______society NEWS

The Bulletin of the ENFIELD ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ______

December 2001 No 163

CONTENTS

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

EAS MEETINGS

14 December 2001: Poland: 1000 Years of Civilisation 18 January 2002: PPG16 – Commercial Archaeology, Has it Worked? 15 February 2002: Crimea: Melting Pot of People

OTHER SOCIETIES

SOCIETY MATTERS

MEETING REPORTS York Minster: England’s Largest Stained Glass Museum Kensal Green Cemetery

THE OUTPUT FROM THE WHITEWEBBS PUMPIMG STATION AND THE SECTION OF THE NEW RIVER LOOP IN THE GROUNDS OF MYDDELTON HOUSE

ENFIELD PASTFINDERS: NEWS FROM THE FIELDWORK GROUP

OBITUARY: PETER REYNOLDS INNOVA PARK, RAMMEY MARSH

SMALL FINDS

Society News is published quarterly in March, June, September and December The Editor is Jon Tanner, 24 Padstow Road, Enfeld, Middlesex EN2 8BU, tel: 020 8367 8000 (day); 020 8350 0493 (home); email: [email protected]

2

developers and the authorities will be explored FORTHCOMING to attempt to determine whether commercial archaeology has worked. Finally, the matter of EVENTS local versus commercial archaeology will be examined - do we need change? Jon Tanner/Robin Densem Meetings of the Enfeld Archaeological Society are held at Jubilee Hall, 2 Parsonage Lane, Friday 15 February 2002 Enfeld (near Chase Side) at 8.00pm. Tea and Crimea: Melting Pot of People cofee are served and the sales and information Ian Jones table is open from 7.30pm. Visitors, for whom a charge of £1.00 will be made, are very welcome. There is far more to the Crimean peninsular on the north side of the Black Sea than just being Friday 14 December 2001 the site of one of our less well-conducted wars Poland: 1000 Years of Civilisation and this lecture will show the diversity of Stephen Gilburt cultures that have fourished in the area since the frst millennium BC. From around the middle The frst recorded Polish ruler of the area of that millennium much of the area was around Gniezno and Poznan was converted to occupied by a Scythian nomad kingdom. In the Christianity in 966 and both cities still have their early frst millennium BC Greeks were also medieval cathedrals. In 1038 the capital was visiting the area to trade and fsh and this led in moved to Krakov, which has many preserved turn to settlements including Kerch with its medieval and Renaissance buildings. By 1609 incredible tombs which were fourishing from the Warsaw had become the capital and many fne 6th century BC onwards. They eventually came churches and palaces were built (and later together in a united Bosphoran kingdom, which rebuilt following their destruction in the Second later passed under the control of the Anatolian World War). kingdom of Pontus. In turn the area passed Other examples of Poland’s cultural under the control of Rome and later formed part heritage to be shown will include the medieval of the Byzantine Empire some of whose more town halls at Wroclaw and Torun, the Teutonic impressive remains survive at Chersonesus. Knight’s castle at Malbork, the Hanseatic port of The Crimean steppes passed under the Gdansk, the planned Renaissance town of control of the Khazar nomads as part of their Zamosc, vernacular wooden buildings in open empire from the 5th century AD. Subsequently air museums, book illustrations, paintings, folk they converted to Judaism and though most art and traditional costumes. eventually migrated to the west a tiny minority of Stephen Gilburt Crimean Jews still live there today. During the 12th century the coastal towns passed under the Friday 18 January 200 control of Genoa and were fortifed as can be PPG16 – Commercial Archaeology, Has it seen at Sudak and Cafa. The 13th century saw Worked? the arrival of the Mongols and the later Robin Densem (Compass Archaeology) establishment of the Crimean Khanate in the 15th century after the decline of the Golden The speaker will outline the development of Horde. Though once able to attack Moscow the archaeology in England and early models for its Khanate eventually fell to the Russians in 1783. practice and the growth of professionalism Under Russian rule Sevatapol became a through the 1970’s and 80’s. The crisis in York major naval base while much of the coast was and the cases of the Huggin Hill Baths and the covered with summer palaces of the nobility Rose Theatre led to the drafting of PPG16 including the Vorontzov Alpuka Palace and the guidelines in 1989 and its subsequent issue in Livadia Palace, the favourite residence of 1990: what does it say and how far has it been Nicholas II. A visit to the sites of the battles and implemented? Mr Densem will ask, “What is other actions of the Crimean War, 1853 – 56, commercial archaeology? Who does what and should help to make it clear how difcult the task why? What are the efects of commercial was that the Allies faced after they missed their archaeology, who are the users, the clients and initial chance to end it quickly. Instead Russian what are the products?” What is meant by stubbornness and bravery coupled with Allied “successful archaeology” and whether incompetence at the top forced the armies to archaeology should be local will be discussed, sufer through two terrible winters. and the varying views of practitioners,

