson, and fieldwalking exercises on Broad Down have established that there was a human presence in the West of England during a brief episode in out late glacial history. A number of activities are planned for Easter 2013, including the third and final Project Conference at Kennaway House. Entitled ‘Historical Landscape and Townscape Interpretation: the View from Sidmouth’, it

6

is taking place on Saturday 20 April 2013 archaeological field, including surveys of

for further information about low-cost air photograph mapping:

contact exeGesIS Spatial Data Management Ltd

address Great House Barn, New Street, Talgarth, Powys LD3 0AH

email xginfo@esdm.co.uk

phone 01874 711145

web www.esdm.co.uk

for further information about the POH Project, the activities taking place around Easter 2013 and the third project conference on 20 April:

contact Philippe Planel, Heritage Project Officer

address POH Project, East Devon AONB Partnership, East Devon Business Centre, Heathpark, Honiton EX14 1SF

email phil.planel@eastdevonaonb.org.uk

phone 01404 46663 or 07734 568987

web www.eastdevonoanb.org.uk

at Kennaway House, Sidmouth. The non- refundable booking fee is £12 per person. There will also be an Iron Age Day at Blackbury Camp, an exhibition of artefacts collected by Hutchinson and others at Sidmouth Museum and a production by Sidmouth Amateur Dramatic Society.

landscapes, detailed images of buildings and estates, and capturing images of digs. Prices start at £120 per square km, and up to 6 square kms can be surveyed in a working day.

SERVICES FOR LOCAL GROUPS 2: SHORT-RUN PUBLISHING

SERVICES FOR LOCAL GROUPS 1: LOW- COST AIR PHOTOGRAPH MAPPING

From http://www.esdm.co.uk/airphoto.asp.

ExeGesIS offer a low cost aerial photography service which uses a small, almost silent electronic plane (or rather an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to capture high resolution photographs. The plane is pre-programmed with a flight path and takes off, does its work and lands without further intervention. The company has worked for the National Trust, English Heritage, RSPB and many local authorities and charitable trusts, and its technology has many applications in the

Short Run Press is a family-run company of litho and digital printers and bookbinders based in Exeter. Although they have many years of experience, they make full use of the most modern technologies, and can provide a very wide range of services, from typesetting a hand-written manuscript at one extreme, to printing from a PDF received by email or scanning in an original text at the other.

for further information about short-run publishing:

contact Short Run Press Ltd

address Bittern Road, Sowton Industrial Estate, Exeter EX2 7LW

email info@shortrunpress.co.uk

phone 01392 211909

web www.shortrunpress.co.uk

DOWSING AND GEOPHYSICS IN MID- DEVON ACE Archaeology Club is based in Mid- Devon and is dedicated to investigating and

7

As dowsers look for walls, their findings are marked by pegs. Photo

Erica Williamson, ACE

protecting Devon’s archaeological heritage. The club is an active group of local people of all ages who are involved in a wide range of archaeological activities, covering the palaeolithic to more recent times, and encompassing surveying, experimental archaeology, field walking, excavation and archive research.

The Club provides opportunities to take part in practical and experimental archaeology, as well as tuition in relevant techniques such as surveying and recording. One such project took place at Moistown, Broadwoodkelly, which was a large holding in the medieval period, but which had fallen into decline by the 19th Century. The remaining buildings were demolished in the 1960’s.

In 2008 ACE was invited to show members of Broadwoodkelly History Society how to carry out an earthwork survey. Most of the site was covered with dense scrub, but gradually over the years, the scrub has been cleared to reveal substantial earthworks, and now an earthwork survey of the entire site is just about complete.

