ISSUE 14 Winter 2007/08 Contents Editorial: Progress and Problems 3 Officers of the Society 4 Useful Contacts 4 Replacing the NDAS Treasurer and Membership Secretary 5 Miscellaneous Developments 6 Local History Day, 13th October 6 Hartland Update 8 Archaeological Walk at West Irishborough 12 A Walk around Countisbury 14 NDAS Training Day 15 The Three Tuns Inn, Barnstaple 16 Excavation at Mount Folly 20 A New Member’s Tale 22 So why Tuly Street? 24 Excavation Training at Welcombe Farm 25 Oral History on Exmoor 26 Rosemary Akers: Obituary 27 Dates for Your Diary 28 Cover Picture: 2 Editorial Progress and Problems The most exciting work that NDAS members are Now the difficult bit. We are about to lose not currently involved with is the survey project at only our secretary but also our treasurer/ Hartland. Building on the outstanding membership secretary. These have to be replaced. documentary work done by Stephen Hobbs and Derry Bryant has been the NDAS Secretary for a the Hartland Society and on the understanding of number of years now, during which time she has Hartland’s history that this has led to, geophysical done an outstanding job of recording meetings, survey was begun over a year ago on the coastal conducting correspondence and communicating area above Hartland Quay and on the area of St with members. She has organised the three Local Catherine’s Tor to the south of the Quay. With the History Days that we have held and she has taken technical support of the Exeter University XArch responsibility for applying for an ‘Awards for All’ Project (successor to the Community Landscapes grant. She has taken on these tasks willingly and Project) the survey is producing quite astonishing the Society owes her its gratitude. Jane Green has results which point to the existence of a complex been the Society’s Treasurer and Membership prehistoric landscape in this exposed coastal area. Secretary for five years and feels she has done it In addition, landscape survey inland is adding to long enough. She has very efficiently kept the the understanding of the medieval landscape; NDAS finances in order and has kept track of the and, with the permission of the landowner, Sir ebb and flow of membership. To Jane too, the Hugh Stukeley, there are plans afoot to survey the Society owes its thanks. grounds of Hartland Abbey. This is all good stuff New blood on the Society’s Committee is and it has been agreed that the work at Hartland always welcome, and this may be an occasion to shall be treated as a joint NDAS/Hartland Society take on new talent. The opportunity exists project. At the same time, at the other end of our therefore, for any member with appropriate skills area, we go on nibbling away at Parracombe, and commitment to take on either of these roles where Margaret Reed has done excellent which are vital to the Society’s functioning. documentary work and where we hope to do Elsewhere in this newsletter Jane Green decribes further survey work at West Middleton. the work she has been doing as Another very positive development is that the treasurer/membership secretary, so that any NDAS website is now up and running. If you key member interested in the job can see what is www.ndas.org.uk into a search engine you will involved. The workload that Derry Bryant has find articles from all of the Society’s past taken on over and above dealing with minutes newsletters brought together thematically. This is and correspondence was of her own choosing; the a great boon to new members and provides principal requirement of the Society’s secretary is anyone with an interest in the archaeology of to take and write up the minutes of meetings, to northern Devon with an overview of the Society’s communicate information to Committee members activities. Here too we have to thank Stephen and to deal with correspondence. ANY member Hobbs for taking the website in hand and finally who feels he or she could take on either role and achieving what we had long hoped for. And in help NDAS to continue to function is invited to terms of promoting the Society, Judy Parker too put him- or herself forward. deserves our gratitude for the hard work she has Please speak to Derry on 01769 572963 or put into publicising the Society’s activities and Jane on 01271 374429 or the Chairman, Terry programme. Green also on 01271 374429. 