English Heritage Members' Magazine, October 2020

MEMBERS’ R E WA R D S Make big savings this winter with our latest offers!

O C TO B E R 2 0 2 0

S TA N D I N G WITH GIANTS Take a journey back into prehistory at our spectacular ancient sites

UNMISSABLE WINTER EVENTS Make the most of the months ahead with our round-up of the essential dates for your diary

REASONS TO REVISIT

We reveal nine recent additions you might have missed at our historic properties

OLIVETTE OTELE ON SL AVERY

Assessing the legacy of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade in England

Taking off

needn’t include the runway

Perhaps later this year is the right time to pencil in a no-fuss getaway closer to home. Explore a new destination or rediscover a familiar place. Just a few days enjoying a beautiful bolthole in England or North Wales is all it takes to truly switch off with a pick of delicious food, activities and live shows tailored just for grown ups.

As an English Heritage member, you’ll receive: • £10 per person off your break* • No booking fees or credit card charges • Free Warner Holiday Protection Plan

Every Warner break includes: Fantastic accommodation | Breakfasts and three-course evening meals Exciting activities | Use of leisure facilities | Live music and shows every night | Just for grown-ups

Book by 30 October for stays up until 31 December 2020 0330 100 9778 | warnerhotels.co.uk/english | Quote PHCENGLISH *Small print: £10pp discount applied when quoting the above code. Offer ends 30 October 2020 for holidays arriving on or before 31 December 2020. Prices are per person based on two people sharing Standard accommodation including Simply Dine. Supplements apply for single occupancy, upgrades, views, balconies, patios, dining, spa treatment, packages etc. Applies to new bookings only, groups of up to 19 people and is not applicable with group benefits or bookings made through coach operators. All guests must be aged 21 and over. Discounts not available on Star Breaks, Christmas or New Year. Balance due 10 weeks before arrival date. Warner Leisure Hotels reserves the right to change or withdraw any offers without prior notice. Full T&Cs apply on Warner website. Calls to 03 numbers from any line type cost no more than calls to geographic (01 or 02) numbers. Bourne Holidays Limited (trading as Warner Leisure Hotels) is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 01854900 whose registered address is 1 Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4YL. 80119W

Get in touch

Welcome

W www.english-heritage.org.uk/members E membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk (for magazine queries only) or members@english-heritage.org.uk (for membership queries) T 0370 333 1181 PO Box 569, Swindon, SN2 2YP

For English Heritage

Luke Whitcomb, Johanna Lovesey, Jeremy Ashbee, Tom Dennis, Tony Dike, Tom Moriarty, Fran Gibbons, Richard Leatherdale

For Immediate Media Co.

Group editor Matt Havercroft Group production editor Oliver Hurley Senior art editor Sam Freeman Art editor Elaine Knight-Roberts Account director Esther Procee Account manager Joanne Robinson Director Julie Williams Editorial director Dan Linstead Design director Will Slater Consultant editor Dave Musgrove Advertising manager Jamie Bolton Advertising enquiries 0117 300 8518; jamie.bolton@immediate.co.uk

Contributors

Matt Ford, Jo Caird, Kevin Booth, Olivette Otele, Paul Bloomfield, Roy Porter, Steven Brindle, Jeremy Ashbee, Paul Pattison English Heritage Members’ Magazine is published on behalf of English Heritage by Immediate Media Co, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol, BS1 4ST T +44 (0)117 927 9009 W www.immediate.co.uk

Advertising income

Thank you to our advertisers and partners. The income we raise from adverts and inserts helps to cover the costs of producing your magazine.

Support us

English Heritage is a charity. Without the support of our Members and donors, our work would not be possible. To find out more about how you can help by making a donation or leaving a gift in your will, please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us or call the fundraising team on 020 7973 3797.

A

s the countdown to Christmas gets underway at the end of this remarkable year, I’m delighted to say that almost all of our sites have now been reopened and the critical work to conserve our historic properties and collections continues unabated. On page 6 you can read about a project to protect the extraordinary collection of around 100 sculptures dotted across the grounds of Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

Plus, our feature starting on page 23 explains how a fresh approach to conservation is helping us to ensure we’re making maximum impact at our most vulnerable sites. It’s all thanks to your support as Members that these essential projects to protect our sites are possible.

For those of you looking for inspiration for days out, don’t miss our guide to unmissable winter events on page 16, along with our round-up of the recent additions you may have missed at our sites on page 30.

Enjoy the issue and have a wonderful Christmas and new year.

Kate Mavor Chief Executive

Contributors

English Heritage cares for more than 400 historic monuments, buildings and places – from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, and from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to Cold War bunkers.

Through these we bring the Story of England to life for more than 10 million visitors each year.

Kevin Booth Senior curator January to December 2019: 444,773 Registered charity no. 1140351 (England) Registered company no. 07447221 (England) Product code: 200642

In our latest Objects of England feature on page 28, Kevin reveals the story of a carved stone capital that was once part of a fountain in Corbridge Roman Town near Hadrian’s Wall

Susan Greaney Senior properties historian

Paul Pattison Senior properties historian

Following a discovery at Stonehenge, we go behind the scenes with Susan on page 42 to find out what goes into researching and caring for our most ancient sites

On page 58, Paul explores the story of Henry II’s Great Tower at Dover Castle and its possible connection to the murder of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Contents October 2020

42 ‘THERE ARE AROUND 60 PREHISTORIC SITES IN ENGLISH HERITAGE’S CARE AND THE DIVERSITY IS EXTRAORDINARY’

F E AT U R E S

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Meet the experts

Meet the time-travelling hosts of our fun series of Spooky Woodland Walks

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New this season

Our new Christmas Adventure Quests, plus more essential winter events

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Expert care

How we’re maximising the impact of our conservation work with a fresh approach

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Objects of England

The story of a carved stone capital from Corbridge Roman Town on Hadrian’s Wall

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Multi-site

We reveal nine of the unmissable recent additions to enjoy at our historic sites

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Stories of England

Historian Olivette Otele on the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade in England

Cover image A visitor looking up at the giant sarsen stones at Stonehenge in Wiltshire

REGULARS

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The big picture

MEMBERS’ R E WA R D S Make big savings this winter with our latest offers!

O C TO B E R 2 0 2 0

S TA N D I N G WITH GIANTS

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The project to protect the garden sculptures at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire

Take a journey back into prehistory at our spectacular ancient sites

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UNMISSABLE WINTER EVENTS

Then & now

Make the most of the months ahead with our round-up of the essential dates for your diary

REASONS TO REVISIT

We reveal nine recent additions you might have missed at our historic properties

OLIVETTE OTELE ON SL AVERY

Assessing the legacy of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade in England

Our latest news, including Mrs Crocombe’s cookbook, conservation work at Furness Abbey and Songs of England

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20 questions

Put your knowledge of our collection of prehistoric sites to the test with our regular just-for-fun quiz

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Y O U R E N G L I S H H E R I TA G E

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My experience

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Jennifer Parry explains how she met her husband at Beeston Castle in Cheshire

Meet the teams tasked with researching and caring for our prehistoric sites

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Past lives

How Thomas Becket’s murder may have inspired Henry II to rebuild Dover Castle

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Over to you

The best of your letters and what’s got you talking on social media

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Ask the experts

Your questions answered by our experts across English Heritage

GETTY IMAGES; CHRIS BOULTON; OLIVER EDWARDS; TIM HILLS; TOM ARBER

Behind the scenes

THE BIG PICTURE

Safeguarding Wrest Park’s sculptures

OLIVER EDWARDS

Essential conservation work has been completed to protect the remarkable collection of nearly 100 garden sculptures dotted around the grounds of Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

These include classical statues of the Roman and Greek deities Diana, Atlas, Venus and Adonis. A team of specialist conservators was brought in to assess the condition of each statue. They then carried out cleaning and repair works, and also removed invasive vegetation – which can damage the statues if left unchecked. For more details of our national conservation programme, turn to page 23. www.english-heritage.org.uk/wrest

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Then&Now Keep up to date with the latest news, sites and developments

BOOK

Learn Victorian cookery with Mrs Crocombe his autumn sees the release of How to Cook the Victorian Way – the longawaited, definitive guide to the life, times and tastes of the world’s favourite Victorian cook, Avis Crocombe. The book contains the manuscript of Mrs Crocombe’s handwritten recipe book – published for the very first time – and includes Victorian recipes specially adapted for the modern home cook by food historian Dr Annie Gray. It features traditional recipes for custard and Christmas cake, but also instructions for more unfamiliar fare, including brain cakes and mock turtle soup. Avis Crocombe was head cook for Lord and Lady Braybrooke at Audley End House in Essex from about 1878 to 1884. Today she’s known as the star of our popular YouTube series The Victorian Way. Kathy Hipperson, who plays Mrs Crocombe in the series, provides the foreword to the book, and senior properties historian Andrew Hann shares insights into what life was like at Audley End during Mrs Crocombe’s time.