During the Festival of Old Technology and Archaeology at Pattiland Farm as part of the CBA’s Festival of Archaeology in 2011, Devon Dowsers were teaching people how to dowse. The new dowsers were then invited to apply their newly-acquired skills

in a grid set up within the earthworks at Moistown, their results being pegged and recorded. Interestingly, most of the new dowsers obtained rod reactions in the same places, so a Dowsing and Geophysics project was set up to look more closely at the phenomenon. Although dowsing has been used in archaeology for many years, it has always been a contentious subject, and consequentially few results are ever published. This spring a 40 x 7 metre grid was set up which ran through the most ephemeral part of the earthworks. Three dowsing sessions were held, during which members of ACE and Devon Dowsers “looked” for walls, with all the results being pegged and recorded by offset survey. Dr Penny Cunningham of Exeter University then helped ACE to carry out an earth resistance survey of the grid. The dowsing and earth resistance survey results are proving very interesting, in that some of the walls found by dowsing are in areas of high resistance. However, the only way to assess the potential benefits of dowsing (and of earth resistance, come to that!) in an archaeological context would be to to put in a trench or two, and this is what the club hopes to do next year. In the meantime an interim report will soon be posted on the ACE website in a downloadable PDF format.

The hardback volume is nicely produced

for further information about ACE and its dowsing and geophysics project:

contact Janet Daynes, Chair, ACE

email ace@acearch.org.uk

web www.acearch.org.uk

BOOK REVIEW 1: THE ROMAN VILLA AT BOX, BY MARK CORNEY

Image from http://www.boxparish.org.uk/villa/villa-home.htm

Mark Corney’s book brings together a story that has been gestating for many years. The villa at Box in Wiltshire is one of the most significant within the catchment area of the Roman city and spa of Bath, and an account which presents the evidence for both professional and lay audiences is long overdue.

Corney discusses the chequered history of the investigation and exploitation of the villa’s remains since their discovery in 1828, beginning with antiquarian and commercial interest in the 1830s, and culminating in today’s research and preservation efforts by local societies.

Whilst the main aim of the book is clearly to make this complex story available for the record within the public domain, it also caters for the intelligent lay person who may not be familiar with the background to the Roman occupation of Britain or the significance of villas. Individual chapters tackle the history of Roman Britain and its villas, while others place Box within the rural landscape, the wider economy and the Roman rural lifestyle.

with a range of black and white and colour illustrations and photographs. Apart from a few minor quibbles, like an image of what is clearly a calf that has been labelled as a pig (fig.68) and one map showing different types of settlement but no key to explain the symbols (fig.14), the book is an interesting and worthwhile read for those interested in life in the South West during Roman times.

(Caradoc Peters)

To order a copy of The Roman Villa at Box by Mark Coney for the KOBRA Trust:

price £9.95

ISBN 978-0-946418-93-0

BOOK REVIEW 2: CELTIC CORNWALL. NATION, TRADITION, INVENTION BY ALAN KENT

Image from http://www.halsgrove.com/proddetail. php?prod=9780857040787

Alan Kent’s book is designed to help people discover their own Celtic Cornwall, given how widely the definitions of what it means to be Celtic vary. Whether you, the reader are an empiricist, looking for hard facts about the archaeology and history of Cornwall, or a linguist, looking for literary and cultural sites associated with the Cornish language, or a traveller on a spiritual journey in search of Arthurian, Christian or Pagan places of pilgrimage, Kent’s new book can meet your needs.

The book starts with an explanatory chapter 8

9

outlining the different definitions of Celticity and their backgrounds. The rest of the book then operates as a gazetteer, taking each region of Cornwall in turn and providing information on the places to see and explore in that region. The different sorts of Celticity are indicated by colour coded dots, so that the reader may plan their visits according to their chosen theme.

Jan Beare’s illustrations are of the highest standard of clarity and composition, and are complemented by the overall quality of the book’s pages and binding; as a result the reading the book is a very pleasant experience. The only issue is whether one could bring oneself to bundle it up, take it into the countryside and risk soiling it.

