Behind the Scenes Tour: Saturday 3rd February 2.30pm.
🔍Following last year’s sell-out Behind the Scenes Tours, we are now running the tours on the first Saturday of every month, starting at 2.30pm.🔎
Led by the museum Director or another member of the team, this 90-minute tour is a unique opportunity to explore areas of the museum not seen by the public and view some of the many fascinating items in hidden away in the King’s House. Limited to 10 places, pre-booking advised.
Please see our website for more information & booking. £12 Members; £15 Non-members Pre-booking essential – book here
Potential WW2 Archaeological Sites Discovered Volunteers on the Champion’s of the Past project have discovered many interesting features during their work using the Cranborne Chase LiDAR Portal, which shows super detailed scans of the landscape, and can show up previously unknown archaeological structures and formations.
The below image shows features that volunteers think were dug around 1940. These were possibly anti-landing pits – dug with the intention of preventing the landing of enemy aircraft. These were usually dug in a rough grid formation. On the image, you can see the pits as rows of ‘dots’ between the roads, covering the area. What do you think they could be??
The below image shows an early field system of banks and ditches, situated near the village of Chettle. These aerial images and LiDAR visualisations show how farming was organised in by-gone eras, and possibly inspire surveys for settlements or evidence in the field.
Volunteers have identified a whopping 1000+ new potential archaeological sites so far while using the LiDAR Portal, but there is plenty more to be found and discussed.
If you’re interested in finding out more, why not have a closer look by visiting the portal here:
The portal is free to use, and features training modules if you get stuck understanding the visualisations.
You’ll be able to join our other volunteers and explore the archaeology of the area from your home, and discover amazing buried secrets using this wonderful resource!
You can read more on our Volunteer Hub or email us at chaseandchalke@cranbornechase.org.uk
AND…
In 2023 The Chase & Chalke team launched the Creative Writing Competition, and over 80 of you responded to the theme ‘Cranborne Chase: A Sense of Place’ with an amazing range of entries. From short poems, to long form pieces.
We’ve learnt so much over the course of the competition.
Our wonderful panel of expert judges took to the task of delving into your wonderful words, and selecting the pieces that they felt best represented the response to the theme. Thank you to all entrants to the competition!
Chalke History Festival has a brand new website, name and branding for 2024. Visit the new website and take a look.
James May, The Rest is History’s Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook, Max Hastings & Bettany Hughes are just some of the big names already scheduled to appear.
Join us for a free evening of stargazing on the Cranborne Chase National Landscape International Dark Sky Reserve. Booking is essential.
And lots here too…
NEW Archaeology in Wiltshire Conference 2024
Speakers include:
Melanie Pomeroy-Kellinger, David Roberts and Denise Wilding (Excavations at Teffont), Sophie Hawke (PAS finds), Roland Smith (‘Seeing the monuments for the trees’. A volunteer project to clear scrub from some of Wiltshire’s Scheduled Monuments.), Alejandra Gutierrez and Lorraine Mepham (Creating a Wiltshire Pottery type series), Fran Allfrey (Avebury Papers), Phil Andrews (Recent Projects from the Archaeology Field Group), Kerry Donaldson (The “Highworth Circles” – some new geophysical discoveries.), Simona Denis (Box Roman Villa), Ben Chan and Josh Pollard (Tracking the Mesolithic and Neolithic at Cherhill: the beginnings of new work) and Richard Osgood (Repopulating Imber: excavations at Wiltshire’s ‘Ghost Village’ on Salisbury Plain).
There will also be a sale of high quality pre-owned archaeological publications at bargain prices and stands from a range of organisations including archaeological contractors and groups such as the Association of Roman Archaeology and Victoria County History.
Date: Sunday 17 March Times: Start 10 am to 5 pm Location: Corn Exchange, Devizes. Tickets: Non-Member – £39.00, WANHS Member – £29.00, Student – £16.00 (with proof of status) Booking: Essential. Ticket price includes lunch and tea/coffee.
NEW A one-day conference highlighting the industrial heritage of Wiltshire.