T

How to Cook the Victorian Way by Annie Gray and Andrew Hann is out now

Members can receive a FREE ‘Victorian Way’ wooden spoon worth £4.50* when ordering How to Cook the Victorian Way from www.english-heritageshop.org.uk.

Simply enter the code COOK20 at checkout * Offer ends 24 December 2020

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NEWS

RESE ARCH

NEWS IN BRIEF

New research reveals Stonehenge’s secrets New research has finally revealed the origins of Stonehenge’s largest sarsen stones. By conducting tests on a small fragment of a core previously taken from one of the stones, Professor David Nash from the University of Brighton was able to show that the composition of the stones perfectly matched those at the ancient West Woods on the edge of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire (see more on page 42). In addition, the six-tonne Altar Stone is now thought to come from the Brecon Beacons or Black Mountains area in south-east Wales, rather than from the coast near Milford Haven. For a rare chance to see the stones up close for yourself, new bookings are now being taken for Stone Circle Experiences. www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge

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HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE; GETTY IMAGES

The area in hectares originally covered by Corbridge Roman Town in Northumberland. www.english-heritage. org.uk/corbridge

Panel discussion with artists at Portchester

A panel talk in November will allow Members to meet the artists who will create at Portchester Castle a ‘decolonised’ version of a play about the Haitian Revolution put on by prisoners in 1807. See www. shoutoutloud.org.uk.

470 250 IN NUMBERS

The approximate age in years of King Charles’s Castle on the Isles of Scilly, our westernmost site. www.english-heritage.org. uk/historic-sites-of-scilly

The number of years since the birth of former Prime Minister George Canning, who has a blue plaque in Mayfair. www.english-heritage. org.uk/blue-plaques

Conservation in action at Furness

Visitors to Furness Abbey in Cumbria can see the final phase of vital conservation work.

The 12-month project started in summer 2020 to address issues with the presbytery’s structural stability.

I NTE RV I E W

MUSIC

Senior properties historian Michael Carter reveals how Hailes Abbey was gifted a relic of Holy Blood 750 years ago

Hear the folk songs connected to our sites

What was the Holy Blood of Hailes?

It was believed to be actual drops of blood shed

by Christ on the cross. Edmund of Cornwall presented the relic to Hailes Abbey, where it arrived 750 years ago, in September 1270.

How important was the relic to Hailes?

It had an enormous impact. The east end of its church was rebuilt on a magnificent scale to provide a suitably grand setting, and Hailes became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in medieval England.

Was the relic really the blood of Christ?

The relic was widely accepted as authentic.

It had an excellent provenance and was believed to have been owned by Charlemagne (d. 814), the first Holy Roman Emperor.

A new series of videos called Songs of England celebrates the links between our historical sites and traditional folk songs. The project is a collaboration with the Nest Collective, whose musicians and singers have recorded 12 traditional folk songs that have connections to the locations of some of our properties, including Whitby Abbey, Hadrian’s Wall, Tintagel Castle, Iron Bridge and Stonehenge.

The videos can be watched on our YouTube channel (youtube.com/ englishheritagefilm) and the songs are also available on a Spotify playlist.

What happened to the relic?

It was contained in a precious metal shrine and you can see its base behind the high altar. During the Reformation, it was denounced as fake and targeted for destruction. But a seal (impression pictured) that shows a priest holding the relic’s container survives and is in Hailes’s museum. www.english-heritage. org.uk/hailes

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THREE TO SEE

Louise Bartlett

Senior properties curator (West)

Nighthawking damages our legacy for the future The majority of our sites are scheduled ancient monuments – a designation that is intended to protect not only what can be seen above ground but also what’s below it. Buried archaeology plays a vital role in helping to piece together the stories of our sites and being able to share them with future generations. So the recent rise in incidents of illegal metal detecting at our sites is particularly troubling. There were nearly double the number of cases in 2019 than in 2017, and sites such as Old Sarum in Wiltshire and Goodrich Castle in Herefordshire were targeted by so-called ‘nighthawks’. Holes were dug in the ground and artefacts potentially stolen from the sites.

Objects that are taken may not always be of the highest monetary value but the loss of the archaeological context by removing items in an uncontrolled way can be extremely damaging.

All heritage is a finite resource and the actions of a small number of individuals result in a permanent loss of archaeological information and knowledge about our sites. In conjunction with Historic England, we have been working with rural crime officers from police forces across the country, and are now asking that people become our ‘eyes and ears’, particularly when visiting our many free-to-enter sites, which are unstaffed. We encourage visitors to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity on our sites to the police.

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Look out for these intriguing objects when you go back to our sites

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Portrait of Edward VI, c.1547

Victorian painted window, 1860–62

‘Roaring Meg’ mortar, 1646

A copy after William Scrots, this painting can be seen at Audley End House following treatment by the Hamilton Kerr Institute.

This painted window glass at Brinkburn Priory, now attributed to William Wailes, depicts the life of Saint Eustace.

Visitors to Goodrich Castle can see the only surviving mortar from the English Civil War following conservation of the barrel and carriage.

Learn about Kenwood’s old master paintings through new videos While our properties were closed during lockdown, our volunteers continued to help share the stories of the sites. Our largest volunteer group, at Kenwood, worked with the Friends of Kenwood to put together weekly talks over Zoom, highlighting the property’s collection of paintings. You can now see the videos on YouTube at bit.ly/3hjYJ2S. ‘The Friends and volunteers of Kenwood proved how much knowledge, commitment and enthusiasm they have to offer even when our collections were inaccessible,’ says Wendy Monkhouse, senior curator (South). We’re currently on the lookout for new volunteers at a number of our properties – see the website below for further details. www.english-heritage.org.uk/volunteer

BLUE PLAQUES

Latest news from our blue plaques scheme

Blue plaques are going up again in London following the scheme’s first hiatus since the Second World War. Coincidentally, three of those recently honoured were secret agents in that conflict. Noor Inayat Khan did vital work as a wireless operator in assisting the French Resistance. The Bloomsbury family home of Noor, who was of Indian and British-American heritage, has been marked with a plaque. Christine Granville (pictured) also worked undercover for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in occupied France and in Poland. Born Krystyna Skarbek, she was of Polish and Jewish ancestry. She is commemorated in Earl’s Court. The extraordinary Juan Pujol Garcia was a Spanish chicken farmer who tricked the Nazis into believing he was an ardent supporter. He fed them misinformation that was crucial to the success of D-Day from the house in Hendon that now bears his plaque. Also commemorated recently were the naturalist Gerald Durrell – the author of My Family and Other Animals – and Sir Robert Hunter, best known as a founder of the National Trust. A new edition of The English Heritage Guide to London’s Blue Plaques is available from www.english-heritageshop.org.uk.

BLUE PLAQUES WORDS: HOWARD SPENCER. IMAGES: GETTY; ALAMY. ‘ROARING MEG’ ON LOAN BY KIND PERMISSION OF HEREFORDSHIRE HERITAGE SERVICES. EDWARD VI PORTRAIT ON LOAN FROM A PRIVATE LENDER

IN MY VIEW

YOUR LINK TO

getting away from it all

English Heritage members can save up to 20% off ferry travel To book visit wightlink.co.uk/englishheritage

YOUR LINK TO THE ISLAND

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ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM ONLY £6 Order online at www.english-heritageshop.org.uk

CHRISTMAS CARDS

Season’s greetings Make a statement this festive season with our new range of Victorian-themed Christmas cards and gifts From puddings to presents, trees to turkeys and carols to crackers, the Victorians popularised and invented many of our best-loved Christmas traditions. This year we’re celebrating the era with a new range of Victorian-themed Christmas gifts and goodies, available from www.english-heritageshop.org.uk.

The new range includes these delightful cards, featuring original artwork inspired by Victorian Christmases past. With packs of 10 Christmas cards from £6, and single cards also available, now is the time to start sending your Christmas wishes.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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M E E T TH E E X PE RT S

Geoff Harris and Gayna Johnson Spooky Woodland Walks hosts

INTERVIEW MAT T HAVERCROF T PHOTOGR APHS MIKE HARRINGTON

Geoff Harris: Gayna and I have been working together for 35 years. Although our performances have changed over the years, our aim has always been the same – to provide fun, family entertainment that parents and children can enjoy together. We originally worked as teachers but were tempted into a life of performance by the lure of the greasepaint and the smell of the crowd.