4 Ian Jones

5 MEETINGS OF OTHER SOCIETIES

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – EDMONTON HUNDRED NORTH LONDON BRANCH HISTORICAL SOCIETY 7.45 for 8.00 p.m. in Jubilee Hall, Parsonage All meetings are held on Tuesdays at 8.00 p.m. Lane, Enfeld unless otherwise stated. Visitors in Jubilee Hall, Parsonage Lane, Enfeld. £1.00

Tuesday 08 January 2002 Wednesday 19 December 2001 Britain and Appeasement in the 1930’s Seasonal Evening Dr David Stevenson (LSE) Wednesday 23 January 2002 The Walker Family of Tuesday 12 February 2002 Rubu Galili Medieval Town Life (Illustrated) Dr Jennifer Ward (Goldsmiths College) Thursday 21 February 2002 Ordnance Road Methodist Church Hall Tuesday 12 March 2002 2.00 for 2.30 p.m. The Portraits of Elizabeth I (Illustrated) and Dr Susan Doran (St Mary’s College, David Pam Twickenham) Enquiries to the Local History Section, Town For further details, contact Robin Blades, 020 Hall, Green Lanes, London N13 8368 5328 Tel: 020 8379 2724 SOCIETY MATTERS HELP WITH ADMIN NEEDED If anyone is able and willing to help with the running of the Society in any way, please SUBSCRIPTIONS contact the Chairman Dennis Hill, telephone 020 8440 1593. Members are reminded that subscriptions fall due for renewal on 01 January 2002. FIELDWORK AND EXCAVATION Please send the Renewal Form (enclosed with this edition of Society News), together with the The Fieldwork and Research Group, known as appropriate sum, to the Secretary, Jon Tanner, the “Enfeld Pastfnders” has been established 24 Padstow Road, Enfeld, Middlesex EN2 8BU. and has undertaken a small excavation in Bush Alternatively you may prefer to thrust the Hill Park that featured in the local press recently. remittance into my eagerly outstretched hand at A very informal Induction Evening for new a Lecture Meeting. Inspection of the enclosed Pastfnders members, and anyone interested in Programme Card for 2002 will show that once fnding out more about the group, has been again a wide and varied range of excellent arranged for 8.00 p.m. on 13 December at speakers has been arranged, representing Salisbury House, Bury Street West, Edmonton. remarkable value for your subs – we even throw Pottery and other artefacts recovered from the in tea or cofee (not literally, of course!) Leighton Road and other excavations will be on display, with an opportunity to handle some of Subscription rates for 2002 are as follows: the material. There will be (very) short talks on excavation and the plans for future activities of Ordinary Members: £5.00 the group, and a chance to meet each other Joint Memberships: £7.00 over a glass of wine and a mince pie. Junior Members: £2.50 Anyone interested in fnding out more about the group or attending the evening should New members who joined the Society after 30 telephone or write to Mike Dewbrey on 020 September 2001 can relax – their subscriptions 8364 2244 or the Secretary Jon Tanner (details are valid until 31 December 2002 on cover).

