Issue Number 006

April 2008

Regional Museums re-open after face lifts:

Work to extend the Museum of Cannock Chase has finished after six months and will be re- opening to the public in the spring. The work has been carried out as

part of the £1.9 million Chase Heritage Trail project and includes a new reception area, tourist information

area, shop, local history gallery and a second gallery for temporary displays. When completed, the Chase

Heritage Trail will be ten-mile route through the district for walkers and cyclists.

Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre has recently re-opened and brand new Heritage Lottery Fund

supported displays and exhibitions are on show. There

are a variety of educational resources; including the

forthcoming ‘Towpath of Time’ Teachers Resource Pack for Key Stage 2 and 3 History and Geography Modules,

and school visits are welcomed. They organise a lively programme of events throughout the year, and run

holiday workshops for children. Pre booked guided

walks for groups are available at a small charge. Open

10-3 every day (apart from Monday and Saturday) Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, B66 1BA. Tel: 0121 558

8195.

Successful Heritage Lottery Award for Worcestershire Young Archaeologists!

The Worcestershire Young Archaeologists’ Club (WYAC) are delighted to announce an award of nearly

£50,000 by the Heritage Lottery Fund ‘Your Heritage’ to their first ever community project.

Story continues

over page……….

Successful Heritage Lottery Award for Worcestershire Young Archaeologists! The sum of £49,900 was awarded to the Northwick Manor Community Heritage Project in January and will enable various initiatives to take place over its duration (running from April 2008 to April 2010). The project is designed to

engage and inspire local people of all ages, through the historic landscape, archaeology and natural environment of Northwick and Bevere, part of the northern suburb of Worcester. The area forms part of the ancient Manor of

Northwick and includes the site of a medieval moated palace belonging to the Bishops of Worcester, an early river

crossing and trading wharf, post-medieval brickyards, existing medieval fishponds and many other sites and buildings

of interest. Also part of the project’s focus is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), an area of species-rich marshland where clay-extraction has left its mark on the landscape. WYAC will be supported by a variety of partner

organisations including Worcester City Museum Archaeology Section, Worcestershire Historic Environment and

Archaeology Service, Worcester City Parks Department, Worcestershire Record Office, the Portable Antiquities Scheme and the University of Worcester.

Activities will include community events, workshops, walks and talks on local history, natural history and how to do

historical research, as well as archaeological fieldwork and building recording. Local schools will be participating in various exciting history and art projects alongside their own artist in residence. The project will record memories of

the Northwick area, as well as any photographs or even finds that local people may have from their gardens, and there will also be art and photography competitions – open to all. An important aspect of the project will be the

conservation of the superb but fragile 18th-century John Doharty map of the Manor of Claines. All of these activities

will feed in to the creation of a circular ‘Heritage Trail’ from Northwick along the River Severn to Bevere, featuring

interpretation boards (designed by students in consultation with the community), historic reconstruction and wildlife illustrations. There will also be project web pages with downloadable trail guides and reports, and a booklet on the

history of the area will be produced in conclusion of the project, drawing on the research gathered by local people.

The project was partly inspired by the work undertaken by a particularly keen group of young archaeologists from the

club, who designed their own monument trail for Northwick as part of the national ‘Young Archaeologist of the Year

Award’ and were highly commended for their entry. This can be viewed on the national YAC website at:

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/yac/WYAC.pdf. Congratulations are due to Charlotte Arthur, Tristan Bond, Sam Brookes, Nathan Hazlehurst, Edward Jenkins and Oliver Pike, all of whom gave up many hours of their time after school and at

weekends to complete a fantastic piece of work.

If you would like to find out more about the project, please contact the project co-ordinators: Sheena Payne spayne@worcester.gov.uk and Deborah Overton doverton@worcestershire.gov.uk 01905 721133/

855494. Postal address: Worcester City Museum Archaeology Section, 26 The Butts, Worcester WR1 2HU

Birmingham’s Young Archaeologists Club (BYAC)

BYAC is currently looking for new members and adults to become helpers at meetings. We’re a vibrant quirky bunch who really enjoy our sessions and are seeking similar to help spread the fun! Our meetings are usually on the last Saturday of the month from 10.30-12.30 (sometimes a little longer). If you’re interested in joining us then please contact Kirsty (K.L.Nichol@bham.ac.uk, 0121 414 5513) or Juliet (jporters@tiscali.co.uk) for more info! Forthcoming programme:

