| A lovely morning's walking on the ridge |
| 24/3/2019 |
| In ideal weather - lovely sun and a cool wind - it was a pleasure to be out walking. We finished walking Upper Thornhill field but the finds were again in short supply. As the photo shows, we had a selection of post-med pottery (blue and white, stoneware and red sandy wares) together with some clay pipe. There were a number of possible flint flakes and a small quantity of possible medieval ware. The strange find was the stone/asbestos? vessel that looks like a garden urn of some description. Further investigation required. | |  |
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| Better day on the ridge at Wimpole |
| 17/3/2019 |
Back on the ridge again in strong winds but no rain, thank goodness. Although the ground was a bit sticky, the small band of walkers covered quite an area. The photo shows the finds were post-medieval as before, although the whetstone is undateable. There was a nice glazed rim with decorative pattern which we don't often see and some blue and white transfer ware.
What was noticeable was the transition from a dark soil with lots of flint and stones of various sorts to a sandier orange/brown soil with very few flints or stones. This lies in a hollow which may be man-made but the early maps make no mention of a quarry at this site so who knows. We will go back hoping to finish it off this Sunday. | |  |
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| Back to the Wimpole ridge - Part 2 |
| 10/3/2019 |
After Storm Freya it was the same again, we walked Upper Thornhill in almost the same conditions this weekend - light rain and an ever-increasing cold wind. After a few passes the hardy band gave way and some of us headed for a coffee at Wimpole Hall. The ground conditions were a bit muddy but ground visibility was excellent even if the finds were in short supply again. However, the photo shows it was all post-medieval wares. So not bad for the short time we were walking. There are masses of flint around but so far not a piece of worked or burnt flint has been found.
As we said last week, let's hope the next weekend is OK as we have over half the field still to do. | |  |
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| Back to the Wimpole ridge |
| 3/3/2019 |
| In the face of Storm Freya, we walked Upper Thornhill in light rain and an ever-increasing wind before giving way and heading for a coffee at Wimpole Hall. The ground conditions were surprisingly good but the finds were in short supply. However, as the photo shows, there was a nice piece of medieval? pottery with a thumbed decoration, a red sandy ware base and a thin glazed redware rim. So not bad for the short time we were walking. This field lies alongside Harcamlow Way footpath and not so far from a Roman site we found some years ago. Let's hope the next weekend is OK as we have quite a bit of field still to do. | |  |
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| Good to walk in summery conditions again |
| 24/2/2019 |
Firm ground underfoot, warm sun on your back, skylarks singing above and no cold wind - the recipe for a perfect Sunday morning stroll. After the miserable past few weekends it was a pleasure, even if the finds were in relatively short supply. However, as the photograph shows, we did have a number of very abraded sherds of probable medieval ware. Plus the usual collection of brick and tile, of course. There was little modern material so this field is not like many other Childerley fields.
This is the last large field we had left to do in order to have completed walking the majority of the Childerley Estate. We have to thank the Jenkins family for letting us carry out this large survey which will now need writing up. | |  |
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| Weather defeats us but here is something from sunnier times |
| 14/2/2019 |
The weather has been frustrating, the day before and the day after have been quite fine but the Sunday has been awful - either raining or soggy underfoot. But here is something from sunnier days.
We often find odd bits of quern stone when we go field walking but nothing quite like the photograph. In the valley of Burbage Brook, near Hathersage in the Peak District, there are these abandoned millstone grit querns lying by the track. They have been formed, the centre hole drilled yet they were abandoned - why? Did someone cancel the order or were these stock that never sold when millers started using other material. Anyway, there are reputed to be nearly 100 stones in various states of manufacture just lying around - a very impressive sight. | |  |
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| Publications concerning CAFG |
| 5/11/2018 |
The group gets a mention in 2 new publications.
In Current Archaeology we have the inside back page (which is devoted to highlighting various local groups) in the latest December issue (as shown in the photograph).
The second is in an article by Bill Franklin in the latest PCAS Vol CVII for 2018, pages 107 - 118. This studies a document relating to Wimpole that came to light as part of the group researches into the estate. | |  |
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