3 Officers of the Useful contacts Society Chairman : June Aiken (Parracombe Archaeology & History Society) Terry Green 01598 763316 Vice-Chairman: Derry Bryant (NDAS Secretary) 01769 572963 Alistair Miller Sally Cotton (South Molton and District Local History Meetings and Correspondence Society) 01769 572378 Secretary : Derry Bryant Janet Daynes (ACE Archaeology, Winkleigh and District) Treasurer and Membership 01769 520326 Secretary : Trevor Dunkerley (Combe Martin Silver Mines Research and Jane Green Preservation Society) 01271 883833 Jane Green (NDAS Treasurer and Membership Secretary) The NDAS General Committee: 01271 374429 Terry Green (NDAS Newsletter) 01271 374429 Representing Members: Collette Hall (NDDC Conservation Officer) 01271 346436 Derry Bryant, Malcolm Canham, Marion Hughes (NDAS Social Secretary) 01271 374738 Malcolm Faulkner, Terry Green, Jane Deborah Laing-Trengove (Hatherleigh History Group) Green, Stephen Hobbs, Mary 01837 810310 Houldsworth, Marion Hughes, Alison Mills (Museums Service) 01271 346747 Jonathan Lomas, Alistair Miller, Judy Jenny Yendall (Tiverton Archaeological Group and South Parker, Chris Preece, Margaret Reed. Molton Museum) 01884 255397 Representing Associated Rob Wilson-North (Exmoor National Park Authority Groups: Archaeologist) 01398 323665 June Aiken (Parracombe History and David Parker (NDAS Projects) 01271 865311 Archaeology Society), Sally Cotton Judy Parker (NDAS Publicity) 01271 865311 (South Molton Archives), Harry Cramp (Torrington History Society), Other Archaeological Bodies: Trevor Dunkerley (Combe Martin Devon County Historic Environment Service: Silver Mines Research and 01392 382246 Preservation Society), Deborah Laing- Portable Antiquities Scheme: (RAM Museum Exeter): Trengove (Hatherleigh Archaeological 01392 665983 Group). Council for British Archaeology (York): 01904 671417 Representing Interested Bodies: National Sites and Monuments Record (Swindon): Malcolm Prowse (North Devon 01793 414600 District Council), Alison Mills Devon Record Office: 01392 384253 (Museum of Barnstaple and North North Devon Local Studies and Record Office: 01271 388607 Devon), Dr V Torrington (Barnstaple West Country Studies Library: 01392 384216 Town Council). 4 Replacing the Treasurer/Membership Secretary Jane Green I have been Membership Secretary and Treasurer money or pay by standing order. for the Society for 5 years and now I am retiring All payments out are only done with a receipt from the post. As it is essential for someone to – NO petty cash is held! take on the role or roles at the AGM in March it Membership Secretary seems appropriate to describe the roles and the The job involves recording payments from existing work they involve in this newsletter. or new members and sending membership forms The choice was mine to combine the roles and to prospective new members. The membership they can easily be separated again if necessary. cards, which are ordered from Bruce Aiken each Treasurer spring (March/April), are sent out to each The basic task is to record income and individual to acknowledge receipt of money. An expenditure. Income is from membership up-to-date list of members has to be kept to subscription and the occasional grant. ensure no communication breakdown. Expenditure involves cheques for which there is This is extremely easy on a computer database always a receipt (otherwise no payment!) At the such as Access, which I use, but it can be done by end of our financial year an independent person hand if someone is not happy with computers. has to examine the books and sign a copy of the Whichever choices are made all the Balance sheet. The balance sheet is literally that – information I have on the computer is freely income plus balance from last year equals available to whoever takes the jobs on – printed expenditure and balance from this year. out if a computer is not to be used. The reason the 2 roles are combined is that it I have not found the job arduous at all and will is easier to receive all membership cheques and give any help required to the new Treasurer/ bank them as Treasurer than rely on someone else Membership Secretary. sending them to you, but this was my choice – it’s not essential. The busiest time of the year is Thanks to all who helped me and tolerated any April/May when the majority of people send their mistakes over the years – there were a few! 5 Miscellaneous Local History Day Developments 13th October Derry Bryant As was mentioned in the Editorial, the NDAS NDAS played hosts to a Local History and website is now up and running. If you type Archaeology day on Saturday 13 October at www.ndas.org.uk into a search engine such as Lynton Town Hall. This was the third such event in Google, you will find a well presented site (the recent years run by our Society and was attended work of Stephen Hobbs) in which you can follow by 14 local history/archaeology groups from NDAS activities and communications by theme. At across North Devon, as follows: present the content is mostly drawn from past newsletters, but the facility is there to comment, NDAS to update and to keep this informative resource Parracombe Local History Society abreast of developments. The site has the South Molton museum potential to become a location where members South Molton Archive & Local History Society can pool their knowledge and observations. If you North Devon Museum, Barnstaple wish to comment or to add anything to the site, Explore North Devon Project use the appropriate Contact button on thescreen.