31st May 2008 – Historic Kings Norton: Final part of our Restoration project

28th June 2008 - Finds Drawing Session in conjunction with the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

13th July 2008 (Sunday) - National Archaeology Week event at Weoley Castle Ruins, in conjunction with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

August - No meeting in August due to the summer holiday

27th September 2008 - Cemetery visit (details to be confirmed)

18th October 2008 - Pollen and Environmental Archaeology

22nd November 2008 - Visit to the Lapworth Museum

13th December 2008 - Glyphs, Ciphers and Enigma - Breaking the Codes of History at Birmingham Archaeology

NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY WEEK The first National Archaeology Day was held in 1990 with a total of ten events. Initially it was linked in

with European Heritage Days in September of each year, but feedback from participants led to a

separation from EHD and a move to July to make the most of the fieldwork opportunities and to gain

maximum publicity. Popularity increased and by 2003 it had become a weekend event with 195 events

around the country. A further increase to 232 events in 2004 led to the first nine-day National

Archaeology Week being held in July 2005. This expansion resulted in a 34% increase in participation of

event venues. A total of 337 events were registered for NAW 2006 and a record 430 events took place in

2007

NAW is a nine day event, taking place mainly across England and Wales. It is coordinated each year by

the Council for British Archaeology, and supported by English Heritage and Towergate Risk Solutions.

NAW is entirely reliant on the participation of groups, societies and organisations around the country. The

intention is that this high profile flagship event should continue to grow and become firmly embedded in

the national consciousness.

The aim of this annual event is to encourage everyone, especially young people and their families, to visit

sites of archaeological/historical interest or museums/heritage and resource centres, to see archaeology

in action and to take part in activities on-site

Relating back to CBA’s own goal of ‘archaeology for all’, we aim to enhance the event to encourage more

venues to take part, reaching all parts of society, right across England, Wales and Northern Ireland,

thereby creating a higher public profile for archaeology and its benefits to the nation’s quality of life.

All organisations are welcome to register an event for National Archaeology Week. You can put on any

event you like – lectures, guided tours, excavations, open days, hands-on activities – it is entirely up to

you to decide how you would like to get people involved.

The CBA co-ordinates the whole event by ensuring that all events are registered. Once we have all the

details of the events, we produce a National Events guide covering all registered events. This is

distributed through event organisers and Tourist Information Centres and is also included with June issues

of British Archaeology and Young Archaeologist Club magazines. We also produce a variety of sizes of

posters which are available to event organizers, so that they can add their event details and publicize

their event(s) locally. All event details are also posted on the NAW pages of the CBA website. In the

months leading up to NAW we also gain national media coverage and there is normally a high profile

event to help officially launch the week.

CBAWM Education Day 2008

Educational Resources for Archaeology and History and their Applications

Date: Saturday 17th May 2008 Time: 10.00am – 4.00 pm Venue: Birmingham Archaeology Cost: £5 (includes lunch & refreshments) Numbers: Maximum 30 participants

Provisional Programme

10.00: Welcome and housekeeping

10.10: The role of archaeology in the National Curriculum

10.30: Archaeology and the new public examinations

10.50: Further and Higher Education

11.10: Coffee

11.30: Lifelong learning

11.50: The Portable Antiquities Scheme

12.10: What museums have to offer

12.30: Plenary

13.00: Lunch

13.45: Workshop 1 – What’s in a building?

14.15: Workshop 2 – Drawing and photographing artefacts

Part I

15.00: Coffee

15.15: Workshop 3 – Drawing and photographing artefacts

Part II

15.45: Workshop 4 – Using education packs and developing resources from other materials

16.15: Closing Remarks

Contributors include:

Dr. Amanda Forster, Ailyse Hancocks, Dr. John Hunt, Shelagh Lewis, Kirsty Nichol, Dr. Roger White

I/we wish to book……….places on the CBAWM Education Day Name…………………………………………………………………………………………… Address………………………………………………………………………………………….. Tel:………………………………………………Email………………………………………… Special dietary requirements………………………………………………………………

Please return to: CBAWM, P.O Box 14268, Sutton Coldfield, B73 9NR

With a cheque in sum of £5.00 made out to CBAWM (Please mark your envelope “Education Day”)

Old Oswestry Iron Age Hillfort

“This magnificent fortress, the outstanding work of (its) type on the Marches of Wales”

(Sir Cyril Fox, 1934)

Old Oswestry (NGR: SJ 295310) lies about 1.2km north of Oswestry town centre. It enjoys spectacular

views and its magnificent and complex defences more than compensate for its relatively low-lying position

at only 160m above sea level.