6 MEETING REPORTS windows in 1338. Nigel’s slides showed how

York Minster: England’s Largest Stained Glass Museum Friday 21 September 2001: Nigel Swift beautifully drawn were the faces and drapery of York Minster is built on the site of a Roman the apostles. The audience was also impressed legionary headquarters. The frst cathedral on by his slide of a doe-eyed ox. Some of the the site was a Saxon Minster, of which nothing human faces in this window had to be replaced, remains. The Norman cathedral was built in not entirely successfully, in the 18th century. The 1080, and then enlarged in 1160. Very little of originals had been damaged by stone-throwing that building now survives, but its foundations children who used them for target practice. were used when the nave was rebuilt in the The Church of St Sepulchre originally Decorated Gothic style, with large windows and stood beside the cathedral. It was demolished fowing tracery. That building work lasted from when the nave was rebuilt, but some of the 1291 to 1338. In England, only Westminster glass survives. Nigel’s slides showed fgures Abbey is taller than York Minster and there is no delicately drawn in yellow and white, including other church in England where so much sheep and goats, as well as biblical fgures. medieval stained glass has survived. Using They were in a style of drawing had become colourful slides and detailed plans, Nigel Swift popular for illustrating manuscripts in France in took the Society’s September meeting on a the 1340’s. guided tour of York Minster’s stained glass. Shortage of light was a problem in the The 1338 nave re-used dark glass from choir. Most of the glass was blue, which made it the earlier building, mainly in the uppermost difcult for visitors to see the architecture, and lights of band windows. The bands were created for the clergy to read their services. It was also a by placing horizontal pieces of clear, patterned problem in the transepts. Like the choir, they glass in between coloured panes, which were completed in the 1250’s in the Early resulted in an unusually bright and well-lit English style. By about 1430, age had turned cathedral. most of the windows here brown. At that time, The Minster’s stained glass windows the Cistercians were building brighter and better often feature spiritual themes at the top and lit churches using grisaille glass, and this is what more earthly illustrations at the bottom. Many of was used for the choir and the transept’s new the nave’s windows have heraldic symbols at windows. The best surviving example of grisaille the bottom. A central window has the King’s glass is in the north transept’s famous fve coat of arms: Edward I was in York when the sisters window. It is a type which is made up of nave was being built. Similarly, the Mausley numerous small pieces of glass, originally white, window has pictures of various saints at the top, but since corroded to a grey colour. and of Mausley and his family at the bottom. The south transept has a glorious rose People often sponsored windows in this way in window, which is an unusual feature for an order to promote themselves and their families English cathedral. When Robert Petty, a local in God’s eyes. Another window includes an glazier, replaced all the transept’s large image of the donor holding a picture of the windows from 1515 to 1520, he decorated the window itself. The animal kingdom is also rose window with beautiful Tudor roses. represented in eth nave. One window shows By 1300, the Chapter House had been two medical monkeys standing over another built. Unlike most chapter houses, it had a sick monkey while inspecting a specimen glass. wooden rather than a stone vault, which avoided Nigel described the west window, with its the necessity for a central column but which lovely tracery, as a masterpiece. Archbishop also greatly increased the risk of fre. Its band Milton commissioned this and the two side

