I N T H I S ISSUE

News from the Past 2011 CBA West Midlands

Beneath I S S U E 1 1 WINTER 2010 Birmingham’s New Library

Profiling Your Committee News from the Past 2011

Avoncroft Museum This year‟s News From the to modern times. into prehistoric Pedmore, the Building Rescue Past event takes place on Talks include news from of Redditch and

Mick Aston on the February 26th 2011 in The excavations in Birmingham, the Northwick Project as Northwick Trail Library Theatre at Birming- Coventry and Martley, well as the remarkable Ro- ham Central Library and will , research man discoveries from Unearthing the Saltley Brick Industry highlight some of Kenchester and the year‟s most the newly discov- exciting archaeo- ered Villa at Bre- Find us on logical discover- dons Norton in Facebook! ies from across Worcestershire. the region. There will also be

This annual an update from

event includes the Conservators presentations working on the Search for CBA Caption describing picture West Midlands about sites and Staffordshire or graphic. objects from Hoard. rural and urban Booking details Visit our website at parts of the can be found on www.britarch.ac.uk/ region, ranging in the back page of cbawm date from prehistoric Part of the Staffordshire Saxon Hoard. Copyright this newsletter. Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery

CBA West Midlands is a Registered Charity No. 512717 Beneath Birmingham’s New Library

Excavations on the site of the mill were found as well as the and wire drawing machine new Library of Birmingham engine fly wheel pits, rolling bases, boiler flues and chim- revealed well-preserved ney, hearths and furnaces. remains of a 19th century The positions of some of brass works. The works these structures could be manufactured decorative identified on historic plans brass objects such as bed- but others were not, such as steads and house fittings and the furnaces and casting pits. later became engaged in The site was extended in the metal rolling, gas fitting, and mid 19th century and the wire manufacture. remains of further work- Structural evidence of the shops, working areas and different phases of boiler and crucible furnaces were engine bases powering a large investigated. The site was Excavation of a 19th century brass rolling and wire drawing brassworks in Birmingham finally levelled in the 1920s. P A G E 2 Profiling Your Committee (Part 2)

My first interest in My university training exca- Longstanton, Cambridge- archaeology was as a child vations were all on prehis- shire. Another major site I visiting the many medieval toric sites that were part of really enjoyed was St John towns and castles of France the Wolvey projects, di- Street Coventry in 2008 and I have always been rected by Paul Garwood, where the site was interested in the ancient and during my final excava- extremely rich in finds Egyptians and their „strange‟ tion we discovered a beau- including a jet crucifix, practices of mummification! tiful little prehistoric food beads, spoons, wooden During high school I lost vessel near the top of a bowl, bone flute, a gold ring my interest slightly as most round barrow which and vast amounts of medie- Emma Collins teenagers do! sparked my interest in pot- val and post medieval pottery, my real passion for Secretary BUT, I then did an A-level tery. I then wrote my mas- in Classical Civilisations ters dissertation on this pottery seriously started during which one of my food vessel. then! tutors was an archaeologist In 2007 I started work for More often than not now I am to be found in the Finds CBA West so he focused on the ar- Birmingham Archaeology, chaeology of the classical as a Site Assistant. My first Room. But my long-term Midlands world which really grabbed site was again, a prehistoric career plan is to become a my interest. I then did an site, but this time in Wales medieval and later pottery undergraduate degree in rather than the West specialist. I hope to achieve archaeology (BA) at the Midlands at a place called this initially by carrying on Llanymynech, where I was as a site assistant and in- from 2002-2005, and then lucky enough to excavate a creasing my knowledge of straight on to a Masters in Collard urn containing a pottery though reading Practical Archaeology also cremation. books, attending confer- at the University of Bir- I have really enjoyed the ences and talking to other mingham. I initially wanted varied life of an archaeolo- specialists. to be an Egyptologist but gist – one week working on then became interested in a cotton mill in Droylsden, Emma Collins Prehistory. Greater Manchester, then CBAWM Secretary Avoncroft Museum Building Rescue

Avoncroft Museum is wards. The grounds of the demolished and the area embarking on a major new hospital were laid out in six redeveloped but the airing project to save an „airing courts‟ with paths court shelter was retained. octagonal cast iron airing and flower beds with a Sadly, over recent years the court shelter from the site shelter located in each of structure has been subject of Barnsley Hall Hospital in the six areas where pa- to increasing neglect and Bromsgrove tients could sit to take the vandalism. Avoncroft took From 1907 Barnsley Hall air. At it's peak the hospital the decision to begin fund- was a psychiatric hospital was treating about 1200 raising and planning for it's Barnsley Hall Airing Court Shelter made up of administration patients. long term preservation in blocks, a recreation hall, The hospital closed in 1996 2009 and now hopes to stores, workshops, stables and over the last decade relocate the shelter to its a chapel and six distinct many buildings have been Bromsgrove site.