Talks include:
Building Georgian Chippenham – architects, builders and materials, by Mike Stone (previously scheduled for 2022)
Iron stone and Steam: Brunel’s Railway Kingdom, by Tim Bryan, Director of the Brunel Institute
Bath in the 1970s: Industrial Heritage, Environmental Conservation and Festivals, by Stuart Burroughs, Director of the Bath at Work Museum
Restoring the Wilts and Berks Canal, by John Farrow
Taking to the road in Georgian Wiltshire, by John Chandler
Date: Saturday 21 October 2023 Times: 10am to 4.30pm Venue: Devizes Town Hall, SN10 1BZ Tickets: £15 (£13 WANHS members) – held at the 2022 rate. Lunch not included
New Archaeological Finds in BowerchalkeVolunteers on the Champions of the Past project discover evidence of ancient settlement spanning thousands of years during a field survey.
We have had some fantastic new findings as part of the Champions of the Past project. Earlier this month a small band of volunteers made a site visit to a possible new enclosure site in Bowerchalke in response to some interesting results from our new Cranborne Chase LiDAR Portal.
The team visited the site to locate and measure any surface evidence of the possible archaeology beneath the ground. While they were there, the team also carried out a fieldwalking survey of an adjacent field. The team were pleased to discover some pieces as they searched. Roy, one of our brilliant volunteers, carried out the washing of the finds, and conducted a summary identification. Because of his work, we know that the finds represent evidence of more than two millennia of evidence of nearby human habitation. The finds include pieces of early ceramics, metal slag, flint, and Victorian to 20thC pottery. We’ll be revisiting the site early next month to carry out a geophysical survey of the site to start mapping the archaeology and find out even more about what lies beneath this otherwise anonymous field of grass pasture in the Chalke Valley.
Interested to join the hunt? We’re always looking for more team members so why not get involved with the Champions of the Pastproject today?
Regular readers of the Volunteer Blog may recall the article and updates I wrote about the Netherhampton Plague Stone (4th December, 2018) (Fig. 1). This article eventually prompted a response from somebody who claimed to have this plague stone in his garden, which I went to look at. He does not want the location to be revealed in order not to attract unwelcome visitors. However, he did contact Netherhampton Parish Council with a view to getting it repatriated but, after showing initial interest, they subsequently never followed up.
Publication of this article also caused a friend of mine from U3A to contact me and say that there is also a plague stone in Coombe Bissett, which I then went to inspect (Fig. 2). As can be seen, it has an indentation, (northern apex in this photograph), which looks as though it could be a receptacle for sterilising vinegar.
Recently, during a U3A visit St Michael and All Angels Church, Coombe Bissett, I took the opportunity to raise the subject of the plague stone with our guide. Before I could complete my question he scoffed and proclaimed that any fool could tell that this is NOT a plague stone, as such an object would never be placed in the middle of a village. He considered that this object is a horse mounting stone. All this is despite the fact that two editions of the Parish Minutes describe it as being a plague stone, viz.
“29. Protection of the Plague Stone: C.Chelu stated that Coombe Bissett’s Plague Stone was recently disturbed and lifted off the ground by BT Openreach. It is not listed, so as a valued historic village asset, the Clerk will aim to have it listed. Minutes, 8th July 2014“
“87. Plague Stone Lighting: A villager has requested that a form of lighting the plague stone be considered… Minutes 14th January 2020“
In order to try and clarify this situation, I consulted a friend, Stephen Dunn, former Head Guide at Salisbury Cathedral, whose opinion on such matters I value. He responded with a third possibility,
‘I had a look at Coombe Bissett today. I think that the ‘plague stone” is the base for a market or preaching cross. There is an indentation but it looks weather-made rather than by human hand. Maybe it was fished out of the stream? Also there is a house opposite named ‘Cross Stone’, might that be a clue?’
What an intriguing idea!
Thank you for this Alan. Lovely local history, and it should have us all looking more carefully at lumps of stone on the outskirts of villages! I was brought up on the wonderful ‘I-Spy’ booklets for children which told the reader a little about all kinds of interesting things around us, and had boxes in which the reader could mark up matching items seen on journeys.
Thank you to everyone who has joined the team so far at our Coffee & Cake mornings in and around the Chase & Chalke landscape area. They have been very positive and productive sessions – and we have more coming up!
