Explore the Past No. 35 July 2018 Newsletter

Broadway flood alleviation scheme Archaeological investigations by Archive and Archaeology Service at West End Lane, Broadway, have uncovered evidence of over 8000 years of human activity from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to the present day. The project started in September 2016 with the majority of work completed by October 2017. The team were working on behalf of the Environment Agency and Worcestershire County Council to record archaeological evidence in advance of a scheme designed to reduce flood risk to 290 homes in Broadway, Childswickham and . The oldest features encountered were a buried ancient river channel and traces of a prehistoric forest. All that A view of the excavation area. Three archaeologists in orange jackets can be seen just below centre. was left of the forest were large numbers of hollows created as trees were felled and/or blown over. These sheltered hollows would have provided useful places for hunters to make tools and wait for prey. In one hollow over 140 pieces of flint left over from the making of Mesolithic (c 7,000 to 4,000 BC) flint tools were found alongside the tooth of an auroch. Aurochs were large wild cattle at this time although they became domesticated with the development of agriculture during the Neolithic period (c 4000BC to 2500BC). Remains of these great beasts are not often found on archaeological sites in Britain and they became extinct in Europe during the medieval period. A particularly exciting find was a pit containing a complete Early Bronze Age Beaker vessel possibly dating to c 2400-2200 BC. Unusually the pit contained grave goods but no burial. The finds also included an antler spatula, a flint fabricator (possibly used as a strike-alight), and four barbed and tanged flint arrowheads. The Beaker is currently being conserved and reconstructed at Wiltshire Conservation and Museums Advisory Service. Sometime in the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age (c 1000-700BC) a farmstead with round houses was built. Crouched burials and a cremation may have been associated with this settlement. Later in the early to middle Iron Age (c 700-200BC) the landscape had changed and the area of the excavation contained large enclosure ditches probably used to control animals. Livestock farming continued to be important into the Roman period as the team found many Roman droveways and animal enclosures. By the Roman period these were associated with a settlement of timber-framed buildings which seems to have continued in use until the 3rd or 4th century AD. After the Roman period people continued to live and farm at Broadway. The team found a number of Saxon finds, including a 6th-8th century loom-weight and the remains of 15th to 16th century agriculture, as well as modern landscaping and dumping associated with nearby Abbots Grange. The long process of analysing the results, including the thousands of artefacts recovered, has now begun. Pottery, metalwork, stone, flint and human and animal bone is being looked at by specialists and initial results are coming through. We have already given presentations about this site at the Worcestershire Archaeology Day and the Council for British Archaeology ‘News from the Past’. Future talks include one to the Droitwich History Society in September 2018, the Worcestershire Archaeology Society in October 2018, and for the Broadway History Society in early 2019. Explore the Past

Adding a new layer: 20th century non-domestic buildings and public places in Worcestershire The 20th century was a period of rapid industrial, economic, social, cultural and technological change. These changes, often driven and most certainly overshadowed by war, transformed the English landscape, adding another layer of complexity to ’s long history of re-invention. Many people, through the experiences of their parents and grandparents, feel a deep connection to this period of recent history and there is increasing conservation interest associated with 20th century heritage, in particular the rich legacy of 20th century architecture. Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service’s new project - Adding a new layer: 20th century non- domestic buildings and public places The Morgan Garage, Hartlebury in Worcestershire - aims to identify, ©Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service review and record 20th century non- domestic buildings and public places, many of which are highly valued by local communities but are increasingly at risk of redundancy and demolition. This Morgan Garage, located on Old Worcester Road, Hartlebury, was first established in 1927. At one time a busy filling station and tea room, this site reflects a growing population of private motorists, from the 1920s. The Garage is described as a cherished landmark for many parishioners in the Hartlebury Parish Plan and Village Design Statement (2016 – 2020).

Ceramic database updated Our database of all the pottery types made or used in Worcestershire from prehistory to the post-medieval period was created in 2003 and has been updated ever since. This great resource is freely available online to help you to identify pottery that was made or used in Worcestershire. New features have been added and the software has been updated to make it accessible on mobile devices.