7 windows and bar tracery, with vertical mullions, The General Cemetery Company was were the latest fashion. founded as a commercial enterprise in 1830. The last section rebuilt was the east end. Two years later, Royal Assent was granted to a The work lasted from 1361 to 1400. The Bill “for establishing a general cemetery for the perpendicular style was used, creating almost a internment of the dead in the neighbourhood of wall of glass. This would have been enormously the metropolis”. The cemetery started in the expensive, at a time when plague was ravaging reign of William IV rather than in Victorian times, the country. It included one stained glass and is still managed by the General Cemetery window, which was almost the size of a tennis Company. court. The Bishop of Durham commissioned it, The Anglican chapel is the centrepiece giving John Thornton of Coventry three years to with its neo-classical design and Doric columns complete it, and he fnished on time. It was a simulating a temple. The chapel contains a condition of the contract that Thornton did all the catafalque with a hydraulic lift for taking a cofn drawing himself, and the results are impressive. to catacombs capable of storing 4000 cofns However, it was the Bishop who decided the beneath the plinth. Three-layered cofns were sizes of Thornton’s images, and unfortunately used with an inner cofn of wood, a middle one they are all too small to see without binoculars. of lead and a grand outer cofn for display. The Over the following 30 years, Thornton was given Dissenter’s Chapel was completely restored in all contracts for large windows, but this later 1997 with funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund. work of his became monotonous and repetitive. Most of the large private graves have From the time of the Reformation in the their own brick-lined vaults holding layers of 16th century until the Victorian era, there was no cofns supported on pairs of iron bars. new stained glass in York Minster, although The spacious grounds are now a wildlife there were numerous repairs. At the end of this sanctuary and shelter no less than 23 species of lively lecture, Nigel answered questions from the butterfy, about half of the total found in the UK. audience. The elaborate tombs represent a triumph Mick Breheny of the stonemason’s art. Designs were sent to Italy and the competed classical fgures returned to Kensal Green by rail or canal. The advent of water and steam power made it possible to work large pieces of fne marble. The cemetery provides a training ground for recognising the Kensal Green Cemetery various forms of marble from this county and Friday 19 October 2001: Robert Stephenson abroad. This lecture attracted a number of non- Kensal Green was the frst of seven “hygienic” members who attended especially for it and cemeteries built around London between 1832 drew a number of questions. and 1841, the others being Abney Park, Dennis Hill Brompton, Norwood, Nunhead and Tower Hamlets. George III’s daughter Princess Sophia and her brother the Duke of Sussex chose to be buried at Kensal Green in 1848 and 1843 respectively. This royal seal of approval helped to make the new cemeteries generally accepted as an alternative to the grossly overcrowded cemeteries of London parish churches. Kensal Green also holds Thackeray, Wilkie Collins, Anthony Trollope, Byron’s publisher John Murray, Sir Marc Isambard Brunel and Isambard Kingdom Brunel as well as the tightrope walker Blondin.

8 The Outfall From the Whitewebbs Pumping Station and the Section of the New River Loop in the Grounds of Myddelton House station. This was one of a number of steam engine pumping stations drawing water from Introduction

In 1999 the Enfeld Archaeological Society was invited by Dr Dowbiggen, the Principal of Capel Manor College, to investigate a metal sluice deep wells and feeding this into the New River which fed a brick-lined culvert leading into a to supplement the supplies from the springs at ditch following a tortuous path down to Maidens Chadwell and Hertford. The output from the Brook. Whitewebbs station fed by gravity a 610mm The well-constructed sluice had a vertical diameter metal pipeline, which fnished by gate, which could be raised or lowered by passing through the dam adjacent to the metal means of a crank handle operating a rack and sluice. An accurate description of this is given pinion. It led out of the course of the old New by Houston (1926). River Loop into a vertical shaft leading down to Thus, a supply of fresh water was made the culvert. Next to the sluice was a weir to set available to refresh the old Loop in the grounds the level of the Loop; the overfow from weir ran of Myddelton House, the water now fowing via an iron pipe into the shaft leading from the down to the New River in the opposite direction sluice. to which it did originally. This refurbished part of The sluice is frst shown in an Ordnance the Loop will be called the “Ornamental” stretch Survey map of 1896 and initially it was thought of the Loop. that this was simply a device for drawing of Whitewebbs pumping station sufered water from the Loop. However, at right angles to from a shortage of water and was the sluice is a line of blue industrial bricks, which decommissioned in 1952. The Loop in the formed the end of the “Ornamental” Loop grounds of Myddelton House again became section in the grounds of Myddelton House. This stagnant and unsightly, leading to it being flled was the top course of a dam 8.41m wide in with soil from the Victoria Line Tube in 1960. marking the end of the Ornamental Loop. A few Its route can clearly be followed through feet behind the dam was a concrete cover for a the grounds of Myddelton House. It entered brick-lined pit. The cover was divided into two under an iron bridge dated 1832 close to the parts, the dividing line having a hole at its centre front wall of the gardens. A good description of through which could pass the handle of a metal Augustus Bowles and his garden is that of turnkey to operate a large stopcock. Hewitt (1997).