We have performed for English Heritage for about 20 years. The Spooky Walks sprang out of the daytime Ghost Hunts we host at Wrest Park during October half-term. We were asked to create a separate Halloween event for the evenings. The Spooky Walks are just that – a 40-minute walk through some of the more remote parts of Wrest Park’s woods, stopping every now and then to listen to a ghost story.

The popularity of the event is probably because they are very different and do not take themselves too seriously. Gayna and I play Mrs Rosie Bottom and Mr Obadiah Squires, time-travelling ghost hunters by appointment.

The presentation is very tongue-in-cheek and the emphasis of the walks is on humour.

We are not there to scare anyone out of their wits, although we do make people jump every now and then. As well as the stories, we get the crowds singing, we ask ghostly riddles and we tease people mercilessly. There is also the opportunity to be in a beautiful place at night, something you are never usually able to do. That, combined with the walks though dark woods, makes it something of an adventure.

This year there are going to be a number of sites hosting Spooky Walks and each of these will be different. The basic premise is the same but 14

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Clockwise from above Geoff and Gayna, aka Mrs Rosie Bottom and Obadiah Squires, with intrepid ghost hunters at Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire; follow the ghost-hunting duo for an evening of stories, singing and ghostly riddles; the events are suitable for ages five and above, with an emphasis on humour

that is about it. While Gayna and I will be performing at Wrest Park, the walks at the other sites will be led by different performers. As we know, each English Heritage venue has its own unique and rich history, which each of the performers will interpret in their own way.

The thing Gayna and I love about these events is the response of the people we entertain. We hope people will go away smiling and that there will be lots of conversations on their journeys home that start with, ‘Do you remember that bit where…’ and, ‘I liked the bit when…’ and, ‘That was so funny.’

After work, Gayna and I will be spending Halloween socially distanced by our blazing fire, whereas Mrs Bottom and Mr Squires will be time travelling, tracking down ghosts and leading intrepid ghost hunters on spooky woodland trails to laugh the spectres away for another year.

COME AND JOIN THE FUN For details of all of our Spooky Walks events or to book, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

‘Gayna and I play Mrs Rosie Bottom and Obadiah Squires, timetravelling ghost hunters by appointment’

Our Christmas Adventure Quests will be taking place over the Christmas and New Year period at 16 sites that offer plenty of outdoor space

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NEW THIS SEASON

Christmas Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in historical surroundings over the festive period with our new Christmas Adventure Quests. Plus, we round up the other essential Halloween and winter events you can enjoy with your membership WORDS MAT T FORD

W

e’ve all been there. It’s the evening of Christmas Day and the presents have been unwrapped, the dinner is done and the turkey, or at least most of it, has been polished off. Your friends or family – and possibly a host of relatives – are happily dozing in front of the television. But then the inevitable question pops into your head: what next?

Traditionally, you might dust off an old board game or suggest a Boxing Day tramp through the countryside. Or perhaps you could treat them to a day out to solve a puzzle together? To help you, a selection of English Heritage sites across the country will be hosting a series of new Christmas Adventure Quests from Boxing Day 2020.

‘These new events are all about getting everyone out and about and on to our sites, where they can have a fun time in the week after Christmas,’ says Heather Redmond, head of visitor experience. Traditionally most staffed English Heritage sites have been closed between Christmas and New Year, but this year 16 sites will be open for visitors, with the Christmas Adventure Quests designed to provide an opportunity to work off that Christmas lunch and learn something new along the way.

‘We’ve gone for places with a lot of outdoor spaces that are perfect for a treasure hunt,’ says Redmond, ‘the sites with the most room to run around.’ Each of the 16 chosen sites will have a dozen A5 boards, shaped like presents, hidden around the grounds. The boards will be based www.english-heritage.org.uk

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around The Twelve Days of Christmas and will feature fun and quirky facts about the sites.

The aim of the game is to track them all down.

If you need a bit of sustenance to keep you going, staff will also be on hand at sites to serve tea, coffee, mulled wine and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

‘It will be a chance to explore, get a bit of exercise and maybe visit a site people haven’t been to before,’ says Redmond. ‘Visitors will also be able to find out some of the lesser-known stories about the places where history happened.’ The boards will also feature QR codes that visitors can scan with their smartphones to get access to supplementary digital content – such as articles or videos – that will tell them more about the site.

‘When we have tried QR codes before they have gone down brilliantly with our visitors,’ says Redmond. ‘People have really enjoyed the opportunity to find out more about the paintings at Bolsover Castle, for example, or to watch a video of an actual battle at Battle Abbey. We can promise something equally exciting this Christmas – although the precise content remains top secret.’

Part of the reason for including digital content this year was to provide a layered experience with

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something suitable for all ages. ‘We wanted to create a quest that wasn’t just about little ones and their parents,’ says Redmond. ‘Many people will already be familiar with trails that they can do with young children. But we know that people of all ages are gathered together at Christmas and so we wanted to take it up a gear and create something that everyone can get involved with.

‘The Christmas Adventure Quests are aimed at children, parents, grandparents – and even grumpy teenagers.’

Below The series of Christmas Adventure Quests offers a great way to have a day out during the downtime after Christmas Right The events are aimed at all ages, from children to grandparents

Festive fun

The Quests also reflect a growing appreciation that Members want to have access to sites over the festive period. ‘Whenever we have opened a site up between Christmas and New Year we’ve found it has been really popular,’ says Redmond. ‘People tend to have time off work at this time of year and

‘We have visitors coming to our sites again now and they are just so pleased to be back’

NEW THIS SEASON

D ON ’ T MIS S OUT

Unmissable autumn and winter events across the country

are looking for fun things to do. It’s an opportunity to put your boots on and see what our places are like in the festive season.’

Redmond believes that this relationship between people and special places has grown even stronger this year after the lockdown forced sites to close during the spring and early summer.

‘People really missed the chance to visit their favourite places,’ she says. ‘In a funny way, I think it’s like that Joni Mitchell song, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’: “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”

Although we have managed to get nearly all of our sites back open again, we now want to give as much access as possible.’

Out and about

‘The other thing the lockdown really taught us is how much people want to be outside,’ continues Redmond. ‘We have visitors coming to our sites again now and they are just so pleased to be back, and I think it’s a similar feeling after you spend lots of time indoors over Christmas.’

A wintery walk with the family is also a great opportunity to think ahead, plan some adventures for 2021 and show family and friends what being a Member of English Heritage is all about.

‘I hope taking part in the Christmas Adventure Quests will help raise awareness of our sites and encourage Members to pick up their handbooks and have a think about where else they might like to go in the new year. That’s a terrific way to help us do more for our special places,’ she adds. ‘But most of all we hope you have a fun day out.’

Christmas Adventure Quests run from Saturday 26 December to Sunday 3 January.

For more details, go to the events page on our website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/events.

S P OOKY H AL F-T ER M

24 October–1 November, 10am–5pm. Free for Members

Where? 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield; Audley End House and Gardens; Beeston Castle and Woodland Park; Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens; Bolsover Castle; Brodsworth Hall and Gardens; Carisbrooke Castle; Dover Castle; Framlingham Castle; Goodrich Castle; Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden; Old Sarum; Pendennis Castle; Whitby Abbey; Witley Court and Gardens; Wrest Park.

What? A feast of fearsome fun awaits at our spooky sites this October half-term. Gather your little monsters for a ghoulishly good day out, with spine-tingling stories and creepy clues to solve. There will be a fancy dress competition every day – so arrive in your scariest outfits to be in with a chance of winning.

GH OST TOURS

28–31 October, check website for times. £10 for Members

Where? 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield; Brodsworth Hall and Gardens; Carisbrooke Castle; Carlisle Castle; Deal Castle; Eltham Palace and Gardens; Framlingham Castle; Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden; Scarborough Castle; Tynemouth Priory and Castle; Whitby Abbey; Witley Court and Gardens.

What? This is your chance to explore our haunted historical places after dark this Halloween. Storytellers will guide you through the gloom and take you on an eerie journey into the past. With tales of ghosts, supernatural sightings and horrors from history, these events are not for the faint-hearted. Please note these events are only suitable for those aged over 16.

Don’t forget to bring a torch, it’s going to be dark!

