This Newsletter is distributed to the Timeline York Plus groups and to libraries in the Greater York area.
Timeline York Plus is an informal association of historical and archaeological societies in the area of Greater York, providing a forum for the exchange of news and views.
This year has been very successful with the extensive Parish Archive, Parish Census Records and themed exhibitions being displayed in the Church. An additional day was devoted to an exhibition of cricket memorabilia which coincided with a special match in the Village. We attended the Village School Open Day with an exhibition based on the School.
Anybody living or with a connection to the Parish was invited to bring documents and photographs and to identify photographs etc at a special evening.
Open Days, with significant additions, will be held throughout 2009.
Contact Christine on 01904 738456
We are now in our 7th year and about to finalise our 18th Bulletin which will bring our total of published pages of local history research to over 500. In 2009, providing things go according to plan, we hope to be able to mount a definitive exhibition in a newly-built Village Hall. But changes are ahead for our Local History Group: when we started there were no comparable groups in the area, now there are three more. We compete for speakers and for an audience. Perhaps it is time to do things differently.
More information from: M & K Pratt [pr@bdub.co.uk]
Our group was formed 5 years ago to investigate the 14-acre site known as the Garth which is situated behind Cawood Castle and previously belonged to the Archbishops of York. We were awarded a Local Heritage Initiative Grant of £22,800 to investigate the ecology and archaeology, improve access for the disabled and produce information leaflets for the site.
This June we held a very successful history day, which included the rare Viking Cawood Sword, found in the River Ouse about 1860 and now in the Yorkshire Museum. In July we held our first archaeological dig on the Garth to investigate the use and origins of a large moat. We are allowed 6 test pits and volunteers opened the first 3 pits. The finds are currently being assessed by the York Archaeological Trust.
For information contact Margaret Brearley: 01757 268666
Visit our web page http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/cawoodcastlegarth/
Our Heritage Event in June was a huge success, with about 200 attending. There was a real buzz! Since then, we have visited York Cemetery to see graves and memorial stones of people of note, mostly associated with Dringhouses, and the Yorkshire Museum Reserve Collection Store to see all manner of things: ceramics, carvings in wood and in stone, skeletal remains (including a whale skull), gypsum burials... Talks this autumn include York County Hospital 1740-1976 (this one a real eye-opener, not to say eye-watering) and Edwardian York.
Our meetings are advertised widely and open to all. Telephone York 703970 for more information.
We commissioned a small archaeological dig on Hob Moor. A 1m x 2m trench was made to try to locate the watermill, first mentioned in a document in 1563. Although no foundations of the mill were found, amongst the more modern rubbish was a number of pre-1800 roof tiles, indicating a substantial late-medieval building nearby. At the bottom of the trench was the route of an old watercourse, showing earlier water-management. We will discuss the results with the City Archaeologist.
A well-attended AGM was held in October.
Full details of all events can be found at http://friendsofhobmoor.org.uk/Events
You can contact us on 01904 784616, also at simon@palmour.eu or via the website.
We were very pleased to host the last Timeline meeting when we heard many fascinating accounts from members. Stephen Moorhouse reported on his landscape survey of the Scoreby Manor complex / Hagg Wood, stressing the importance of placing the discoveries into the wider historical context of the surrounding area. Stephen will continue his work in Hagg Wood over the next year.
The hedgerow survey in Dunnington, under the leadership of Barry Wright, is making steady progress. Work will continue next spring and everyone is welcome to join us in this absorbing project.
Phone Linda Maggs York 489127.
The Group was formed in 2004 largely to deal with anti-social behaviour and carry out voluntary maintenance on the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
It then became apparent that there existed on the Common a largely untouched and unexplored historical heritage going back to the end of the last Ice Age 11-12,000 years ago. Apart from the attentions of antiquarians in the 18th and 19th centuries and a little work in the mid to late 20th century by archaeologists, firstly prior to the building of a WWII airfield and latterly prior to under-mining by UK Coal, nothing had been undertaken. Some of the features are listed Ancient Monuments but it was more than obvious, on closer inspection, that many more unidentified features exist and it was resolved that the Group would undertake exploratory work.
Since then, we have undertaken archaeological survey work, core samples have been analysed, and a Rapid Assessment has been carried out. We have involved professionals and community groups and are hoping to be able to attract Primary School and handicapped groups to the Common. This is a hugely interesting site: Iron or Bronze Age, Medieval and Roman features have been initially identified and include a multiple bank and ditch system which has been likened in importance to Stonehenge and Thornborough Henges. Much work, using a variety of techniques, awaits us, with Natural England helping with funding.
Contact Brian Elsey 01757 288939
The Group have maintained a well-supported programme of activities throughout the year and there are still a number of events to look forward to.
There have been varied talks on interesting history subjects and a number of local and regional visits.
Our Annual Talk this year was a most enlightening talk and discussion on the local colourful character, “The Real Dick Turpin”.
This year has seen the success of our latest publication “Haxby Remembered”. As a result, our funds together with a local grant, have enabled us to purchase our own display boards. This has been a major asset in allowing us to produce a more extensive and professional historical display at our open days and events we attend for the benefit of the community.
