Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Sunday, 1 June 2014
10th Year of the Berkeley Dig - Talk by Dr Stuart Prior, 2 May 2014
Once
again, a large group of Friends of Berkeley Castle were entertained by the inimitable Dr Stuart Prior as he brought us up to date on the Berkeley Dig, now in its 10th year, and in the process managed to turn history on its head!
This
year’s Dig in Berkeley will concentrate on the Paddock, hoping to find more
evidence of Robert Fitzharding’s ‘Norman Town’ with its houses down both sides
of High Street; the Norman Hall, or house, discovered a couple of years ago at
the west end of the paddock, alongside the High Street, is very similar in
layout to a rare ‘Jew’s House’ in Lincoln and indeed to Robert Fitzharding’s
own house in Bristol which was excavated in the 1980’s. Also under investigation will be Anglo Saxon
layers in the Paddock and the Norman Cess Pits which were placed on top of a
massive Anglo Saxon ditch and which have already yielded good finds. As there are also signs of a Roman road or
trackway, it looks as if there may have been continuity of Christianity in
Berkeley from Roman times to the present day!
Much
more to follow in the next issue of “The Buttress”!
Being an Auctioneer of Fine Art & Antiques
Immediately
after the 14th April 2014 FoBC AGM, the Friends and guests were given an excellent talk on “Being an Auctioneer of Fine Art & Antiques” by John
Harvey, Director of Chorley’s Art & Antiques Ltd.
John gave
some fascinating insights into his visits to country houses for the purpose
of assessing their contents for house sales. One example concerned the
discovery of a valuable sundial pedestal and gnomen, signed by Thomas Tompion,
which had been produced for a specific house to accompany a Tompion clock. This
was of particular interest to the Friends, bearing in mind the splendid Tompion
longcase clock in the Dining Room at Berkeley Castle.
Full article
to follow in the next issue of “The Buttress”.....
John is shown below (centre), together with Mr Berkeley and Paul Walkden, Friends of Berkeley Castle Chairman.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