(Caradoc Peters)

To order a copy of Celtic Cornwall. Nation, Tradition, Invention by Alan Kent, with Jan Beare

price £24.99

ISBN 978-0-857040-78-7

publisher Halsgrove Ltd, Halsgrove House, Bagley Road, Wellington TA21 9PZ

web http://www.halsgrove. com/proddetail. php?prod=9780857040787

phone 01823 653777

BOOK REVIEW 3: SHAPWICK AND WINSCOMBE: CONTRASTING COMMUNITIES IN THE SOMERSET LANDSCAPE BY MICK ASTON

This copiously illustrated booklet is an expanded version of the first Joseph Bettey lecture given by Mick Aston for Avon Local History and Archaeology in November 2011. In it Aston summarises his work on two Somerset parishes: Shapwick, in the centre of the county, where he was engaged for ten years; and Winscombe, beyond the Mendips in the north-west, where he is still working after four years.

Shapwick was historically a classic example of a closed settlement, dominated by one or two landlords; Winscombe on the other hand,

Image from http://www.avonlocalhistandarch.co.uk/Book%20 list%202.pdf

was of a more open kind, enjoying relative freedom. Both investigations employed a wide range of archaeological and historical methods and techniques, and both were inter-disciplinary in their approach. Even more significantly, both were characterised by the wholehearted and invaluable involvement of the communities involved. The findings are fascinating, not least because Shapwick’s field pattern may date back four thousand years, while Winscombe boasts the oldest inhabited building in Somerset. Much more significant, however, is the stark contrast between just about every aspect of the two parishes. Shapwick has had one main settlement and one major owner for most of its existence; it has focussed on arable agriculture, has been highly regulated, has no public houses and no religious non- conformity. It is extensively documented, and easy to communicate with. Winscomble, on the other hand, is largely pastoral in character, is made up of several hamlets, was subdivided into separate manors at the time of Domesday, was owned by largely absentee landlords, had no tradition of close organisation, had several beerhouses, and a tradition of non-conformity both in the religious and the social sense. All this is grist to the mill of your reviewer, whose PhD thesis was in precisely this topic of regional variation, but the booklet is also of enormous interest to the general reader. It shows just how versatile and ingenious the researcher has to be, faced with the serendipitous survival of evidence; it shows

10

how varied the English landscape can be within very small distances; and it shows how tenacious, deep-rooted and long-lasting these variations can be as they reach into the social, political and economic lives of the inhabitants. Above all it a testament to the warmth and humanity of its author, who vowed ‘never again’ after spending 20 years on Shapwick, but could not resist getting involved with another parish, and another local community, thereby acquiring even more new friends.

(Alan Lambourne)

To order a copy of Shapwick and Winscombe: Contrasting Communities in the Somerset Landscape by Mick Aston:

price £3.50

publisher ALHA Books, 43 Long Eaton Drive, Whitchurch Park, Bristol BS14 9AW

contact Mike Leigh, Business Manager

web www.avonlocalhistoryand arch. co.uk/info.html

THE POLTIMORE COMMUNITY AND LANDSCAPE PROJECT

Edmund Prideaux’s drawing of the north frontage of Poltimore House in the early 1700. From http://elac.ex.ac.uk/poltimore- landscapes/page.php?id=210.

The Poltimore Community and Landscape Project was an exciting collaborative venture between the Poltimore House Trust and the University of Exeter, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Between 2010 and 2012 a team of archaeologists and historians from the University worked in partnership with volunteers, school children, students and the local community to explore the fascinating landscape heritage of this special place. Poltimore House is a grand country residence and the centrepiece of one of Devon’s great estates, set in parkland and gardens that have been re-designed over the centuries. A Grade II* listed building of Tudor origin, the house has enormous architectural importance and was occupied by the Bampfylde family until 1921. In the 20th century the house was used as a girls’ school, then as a wartime refuge for Dover College, and finally as a hospital that became part of the Exeter Hospitals Group in 1963. Five hectares of the house’s surroundings are now owned by the Poltimore House Trust. The project investigated the evolution of Poltimore’s landscape over time, from prehistory to the present, but with particular emphasis on the 16th to 20th centuries. The research has highlighted the impact of changing tastes and aesthetic sensibilities on the design of a tract of Devon’s landscape, and explored how and why the landscape was transformed through the centuries. For example, the deer park grew from the Tudor period onwards, and roads were diverted and farms cleared to make way for it. The gardens were altered in line with changing fashion and taste, and in the process the house’s relationship with the village and church was also altered.