History Whitewebbs Pumping Station

In 1859 the Docwra aqueduct, built to carry the In the basement of the pumping station building New River over Maidens Brook, was opened there is the impressive well which is 123m deep (Essex-Lopresti 1986). This made the Forty Hall and 3.65 to 4.57m in diameter, the upper Loop redundant and it was abandoned. Along section being lined with cast iron segments, the with the rest of the Loop, the stretch in the remainder being brick-lined. Myddelton House gardens would not have been The shaft passed through the upper earth a pleasant sight with its bare banks and strata and then continued down through the stagnant pools of water, presumably similar to underlying chalk. The water level was 56m the “Dead River” section of the Loop leading on down and the well had two side galleries 1.98m from what was the “Ornamental” section. high by 1.37m wide. The western arm extended Myddelton House was built in 1818 by 213m to Theobalds Road and contained nine Henry Bowles and this unpleasant sight would 152mm boreholes going down a further 64m. not have pleased him for he was active as a The eastern arm was 168m long with six Governor of the New River Company. It is boreholes. The depth to the bottom of the interesting to consider what negotiations lead to the opening in 1898 of the Whitewebbs pumping

9 boreholes was 123m and the output was half a Finale million gallons (2 273 000 litres) per day. The pump hall held two Barring overhead In practice, the Whitewebbs pumping station compound surface condensing beam engines was not a success owing to a shortage of water each having a 4.87m (16’0”) diameter fywheel, and it was closed down in the 1950’s. The beam steam being supplied by two Lancashire boilers engines were removed and the boiler house and in the boiler house. Pumping was usually for its chimney demolished. The Ornamental Loop seven days per week, the engine’s output being was flled in with earth from the Victoria Line fed to settling tanks in the adjacent Valve Tube in 1960. House, then via a notch weir to measure the The Forty Hall Loop is an excellent fow (a 127mm fow over the 1220mm weir example of Industrial archaeology. It is hoped to indicating 1.5 million gallons – 6 819 000 litres – have it designated as an Enfeld Local Heritage per day) to gravity feed the 610mm main. Initiative Trail. Standing by the Loop it is The stopcock in its pit in the grounds of fascinating to recall the army of hard-drinking Myddelton House was opened, as was the navvies who dug it by hand around 1611 and “weed gate” sluice at the far end of the the surveyors who managed to achieve a drop Ornamental Loop where it joined the main New of 5” per mile based on the primitive instruments River. If this was not done, fooding could occur designed by the Romans to survey the routes of in the grounds of Myddelton House. Augustus their major aqueducts (Smith 1988-1990). Bowles complained that well water was a bluish- green colour and very hard, and it was bad for Acknowledgments some of his plants. The start and fnish of the pipeline was Thanks are due to those members of the Enfeld known, but not in detail its route. Being Archaeological Society and the West Essex underground it is not shown on Ordnance Archaeology Group who kindly assisted with the Survey maps and lying at a depth of some 2.4m, excavations in the vicinity of the sluice, to Paul it is too deep to excavate without the use of a Jones, Head Groundsman of the Royal Free mechanical digger or shuttering. It might be Hospital’s Sports Ground and to brian Hewitt, possible to detect its presence from the surface gardener at Myddelton House, who provided with a magnetometer, but one would have to be much advice on Augustus Bowles and his hired. garden. John Cunningham was invaluable in Sheet 14 of the “Metropolitan Water providing information on the engineering Board’s Maps of the New River, the Works and practices involved in the New River. Estates within the New River District” of 1906 shows the course of the pipeline emerging from References the pumping station, Figures 1 and 2, crossing the adjacent feld, entering Whitewebbs Wood Essex-Lopresti M (1986) “Exploring the New and following the course of the old Loop to River” emerge from the wood by the Flash Lane Studley, Warwickshire: K A F Brewin Books aqueduct and then running in a series of straight lines. Towards the end of the frst, a 152mm Hewitt,B (1997), “The Crocus King” diameter bottom waste pipe empties into Ware, The Rockingham Press maidens Brook. The second runs through the feld carrion Pit Bottom and has an air cock in a Houston, A (1926) “Romance of the New River” brick-lined pit just before it passes under the Annual report of the Chief Engineer to the Loop and then near where the footpath runs in Metropolitan Water Board from Whitewebbs Lane changes direction to form the third straight section which crosses the Smith N A F (1988 – 90) “Edward Wright and Black Bush Bottom feld and ends at the dam his Perspective Class” forming the start of the Ornamental Loop. These Trans. Newcomen Soc. 70, 109-23. two felds are leased to Capel Manor College by Enfeld Council and form part of the Forty Hall Dennis Hill Farm Estate.