Approximately 6ha is enclosed by a series of banks and ditches broken by two entrances – one facing

east, the other west. Around most of the perimeter these banks and ditches number five but, at the

western side, they increase to seven. Both entrances are heavily defended but that on the west is

particularly remarkable. A 20m wide banked and sunken roadway climbs the hill and, on either side between the 3rd and 4th ramparts, is a series of deep, roughly rectangular hollows– those north of the

roadway being much more substantial than those to the south. No other hillfort has these features and

their purpose remains unknown – suggestions include water-tanks, stockpens, storage pits and defensive

additions. We will probably never be sure but their presence helps to mark out Old Oswestry as one of

the finest monuments of its kind in Britain.

Excavations in 1939-40 showed human activity on the hilltop from as early as the Neolithic period – albeit

only in the form of a couple of polished stone axes and a few flints. The earliest known building there

took place in the Late Bronze Age (shortly after 1,000 BC) and the site remained occupied and was

constantly remodelled until the time of the Roman conquest. Later, the great earthwork (by then

abandoned) was included in the line of Wat’s Dyke, an 8th century linear earthwork, whose line partly

overlaps that of the more famous Offa’s Dyke. Old Oswestry saw active service again during World War I when it was used for troop training during which the (locally-born) poet Wilfred Owen was involved in

some of the exercises.

Today, Old Oswestry is a haven of peace and quiet, home to a fine range of seasonal wildlife, a source of

splendid views in all directions and a popular destination for local families and dog-walkers.

Oswestry Borough Council has received a series of grants to improve access and interpretation at the site

and is working closely with English Heritage on a programme of improvements. A new landscape survey

of the site has recently been completed and work on improved physical access, signage and interpretation

is well underway. An Old Oswestry Educational CD-ROM, aimed at KS2 children, will be available in late

Spring 2008.

During National Archaeology Week, Old Oswestry Hillfort Festival will be held between 11.00 am and

4.00 pm on Saturday 19th July when a programme of guided walks, demonstrations and family-orientated

activities will take place on the Llwyn Recreation Ground next to the hillfort. On Saturday 25th October

there will be a round-up of this year’s progress at the site in the form of a seminar covering Life and Death in the Iron Age Communities of the Northern Marches at The Marches School, Oswestry from

10.30 – 4.00.

For further information please contact: Maggie Rowlands at Oswestry Borough Council on

01691 670985 or

Margaret.rowlands@oswestry-bc.gov.uk

Excavations fact sheet

The CBA has a free fact sheet covering Everything you always wanted to know about archaeological excavations but were afraid to ask. Copies can be obtained from CBA, St Mary's

House, 66 Bootham, York YO30 7BZ, tel 01904 671417, or can be downloaded from www.britarch.ac.uk/cba/factshts.html.

Discover Archaeology LIVE!

The UK's Biggest History Exhibition is getting bigger!

2–4 May 2008, Olympia, London

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL OFFER FROM THE CBA: BUY 2 TICKETS FOR £20!

(Usual price £18 each in advance, £20 each on the door 6-15 year olds are just £5!!)

Discover Archaeology LIVE, is supported by the CBA and YAC, and will bring archaeologists and heritage organisations together under one roof in a taster event for National Archaeology Week,

which will appeal to everyone. For the main attraction, the CBA is proud to present an exciting

and comprehensive programme of presentations on archaeology, running throughout the weekend in the CBA Theatre. The programme will host an array of leading UK archaeologists

and experts who will be presenting fascinating talks on a huge range of popular topics in British

archaeology.

The event will be brimming with the country's leading family history experts from The Society of Genealogists and The National Archives, who will be offering one-to-one advice sessions and a

comprehensive workshop programme aimed at newcomers as well as seasoned researchers.