In order to explore these issues, the project

11

used a full range of archaeological and historical landscape research methods, including documentary research, geophysical surveys, fieldwalking, earthwork surveys, a tree survey, environmental sampling and test pitting in the environs of the house.

The Tithe Map for Poltimore Parish, 1838, fromhttp://elac. ex.ac.uk/poltimore-landscapes/page.php?id=231

Considerable emphasis was placed on providing opportunities for training in these techniques, and these were well attended by both volunteers and students. An unexpected but very welcome consequence of this training programme was that significant amounts of documentary research were undertaken by volunteers. Some project participants undertook specific projects on topics that interested them, including a review of nineteenth- and twentieth- century census data, a graveyard survey and an analysis of local newspaper references. As with the documentary research, some of the archaeological based workshops were requested by volunteers, including a find identification workshop, and others were led by specialists or students.

A number of volunteers presented their research results by means of imaginative

and informative displays at Poltimore House and elsewhere, and on the project’s website. In this way the outreach and training programme helped to develop skills and knowledge within the community, so that local people could continue to engage with their heritage beyond the scope of the funded project. Training workshops were also offered to schools, giving young people an opportunity to become aware of Poltimore House and garden and their multi- layered past, while presenting them with the additional challenge of addressing the long- term future of the house and gardens.

Pupils help with a resistivity survey on the lawn of Poltimore House. Image from http://elac.ex.ac.uk/poltimore-landscapes/ page.php?id=183

Overall, the fieldwork programme confirmed that a great deal of change had occurred in the gardens and the surrounding landscape. Although the more tangible changes took place from the mid-nineteenth century onwards, there are traces of much older features; these include the unexpected discovery of a double-ditched enclosure that hints at much earlier settlement, and newly identified traces of garden features to the west of the house. Furthermore, older features were clearly put to different uses, so that the Chinese water garden, once a place of quiet contemplation, became a swimming pool, while the earthen banks of the ornamental canal were incorporated into the design of the aviaries. The documentary research has helped to highlight the changing relationship between the elite core of mansion, gardens and park and the wider working vernacular world of farms, fields, routeways, the parish church and the village of Poltimore.

12

THE NATIONAL NEWS

Inevitably, there have been many changes at the national Council for British Archaeology, in response to the changes in their funding that we reported in the last issue (Issue 7, Spring 2012, page 7). A new staff team is now in place, relationships with the regional groups have been strengthened, and the ‘membership package’ is being enhanced by means of new and different publications and a redesigned website, at www.archaeologyUK. org. Despite all these changes, the 2012 Festival of British Archaeology was a great success, with a significant increase in the number of events over previous years, and good attendance figures despite some unhelpful weather. Two things deserve particular mention: firstly, great emphasis is being placed by CBA on the importance (for so many reasons) of encouraging young people to develop an interest in archaeology. This is a challenge to which we in the South West are responding, as will be clear from our Chair’s opening remarks on page 1 of this issue. The second item is the welcome news that the CBA’s application to extend its community archaeology bursaries has been approved by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This means that CBA will be able to support a further 24 bursary placements over the next two years, and to emply a full-time Training Co-ordinator for the project.

for further information about support from CBA for skills development and training:

