Friday, January 16, 2015

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.

4 comments:

  1. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the orchids and, by the way, I love your new header photo!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Got two, a beautiful white with faint yellow centre and a stripey purple one. One looks like a butterfly the other a bee, fascinating, intricate plants that are the stuff of evolution!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad you got your orchids. They sound a delight. Ah - all the hidden archaeology of Essex that gets never a mention in Archaeology lectures! The emphasis was always on the stuff further west, remnants still above ground - the bl**din' obvious I suppose, 'scuse my language!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yes you are quite right Jennie, all to do with the soil of course, no stone around like Wales, but there are hidden delights. Lots of Saxon and Viking of course being the East coast, and Roman makes an appearance.

    ReplyDelete

Love having comments!