S P OOKY WOOD L AN D WAL KS 29–31 October, 5.30pm, 6.30pm & 7.30pm. £6/£4 for Members

Where? Audley End House and Gardens; Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens; Brodsworth Hall and Gardens; Walmer Castle and Gardens; Witley Court and Gardens; Wrest Park.

What? Have you ever wondered what weird and wonderful tales could be told in English Heritage’s historic woods and grounds on a dark and moonless night? Well, now is your chance to find out as ghosthunters and storytellers lead you down rarely trodden paths at this particularly spooky time of year. You will hear a mixture of spine-tingling and humorous stories that will thrill everyone, young and old alike. The tour lasts for approximately 45 minutes.

C H R I ST M AS ADVEN TUR E QUE STS

26 December–3 January, 10am–4pm. Free for Members

Where? 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield; Audley End House and Gardens; Beeston Castle and Woodland Park; Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens; Bolsover Castle; Brodsworth Hall and Gardens; Dover Castle; Eltham Palace and Gardens; Framlingham Castle; Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden; Osborne; Pendennis Castle; Stonehenge; Stokesay Castle; Whitby Abbey; Wrest Park.

Spooky Woodland Walks at the end of October give visitors the chance to see properties in a new light

S PRIN G ADV E NT UR E Q U ESTS

13–21 February, 10am–4pm. Free for Members

Where? 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield; Audley End House and Gardens; Beeston Castle and Woodland Park; Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens; Bolsover Castle; Brodsworth Hall and Gardens; Dover Castle; Eltham Palace and Gardens; Framlingham Castle; Goodrich Castle; Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden; Osborne; Pendennis Castle; Stonehenge; Stokesay Castle; Whitby Abbey; Wrest Park.

What? Many sites will be putting on an interactive trail around their grounds during February half-term to welcome you back to your favourite places. Explore English Heritage’s sites once again with the whole family.

START PLANNING For details of all of our events year-round, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events 20

www.english-heritage.org.uk

What? These self-guided games will give you and your family the chance to explore the places where history happened, as well as to discover fun facts and unearth untold stories. As a group you will hunt for clues and QR codes that reveal quirky tales, and afterwards you can enjoy a hot drink in beautiful surroundings.

FIND

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS

WHILE CHRISTMAS COMES BUT ONCE A YEAR, THE GIFT OF HISTORY LASTS ALL YEAR ROUND. THERE’S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. SO BUY NOW TO SAVE 20% . †

Imagine wrapping up 6,000 years of enchanting history into one magical present. With an English Heritage Gift of Membership from just £39.20, you can give someone unlimited access to over 400 wonderful places this Christmas. And as children go free*, it’s a gift the whole family can enjoy.

BUY NOW USING OFFER CODE: GIFT13 english-heritage.org.uk/gift

0370 333 1182

Offer ends 24 December 2020. † Not available with any other offer. * Membership includes six accompanying children per adult Member under 18 and within the family group.

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E XPERT C ARE

M A X I M U M I M PAC T We met those working on our conservation frontline to find out how a more responsive approach to maintaining our sites using the latest techniques is helping us to find long-term solutions

DAVID MYERS

WORDS JO CAIRD

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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V

isitors to Pevensey Castle in East Sussex this autumn will find a team of skilled stonemasons hard at work on its imposing ruined walls.

Removing vegetation and making repairs to the Roman and medieval masonry underneath, they’re in the final phase of a £1.1 million conservation project that began in 2018. To the lay person, this may look like business as usual but, in reality, this project represents a major shift in how English Heritage is approaching the safeguarding of the historic treasures in its care.

At the heart of this new approach is the concept of ‘sustainable conservation’. Rather than making like-for-like repairs to specific defects, which was the traditional – and resource heavy – approach, the project team, made up of project managers, properties curators and external consultants, is now considering from the outset the vulnerability of the site and its significance.

‘This enables our projects to be more focused on long-term impact of conservation work,’ explains maintenance project manager Timothy Fagg. ‘For example, vegetation causing damage to significant or vulnerable walls by rooting into the masonry is removed, but we won't necessarily remove less obtrusive plants if it is deemed they will not have long-term impact on the structure.’

Putting down roots

The aim is to ensure that the site as a whole is in a sustainable condition. This is the case for 67 per cent of the estate at present, with current and future sustainable conversation projects taking the proportion to 75 per cent by the end of 2023. The final 25 per cent of sites will take another five to six years, estimates estates director Rob Woodside.

While a few wallflowers might not stop Pevensey from achieving sustainable status, established ivy and tree saplings certainly would, explains Fagg.

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

Clockwise from above This November will see the completion of a major project to rescue and repair the walls of Pevensey Castle in East Sussex; the roots of invasive vegetation can crack and dislodge masonry if left unchecked; repairing the surviving fragments of the original stucco interior at Sutton Scarsdale Hall has proved problematic Previous page Work at Pevensey Castle to remove invasive vegetation from the outer walls

‘Both of those have the potential to root into the wall and the expansion of these roots have the power to crack and dislodge large stones if left unchecked.’

Once damaging vegetation has been removed or treated to contain its growth, heritage-trained stonemasons are able to consolidate the masonry underneath, whether by repointing with new lime mortar or rebedding stones that may have moved.

The contractors working at Pevensey could have tackled just the most serious areas of damage but under the new sustainable conservation approach it makes sense to do the full works while the contractors are on site. This is more efficient and less disruptive to visitors.

At Pevensey the scaffolding is due to come down in November, but that's not the end of the story.

E XPERT C ARE

S USTAI NAB LE CO N SERVAT IO N IN AC T IO N UPCO M I NG P ROJ EC TS AT O U R M O ST V U L N ER AB L E S I TES Alongside the projects at Pevensey Castle and Bishop’s Waltham Palace, we are undertaking major sustainable conservation work at a number of other vulnerable and significant sites. At Lincoln Medieval Bishop’s Palace (pictured) conservators will be introducing soft capping techniques in which natural turf is layered on the tops of the ruined walls, as well as erecting a new cover shelter to protect the decaying stonework.

Costing £2.3 million, it’s the most expensive of our current and upcoming projects. Cover shelters or a roof are also being considered at Hardwick Old Hall in Derbyshire,

one of the most innovative houses of the Tudor period. £1.2 million is being invested to stabilise this 16thcentury shell of a building. There’s more masonry consolidation taking place in East Anglia, where high-level stonework at 20 small, flint-built ruins is being accessed via high-level rope work. The three-year project is set to cost £375,000. At Furness Abbey in Cumbria, contractors are on the final phase of a 10-year project to stop the ruined abbey church from sinking into the soft ground. The foundations of the former Cistercian monastery are gradually giving way, putting the sandstone ruins at risk.

DAVID MYERS

The works taking place are providing the basis for a manageable, cyclical maintenance programme, with the landscaping team ensuring that ivy and other damaging vegetation isn’t allowed to reestablish.

‘Unfortunately we’ve seen in quite a lot of places that we’ve done the work, moved on to other projects and now we’re coming back and doing it again,’ observes Woodside. ‘And that’s what we can’t do as a charity, we cannot afford to do that.’

Regular maintenance has always been an important piece of the puzzle, explains collections conservator Sally Johnson. ‘We are not trying to reinvent the wheel. Common-sense approaches

‘We have to be more adaptive and responsive to what we see on site’

to looking after our collections is what we’re trying to do.’ If you look after the paintings and objects in the collection by preventing damage from what are known as the nine agents of deterioration – physical force, vandalism, fire, water, pests, contaminants, light, incorrect temperature and relative humidity – they’ll ‘just tick along nicely’, Johnson says. ‘And, we hope, you won’t need to have that remedial conservation. It’s the same principle being applied to the national collection and creates a more fair and sustainable approach across the country.’

Pragmatic solutions

The collection of nearly one hundred garden statues at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire is a case in point.

Johnson is aware that these are at risk of damage from gardeners mowing around them, so every year she offers a training programme to ensure that everyone working in the gardens understands the need to treat the statues with care.

Johnson points to the safeguarding of the Wrest Park sundial as another example of sustainable conservation in action that actually predates the adoption of the new strategy. Deemed too significant and vulnerable to be left outdoors, the 1682 sundial was long ago moved into the sculpture gallery in Wrest Park’s converted dairy, where it can be cared for in a safe and secure environment. Visitors to the gardens will find a very convincing resin copy in the sundial’s original location.

Interventions of this kind will become increasingly common as a more pragmatic approach to allocating limited resources is embraced across the whole estate. ‘We have to be much more adaptive and responsive to what we see on site,’ explains Woodside. ‘This is something the curatorial department is really adopting and leading on.’