Visitors will be able to delve into a wide variety of historical periods and themes which will enrich their understanding of how their ancestors used to live with new show areas including Military

History LIVE.

Military History LIVE is London's new military event – Join Peter and Dan Snow as

they deliver what promises to be a gripping re-telling of the Battle of Amiens, the battle

that turned the tide on the western front in

WW1 in the summer of 1918 and The Battle

of Britain, the two months of life or death struggle between two thousand pilots in

Britain's RAF and the might of Hitler's

Luftwaffe. 2008 is a landmark year in military history with the 90th year

anniversaries of the end of WW1 and the

formation of the RAF, both of which will be aptly marked and commemorated by the

father and son duo in The Battle Theatre

supported by The History Channel.

Family historians and military history

enthusiasts alike will be able to participate in war-gaming contests, see displays of military

vehicles, pick up military memorabilia, witness re-enactors depicting scenes of

military life, find information on military ancestors and grasp the conditions in which they fought for their country.

To take up this fantastic offer, simply call 0870 230 1091 or visit www.discoverarchaeologylive.co.uk and quote CBA241

Archaeology in Birmingham

Prehistoric Bournville

Observations on a pipeline trench near the Bronze Age burnt mound at Bournville Lane revealed features that may be

contemporary with the burnt mound. These consisted of a shallow hollow filled with heat-shattered stones like those in the burnt mound, and a small pit containing charcoal and 22 pieces of prehistoric pottery, from at least two

decorated vessels. This is the first time that other features have been found near a Birmingham burnt mound, and the first time that Bronze Age pottery has been found in the city.

Medieval hamlets

The present Pool Hall, near the city boundary and in the medieval hamlet of Over Green, is a 19th century building, but Pool Hall was first mentioned in the 17th century. It may originally have been moated. Excavations in advance of

construction of an extension revealed that the present building overlay a medieval building, whose remains consisted of the dressed sandstone footing for a timber-framed wall. A ditch, presumably a field or property boundary, ran up to

the wall footing. Historic Industries in the City Centre Excavations in the city centre have revealed remains of medieval and post-medieval industries. In Digbeth there were

leather tanning pits and lime storage pits. At the Coach Station cattle horn cores also suggested tanning, dated by associated pottery to the late 17th or 18th centuries, and there was also waste from bone working, probably the

production of knife handles. Close to the River Rea, a large pit might also have been used for tanning but it could

have been used for processing hemp or flax. Seeds of both of these plants have been found elsewhere on this site. Pumping Stations and Glassworks Excavations near Ashted Circus on the edge of the city

centre revealed well-preserved remains of the Ashted Pumping Station, which contained a Boulton and Watt

steam engine and was built in 1812 to recirculate water up the flight of six locks on the Digbeth Branch

Canal. near Ashted Locks. The outer walls of the

pumping station survive to height of nearly two metres

and the internal details include the pump shaft, sandstone slabs which held the support for the

engine’s beam, and a pit which held the engine’s condenser tank. The steam engine here was bought by

Henry Ford in 1928, and is on display in his museum in

Dearborn near Detroit in the United States. Installation drawings and notes of the engine survive in the

Boulton and Watt archive held by the City Council. The remains of the pumping station will be preserved in

the new development.

The Belmont Row Glassworks is first recorded in 1806, as a china, glass and earthenware manufactory. Two glass

cones are shown here on a map of about 1855. Excavations revealed a circular structure in a different location to

these two. It may have been an earlier glass cone which had never been used or collapsed because of poor construction, or alternatively may have been a pottery kiln. Walls of other glassworks buildings were built on top of it.

The Belmont Glassworks was established in 1812. Excavations revealed only fragmentary remains of buildings, but several crucibles containing glassmaking residues were found.

Initial excavations at the Soho Glassworks in Hockley showed that, as anticipated, remains of the cone survived, and

there were also remains of some of the surrounding buildings. Further more extensive excavations will precede development of the site.

Read more about Birmingham’s Archaeology at www.birmingham.gov.uk/archaeology which is frequently updated

CONFERENCES Symposium on Roman Mosaics 13.6.08-15.6.08

Summer symposium from the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics (ASPROM).