Archaeological Consultancy Ltd (AC) was commissioned by Pre-Construct Archaeology on behalf of Pears Style Developments and David Ball Construction to undertake monitoring of parts of the Perran Foundry conversion (NGR SW 77639 38496). Part of the Cornwall Mining World Heritage Site, the Grade 2 and 2* Listed workshops date from the 18th-19th Century. Perran Foundry manufactured steam pumping engines and iron mining parts and is the most complete foundry of its date in Northern Europe. Established by the Fox family in 1791, it was owned by the Williams family 1858-1879 and was converted to a grain mill from the 1890s-1985, from which point it became increasingly derelict. Working in close collaboration with Dan Ratcliffe (Historic Environment, Advice, Cornwall Council), Archaeological Consultancy monitored the conversion of the slate, granite and concrete block built Hammer Mill, Smith’s Shop, Loam Moulding Shop and Old Office recorded on historic plans. They formed a linear block though only the north wall survived to the full length and almost its full height with some interior divisions. Careful planning and painstakingly engineered approach have enabled the original features, including the iconic iron arch, to take pride of place in the new building. Machine bases, tracks, possible brick leats and a possible stamp as well as metal debris were recorded inside. Foundation piling revealed the underlying alluvial stratigraphy and a substantial historic

for further information about the Poltimore Project:

contact Penny Cunningham

email p.m.cunningham@exeter.ac.uk

web www.poltimore-landscapes.org.uk www.poltimore.org

web http://new.archaeologyuk.org/skills- training-and-bursaries/

email webenquiry@archaeologyUK.org

phone 01904 671417

13

wooden pile, probably from a quay predating the foundry. Pre-Construct Archaeology has recently monitored service trenches through the Old Pattern Shop and Smith’s Shop, recording well-preserved evidence for these buildings and their former use in the foundry. The monitoring has demonstrated the considerable archaeological potential that still survives beneath the new development of the site. David Ball Construction Ltd have kindly facilitated and supported the archaeological works. Further information can be found on their website: http://www.davidballconstruction.co.uk/

Recording the foundation piling at the east end of the building

Holding back the mud to record possible machine bases

(Hayley Goacher BA (Hons) PIfA)

Letter to the Editor: The recording of a public underground air raid shelter and its subsequent destruction – A Students Point of View – Emma Collins This September saw the recording of a public underground air-raid shelter from the Second World War on Plymouth University’s campus prior to its destruction to make way for a new University building. The shelter was one of a number located on campus and situated not far from the Portland Square shelter which took a direct hit in April 1941 killing 76 of the people who were sheltering there at the time. Following its recording in September, a team of diggers then moved in, ripping out the entire shelter before filling in the hole which remained so that building works could begin, though at the time of writing this piece building works were still yet to commence. As a Plymouth University student, I find this entire thing hugely disheartening, surely the university could have found a way to preserve the shelter for future generations, a view shared by many, especially as its removal fell just prior to a public history conference attended by members of the university and which marked the opening of the Plymouth History Festival. A festival which aims to highlight the same local history which was ripped up by diggers, surely this shelter could have served as a focal point?

Unfortunately, students were not given the chance to look at the shelter, and many resorted to peering through holes in the fence or standing on the wall in an attempt to sneak a peek of the shelter, making this situation even sadder for many history students.

for further information about Perran Foundry monitoring work:

