FoBC Members-only visit to Frampton Court: Thursday 4th July

Almost fifty FoBC members enjoyed a warm, sunny afternoon at Grade I listed Frampton Court, 

an early C18 house in the Baroque and Palladian styles, by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Rollo Clifford.

We were first shown round the grounds, which include a fantastical Gothick orangery and a contemporary dovecote.  

Inside, the house was a mixture of formal architecture, Country Chippendale and  ‘mouseman’ furniture and family photos. 

The afternoon was rounded off with a delicious tea in the Grade I listed Wool Barn.

Photographs by David Bowd-Exworth

Visit to the Bristol University Archaeological Site in Berkeley

The 6th June FoBC visit to the Dig site in the Paddock was hosted by Professor Mark Horton 

who updated us on their discoveries:

a very deep ditch was found, possibly 4 metres deep and running north/south, 

which raises the issue of whether there was a Roman fort here, possibly 1^st Century AD;

a sump or well that is probably 13^th Century plus a rubbish tip from the same era 

in the south west corner of the site;

a “D” shaped buckle of indeterminate age;

a die made of bone that is possibly Tudor;

the vertebra of a porpoise, which was a high class example of Anglo-Saxon food.

This is the last year that Bristol University’s Archaeological team 

will be researching the Berkeley dig.

With thanks to Adam Waller for the photographs of Professor Mark Horton and team in action.