Held at Chichester and Fishbourne Roman Palace. Programme of talks and visits to be arranged. Includes

Roman banquet! Early accommodation booking advised as the symposium coincides with Goodwood. The

group hotel is the Chichester Park Hotel, Westhampnett, Chichester PO19 7QL, tel 01243 786351, email

info@chichesterparkhotel.com, web www.chichesterparkhotel.com. Room prices: B&B for two, one night

£85 (three nights + £75); single £75 per night, dinner (book in advance) £15. Quote ASPROM 310 when

booking. Please note change in contact details, February 2008. For more information contact Dr Janet

Huskinson at Hon Secretary, Department of Classical Studies, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton

Keynes MK7 6AA, email honsec@asprom.org, web www.asprom.org/news/. The cost is £tba.

The Bayeux Tapestry 15.7.08-16.7.08

The Bayeux Tapestry has attained near iconic status. Although extremely well known, because it depicts

one of the most famous events in English history and the subject of numerous studies, many aspects of

the Tapestry remain contentious - even enigmatic. In recent years there has been increased interest in

the Tapestry and further advances in our understanding of it, with scholars examining how, where and

why it was made, questioning its reliability and value as a historical source, and excavating its hidden

meanings.The purpose of this conference is to highlight recent and new research on the Tapestry, and to

disseminate those findings to a wider audience, in the hope of furthering discussion, debate and the

sharing of ideas about this unique textile. For more information contact Dr Michael Lewis at Deputy Head,

Department of Portable Antiquities & Treasure, British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, email

mlewis@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk. The cost is £10 per day or £15 for both.

Association for Industrial Archaeology 2008 22.08.08-18.08.08

Annual conference of Association for Industrial Archaeology, held at Lackham near Chippenham, Wiltshire.

A seminar ‘Modern Military Matters’ precedes the main conference, followed by field visits and evening

lectures after the weekend. Residential or non-residential options available. For more information contact

James Gardiner at AIA Liaison Officer, School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester,

Leicester LE1 7RH, tel 0116 252 5337, email AIA@le.ac.uk, web www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk.

Arts and Crafts in the Mead Hall: the Roots of English Culture 25.10.08

The Sutton Hoo Society day conference, held at Woodbridge School Conference Centre, Woodbridge,

Suffolk. Speakers and further details to follow. Email Society with full postal address. The site of Sutton

Hoo is owned by The National Trust. For more information contact Lindsay Lee at Chair, Sutton Hoo

Society, c/o Membership Secretary, 32 Mariners Way, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5QH, email info@suttonhoo.org, web www.suttonhoo.org. The cost is £tbc.

Forthcoming Conferences in the Region

Ground Probing Radar 2008 16.06.08-19.06.08

The Twelfth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar will be held at the University of

Birmingham. Participants will enjoy an exciting journey through a wide range of applications, beginning at

their front door with utility detection, moving through many infrastructure areas to the environment,

ancient and modern, with archaeology and issues of major "green concern", for example glaciology in

polar regions, hydrogeology, geology and sedimentology. The journey concludes with sub-surface

investigations on the Moon and Mars. For more information contact the organisers at GPR2008

Conference, Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham

B15 2TT, email submissions@gpr2008.org.uk, web www.gpr2008.org.uk.

CALLING ALL DIGGERS…..

Archaeology Abroad

Archaeology Abroad provides information about archaeological excavation and field school opportunities outside the

UK suitable for all pockets and levels of experience. The Archaeology Abroad bulletin is published annually in spring on CD-ROM, an interactive format which enables readers to access additional information about projects and other

information listed via live email and web links. The annual bulletin is supplemented throughout the year by Email Updates, keeping subscribers fully up to date with all the latest opportunities. An annual subscription can be obtained

from the Honorary Secretary, Archaeology Abroad, 31–34 Gordon Square, London WC1H OPY, fax 020 8537 0849, or via the CBA Online Shop at: www.britach.ac.uk/shop, email arch.abroad@ucl.ac.uk, web

www.britarch.ac.uk/archabroad.

Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin 2008

The Archaeological Institute of America annual bulletin of worldwide archaeological fieldwork opportunities is also

searchable online at www.archaeological.org. The 'AFOB 2008' issue is out now and priced £14.95 and can be

obtained from Oxbow Books Ltd, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW, tel 01865 241249, fax 01865 794449,

email oxbow@oxbowbooks.com, web www.oxbowbooks.com.

