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ANSTEY CLARION • Issue 19 • Late-MAY 2010 • Tel: 01530 244069
Popular TV Show Comes To The Area
Time Team visits Groby!
The people of Groby have always known that the village has a rich, interesting and diverse history. Now Channel 4’s Time Team programme has unearthed, in the heart of our settlement, more proof of the important buildings that housed our ‘ancestors’. For 3 days, 13-15 April 2010, a large group including archaeologists, a film crew and a production team, took over the Old Hall land. After John Gater’s group surveyed the site with ‘lawn mower’ technology, mechanical diggers, spades and trowels were quickly in action to delve more deeply. Tony Robinson (alias Baldrick) enthusiastically skipped from trench to trench while Mick Aston and Phil Harding got down to the dirty work. Phillippa Gregory, a well-known author, also visited the site. She recently published “The White Queen”, a novel following Elizabeth Woodville through a turbulent life, to become wife of Edward IV and mother of the “Princes in the Tower”. Before this, Elizabeth lived here in Groby for some years as the wife of Sir John Grey, who was killed during the 2nd Siege of St Albans. The churchyard of St Philip and St James allowed many onlookers to witness the uncovering of ancient stones that have remained hidden for so long. the evidence that people have lived continuously on this site since the 11th century. The mound, that is near the bypass, which supported a small Norman castle, built by Sir Hugh de Grantmesnil, was first investigated in the early 1960s when the bypass was planned. A young recently qualified archaeologist, with the assistance of local people, including the Richardson family, found evidence of stonework digging deep into the mound. The Time Team spent three days digging the mound and elsewhere in the grounds of Groby Old Hall and seemed excited with their discoveries. The whole team were friendly and welcoming to onlookers, informing people of their findings and posing for many photographs. We have to be patient, the programme will not be screened until next year. The information they have gleaned, will also take a year to be collated and to appear on the Time Team website.
Duck eggs stolen A resident of Leicester Road witnessed the stealing of five eggs which the white ducks had laid near Anstey’s Pack Horse Bridge. The theft took place at 9pm on Wednesday May 5th. The resident chased the thief towards Castle Hill Park but turned back when she felt her own safety was possibly at risk. The resident was very upset and saddened by this callous and selfish act. The thief was described as a white male, in his mid to late 30’s. The Police have been notified.
Gill Waldram, Groby Heritage Group
A taster of what was found Time Team went further than the 1960s dig on the mound and got to the bottom of a flight of stone steps into a stonewalled room inside the castle mound. Elsewhere they found various medieval walls, 2 large pillar bases, the base of an oriel (or tall bay) window which would have been at the best end of the Great Hall, a black and white tiled floor and pottery from the 12th to 15th centuries, some of very high quality. So we had a very large and high status, manorial building. We look forward eagerly for the interpretation in the programme, which we expect, will explain why Groby’s Old Hall was once so grand and important.
Alison Coates, Groby’s Heritage Warden
The older you get, the better you realize you were.