He gives the example of Sutton Scarsdale Hall in Derbyshire, a roofless shell of a Georgian stately home. English Heritage has spent a lot of money trying to repair the surviving fragments of its original stucco interior like-for-like but has been unable so far to find a long-term solution to the deterioration. A new approach is required and conservation techniques and research have developed to allow this.

‘We’ve got to ask ourselves: just how important is that plasterwork? Is it the best example in the location or are there better surviving versions? If it’s so important, how do we better protect it? At the same time, we also need to explore alternatives to future repairs such as building a cover shelter over the top of the stucco,’ suggests Woodside. ‘Previously that might have been considered too much of an intervention, not purist enough. We’re saying, in order to sustain this property, we have to make changes. We have to adapt.’

Innovation is an integral part of the new sustainable conservation approach. Knowledge sharing across the heritage sector and partnerships www.english-heritage.org.uk

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‘The commitment to safeguarding the estate is stronger than ever’ The project at Bishop’s Waltham Palace isn’t the only one taking the natural environment into account, with properties increasingly being regarded as ‘living labs’ – places to test new conservation technologies and conduct far-reaching research.

A central theme of this research is understanding the vulnerabilities of sites across the portfolio, says Woodside. ‘What makes a site vulnerable? What causes deterioration? And how do we try to adapt them, particularly in the light of climate change?

Because if our sites are vulnerable now, they’ll be increasingly vulnerable over time.’

With the support of Members and donors, English Heritage has invested more than £50 million in conservation and infrastructure projects since it became an independent charity in 2015. The commitment to safeguarding the estate is stronger than ever and, with the new approach helping to prioritise the most vulnerable sites and objects, coupled with advances in research, investment can be more targeted, more effective and made to go even further.

FIND OUT MORE To learn more about our conservation work, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/conservation

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

From top Cleaning one of the garden statues at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire; a large-scale project at Bishop’s Waltham Palace in Hampshire has seen skilled stonemasons remove deep-rooted vegetation and consolidate masonry

OLIVER EDWARDS; TIM HILLS

with universities are leading to some really exciting developments in the field of conservation science. As part of a large-scale project to remove deep-rooted vegetation and consolidate masonry at Bishop’s Waltham Palace in Hampshire, for example, the project team have decided to lay turf upon the late medieval and Tudor wall heads – a technique known as ‘soft capping’.

‘In the past we might have focused on mortar repairs. However, in some areas soft capping offers a less invasive and a more sustainable solution,’ explains maintenance projects manager Deborah Beeson. ‘The turf acts as a thermal blanket, reducing the effects of water ingress and frost damage on masonry. It can also benefit local biodiversity by providing nectar for pollinating insects like bees.’

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OBJECTS OF ENGLAND

Stone capital, Corbridge Roman Town WORDS KE VIN BOOTH PHOTOGR APH MAGENTA PHOTOGR APHIC STUDIOS

Around AD 70 the Roman army crossed the River Tyne at Corbridge, setting up a temporary camp on its north bank. Over the next 350 years, Corbridge developed from military fort to thriving urban settlement. Corbridge occupied a pivotal position, located just south of Hadrian’s Wall and at the crossroads of the Stanegate and Dere Street, part of the Roman network of roads that allowed trade, supplies and men to move rapidly. A few miles north, the massive physical barrier built under Emperor Hadrian regulated and curtailed movement.

The countryside surrounding the town was shaped by new agricultural and industrial practices, and water courses were canalised to supply bathhouses, workshops and a public fountain. This delicate stone capital formed part of the 2nd-century fountain at the heart of Corbridge. Water cascaded through three tanks set beneath an ornamental pediment supported on delicate fluted columns and flanked by a pair of statues. A capital like this would have been familiar in Rome. Its presence here was a statement of Rome’s influence on the life and landscape of the Empire’s northern frontier.

DISCOVER MORE To learn about the history of Corbridge Roman Town, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/corbridge

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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WISH YO U WERE HERE

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

Think you’ve seen everything at our sites? Think again. From restored gardens and revamped museums to spectacular footbridges with sea views, here are just a few of the recent additions you might have missed WORDS OLIVER HURLE Y

M U LT I - S I T E

Visitors to Tintagel Castle in Cornwall make their way across the new footbridge, which was installed in 2019 to reconnect the two halves of the site

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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D I S COVER T H E STOR I ES OF W HITBY W H I TBY AB B EY No r th Yo r ks hire While the striking ruins of Whitby Abbey helped to provide inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, you don’t have to be a fan of Gothic horror novels to appreciate the spectacular vista dominated by the remains of its 13th-century church. And now visitors can find out even more about the storied history of the site following a £1.6 million project in 2019 to transform the visitor centre and museum. The abbey was one of the most important religious centres in Anglo-Saxon England and, in its original monastery, hosted the Synod of Whitby in 664 – which resolved, among other things, the date on which Easter should be celebrated each year.

In the late 11th century, the knight Reinfrid chose the site as the location for a priory and the monks built an impressive stone church, although only its outline remains today. The abbey was subsequently rebuilt in the Gothic style – a massive undertaking that stretched across the 13th to 15th centuries. The ruins of its church survived the Suppression of the Monasteries in the mid-16th century, perhaps so it could serve as a navigational aid for ships. All of this rich history is brought to life through an eclectic range of pieces in the museum, which includes artefacts dating back as far as the seventh century – not to mention a rare copy of Dracula signed by Stoker himself. www.english-heritage.org.uk/whitby

Remember to book a time slot for your visit at www.englishheritage.org.uk

TAK E IN WALME R’ S P L EA SU R E G RO U N D S WA LME R CA STL E A N D G A R D EN S K en t One of Henry VIII’s ‘device forts’, built to defend the southern coast of England, Walmer Castle is also renowned for its association with the Duke of Wellington, who died here – a pair of his eponymous boots, worn by the duke, can be seen at the castle.

Wellies were, no doubt, also the order of the day for the team who recently restored the castle’s pleasure grounds, including a wild flower meadow known as the Paddock, paths through the woodland and new displays that bring the gardens’ stories to life. www.english-heritage.org.uk/walmer S EE ALB E RT ’ S V I S I O N FO R O SB O R N E OS B OR NE Isle o f W igh t Victoria and Albert’s magnificent seaside getaway on the Isle of Wight has lost none of its allure since it was given to the nation in 1902, the year after Victoria died here.

Following a conservation project in 2017, Prince Albert’s original vision for the elegant lower terrace has been restored and you can now enjoy access to a series of stairways and statuary (including a statue of Andromeda bought by Victoria at the Great Exhibition in 1851), a shell alcove and traditional Victorian carpet bedding. www.english-heritage.org.uk/osborne 32

www.english-heritage.org.uk

L EAR N H OW TO D EFEN D A H ARBO U R

MEMBER INSIGHT

Peter Smith Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire is a great site.

I love the wall and ceiling paintings in the Little Castle.

There’s always something new to spot, such as the human-eyed animals in the Hercules’ Seventh and Eighth Labours painting on the ground floor.

P EN D EN N I S C ASTL E Co r nwall Built in the 1540s – along with St Mawes Castle – to defend the Fal estuary, Pendennis Castle underwent a transformation in 2018 to help tell the complete story of the defence of Falmouth Harbour. New exhibitions reveal the history of the centuries-long defence of Cornwall’s coast, from the Tudor period to the Second World War. You can also see newly conserved guns that are part of an artillery collection that includes Tudor, Napoleonic, Victorian and 20th-century examples. www.english-heritage.org.uk/pendennis

M U LT I - S I T E

TAK E A S E LF I E ON T IN TAG EL B R ID G E

EN J OY AN ARTS AN D C R AFTS GARDEN

TINTAGE L CAST L E Cor n w all Tintagel Castle, located on the rugged northern coast of Cornwall between Padstow and Bude, is worth a visit for its stunning location alone. Yet the history and myths surrounding the site are equally enthralling. It has been inhabited since at least the late Roman period and became a hub for trading with the Mediterranean world.

In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth named Tintagel as the place in which Uther Pendragon conceived King Arthur. Inspired by this fanciful legend, Richard, Earl of Cornwall built the castle here – half on the mainland and half on a headland jutting into the Atlantic Ocean – between 1225 and 1233. The two parts were originally connected by a narrow land bridge, which is thought to have collapsed in the 15th century. They have now been reconnected for the first time in more than 500 years by a spectacular new footbridge that allows visitors to tour the castle in the same way its medieval inhabitants once did. The bridge opened in August 2019, the culmination of a four-year process that began with a competition to find a design for the crossing. The winning concept actually comprises two cantilevers facing each other.