Past Horizons

From BAJR (British Archaeological Jobs Resource) comes Past Horizons – bringing free access to all and over 400 sites

across the world, from training to paid. It is updated weekly, and has additional expert information and a blog which

highlights current conferences, funding and volunteer opportunities. Contact via email info@pasthorizons.com, web www.pasthorizons.com.

Special Offer BOOKS from the CBA

Women in Roman Britain: up-dated edition by Lindsay Allason-Jones ISBN 1 902771 43 5, 200pp, fully illustrated throughout, paperback, SPECIAL OFFER: £10 (was £14.95)

Prehistoric Intertidal Archaeology in the Welsh Severn Esturary

by Martin Bell, Astrid Cadeldine & Heike Neuman RR120, ISBN 1 872414 11 7, 412pp, illus, CD-ROM, 2000 Special Offer: £10 (was £15)

Medieval Glass Vessels Found in England cAD1200–1500 by Rachel Tyson RR121, ISBN 1 902771 12 5, 220pp, 38 illus (2 colour), 2000, SPECIAL OFFER: £15 (was £28, then £22)

Archaeology and Conservation in Ironbridge

by Richard Hayman, Wendy Horton & Shelley White RR123, ISBN 1 902771 05 2, 1999, 220pp, 172 illus, SPECIAL OFFER: £10 (was £28, then £15)

Roman Alcester Volume 3: northern extramural area

by Paul Booth & Jeremy Evans RR127, ISBN 1 902771 22 2, 177 figs, 28 plates, microfiche, March 2002, SPECIAL OFFER: £15 (was £25)

Early post-medieval vessel glass in England: c. 1500-1670

by Hugh Willmott RR132, ISBN 1 902771 29 X, 230pp, 169 figs, 12 plates, August 2002, SPECIAL OFFER: £20 (was £30)

Roman samian pottery in Britain

by Peter Webster PH13, ISBN 1 872414 56 7, 1996, SPECIAL OFFER: £4 (was £8.50, then £7)

Town and country in England: frameworks for archaeological research

by Dominic Perring RR134, ISBN 1 902771 32 X, 156pp, 10 figs, January 2003, £10 (was £20.00)

Pre-publication Offers…...

Human remains in archaeology: A handbook by Charlotte A Roberts CBA Practical Handbook 19, ISBN: 978 1

902771 75 5, 200pp, 121 illus incl colour, July 2008, Pre-publication offer price £14

'Lepers outside the gate': Excavations at the cemetery of the Hospital of St James and St Mary

Magdalene, Chichester, 1986–93 edited by John Magilton, Frances Lee and Anthea Boylston CBA Research Report 158, ISBN: 978 1 902771 74 8, 312pp plus CD, 204

illus incl colour, July 2008, Price £40, Pre-publication offer price £32

Buy online at:http://www.britarch.ac.uk/pubs/special.html Telephone Central Books Ltd. with your order and credit card details on 0845 4589910.

Send cheque made payable to "Central Books Ltd" to Central Books, 99 Wallis Road, London, E9 5LN

Please add 20% of the list price to cover postage, with a minimum postage cost of £1.50 and a maximum of £10.

Events and Day Schools: Saturday 10th May-Sunday 11th May Wednesbury History Society invite you to their History Fair at Wednesbury Museum (opposite the New Morrisons) 11am-4pm. The Society will be laying on special displays from recent excavations in their locale.

Saturday 17th

May CBA West Mids Education Day, Birmingham Archaeology, University of Birmingham (see larger advert elsewhere in this newsletter)

Monday 26th May Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s central stores –the Museum Collections Centre (or MCC) – will be opening their doors to the public. The MCC is located on Dollman Street, off Erskine Street, near Duddeston Station.

