LEICESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Number 74 Editor Kay Gowland For Society news, details of lectures, publications and other Society activities visit the web site at www.le.ac.uk/lahs/ Landmark publication launched hat a year it has been! Two significant who has agreed to manage the web site once it Wpublications and one more to come, plus is handed over by the designers. a new web site. We asked members to order a copy of the Leicester Abbey book in advance Subscriptions so that we could gauge how many to print. We are finding that the running costs of the Quite a number of members have not yet Society are not being covered by the annual collected their copy and as it costs £4.74 to subscription and so your committee has agreed R post, we can only post the book if members that it is necessary to seek the approval of the R pay for postage. If any member did not place AGM to increase it. The last increase took an order and would now like a copy we do place on 1st May 2000 and with many paying E by standing orders we would not want to E have sufficent in stock to satisfy such requests. Copies can be obtained from the library when increase the subscription in the near future and open, and at lecture evenings. Alternatively, so your committee is recommending an T T copies can be collected from the Honorary increase to £20. Currently members receive Secretary’s home, phoning beforehand to two publications a year and two Newsletters all ensure that he is in!! of which cost around £15 to produce (not T T including postage) and so there is little left for Web site other expenses out of your current £16 The web site is one way in which members can subscription. Over the past year members have E E keep abreast of news items and other events also had a free copy of the Leicester Abbey being organised by the Society. It is planned to volume and could buy the index at a subsidised run the newly-designed site for at least six price. This has been possible by using some of L L months before any major changes are made (if the accumulated income from the John Willett necessary) so that we can all get used to it and bequest as part of our commemoration of the S S find out any limitations. If you have any ideas 150th anniversary of the Society. for improving the web site do contact Alan McWhirr. We are grateful to Richard Buckley Another Sale see page 2 W W The first lecture is on Thursday 5th October E E and the AGM is on 23rd November N N Please can we have your email address. Email it to the Honorary Secretary. Newsletter Editor Honorary Secretary Membership Secretary Kay Gowland Dr Alan McWhirr Geoff Clark-Monks 62 Station Road 37 Dovedale Road 15 Stanhope Road Cropston Stoneygate Wigston, Leicestershire Leicester Leicester LE7 7HD Tel: 0116 235 0503 LE2 2DN Tel: 0116 270 3031 LE18 3SJ Tel: 0116 281 3684 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Autumn 2006 Newsletter Leicester Abbey Cover of anniversary book. o mark the 150th anniversary of the Society a major academic T Editors, authors and committee are conducted, by Richard Buckley, around the publication has been produced, the excavations at Leicester Abbey to mark the launch of the anniversary book. brain-child of Dr Jo Story. It is edited by three committee members, Jo Story, Jill Bourne and Richard Buckley and there are also other contributions by members of the Society. The book appeared in May and on 14th June, to coincide with excavations taking place on Leicester Abbey, it was officially launched. All involved are to be Left: Dr Jo Story and daughter congratulated in producing such a fine launch the Abbey volume with volume and for maintaining the our chairman Dr Gerald standard set by A Hamilton Thompson Rimmington celebrating the who produced for the Society in 1949 occasion. The Abbey of St Mary of the Meadows, Leicester. Right: A copy of the Abbey book is presented to the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Paul Westley by Dr Alan McWhirr and Dr Gerald Rimmington. There will be another sale of Society publications including back numbers of Transactions and the Leicestershire Historian. It will be on Sunday 15th October in the Guildhall 2.00-4.00. Some Transactions as little as 50p. 2 Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Autumn 2006 Newsletter Have we learnt? The Holiday Inn viewed across the Jewry Wall site. This poorly- Building erected in 2006 blocking off the view of St designed hotel was constructed in the 1970/1 when the historic core Mary de Castro, the spire of which can just be seen of Leicester was developed and much of its history lost. over the top of the building. Both buildings seen together from the top of High Street, with the multi-storey car pack in the foreground. (All pictures taken by Alan McWhirr, July 2006) e are pleased to announce a link with Browsers Bookshop Wof Allandale