They almost touch in the middle but not quite – a four cm gap separates them, allowing the bridge to expand and contract in heat and cold. Perhaps less prosaically, the gap could also represent the transition from the present day to the past. Either way, it’s a great spot for a photo. www.english-heritage.org.uk/tintagel

M OUN T GR AC E P R I ORY, H OUS E AN D GAR D EN S No r th Yo r ks hire In the Middle Ages, Carthusian hermits lived at Mount Grace Priory. Today, unlike the monks, visitors can enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the best-preserved Carthusian monastery in England without having to commit to spending most of their lives in isolated cells.

Following a major project in 2017–18, the terraces and the Dell Garden have been renovated to enhance the Arts and Crafts style of these areas. The monk’s garden has been replanted, wildflower areas have been reseeded and accessibility has been improved. www.english-heritage.org.uk/mount-grace-priory

MEMBER INSIGHT

Caroline Bell I visited Tintagel last September and walked over the bridge a number of times – it is fantastic. It was an unforgettable experience and a magical place.

It was worth being an English Heritage Member just for the visits we made during our stay in Tintagel.

HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE

S EE REV I V E D M UR A L S BO LS OV E R CAST L E D er by s h ir e The dramatic wall paintings at Bolsover Castle, the fairy-tale Stuart mansion most closely associated with 17th-century playboy William Cavendish, are a highlight of any visit to the property. But until recently, the paintings had visibly degraded as a result of centuries of damp, draughts and fragmenting plaster. The paintings in the Little Castle were completed in 1621 and led Cavendish’s visitors on a journey through the building from the anteroom on the ground floor all the way up to the Heaven and Elysium Closets. Thanks to donations to our Save England’s Wall Paintings appeal, urgent repairs have been undertaken in 2020, including the removal of drip marks, stabilising flaking paintwork and retouching areas where it is needed. Almost 400 years after they were first painted, the murals remain as striking and theatrical as ever. www.english-heritage.org.uk/bolsover www.english-heritage.org.uk

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GO M ED I EVAL – AN D P R EH I STOR I C

HIDDEN HISTORIC GEMS

The lesser-known sites to put on your must-see list BERRY POMEROY CASTLE, DEVON Hidden in a picturesque wooded valley, these romantic ruins combine the defences of a 15th-century castle with the shell of an Elizabethan mansion.

The grounds and surrounding woodlands are also popular spots for walkers.

CASTLE ACRE PRIORY, NORFOLK Castle Acre is a rare example of a surviving Norman planned settlement. Its centrepiece is the priory, which dates from 1090, but a stroll around the area will also allow you take in the imposing remains of the castle and the village’s Bailey Gate.

B EESTON C AST L E AN D WOOD L AN D PARK Che s hire The dramatic ruins of Beeston Castle tell the story of a 13th-century fortress that was seized by Henry III, remained in royal ownership for three centuries and later withstood a long siege in the Civil War before it was finally surrendered by the Royalists and partially demolished. Yet Beeston has a rich prehistoric past too, as people were living and working here as long as 4,000 years ago. Now, a replica roundhouse vividly reconnects visitors with the people who lived here during the Bronze and Iron Ages. The structure was recently completed by a team of local volunteers and schoolchildren using traditional materials and methods, complete with thatched roof and wattle-and-daub walls. Post-holes dug into the bedrock – the foundations for these prehistoric huts – were found at Beeston Castle in the 1970s and 1980s, and now visitors can see how this archaeological evidence has been used to bring the site’s prehistory vividly to life. www.english-heritage.org.uk/beeston

GOODRICH CASTLE, HEREFORDSHIRE A castle has stood here since the 11th century but it is the medieval castle – complete with Norman keep and 13thcentury chapel – that makes up the bulk of what can be explored today. The views over the River Wye are spectacular.

ROCHE ABBEY, SOUTH YORKSHIRE Founded as a monastery of the Cistercian order in the 12th century, Roche Abbey survives as an enchanting ruin at the heart of a landscape that was beautifully designed by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1770s for the Earl of Scarbrough.

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

COR B R I D GE ROM AN TOW N No r thumb e r land Almost 1,900 years after its construction, Hadrian’s Wall – once the Roman Empire’s northernmost frontier – never fails to capture people’s imaginations. There’s no better way to find out about Roman life in the region than with a visit to the new museum at Corbridge Roman Town, which opened in 2018. The museum presents key pieces from the Corbridge collection along with new displays and interactive installations to create a vivid sense of what life was like. www.english-heritage.org.uk/corbridge

HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE

FI N D OUT WH AT T H E ROM AN S D I D FOR U S WARKWORTH CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND This hilltop fortress affords breathtaking views of the river Coquet and the Northumberland Coast. On certain days you can also take a boat trip to explore the early 15th-century hermitage.

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In our final Voices of England essay, Olivette Otele looks at the legacy of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, and how their influence can be found across the country ILLUSTR ATION AL AN KITCHING

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

STORIES OF ENGL AND

Q

uestions surrounding race, racism and the legacies of colonialism have for decades been at the heart of discussions in Britain within and outside academia. Public debates on the matter have brought to the surface the process of history writing and history telling, and challenged the notion of a truly collective memory of the empire.

The violence intrinsic to colonial conquest has often been relegated to the past in these public debates, while the British Empire’s heroes continued to be celebrated in public spaces through statues and monuments.

Following the killing of black American George Floyd on 25 May 2020 in the United States, a large part of the world, including Britain, became the theatre of anti-racist demonstrations organised or supported by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Central to these demonstrations was the link between police violence and racism, as well as the impact that colonialism and slavery, in particular, still have on contemporary societies in the global north. One of the issues that preoccupied demonstrators was the way black and brown bodies have been represented, treated and exploited in Europe, the Americas and Asia since the 15th century. Narratives about a civilising mission of conquest have been challenged by scholars from different backgrounds. From CLR James’s work on the Haitian Revolution to Eric Williams’s equally contested research on capitalism and slavery, the ideological premise that posited Europe as the saviour of the rest of the globe did not stand the scrutiny of historical evidence.

African captives

Colonialism was about acquiring wealth by any means necessary to support intra-European conquests and wars of succession. From the 15th century onwards, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands opened the door to a trade that rested on the commodification of African captives. They were transported across the Atlantic and towards the Indian Ocean, to be used as labour, currency and even reproductive tools to increase wealth.

What is now referred to as the transatlantic slave trade was known as ‘the African trade’.

It included human beings as well as ivory and other goods. The mercantilist society of the 17th and 18th century rested upon the dehumanising of black bodies through laws stating that these populations were private properties and that they could be inherited and sold as such.

England, eager to engage in a commerce that had proven to be lucrative for other European kingdoms, started to look for ways to enter the transatlantic slave trade as early as the 16th century. English traders and sailors had been travelling across the oceans prior

Above Stott Park Bobbin Mill was part of the Lancashire cotton industry, which was built on slave labour Below Several statues in English Heritage’s care, including this figure of Sir Walter Raleigh in London, are linked to Britain’s colonial past

to the 16th century but a few captains, such as John Lok and William Towerson, were among the first to plunge the kingdom into the commerce in African captives in 1555–57. Both men brought enslaved Africans to England to show them to their fellow countrymen and women.

Plymouth-born John Hawkins took the matter further in the 1560s by engaging in acts of piracy that earned him the support of wealthy English investors. Hawkins and his crew acquired goods, including a human cargo, in what is now Sierra Leone. They sailed across the Atlantic and sold the cargo to Spanish plantation owners in 1562.

Between 1564 and 1569 he made four other voyages, including one with his cousin Francis Drake. Queen Elizabeth I supported these ventures by providing ships and supplies.

African captives were sold to Spanish colonists.

The slave trade attracted more merchants, while the idea of crossing the oceans to set up colonies in North America was being explored.

After English settlers established the Colony of Virginia in 1607, the use of indentured servants and enslaved Africans became common. The transatlantic commerce continued to be profitable for Europeans, so the English Crown regulated it in a way that protected the interests of a small number of very wealthy investors. From the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading into Africa, set up by King Charles II’s brother James the Duke of York (later King James II), to the Royal African Company, the trade was the www. www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Brodsworth in South Yorkshire was bought in 1791 by Peter Thellusson, who made part of his fortune through slavery

preserve of the elite. The company was a monopolistic organisation that opened the door to others only in 1698 after being pressured by wealthy merchants from provincial ports across the country. The commerce of buying and selling Africans went hand-in-hand with attempts to acquire islands in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. These trading ventures were accompanied by a series of Navigation Acts in 1660–61, aimed at protecting England’s trade against other European kingdoms and at supporting maritime conquest.