Saturday 31st

May Birmingham’s Medieval Churches and their Changing communities - Jim Melling. Day School 10am-4.40pm £32. Orchard Learning Resource Centre, Univeristy of Birmingham, Selly Oak Campus Contact Sandra Ilott Selly Oak Campus, Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL, Tel 0121 414 3347 E-mail:s.e.ilott@bham.ac.uk

Saturday 14

th June

Birmingham’s Medieval Churches and their Changing communities - Jim Melling. Coach Trip 10am-4.40pm £38. Contact Sandra Ilott Selly Oak Campus, Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL, Tel 0121 414 3347 E-mail:s.e.ilott@bham.ac.uk

1st-26th July Wednesbury History Society invite you to their major exhibition at Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery. Wednesday 2

nd July

Rural Buildings and Riverside Towns - Tutor and Guide: Peter Leather - 9.30am-6.30pm £42 includes coach and entrance to Avoncroft. Contact Sandra Ilott Selly Oak Campus, Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL, Tel 0121 414 3347 E-mail:s.e.ilott@bham.ac.uk

12th-20th July NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY WEEK 12

th July

Hidden Arts and Crafts: Wightwick Manor - Speaker and Guide: Sally Hoban - 10.00am-5.00pm £42 (incs refreshments, lunch and coach). Contact Sandra Ilott Selly Oak Campus, Weoley Park Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham B29 6LL, Tel 0121 414 3347 E-mail: s.e.ilott@bham.ac.uk Sunday 13

th July

Open Day at Weoley Castle Ruins – Alwold Road, Weoley Castle, FREE Tours, Chivalric Displays, Activities and Family Fun 11am-3pm. Saturday 19

th July

Old Oswestry Hillfort Festival 11.00 am-4.00 pm Programme of guided walks, demonstrations and family-orientated activities will take place on the Llwyn Recreation Ground next to the hillfort.

Important Announcements from CBA West Midlands

We are currently working on our NEW WEBSITE which will ‘go live’ shortly at:

www.britarch.ac.uk/cbawm/

Members are invited to email postings and comments to:

cbawm@britarch.ac.uk

We would also like to offer you the opportunity of receiving the newsletter digitally in its full technicolour glory.

If you would prefer to receive the newsletter by email rather than post please email Kirsty at

K.L.Nichol@bham.ac.uk to let us know.

Official Notification of the CBA West Midlands Annual General Meeting,

Saturday, July 5th

2008.

This year’s A.G.M will be held on the 5th July 2008 in the John O’Leary Centre at Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, Marquis Drive, Hednesford, Cannock,

Staffordshire, WS12 4PW.

The Business Meeting will take place from 11.00am to 12.00 noon, and will be followed with a talk by Stephen Dean, Staffordshire County Council’s Principal Archaeologist, who will outline recent work in the county. After the lunch break Stephen will take us to look at some aspects of the work that has recently been

undertaken on the military camps located on Cannock Chase, associated particularly with the First World War. These sites have presented both

archaeological and curatorial challenges that will be discussed.

Attendees should make their own arrangements for lunch. There is a café at the Visitor Centre, and other options in the vicinity.

To help us plan for this event, and particularly for the afternoon visit, please confirm your attendance (including the numbers in your party if appropriate) with either the Secretary at PO Box 14268, Sutton Coldfield, B73 9NR, or with the Chairman via J.R.Hunt@bham.ac.uk, not later than Monday, June 23rd, 2008.

After several years of dedication and extremely hard work it is with regret that John Hemingway has stepped down from the CBA West Midlands Regional Group Committee. John has been instrumental in organising our flag ship ‘News From the Past’ Day School for many years and we shall miss his stories, interest and

great sense of humour! As at the end of every year, all committee positions become vacant. While the

Committee will present recommendations to the meeting, this is also the opportunity for members to review the membership of their committee and

propose either additional or alternative candidates. New applications are always very welcome and anyone who is interested is encouraged to apply. All elections are subject to a vote at the AGM, irrespective of whether or not a committee place is contested. If you would like to nominate a candidate (having secured their agreement), please notify the Secretary at PO Box 14268, Sutton Coldfield,

B73 9NR, not later than Monday June 23rd, 2008.

CBA West Midlands is a Registered Charity No. 512717

Council for British

Archaeology

Chairman: John Hunt 01782 280382

Vice-Chairman: Mike Hodder 0121 464 7797

Secretary: Juliet Porter 0121 355 0687

Treasurer: Penny Ward 01743 252558

Membership: John Haslam 02476 672589

WMA Editor: Sheena Payne 01905 721133

Education Liaison: Shelagh Lewis 01952 680278

Newsletter Simon Cooper 01562 824294

e-mail simoncooper8@yahoo.co.uk