For more information contact Ian Mason, Secretary: ian@ianrmason.wanadoo.co.uk
We planned to conduct further survey work on the Scheduled Ancient Monument site as part of the extended Study Day in October but this had to be postponed due to administrative problems. We should continue this work in the new year.
The History Society continues its successful monthly presentations between October and May each year. Presentations start at 7.30pm, at the Methodist Church Hall on the Green in Upper Poppleton on the first Wednesday of each month. For further details contact 01904 338610.
We have a History Society website as a subsection of the www.poppleton.net website.
We are continuing with our housing survey, starting with the south-east quadrant of the village. Each house will be recorded as far back as possible with photos, census details and old maps, along with memories from villagers. Two of us recently helped a group of aviation historians to survey the field where the Halifax bomber crashed in 1943. Several bits from the plane were found, including bullets and the site was recorded by them and the bits given to us to keep safely or re-bury. We are currently fund-raising to enable us to buy a multimedia projector so that our findings can be shown to the village.
Contact: Yvonne Clark 01904 728877 or yvonne.clarke@lineone.net
The Group is taking stock of the projects it is currently undertaking. These include the topographical survey of the grounds and fields surrounding Strensall Hall, the visual and historical survey of the houses in Church Lane and the survey of the surviving mature village trees. In all cases, progress has been principally hampered by the poor weather over the summer months. One of our members, who is a metal detectorist, discovered an unusual object in the village, which was identified by the Yorkshire Museum as the counterweight of a Roman military spear / javelin. This is a unique item and of immense importance. The 2008/9 meetings programme has commenced with illustrated talks on the excavated human remains from the Towton battlefield (gruesome, but highly recommended), and the history and workings of the Theatre Royal (not gruesome, but still recommended). The Group staged a display of some of its material at the recent YAT History and Archaeology Fair in the Guildhall (along with several other TYP affiliated groups) which generated a considerable amount of interest from the public.
For more information contact: 01904 794540 or 01904 490413.
We meet at the Yorkshire Museum or out at a particular site nearby on the second Saturday of the month.
Contact Helen (helen@bachelor5884.freeserve.co.uk) or
Jon Kenny (jkenny@yorkarchaeology.co.uk)
Acomb Local History Group. Contact: John Terry 01904 798956
Bishopthorpe Local History Group Website: www.bishopthorpe.net/mt/history.
Contact: D Forrester 01904 705396
Derwent Archaeology Group. Contact Kay Wheater: 01904 489407 for more information.
Dunnington through the Ages. Contact Marilyn Jones 01904 488433
Forest and Hopgrove Local History Group. Contact: Terry Briggs:Tel. 01904 400013 or Steve Burton: Tel. 01904 400066
Holgate Windmill Contact: Jen Hay (george_hay@btinternet.com).
Hungate Excavation (Hungate Community Archaeology Group): Contact: Liddy Dalesman 01904 332784
Naburn Local History Group: Contact: Iris Wells [iriswells@btinternet.com]
North Duffield History Society. Contact: Tony Stevens 01757 288941
Skelton Local History Group. Contact: Nancy Spratt 01904 470507
South Ainsty Archaeological and History Society: Contact: Phil tel: 01943 600447.
Stockton on the Forest / Forest and Hopgrove Local History Group. Contact Terry Briggs: 01904 400013
Tang Hall Local History Group. Contact Jon and Jane Burrows [jburrows17@rhrt.fsnet.co.uk] or 01904 345942, Wendy Simmons – 01904 410982, and John Garton – 01904 416222.
Timeline York Plus holds regular meetings hosted each time by one of the member groups.
The next meeting is scheduled for 2 pm on 21 March 2009. The meeting will be held at Acaster Malbis and hosted by the South Ainsty Group.
Dr. Jon Kenny is the Greater York Community Archaeologist. His e-mail is: jkenny@yorkarchaeology.co.uk. Also make contact via: the York Archaeological Trust at 47 Aldwark, York: Tel. 01904 663035.
Jon maintains a WIKI website (http://yorkcommunityarchaeology.pbwiki.com) on behalf of Timeline York Plus, giving details of archaeological activities in the Greater York area. It also includes more news of the Groups in this Newsletter.
An open day is planned for Saturday 28th February which will be a last opportunity to see the building as it is now. There will be displays showing the conversion plans as well as aspects of the history of Bolton Percy and we are hoping to have tea and coffee available in the Parish Room. The wonderful Church at Bolton Percy would also merit a visit and the famous Cemetery Garden has something to offer even in February.
Contact Marjorie Harrison on 01904 744263I who is willing to do a guided tour of the Gatehouse and Church for groups on that day (She is already booked for 2pm) or any other day between now and the 28th February by arrangement, in return for a donation towards the costs of the restoration and conversion.
This newsletter has been edited by Elizabeth Smith and Ted Kendall. Comments and enquiries may be sent to the various Groups’ contacts, where given, or to Ted Kendall at: gande.kendall@sky.com or telephone 01904 338610.