Friday 16th January

The Chelmer River

I have been up since 5 this morning, my mind a whirl, first it was research on St.Cedd, Chelmsford's patron saint, but originally from Lastingham in Yorkshire.  Then my mind started on Saxon brooches and their dating, and the female aspect of them, did they really signify all that I had read, this will be another blog..... then I finally ended up with Springfield Lyons the causewayed enclosure, just over the road by the river Chelmer,

Reconstruction painting by Frank Gardiner of the late Bronze Age Springfield Type Enclosure

also there is the Saxon cemetery which encroached upon this Bronze Age enclosure, and now lies buried under an enormous modern building since last I wrote about it.

Late Bronze Age enclosure and Saxon Cemetery now lie under this building, a reminder that each part of history is but a page in the book.

Just as a note on the Neolithic Springfield Cursus, I think the cursus end  lies under Asda car park, and if you look down on the green from the bedroom window, I have spied circular rings of dark green in the lighter grass, now could those be round houses, or even bronze age barrows right on our doorstep?

Neolithic Springfield Cursus

All this was brought to mind because today we go to the Wyevale Garden Centre to look at sale orchids, 50% off so it says, it will be my luck that the best will already have gone, but I shall take a photo of the new building as we pass in the car, times move on, and archaeology records its passage.