10 Figures 1 and 2 follow on pages 8 and 9

11 Figure 1: Six Inches to the Mile map showing the run of the pipeline from Whitewebbs pumping station on the left by Cufey Brook almost to its fnish, the sluice being just of the map on the right.

12 Figure 2: Map showing the run of the pipeline as it exits Whitewebbs Wood to traverse the Carrion Pit Bottom and Black Bush Bottom felds to fnish at the dam “B” adjacent to the sluice “H” topsoil was painstakingly sifted by the residents

ENFIELD PASTFINDERS who discovered a rather battered Roman silver News from the coin (our frst coin from the site), which has Fieldwork and Research Group been tentatively identifed as a denarious of Fastina Junior wife of the Emperor Marcus Since the “Pastfnders” were formed in the Aurelius. Although in the loose topsoil the date summer of 2001 we have been busy excavating ties in nicely with the pottery recovered so far. In the rear garden of Jim and Cathy Costello’s section the topsoil gave way to a clay-based semi-detached home in . It is not subsoil, yellowy in colour, which contained large often that the opportunity arises to excavate an quantities of broken 3rd and 4th century AD entire back garden, but that is exactly what was pottery. Analysis of the diagnostic sherds handed to us this summer. indicated pottery being imported from all over The residents had intended to landscape the local region, with fragments of New Forest their garden which on closer inspection was full ware, London ware, Black Burnished ware, of broken glass and discarded rubbish, so with samian, and mortarium, together with broken resolve they began sieving every spade of soil, pieces of tegulae and amphorae. only to reveal two large amphora jar handles The plough soil layer was overlaying a and the neck of a Roman wine fagon! A quick dark occupation soil, which contained a scatter phone call from Jim Costello’s mother (who just of 3rd and 4th century pottery, the jaw bone of a happens to be a local councillor for the sheep and fragmented bone. Small fnds environment) to Geofrey Gillam, and within consisted of an iron fbula brooch (currently days the Pastfnders were on the scene. undergoing conservation and stabilisation by Dr Fortuitously, the corner of the garden which the Martin Dearne, our Finds Specialist), a bronze owners had previously “excavated” had been stud and a bronze coin as yet unidentifed. disturbed by the construction of a substantial Beneath the dark occupation soil a layer of large greenhouse with deep brick foundations so very pebbles with a greater concentration towards little archaeology or stratigraphy remained. the north end of the trench was noted. Beneath When we arrived on site we were confronted this pebble surface a dark occupation fll with a large garden sloping from west to east, contained 3rd and 4th century pottery and the which promised to fll in another piece of the remains of a deer skull. The dark fll overlies the Roman jigsaw in Bush Hill Park. As the natural brickearth, which dropped away into a residents intended to sieve the whole garden shallow gully running west to east across the down to the natural brickearth we saw an trench. The gully fll contained more fragments excellent opportunity to record as much as of 3rd and 4th century pottery and to everyone’s possible in the time available. surprise, at the bottom of the gully a large The southern boundary of the garden had posthole was recorded cutting down into the been disturbed in the area between the brickearth below. The posthole fll contained a th greenhouse and a concrete patio by a large 20 single fragment of greyware. A further posthole century rubbish pit, which terminated in the and several small stakeholes were located just foundations of a large air raid shelter, which had south of the gully. It has been theorised that this been dug down into the natural brickearth so, may indicate a property boundary running from alas, our eforts were only rewarded by stray the raised gravel terrace in the west down sherds of Roman greyware, and the remains of towards the line of Ermine Street in the east, an iron bedstead. perhaps with an animal pen within. The third trench, which was opened I would like to thank Mr and Mrs Costello further towards the north, proved the old adage for their cordial hospitality over the last few “third time lucky” as this began to show less weeks, spoiling us with generous alfresco disturbance to the stratigraphy. The black lunches of pizza and sausage rolls and an

13 endless supply of cold drinks. To date the excavation is continuing while the weather is on our side and a further update will be included in the next bulletin. The Pastfnders team at Leighton Road are Les Whitmore, Mike and Christopher Dewbrey, Ernie Jones, Dr Martin Dearne, Mike Best and son, and Gary Cant.