contact Hayley Goacher, Archaeological Consultancy Ltd

web www.archaeologicalconsultancy.com

Email enquiries@archaeologicalconsultancy.com

14

Mires on the Moors: The Exmoor and Dartmoor Mire Projects The Exmoor and Dartmoor Mires Projects (EMP and DMP respectively) are part of the Upstream Thinking initiative; a South West Water funded group of projects aimed at improving water quality in catchments and reducing treatment costs. On Exmoor recent human activity has resulted in the ongoing destruction of peatlands while on Dartmoor the sites proposed for restoration have suffered erosion largely caused by a range of human activities and wildfires. The common aim for both EMP and DMP is to reverse this trend. The result will be not only improved water quality at source, but a range of other benefits, including increased water storage and enhanced biodiversity on the moors. It is also hoped that restoration will lead to an increase in carbon retention in the bogs thereby reducing the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon retention, as well as water storage and quality changes, will be measured as part of the monitoring scheme managed by the University of Exeter on both Exmoor and Dartmoor. From an archaeological perspective, restoration of peat wetlands will enhance the preservation of a valuable palaeo-environmental resource and maintain the waterlogged anoxic conditions which promote the survival of archaeological materials not found on dry land sites. On Exmoor the main agent of peat degradation has been agricultural improvement. This was especially marked from the 19th century following the purchase of the Royal Forest of Exmoor from the Crown by a John Knight in 1820. This gentleman hailed from a wealthy family of Midlands ironmasters and was determined to transform the moorland of the former Royal Forest into a productive estate. Elsewhere on Exmoor, over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, others pursued similar endeavours, though on a smaller scale to John Knight and his son Frederic. One of the major techniques used to achieve this was the drainage of the moorland mires by digging networks of ditches to carry the water away. In many areas this has been effective in converting the land to permanent pasture, but extensive peatlands remain, many of which are damaged and deteriorating. Attempted

drainage in these areas has lead to a decrease in biodiversity and the dominance of purple moor grass which thrives on dry peatlands and provides poor grazing. With an overall budget of £2.5 million, EMP, a partnership led by South West Water and including Exmoor National Park, Natural England, Environment Agency and English Heritage, is aiming to restore a total of 2000 hectares of such areas of bog by 2015. This will be achieved by blocking drainage ditches, using either spoil cast up when the ditches were dug, or in combination with wooden dams and bales of moor grass. This has the effect of preventing or slowing the removal of water from the peat, promoting its wetness and regeneration. In order to facilitate its work, the project has commissioned an extensive LiDAR survey of Exmoor’s moorlands and its analysis by the University of Exeter. The resulting information has enhanced the survey of drainage ditches, hydrology and the archaeology of the restoration areas and will form an invaluable resource for future work. The DMP is a pilot project with a budget of £1.1 million and is delivered by a partnership led by Dartmoor National Park Authority and also comprising South West Water, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Duchy of Cornwall (landowner) and the Dartmoor Commoners Council. Additional advice is provided by an Advisory Group consisting of English Heritage, RSPB, MoD, Dartmoor Access Forum and the Forest of Dartmoor Commoners Association. Many of the sites selected for restoration during the life of the Mires project (2010-2015) are remote areas of deep blanket bog (2-7m deep) on the North Moor. To date, restoration work has been carried out at Winney’s Down in the Forest of Dartmoor. As previously mentioned the main agents of erosion are a range of human activity and wildfires, which have caused erosion gullies to form on the bog surface. The gullies channel water off the bog resulting in areas of bare peat and minimal or changed vegetation. The aim of the DMP is to reduce erosion by blocking eroding gullies and thus encouraging the regeneration of blanket bog. Wherever possible gullies are blocked using peat dams sourced from existing eroding peat islands found within the gullies. Although the work of both projects has long term benefits for the archaeological record,

15

there is also the potential for damage, both in the course of restoration work and subsequently, through the alteration of human and animal traffic patterns in and near restored areas which may cause erosion of archaeological features (Figure 1).

Figure 1: One of Exmoor’s diminutive standing stones on Wester

Emmetts near Simonsbath, emphasizing the fragility of some of

the archaeology within the mire restoration areas and their

vulnerability to damage.