Colonised territories

Alliances in Europe and wars of succession, such as the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14), shaped the relationship in colonised territories.

The terms of the Treaties of Utrecht put Britain at an advantage. England and Scotland, now unified, were granted the Asiento, a 30-year exclusive contract to the South Sea Company stipulating that Britain would provide 4,800 enslaved Africans to Spanish colonists every year.

London benefitted from these contracts but, with the collapse of the South Sea Company in 1720 and the weakening of the Royal African Company, several English ports (in particular Bristol) took the lead in slaving ventures in the 1730s–40s, before being surpassed by Liverpool.

Minor ports such as Deal and Plymouth also invested in transporting human beings, while merchants from Cardiff, Glasgow, Lancaster and 38

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other cities thrived on the trade. Economic gain went hand in hand with the development of a hierarchical society based on skin colour.

The contentious but ethical question of enslaving fellow humans troubled a number of people in Britain in the 18th century. After the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, some people – in particular women such as Lucy Townsend – demanded an end to slavery in the colonies.

Revolts in the Caribbean threatened the institution of slavery throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

These rebellions were accompanied by debates within and outside parliament in Britain about abolishing slavery and, later, ending the system of apprenticeship put in place supposedly to prepare black people for freedom. Apprenticeship also signalled the arrival of indentured servants from India to the Caribbean, who had been forced into leaving their lives and families. The encounters between the former enslaved workforce – who did not have access to land and were forced to go back to work for their former masters – and the newly arrived populations created tension and competition that was exacerbated by dire living conditions for both groups.

The migration of people and goods across the British Empire changed mentalities and shaped the racial discourse about European superiority.

The movement of black and brown bodies across the empire was tightly was controlled from the 18th century onwards, while goods produced by

OL I VETTE OTELE Olivette Otele is a historian who is currently professor of history and memory of slavery at the University of Bristol, and vice-president of the Royal Historical Society.

She is also chair of Bristol’s Race Equality Commission

STORIES OF ENGL AND

enslaved people were circulating freely, and were consumed first by the elite in Britain then shared by all. Industries such as the textile trade thrived on slave labour from North America, while guns manufactured in Birmingham were a lucrative commerce that supported the acquisition of more African captives.

Wealth acquired through slavery was invested in cultural industries, stately homes, transport and other industries in Britain. Several of these houses’ stories have provided valuable insight into the lives of wealthy slave merchants and plantation owners.

These include Peter Thelluson, who lived at Brodsworth in South Yorkshire and made his fortune through slavery, and other places such as Stott Park Bobbin Mill in Cumbria, where bobbins were produced for use in the Lancashire cotton industry, which was built on the labour of cotton slaves in the US. They have helped us to understand the ramifications of inherited wealth.

Statues and paintings

ADRIAN SHERRATT; ALAMY

For centuries, Britain has paid homage to those who were involved in these trading ventures.

Through statues, paintings and other memorabilia, Britain chose to focus on those who contributed to the country’s wealth, discarding part of the history of the country that is about the forced encounters with populations who also contributed to the economic and cultural history of the kingdom.

Contemporary demands for full disclosure of all aspects of colonialism and slavery, and adequate teaching of these well-documented histories – including resistance to enslavement, pan-Africanism and black radicalism in Britain since the 18th century – continue to be met with

Below From the 17th to 19th centuries, three political dynasties with significant social and economic connections to transatlantic slavery lived at The Grange at Northington in Hampshire

resistance. Debates rarely challenge the kind of stories that were taught to generations of Britons and how that shaped their understanding of citizenship, heritage and belonging.

Colonialism and slavery left deep scars in British society. Resistance to acknowledge the trauma caused by that past for part of the population is still the subject of debates. In other quarters, discussions focus on the alleged positive aspects of subjugation of local populations. Racial discrimination and institutionalised racism are acknowledged by the law in Britain nowadays, but linking past and present remains difficult. Black people in Britain continue to experience racial discrimination and institutionalised racism, although the historic reasons for this are still largely unacknowledged.

We are at a critical point. Some heritage institutions have been attempting to uncover these histories and to address the low number of black visitors. Other institutions, such as universities, are engaging in research aimed at providing more clarity about their past relationship with enslavement. A dialogue about the colonial past has crystallised in demands to decolonise museums, curriculums, subjects, heritage and science. But resistance remains when it comes to tackling systemic racism – one of the many legacies of colonialism – within these institutions, as well as eradicating social deprivation and working towards reparative justice.

LEARN MORE Discover more about the black history connected to the sites and monuments in our care at www.english-heritage.org.uk/black-history www.english-heritage.org.uk

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circumnavigation of the black sea A springtime voyage discovering the wonderful Black Sea region aboard the MS Serenissima with Guest Speaker Major Gordon Corrigan 14th to 26th April & 26th April to 8th May 2022

Join us aboard the MS Serenissima as we explore the shores of the Black Sea, one of the most fascinating and historically rich regions in the world. Our voyage begins in Istanbul and from the Golden Horn follows the Turkish coast to Trabzon before crossing to Georgia where the richness of its culture reflects the influence of Greeks, Byzantines, Persians, Turks and Mongols.

From Georgia we follow the coastline to Russia’s premier resort and spa, Sochi. Here the microclimate produces wonderful year round weather and a lush countryside. After a day at sea which will be filled with interesting lectures by our onboard Guest Speaker, we reach Odessa, the historic city founded by Catherine the Great at the mouth of the great River Dnieper where we have the benefit of an overnight stay. We continue to Constanta an ancient metropolis and Romania’s largest seaport. Finally, we reach Nessebar, a delightful Bulgarian town with a fascinating history before our cruise ends where it all began, in the captivating city of Istanbul.

MS Serenissima The charming MS Serenissima accommodates a maximum of just 95 guests in attractively designed cabins which feature air conditioning, modern shower and toilet, telephone, flat screen television and other thoughtful appointments. Cabins are arranged over five decks and all feature either windows or portholes and the suites feature balconies. Onboard facilities include a lido area with a bar and Jacuzzi, two lounges, a small library and a spacious observation deck. The free seating Venice Restaurant accommodates all guests in one sitting. In addition, there is an outside dining area for when the weather and itinerary permit. The atmosphere on board is warm and welcoming, and the emphasis is on well thought out itineraries, relaxation, time spent with like-minded passengers and discovery.

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UKRAINE

RUSSIA

Odessa

Sochi

ROMANIA

GEORGIA

Constanta

Batumi

BULGARIA

Nessebar

Sinop Bartın

Istanbul

Trabzon

TURKEY

The Itinerary in Brief Day 1 London/Manchester to Istanbul, Turkey. Fly by scheduled flight. On arrival transfer to the MS Serenissima and enjoy welcome drinks and dinner as we moor overnight.

Day 2 Istanbul. We start our exploration of Istanbul at the Hippodrome, the centre of civic life in the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the site of speeches, chariot races, and riots. Next, visit the nearby Blue Mosque, named for its glorious 17th century painted tiles; and the Hagia Sophia, first a Byzantine patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque and today a museum. A short walk brings us to the Basilica Cistern, which dates back to the 6th century and is supported by 336 Corinthian columns making it one of the most magnificent covered cisterns in Istanbul. Return to the ship for lunch

For full details on this holiday call us today on 020 7752 0000 for your copy of our brochure.

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and enjoy a free afternoon to explore further. Be on deck this evening as we sail down the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea. Day 3 Bartin. From the port of Bartin in ancient Paphlagonia, we have a choice of excursions today. The morning tour will include a drive along the coast to nearby Amasra (ancient Sesamus). We will explore the attractive old town which was founded by the Milesians in the 6th century BC and later became an important possession of both Byzantium and Genoa. See the Genoese citadel and learn more about its Greek and Roman past.

Alternatively join a full day tour to the UNESCO site of Safranbolu, a preserved Ottoman style town named for its prominence in saffron production. On a walking tour we will visit the marketplace, the Mosque and a Turkish Hammam all from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent. Enjoy lunch in an Ottoman caravanserai before returning to the MS Serenissima and sailing this evening.

Day 4 Sinop. Founded by the Greeks in the 7th century BC Sinop flourished as a Black Sea port on the caravan route. On a walking tour this morning we will discover this walled city including the 13th century Alaadin Mosque, constructed after the Seljuk conquest of the Sinop Province. A fountain adorns the courtyard, which also contains ancient tombs. We will visit the Archaeological Museum of Sinop with a collection of objects dating from the Hittite, Hellenistic, Phrygian, Roman and Byzantine periods and the Ethnography Museum located in a typical Ottoman House. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon cruising.

