Friday the 1st of January

Silbury Hill in its watery field

A Happy New Year everyone.  Now the following will probably be of only interest to me. But........ yesterday I fell down a rabbit hole.  Don't take that literally of course, strumming fingers on the internet produced a small treasure box of videos and a brilliant blog called 'Inexpensive Progress'.  The videos capture the period of Edward Bawden, Paul and John Nash, and Eric Ravilious and wife Tirzah.

Here is someone ready to track down books, prints and paintings and put them all in one place, thank you Robjn Cantus, though I'm sure that is not your real name.  But you have to put in a lot of exploring in the menu on his site, it is richly rewarded though.  Take this video, of Penguin book covers and village life in Great Bardfield, Essex By Edward Bawden, and you are whisked back to village life.

Also this village brought Grayson Perry into the world, and a lovely little story of him being a paper boy, describing the great bulk of the Telegraph papers he delivered compared to the couple of Guardian paper he delivered, may set the scene on the political views of the village.

But what started all this?  I have a long and abiding interest in Silbury Hill, this mega prehistoric mound, and someone on a forum mentioned the restoration of the mound in 2007.  

Silbury had been excavated in the 1800 century by Dean Merewether, thereby creating a tunnel, which had collapsed during this century, leaving a large hole on the top of the hill.  Skanska was the firm contracted to repair the damage, and so along with a team of archaeologists from English Heritage work began.  Also  in the 1960s Professor Richard Atkinson had also tunnelled into the hill, see BBC news here.  His video (on BBC site) is a delight of posh BBC accent, though unfortunately the link does not work. 

Almost at the end of the long rabbit burrow as it narrows my search, it brought to mind Paul Nash's painting of Silbury Hill, he also fell in love with Avebury and there is an interesting video on his now more famous megalithic works of painting.

Paul Nash - Silbury Hill

You can see a little house at the foot of the hill, not sure if that wasn't a garage, for inside the tunnel when excavated there was a load of old tyres.

There is one small story still to tell, for inside near the centre a rounded central area was found, stones around, 'string' or woven grass, a central place.  Well these stones were taken out and dumped near the entrance. And I always remember Paul wanting to climb over the five bar gate to retrieve one.  Innocently I asked do you want a leg over and that inimitable smile of his as he turned and grinned at my naivety will always be part of the memories.

The 'heart' of Silbury is perhaps the most important part, what 'sacred' role had it played as it was built? was it initially built on a small barrow, the flora was examined minutely and you will see the results of the wild flowers found here.  There is of course the myth of the king buried with gold as well.  A gold life sized stature of King Sil astride his golden horse, but then there always has to be a myth.

My last painting of Silbury Hill, is by David Inshaw of the Brotherhood of Ruralists group, to be found at one stage in Wellow, 8 miles from Bath. 

Silbury on a starry night.