Mike Dewbrey

14 will mourn the passing of a lovely man and a OBITUARY real champion of experimental feld Farewell to a Good Friend and Tutor archaeology. Dennis Hill By chance I had a little time to spare between a grant-awarding committee and dinner in a hotel in Banbury and decided to read The Times, Innova Park which I had brought with me. With a sense of profound shock I realised that the Peter Rammey Marsh Reynolds whose obituary appeared on 10 Excavations by Wessex Archaeology October was the Peter Reynolds who ran Butser Ancient Farm and had been my tutor for Iron Wessex Archaeology have been carrying out Age Archaeology on the Birkbeck College MA in more excavations at the Innova Business Park Archaeology. redevelopment on the site of the former sludge Peter’s great interest in life, apart from the farm on Rammey Marsh, in the area to the north British Iron Age, was the scientifc evaluation of of Ordnance Road, west and south of the theories in archaeology. At Butser he built Iron northernmost part of Mollison Avenue and east Age thatched conical roof houses and a model of the railway between Enfeld Lock and Roman hypocaust. These facilitated the testing Waltham Cross stations. Previous feldwork by in practice of diferent types of materials and Wessex revealed the course of palaeochannels construction. He studied intensively the use of of the Small River Lea and associated channels, pits in which to store grain in terms of storage pits, ditches and droveways, and evidence of life, temperature rise and the evolution of carbon activity from nearly all periods, but principally dioxide. He was building a test area for use with from the Iron Age and Romano-British periods. geophysics methods. Lecture/demonstrations Society members Martin Dearne. Les were given on topics such as the uses of wool Whitmore, Roger Dormer, Mike Dewbrey, from Orkney sheep, herbal medicines and dyes Caroline McKenna and Jon Tanner visited the and the casting of metals under feld conditions. excavation on 07 November 2001 and were My week’s module at Butser saw many given a tour of the site by Kevin Ritchie, the discussions of a lively nature with Peter, Project Manager. The most common features particularly on the properties of ancient ploughs are Later Prehistoric and Romano-British – ards and the marks they left. The living ditches, interpreted as intended for livestock accommodation was pretty primitive, but the control and possibly also acting as boundaries. evening suppers memorable at a variety of A neatly cut pit, intersecting a tree throw, locals hostelries. My fellow students included a contained numerous large Bronze Age pottery serving Lieutenant Colonel and a former sherds, and a Bronze Age shield boss was paratrooper, so much was debated apart from recovered from close to the river channel. archaeology. Our practical work dealt with the The most interesting feature however was study of burned fints, as found in many places part of a ring ditch, interpreted as a large on the South Downs. Had the heating occurred roundhouse some 12-14m in diameter, with the deliberately, for boiling water for example? suggestion of an east facing entrance, and only Peter had read Classics at Trinity College a few metres from the channel of the Small Dublin where he captained a highly successful River Lea. This would suggest seasonal eight. A period teaching Classics at King occupation as of course the site would Henry’s Grammar School, Evesham, led him to doubtless be fooded during the winter months. open a small open-air archaeological laboratory The presence of slag and burnt clay has led the which in turn led to Butser. excavators to suggest that industrial activity was With the Birkbeck Extra-Mural taking place at the site. Archaeology Society, I visited Butser this The report on this, and the preceding summer and enjoyed a grand day in Peter’s excavations, is eagerly awaited. Much work on company. The foot and mouth crisis had later prehistoric settlement has been done in severely reduced the numbers of visitors to the recent years particularly in the Upper Thames farm, but he was as lively and provocative as and Kennet Valleys, and it will be interesting to ever. compare the evidence from the Lee Valley. Sadly, he died in Turkey, at the early age We are deeply grateful to Kevin Ritchie of of 62. Several members of the Enfeld Wessex Archaeology for his time and trouble in Archaeological Society had worked on projects giving us a splendid tour of this fascinating site. with Peter as Friends of Butser. They, like me, Jon Tanner