Road, Leicester. They will be offering a service to supply books and pamphlets listed in the review section of the Leicestershire Historian. In return for this sponsorship we hope members will explore the delights of this wonderful bookshop tucked away in Stoneygate. If you want to contact Browsers: Tel: 0116 270 1864 and 0116 212 7790 Fax: 0116 212 7791 Email: [email protected] 3 Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Autumn 2006 Newsletter News from the library hanks to the good offices of member Terence Cocks the Library Opening: A reminder that the Guildhall is library has received a number of publications from the T now closed to the public during December and estate of the Ven. Harold Lockley, a former member, for January, so the library must also be closed for which we are most grateful. Bailey, R. Early Christian Church in Leicester and its those two months. region 1980 Ashby-de-la-Zouch Past and Present 8 (2006) Copies of Gundry, D. Hallowing of the Leicester Bishopric and this interesting local journal can be purchased from Cathedral 1973 Ashby Museum Kenyon, K. Excavations at the Jewry Wall [1937] Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Tyldesley, D. History of the parish church of All Saints, 109 (2005) Sapcote 1981 Cornerstone (SPAB) 27.2 (2006) Wilshere, J. Religious gilds of mediaeval Leicester 1979 Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 126 2006 Includes articles on Melbourne and Shardlow, just over Other books acquired recently the county boundary Armson, J. St Mary de Castro, Leicester: a brief record Hinckley Historian 57 Includes articles on Barwell and 3rd ed 1968 Burbage Cooper, N. ed. Archaeology of the East Midlands: an Historical Research Vol. 79 May 2006; Aughust 2006 archaeological resource assessment and research agenda Journal of the English Place-Name Sociey Vol. 37 2005 2006 Research News: newsletter of the English Heritage Cox, B. Dictionary of Leicestershire and Rutland place- Research Dept. 2 (Winter 2005); 3 (Spring 2006) names 2005 Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Durham hearth tax Lady Day 1666 2006 (British Record Transactions Vol. 78 (for 2003). Special issue entitled Society Index Library 119) Wroxeter Archaeology: excavation and research on the Harvey, P. Editing historical records 2001 Published by defences and in the town 1968-97 the British Library – it is hoped that this book will be Thoroton Society Transactions Vol. 109 2005. Includes useful to those members thinking of producing work for Plough Bullocks and other Plough Monday customs in the Society’s proposed Record Series the Nottingham area 1800-1920. There are a number of Jenkins, J. Leicester’s unemployed march to London 1905 Leicestershire references [2006] Donated by the publisher, the Friends of the Village Voice [Leicestershire] Spring 2006; Summer 2006 Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Story,J. et al, eds. Leicester Abbey: medieval history, Current issues of the following newsletters are available archaeology and manuscript studies 2006 on the library table. We do not keep files of these titles: Williams, J. I was a Ruddite: life at Stoneygate Ancient Monuments Society Newsletter Preparatory School, London Road, Leicester, in the Branchline [Leicestershire] 1930s 2006 Typescript donated by the author Dustsheet [Leicestershire] Leicestershire Matters Periodicals National Ice Age Network Newsletter The following titles have been received to add to the Network News [Leicestershire] permanent files in the library. Individual issues are Society for Medieval Archaeology Newsletter available for loan. Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain. Ancient Monuments Society Transactions Vol. 50 2006 – Newsletter and Annual Report includes an extensive illustrated article on Dovecotes of South Derbyshire Heritage News Rutland Worcestershire Recorder Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 126 2006. An interesting Aubrey Stevenson miscellany relating to Kent Honorary Librarian Sale on Sunday 15th October in the Guildhall 2.00-4.00. Some Transactions as little as 50p. FANTASTIC BARGAINS!! 4 Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Autumn 2006 Newsletter Historic building work undertaken by ULAS ULAS is developing a dedicated team to undertake building surveys. Here are brief reports on such surveys undertaken by Neil Finn, Sophie Clarke and Gerwyn Richards. Sophie Clarke has completed the survey and report on the mid 18th century 59 and 59a Highcross Street, Leicester, and proposals are now awaited for the development of this site. She has also carried out a photographic survey of an early 20th century factory on Abbey Lane, prior to conversion for residential use. Gerwyn has completed the first stage of a photographic survey at School Farm, Bruntingthorpe: an 18th century house with possible medieval origins.