Join us for coffee & cake at Fisherton Mill in Salisbury and learn how you can get involved in the Nurturing Nature project. To register your interest in advance, please email annac@wsbrc.org
Species in Focus: The Tree Sparrow
Image Credit Steve Deeley
The Tree Sparrow can be identified by its chestnut brown head and nape, rather than the more commonly seen grey like the house sparrow. They have white cheeks and collar with a black cheek spot. They are shyer than house sparrows and smaller and are rarely close with people in the UK. They can be spotted on farmland and in woodlands. The UK tree sparrow has suffered a massive population decline since the 1970’s, their population has plummeted by 93 per cent and are on the red list for birds. The decline of the tree sparrow, like most farmland birds, is linked to agricultural changes and reduced overwinter survival. As a farmland bird, they are found in hedgerows and woodland edges. They feed on seeds, weeds, cereals and also insects. The tree sparrow mate for life and nest in holes in trees and can produce two or three broods a year containing up to seven eggs. The main populations can be found across the midlands, southern and eastern England but they are almost absent form the south west, Wales and the north west.
Beginners Bird Online Course21 March 2023 | 7pm – 8pm | Online | Booking and Registration Required | Free Join Jonny Cooper from the Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre for a 1 hour live online course and learn the basic principles of bird identification through sight and sound. This course will also cover basic fieldcraft to help you successfully encounter and identify birds in the landscape. Woodland Bird Identification Online Course28 March 2023 | Spring means that our woodlands start to come alive with birdsong. Join us for an evening of learning about the species found in our woodlands, including how to identify them from physical characteristics as well as song and calls. You’ll also learn where to find them. Farmland Bird Identification Online Course04 April 2023 | The rolling landscape of Wiltshire is one dominated by farmland; join us to learn about the birds that call these places home. You’ll learn about the variety of species that call farmland home, including how to identify them from physical characteristics, song, and calls. You’ll also learn where to find farmland birds in the field.
Our two new exhibitions open at the end of this week: Wessex – Landscapes of Association: an exhibition of works by Rob Pountney and A Love Letter to Wiltshire: an Exhibition of Paintings by Joanna May. More details below.
The Archaeology in Wiltshire Conference is nearly here – don’t forget to book your ticket for the event, which is taking place on Sunday 26 March at the Corn Exchange, Devizes. The full programme is now available from our website
Do you have time to spare and would you like to get more involved with the Wiltshire Museum? We are seeking new Trustees to join our Board – more details in the news section below and online.
And finally this week, for those age 3 to 11 we have Easter and Spring themed art and craft activities during the school holidays. More details and booking below and from our website.
Dark Ages Weekend at the Ancient Technology Centre on 30 & 31 July Visit the spectacular Ancient Technology Centre and explore hands-on living history. Meet the Saxon Forager, see living history displays & demonstrations, try our scrummy tea and homemade cake, try wool washing, daubing, breadmaking, pole lathing, blacksmithing or just sit down and enjoy some storytelling… Adults £10, Children £5, under-4s free.Tickets available on the gate and via Eventbrite. Family tickets available £30 for two adults and up to five children.
Bird boxes? Where, and how do I get my hands on some…? We know that many parishes across the AONB have plans for events around the Queen’s Jubilee weekend and the extra bank holiday. If you’re looking for something that’s free, suits all ages and is hands-on for your parish fete, street party or community event please get in touch with us. We have just taken delivery of some amazing bird box kits for you to put together for blue, marsh and coal tits. They’ve been made locally and can be pre-arranged to be picked up from our offices or we can organise to get them to you – full instructions will be provided. Please email us at info@cranbornechase.org.uk and we will tell you more.
From one of my favourite sites, Museum Crush, this is an extract from an article about trackways in the South Downs which have been used for millennia:
Did you know many of the paths of the South Downs Way have their origins in the Mesolithic period?
Many of the paths and tracks which now make up the South Downs Way have their origins in routes walked since the Mesolithic period. The archives are full of evidence of trekking across the National Park, especially for leisure. Here we’ve selected a couple of items from the archive which illustrate this pastime.
The first is a wonderful photograph of two walkers taken in 1933 by George Garland of Petworth. Aside from the woollen kilt, these two wouldn’t be amiss on the Downs today.
Trekkers on the South Downs, Garland N6899, and Map of uncontrolled trekkers feeding centres on the South Downs, MP 1138. By courtesy of the County Archivist, West Sussex Record Office.
The second item is a hand drawn map of ‘Uncontrolled Trekkers Feeding Centres’, made in 1942. The map depicts various unsanctioned places (including the Convent of the Blessed Sacrament in Upper Beeding) where a weary and hungry trekker could get something to eat. The map is a testament to the popularity of walking over the South Downs.
The early use of many such trackways in Wiltshire is also evident.
For walks in the south of the county, and in Dorset, Cranborne Chase AONB is worth a look.