CAMPAIGNING FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY SINCE 1945 THE INSIDE: Page 6 I Whalebones relief Page 7 I Café society Barnet Page 8 I You’re so vane Society Page 9 I The way we were SPRING 2021 | £1 Page 11 I Tudor Park plea of Barnet. Teams of battlefield archaeologists, including volunteers from Barnet Museum, conducted extensive metal-detecting searches and excavations in fields and woodland around Kitts End Lane and Wrotham Park. At the start of the project in 2015, Mr Foard joined metal detectorists who searched one of the fields between Kitts End Lane and the St Albans Road. Some artefacts were recovered but they failed to find military archaeology that linked the site Mystery remains over definitively to the battle. Volunteers at Barnet Museum, exactly where the 1471 under the direction of Sam Battle of Barnet took place Wilson, cleaned and recorded all the various items that were found. However, most of the The Battle of Where? objects recovered were modern “junk”. report into the Glenn Foard, Reader in Military The report’s four-year project Archaeology at the University of conclusion is that the to discover the site Huddersfield, led the 2015-18 Barnet slight scatter of finds – of the 1471 Battle of battlefield project, which was and the discovery of round ABarnet explains why a team of funded by the Hadley Trust. ▲ Top, the shot by other metal detectorists military historians still cannot Their 116-page report explores recently in previous years – suggests the provide answers to the mystery the many historic accounts of the cleaned main action of the confrontation monument surrounding the precise location battle and compares and contrasts at Hadley between the forces of Edward IV of an epic confrontation during this data with the latest experiences Highstone to and Warwick the Kingmaker lay the Wars of the Roses, writes Nick in battlefield archaeology and the the battle. beyond the search site in areas Above, Glenn Jones. success in locating the site of the Foard, from the where metal detecting has not yet Despite failing to find any 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field. University of been undertaken. definitive battle-related evidence Despite years of study, historians Huddersfield, Dr Foard -- and his two other who helped during their archaeological dig, have failed to agree on the exact team members and report authors, lead the they call for further research and location of the confrontation Tracey Partida and Sam Wilson recommend several sites to the between Lancastrian and Yorkist – say the significance of their north of Barnet which they believe armies that took place on 14 April research, and the need for it to might be worth investigating. 1471 in fields up to a mile north Continued, Page 2 ➻ www.barnetsociety.org.uk Spring 2021 • 1 BS_Spring_FINAL.indd 1 29/03/2021 06:39 1 The Barnet battlefield project 2015-2018 Glenn Foard, Tracey Partida and Sam Wilson Barnet Society The Battle of Barnet is Continued from Page 1 one of the “well upon half a myle” from the continue, is that Barnet still presents iconic military town of Barnet in memory of the perhaps the best potential for encounters in soldiers killed in the battle. British history further investigation out of several but still its Test pits were dug around a of the lost battlefield sites of the precise location former moat within Wrotham Park, Wars of the Roses. eludes historians together with a geophysical survey Barnet’s added importance is by a team from Southampton that it is the only surviving English University, but failed to identify any battlefield of the period where an Cover of the structures or any trace of a mass universities of army was known to have included Huddersfield and grave pit. One concern is metal Southampton report a substantial number of hand contamination in some target areas The battle of Barnet as depicted in the short version of The Arrival, showing events in a landscape which lacks any significant relation to the landscape around Barnet. gunners. ofFile:MS exceptional Ghent - Battle of Barnet.jpg . archaeological value” which could render a systematic “Thus, Barnet might be our only as no other European battlefield metal detecting survey impractical. opportunity in England to reveal of the later 15th century had yet While a few of the high-status the archaeological signature of late produced large scale archaeological dead from Barnet were known 15th century handguns when used in evidence for the use of handguns. to have been buried in London battle...and we cannot be sure which Targets for future investigation if churches, there has been no type of handgun was used by the access could be obtained would discovery of human remains Flemish