CBA WEST MIDLANDS I S S U E 1 1 P A G E 3 on the Northwick Trail!

As you may have read in tion of research by Worcester- previous issues, in 2008 the shire‟s Young Archaeologists Worcestershire Young Archae- and local people, supported by ologists Club was awarded just professional archaeologists under £50,000 for a project in from Worcester City Council‟s north Worcester, which aimed Archaeology Section and to engage and inspire local Worcestershire Historic people of all ages through the Environment and Archaeology historic and natural environ- Service. Full details and trail ‟s Mick ment of Northwick and Bevere. leaflets are available at Aston at the opening of This was to be achieved Northwick Manor Heritage Trail www.wyac.co.uk/northwick. the Northwick Manor through a wide variety of The project was formally recog- Heritage Trail in Worcester events, workshops and talks in festival, complete with sword nised for „excellence in joint partnership with organisations fighting and archery, working‟ at the first such as Worcester City Council re-enactors, and a large mar- Worcestershire Local Compact (Archaeology, Parks, Museums), quee full of activities, informa- Awards in November. Our Worcestershire County tion and cake. Professor Mick Young Council (Archaeology, Record Aston joined us, resplendent in Archaeologists Office, Countryside Access), multicoloured stripes (and his were very and very own bright orange WYAC proud to the Portable Antiquities t-shirt) to cut the ribbon and receive their Scheme. The Northwick launch the Northwick Manor certificate and Manor Community Heritage Heritage Trail. The trail is a look forward Project drew to a close in May 5km circular walk along existing to the next big with a Medieval May Day rights of way and is the culmina- project! Unearthing the Saltley Brick Industry

Saltley had a rural appearance rectangular, 10m long and 5m temporary th until the 19 century when wide, with flues along the walls blocking walls rapid residential and industrial to allow heat to circulate and across the ends. development took place. openings at both ends for the The kiln would The industries included the bricks to be loaded and have been fired Manufacture of bricks using unloaded. for six days in local clay as a raw material. The subsoil under the kiln had all, first of all at One of the many brick kilns in been baked hard and a slow heat to this area was excavated as part discoloured to an orange drive off of redevelopment. It was part colour through heat action. The moisture and of a small brickworks marked kiln was a “Scotch” type. It then to a on the Ordnance Survey map of would have been open-topped maximum 1890 which consisted of two and have had no permanent temperature of kilns, a drying shed and a clay roof structure. It was loaded about 1100 pit and was disused by about with bricks for firing with loose, degrees Couchman Road Brick Kiln in Saltley, 1900. The kiln was roughly burnt bricks covering them and Centigrade. Birmingham Dates for your Diary Winter Tours of Blakesley Hall Free tours of after the UK's archaeological heritage, 1st and 15th February and 1st, 8th, 15th, the Museum with presentations and discussion. 22nd, 29th March at 11am Collections Fortifications at Risk Guided tour of the Hall. Centre take 8th & 9th March 2011 £3.50 per person. place at 11am A symposium at the National Army Mu- Pre-booking essential. Tel. 01214642193 and 2pm on the last Friday of every seum, London by The Fortress Study Winter Tours of Sarehole Mill month. Booking required. Group (FSG) to highlight concern at the 3rd and 10th February and 10th, 17th, AIA/CBA Regional Dayschool number of 19th and 20th century fortifi- 24th, 31st March The final AIA/CBA regional dayschool in cations, particularly WW1 and WW2 Guided tour of the Mill at 1pm £3.50 the current programme on industrial defences, that have become derelict or per person. Pre-booking essential. Tel- heritage will be on 21 February 2011 at have been destroyed. For more informa- 0121 777 6612 the Maritime Museum in Lancaster. tion contact Bill Clements at Chair, Weoley Castle Walk and Talk CBA Winter General Meeting 2011 Tel 02072865512 or email 4th February and 4th March at 2pm Archaeology & the Voluntary [email protected] Slideshow/talk followed by a guided tour Sector TORM Re-enactors Market of the ruins. £3.50 per person. Mon 7 March, British Academy, London 11th-15th March Pre-booking essential. Tel. 01214642193 The business meeting will form part of a Ryton on Dunsmore Leisure Centre, Museum Collections Centre Tours, day which will focus on how local Warwickshire Nechells, Birmingham groups can play a crucial role in looking £5 Entrance Fee

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