Accordingly, the EMP project team includes a full time historic environment officer (HEO) (Dr. Lee Bray) whose role is to co-ordinate a programme of archaeological works aimed at fulfilling the project objective to protect the historic environment and enhance our knowledge of it. In the first instance this involves extensive survey in advance of restoration work aimed at gaining as full a record of the archaeology of affected areas as possible. This information augments that from the HER which informs and guides the development of restoration plans for each site and in turn is followed by close liaison with the personnel undertaking restoration on the ground. Additionally, a supporting programme of more detailed investigation is being undertaken which will focus on aspects of Exmoor’s archaeology most affected by mire restoration. Targets include peat cutting, landscape development and vegetation history which will be investigated using a wide range of techniques such as palaeoecological sampling, geophysical survey and targeted excavation. Although the EMP historic environment programme is still in its early stages, valuable information has already been generated by survey including the identification of previously unknown features ranging from post-medieval mining remains to possible prehistoric barrows and standing

stones. The coming years will see more new discoveries and increased understanding of some of Exmoor’s most significant archaeology. Similarly, the DMP project employs a part-time historic environment officer (Nicola Rohan) whose main responsibility is to provide specialist archaeological advice to project staff and contractors, carry out extensive field and desk-based assessments of the restoration sites and monitor the implementation of restoration works (Figure 2) to ensure that historic environment and palaeoecological resources are a primary consideration at all stages of the project.

Figure 2: Archaeological monitoring of mire restoration in

progress on Winney’s Down, Dartmoor.

Archaeological watching briefs will be carried out for all restoration works and MoD unexploded ordnance survey of restoration sites. Additional specialist archaeological and palaeoecological survey work including GPR survey of proposed restoration sites have already been undertaken. This work, carried out by Dr. Ralph Fyfe, has provided valuable information relating to previously unknown peat depths and evidence for human activity in the palaeoecological record. The work also examined and dated the onset of peat development on proposed restoration sites which ,according to this recent research began in the Early Mesolithic and continued until the Early Bronze Age (Ralph Fyfe, pers. comm.) An archaeological and historical investigation of domestic and industrial peat cutting on northern Dartmoor, carried out by Dr. Phil Newman, has provided the most recent and extensive study on peat cutting on Dartmoor and highlights areas for future research. This seminal study utilised LiDAR data as the basis for mapping, which was supplemented by field

16

survey. It identified numerous previously

CHAIR Caradoc Peters

email caradocp@gmail.com

address 44 Berkeley Cottages, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 2BN

phone 01326 312511

TREASURER Matt Mossop

email m.mossop@archaeologicalcon- sultancy.com

address Goodagrane, Halvasso, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9BX

phone 01326 341061

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Sandy Colby

email sandy.colby@virgin.net

address 4 Ambion Rise, Market Bos- worth, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV13 0NY

phone 01455 290271

for further information about the Exmoor and Dartmoor Mires Projects

Project: Contact L.S. Bray & N. Rohan

Email lsbray@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

nrohan@dartmoor.gov.uk

Web www.exmoormires.org.uk/ www.dartmoormiresproject.gov.uk

survey. It identified numerous previously unknown features associated with peat cutting in addition to augmenting the archaeological record with documentary evidence. Two of the reports are currently available to download on the DMP website, while Dr. Fyfe’s most recent survey will be added shortly (www.dartmoormiresproject.gov.uk). The Mires on the Moors projects are still in their initial stages and no doubt will bring to light new and exciting discoveries as the projects progress. L. S. Bray and N. Rohan April 2012

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cbasw/ or www.cbasw.org

Upcoming Events

Saturday the 26th of January 2013 The first annual Tony Blackman Memorial Lecture in support of the Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) will be held in the Archaeology Dept. of Bristol University at 10:30 am. Tony Blackman was a founding organiser of the YAC who died in 2012. The lecture will be given by Peter Herring of English Heritage Address of venue: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Bristol 43 Woodland Road Bristol BS8 1UU

Saturday the 11th of May 2013 at 10:30 am Our CBA South West Annual General Meeting at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Guest Speakers: John Allen, Exeter Cathedral and Glastonbury Abbey Archaeologist – Bretons in 15th and 16th century Cornwall and Devon Lorna Richardson, University College, London – How to use Social Media in Archaeology Friday the 17th of May to Sunday the 19th of May 2013 CBA South West and CBA Wessex Joint Weekend Event – to be held at various venues in West Cornwall Details in the next issue of the newsletter