15 contradict the evidence of maps that show that SMALL FINDS the pound was moved to this location between 1837 and 1867. Fragments of 19th century roof tile, pottery, glass and slate were recovered THE SOUTHGATE ANIMAL POUND from the uppermost gravel layer but the lower context provided no dating evidence. While carrying out restoration work of the animal The area of the test pit furthest from the pound at the junction of Bourne Hill and Fox red brick banding shared the same stratigraphy Lane, Palmers Green N13 on behalf of L B as below the brickwork, suggesting that the Enfeld, contractors exposed brick paving paved surface of the pound may have extended beneath the topsoil and recognising that the further to the southwest beyond the present surface may be of historical interest, alerted enclosure, but no such surface survives. council ofcers. Enfeld Archaeological Society was immediately contacted by Christine White, STABILISATION OF THE BANK OF the L B Enfeld Conservation Planning Ofcer, MAIDENS BROOK IN THE GROUNDS and invited to view the surface. Consequently OF FORTY HALL Society members Mike Dewbrey and Jon Tanner visited the site to fnd that the contractors had successfully identifed most of The Borough of Enfeld’s Leisure Services the original postholes for the pound fence, and it Division was asked by English Heritage to appears that the general blue-grey paving was stabilise two sections of the brook’s banks. This bounded at least in part by a two-course was because of the fear that continued erosion perimeter stretcher band of red brick. The fence might afect the Scheduled Ancient Monument posts appear to have penetrated this band. site of the Tudor Elsyng Palace. In addition, Remains of a timber post, probably the health and safety concerns were arising from gatepost, were visible adjacent to the entrance, exposed lumps of concrete and pieces of metal and (ferrous) parts of gate furniture were and the sheer riverbanks next to a public recovered both from the contractor’s skip and footpath. from the overburden layers. The problem at the frst site was mainly On Saturday 29 September Mike due to pedestrian erosion of the bank Dewbrey arrived with a working party of consequent upon an adjacent shingle bank volunteers from the Society to carefully remove providing easy access to the stream’s edge. a the turf and topsoil to expose the paving, with large erosion gulley had formed and the lumps the objective of determining the extent and of metal and concrete were a hazard to those condition of the surface, which was found to be climbing up and down the bank. The hazards in reasonable condition and appearing to extend were removed and minimal grading of the bank to the area enclosed by the line of postholes. undertaken to provide a face to which quilted On a subsequent visit, the Society coir matting was attached. This provides a opened a one-metre square test pit adjacent to medium for planting aimed at protecting and the southeast boundary to evaluate the enhancing the bank. stratigraphy below the brick surface and to Erosion at the second site was largely establish whether any previous surfaces due to the stream scouring away the lower existed: inspection of the postholes hinted at gravel strata and undermining the overlying earlier gravelled and/or cobbled surfaces. layer of clay. The action of water and The turf and topsoil overburden above the pedestrians led to a 30m length of bank that bricks was 80 – 120mm deep. The single course was being eroded and was unprotected on the of bricks was laid on edge and bedded on a nearside of a bend. loosely compacted 100 – 120mm layer of topsoil The far side was cleared of diseased mixed with gravel and pebbles, with some trees and silt to rejuvenate the stream’s original mortar. Below this in turn was a more course, to widen the stream and reduce its compacted layer 230mm deep composed of depth and velocity. It will be planted to serve as more mortar and gravel, on natural London a wildlife sanctuary. Clay. The base of the nearside bank was The absence of occupation soil below the protected by stone-flled gabions laid on a stone brickwork suggests that the area was cleaned mattress. Fence supports were built into these of down to the natural clay before the brick gabions for a timber post and rail fence to surface of the pound was set out. The bricks protect the exposed edge. Topsoil was placed in date to around 1830 – 1850, which does not the upper edge of the gabions to encourage

16 plant growth, further protect the bank and to help mask the fence. Bill Lee of Enfeld Leisure Services kindly provided the detailed information and invited members of the Society to keep a watching brief as the work continued.

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