Check out www.worcestershireceramics.org and take a look. Fabric photograph of briquetage

The People’s Collection This year the Worcestershire World War 100 project, which we are helping co-ordinate, is searching out forgotten and half remembered stories of how the First World War affected the lives of the people of Worcestershire. Since the start of the project, we have invited members of the public to share their family stories and memorabilia and we have been working with local history societies. The People’s Collection will be on display in venues across Worcestershire from May onwards. Many of the stories that have been shared with us have been poignant. In 2014, Mrs Pat Holt told us the story of her grandfather William Haywood. William was born in Worcester in 1890. He worked in the gloving industry near to his home at Wylds Lane. Walter, his wife Gertrude and twins Gwen and George. Explore the Past

In 1917, he joined the Royal Engineers as a wireless operator. He left Worcester in August from Shrub Hill station, leaving his wife and 18 month old twins, he wrote in his diary: “I shall never forget my feelings that day and for a few days to follow until I had begun to settle down. … this is what made me full up. I had one time parting with the dear children at home but here were the wife, mother, dad, sisters and friends…” Walter died at Dar El Salaam on 8th November 1917, from dysentery possibly exacerbated by poor nutrition, having never seen active service. He was 27. Please share your family stories with us. You can contact the project team through our website. http://edit.ww1worcestershire.co.uk/enquiry/

Eastham Crossings In 2016 the 18th century bridge across the Teme near Eastham collapsed into the river. As it was being rebuilt we worked with local people to celebrate and share the history of the site. This project which explored and recorded the history and ecology of the ancient crossing has just come to an end. During work to record the remains of the old bridge our archaeologists came across an amazing collection of locally held documents relating to the planning and building of the original bridge in the 1790s. It was amazing to read the letters and minutes and understand how key local people went about raising money and arranging for the construction. The records even included the costs for the bricks and details of the site the clay came from. Since our work the owner of the collection has kindly deposited it in our archive strong rooms at The Hive for safe keeping. Local people had many stories, memories and information about the bridge which were recorded as part of the project and were shared via a regular blog. All this information allowed us to put together exhibitions in St Mary’s Eastham and Tenbury Library and create school resources for Lindridge School. We also led a guided walk which was re-run due to popular demand! To find about the story of the bridge and the local area visit the blog on An original plan for the 18th century bridge https://easthamcrossings.wordpress.com/

Ice Age Worcestershire Have you ever wondered when people first lived in the place now called Worcestershire, or what life was like back then? The last million years in Britain have seen dramatic changes in climate. In the depths of the most recent cold period, 20,000 years ago, arctic tundra covered Worcestershire and a thick ice sheet stretched as far south as and Wolverhampton. Woolly mammoths, wolves, and reindeer would have travelled the tundra here in search of feeding grounds. Conversely 125,000 years ago, this region would have resembled an open savannah with lions and hippopotamuses. During this warm period, summer temperatures were 4˚C above those of today, whilst average January temperatures of 1 to 2˚C indicate that winters The tooth of a woolly mammoth were mild. People lived here too, intermittently. Archaeological excavations at Happisburgh in Norfolk have found evidence that ancient humans lived in Britain almost 1,000,000 years ago. So far, the earliest evidence of people in the West Midlands is around 500,000 years old. Some of the best evidence we have of these early inhabitants is in the stone tools that they left behind. The hand axe pictured Explore the Past would have been made and used by Neanderthals. It may date to the last group of Neanderthals to live in the West Midlands some 50,000 years ago. Throughout 2018, thanks to grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council England, we will be celebrating half a million years of history, from the time our first ancestors arrived until the end of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. Working with Museums Worcestershire, The Hive, and digital artists, we are telling this story through a series of children’s and family events, adult lectures, art installations, and activities. The project culminates in summer exhibitions at The Hive and Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum from 16th June until 8th September, and a digital installation in The Hive for two weeks in A palaeolithic handaxe the summer. More information on events, and opportunities to get involved, can be found at https://iceageworcestershire.com/

New Website! We’ve recently launched our new website www.explorethepast.co.uk Our services and resources are very popular but know that there are lots of people who are not aware of how we could help them. Working with Connecting Element, a Birmingham-based digital marketing company, we have created a new website, to highlighting the different services we offer in a more accessible way. One of our new products is our Family History Guide. This 70 page guide walks people through our most-used collections, including wills, trade directories, electoral registers, census, maps and church records. Each section identifies groups of records we hold, explains how to use them and provides links for the customer to find out further information from a range of online catalogues, guides and indexes and our enquiry services. Feedback from people who have bought and reviewed the guide has been really positive. ‘It is truly a goldmine of information presented in a very clear and compact way.’ (Genealogy Corner) ‘I am now wishing that I had ancestors from Worcestershire but instead I will use this guide to see what I can find on the counties my ancestors did come from.’ (Diary of an Australian Genealogist) You can download the guide for £6 from https://www.explorethepast.co.uk/discover-your-past/ Please pass this link to any friends and family who may wish to explore their Worcestershire origins.

www.explorethepast.co.uk

Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service is the main contact point for all information about archaeology and history in the county. Keep up to date with our latest news and events Follow us on Twitter @ExploreThePast or Facebook @WorcsAAS Contact us at: Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, The Hive, Sawmill Walk, The Butts, Worcester, WR1 3PD. Tel: 01905 766352 Email: [email protected]