mercenaries at Barnet.” be the Old Fold Golf Course; land reported from the Barnet area If round lead shot had been around Dancers Hill which was an which can be securely linked to the discovered in the search area that area where most of the artillery battle. might have helped to unlock the overshots might have come to rest; There has The report pays tribute not only mysteries surrounding the Yorkist and the north side of Bentley Heath been no to the Hadley Trust’s funding of the army’s defeat of the Lancastrian where Yorkist overshots might lie. discovery project, but also the “tireless work” forces and the death of Warwick. Another priority would be a larger of the late Dr Gillian Gear of Barnet of human Hundreds of Flemish hand excavation inside Wrotham Park, Museum who was “almost single gunners were present in the Yorkist the site of a medieval Kick Ends remains... handedly responsible for securing army and if lead bullets were found settlement to see if there was any linked to the financial and community at Barnet they would be “potentially evidence of a chapel that was built the battle support”. Roll on September for anniversary celebrations An ambitious line-up of events is planned for the 550th once lockdown restrictions are eased. Last year’s medieval festival anniversary of the Battle of Barnet and the highlight will be the had to be cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and when it return of the Barnet Medieval Festival in September. became evident that holding this year’s event in June, as originally A two-day event over the weekend of September 11-12 will planned, was no longer possible, the organisers opted for the include battle re-enactments and a medieval encampment and weekend of September 11-12 instead. market at the Byng Road playing fields. “We are busy planning how to deliver an exciting and A crowdfunding campaign – see details below – is well underway spectacular programme that will bring the community together to help finance what the festival committee hopes will be a truly safely, working within whatever guidelines are still required, and memorable event to commemorate Barnet’s role in the Wars create a truly memorable celebration,” said Dr Skedd. of the Roses when the Yorkist army of Edward IV defeated the Over the two-day festival there will be re-enactments at the Lancastrian forces led by Warwick the Kingmaker. Barnet Elizabethans RFC’s playing fields in Byng Road of both the If all went to plan, the High Street should have been decorated Battle of Barnet and the Battle of Tewkesbury which were both with heraldic banners in time for the 550th anniversary date of fought in the spring of 1471. Wednesday 14 April. In order to fund this special event, the committee has launched To mark the occasion a socially distanced wreath laying a crowdfunding campaign and has bid for funds from the Mayor of ceremony was due to have been held at Hadley Highstone which London and Barnet Council. was erected in 1740 to commemorate the battle. “Public support is vital to the success of our bid and the more Volunteers at Barnet Museum, who painted 72 heraldic banners people who pledge their support now for our ‘Battle of Barnet at featuring Yorkist and Lancastrian coats of arms, refurbished them 550’ campaign, the better chance we have of getting backed by during the winter months ready for installation on lamp posts in the major funders and reaching our target of £25,000”. the High Street. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by visiting www. Dr Susan Skedd, a founder member of the festival committee, spacehive.com/battle-barnet-550 or e-mailing the Festival team stressed the importance of building support for the two-day event at [email protected] 2 • Spring 2021 www.barnetsociety.org.uk BS_Spring_FINAL.indd 2 29/03/2021 06:39 Barnet Society Kitchen sink drama lifts the lid on women’s food role The Bull Players’ ▲ Illustration historic setting Monken Hadley, close of the typical close to the scene to what is believed to performance of Fog of medieval kitchen, of the battle. be the battlefield site. War – their contribution to in this case commemorations to mark Barnet’s closed Monken Hadley Fearful that beguine lay church was rebuilt victorious soldiers will the 550th anniversary of women order in 1494 shortly after pillage their beguine, the the Battle of Barnet – is to James P Godwin, author the battle of 1471 and the church women of the house prepare be staged in mid-September of the play, Fog gardens are thought to be close themselves for the imminent battle in the historic setting of the of War to the site of the chapel that was and the trouble it might bring for garden of Monken Hadley erected to commemorate the men local community.