Day 5 Trabzon. Trabzon is a gateway to Eastern Turkey and Iran which was founded in the 7th century BC. On our morning excursion we drive through the picturesque mountain scenery to Sumela to see the dramatic Byzantine monastery carved out of a sheer rock face in the Pontic Alps. After lunch on board we discover the church of Aya Sofia and the old town of Trabzon, then travel to the outskirts to visit Ataturk’s lovely villa set high on a cliff.

Day 6 Batumi, Georgia. Enjoy a day amongst the sights and sounds of charming Batumi. On a full day tour visit the ancient Gonio fortress dating back to the first century AD and the Ethnographic Museum.

Continue to the impressive botanical garden ‘Dendrarium’ and see the golden statue of Medea before heading to the bustling farmers market. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant where we will also enjoy a truly exhilarating private performance of Georgian song and dance by the Adjara State Assembly of Music and Dance.

Day 7 Sochi, Russia. We have a day to explore delightful Sochi, framed by the Caucasus Mountains and famous for its marvellous climate and health spas. On a morning tour we will visit Dagomy’s tea plantation, the most northerly in the world where we learn about the cultivation processes and challenges before having the chance to enjoy a local brew. After lunch in a local restaurant we will visit Stalin’s Dacha; built in 1937 as his summer residence it remains intact as it was in Stalin’s time.

Day 8 At Sea. Enjoy a day at sea as we cruise to Odessa. Maybe join one of the lectures or find a spot on deck.

Days 9 & 10 Odessa, Ukraine.

We have a day and a half to explore this fascinating city. Founded by Catherine the Great in 1794 following the Russian victory over the Turks, Odessa today is a busy port and popular resort. On our morning tour we will see the famous Potemkin Steps, Primorsky Boulevard and the Preobrazhensky Cathedral. This afternoon is free to explore at leisure and we hope to enjoy a concert this evening at the acoustically perfect Opera House. On our second day we recall Odessa’s former splendour by visiting the impressive Pototsky Palace which is now home to the Fine Arts Museum which contains the most significant collection of art in the Ukraine. After our visit a short drive takes us to the Gagarin Mansion, designed by Otton in the middle of the 19th century for the nobleman, Prince Gagarin. This now houses the Museum for Russian & Ukraine Literature. Tour the museum before enjoying a superb violin recital in the Golden Hall. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon at sea.

Day 11 Constanta, Romania. During breakfast we arrive in Constanta.

Choose this morning to stay in Constanta and enjoy a tour to

include the excellent Archaeological Museum and a visit to the Treasury to see the gigantic 3rd century Roman Mosaic. Later, stretch your legs with a walk along the Black Sea waterfront promenade. Alternatively join a full day tour to Bucharest where we will explore the main sights of the city.

Day 12 Nessebar, Bulgaria.

After a morning at sea we will arrive in the ancient town of Nessebar, a delightful place to spend an afternoon. A guided walk of the town will include the 5th century Bishopric, the 12th century St Stephen’s Church and some of the traditional-style houses with their overhanging first floors.

Day 13 Istanbul, Turkey to London/Manchester. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to London or Manchester.

Pre-cruise Istanbul Extension For those who wish to spend some time discovering Istanbul before embarking the MS Serenissima we are offering a two night hotel extension with included sightseeing.

Full details can be viewed online.

PRICES & INCLUSIONS

Special offer prices per person based on double occupancy start from £5495 for a Standard Stateroom.

WHAT’S INCLUDED: Economy class scheduled air travel •12 nights aboard the MS Serenissima on a full board basis • House wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner • Noble Caledonia onboard team including Guest Speaker • Shore excursions • Gratuities • Transfers • Group visa for Russia.

NB. Ports & itinerary subject to change. All special offers are subject to availability. Travel insurance is not included in the price. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations.

Alternatively view or request online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

SMALL SHIPS - BIG EXPERIENCES

Senior properties historian Susan Greaney and Professor David Nash from the University of Brighton, whose research has revealed the most likely place where Stonehenge’s giant sarsen stones were extracted from

MAKING

PREHI Shrouded in mystery, with secrets that are still being unearthed, our prehistoric sites provide a tantalising glimpse of life in ancient Britain. We met the teams working at them to find out what goes into researching and protecting these relics of our distant past

GARETH IWAN JONES

WORDS PAUL BLOOMFIELD

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BEHIND THE SCENES

STORY A

fter centuries of silence, some of England’s most famous stones have spoken, revealing their origins at last. And they delivered their message not to a white-robed druid but to someone with wizardry of a different, technological kind: a geomorphologist. ‘One day, while Professor David Nash was conducting an X-ray fluorescence survey at Stonehenge, he said excitedly, “I can see geology happening!”’ recalls Heather Sebire, senior property curator for the World Heritage site. ‘He could see the chemical interactions in the stone, which was thrilling.’

His findings, published in July, are the culmination of years of research on sarsen, the type of stone that forms the largest uprights at Stonehenge. It has been known for some years that the smaller bluestones here were quarried from the www.english-heritage.org.uk

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EAR LY L EAR N I N G H OW OUR D I S COVERY VI S I TS H EL P TO B R I N G P R EH I STORY TO L I FE FOR YOUN G VI S I TO RS

Professor Nash at West Woods in Wiltshire, where Stonehenge’s sarsen stones are thought to have been extracted from

Preseli Hills in west Wales but the source of the larger inner trilithons and outer circle has been debated for centuries.

‘Sarsen is a particularly odd type of rock,’ explains senior properties historian Susan Greaney.

‘It has a very uniform sandy, quartz-like appearance, which makes it difficult to match to a parent outcrop. Professor Nash, of the University of Brighton, developed a technique using a portable spectrometer to undertake non-destructive surveys of trace elements in the stone, mapping a kind of geological fingerprint. By comparing that with outcrops of sarsen across southern England, he narrowed down possible source locations.’

Then came a serendipitous breakthrough.

A metre-long core of sarsen, removed from one of the stones during repairs in 1958, was returned to English Heritage in 2018. ‘Professor Nash was granted permission to sample a very small piece of that core destructively, taking thin slices for a more detailed chemical analysis,’ continues Greaney. ‘The results reveal that the Stonehenge sarsens are likely to have come from a specific spot on the edge of the Marlborough Downs – the ancient West Woods. So now we can finally answer a question that has been nagging us for 400 years.’

GARETH IWAN JONES

The appliance of science

Of course, many more questions still remain to be answered about the construction, purpose and history of Stonehenge. ‘The stone circle has been about 50 per cent excavated but not under modern conditions,’ explains Sebire. ‘A lot of archaeologists would love to excavate with modern techniques. But the discipline of archaeology, like modern science generally, has changed out of all recognition in the past 20 to 30 years because of scientific and 44

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IN NUMBERS

60

The number of prehistoric sites in our care

433

The number of flint mine pits at Grime’s Graves in Norfolk

1958

The year the core was taken from a sarsen stone at Stonehenge

We provide free entry to more than 400 sites for a range of learning groups, hosting 300,000plus education visits each year. Schools can also book expert-led Discovery Visit sessions involving object handling, costumes and other interactive elements. Two of our sites showcase this: Stonehenge in Wiltshire, and Beeston Castle and Woodland Park in Cheshire.

‘Last November we finished construction of a replica Bronze Age roundhouse at Beeston Castle,’ explains senior learning manager Kate Armstrong. ‘It’s fantastic because we now have an authentic roundhouse big enough for a class of 30 to immerse themselves in prehistory.’

Stonehenge, too, has a mini village of replica Neolithic houses ideal for learning. For both sites, comprehensive downloadable teachers’ kits are available.

There’s a wealth of material online, too, with films, games and other activities, as well as lots of information for teachers. Among the immersive videos, you can even discover how to make prehistoric cheese – a project linked to recent research at Stonehenge.

‘It’s really exciting and important for young people to understand that a monument may be made of stone but its history isn’t set in stone.’ says Armstrong. ‘As new technology, archaeological methods and science evolve, there’s still much to discover – if not by our generation, perhaps by theirs.’

Find out more at www.english-heritage. org.uk/discoveryvisits.

BEHIND THE SCENES

‘Many questions still remain to be answered about Stonehenge’ technological advances.’ Even without digging, new aspects are often revealed. ‘Visitors at Stonehenge enjoy a digital 360-degree film,’ says Sebire. ‘To create that, we used a laser scan of every stone – and that’s been incredible. Not only do we have a digital record of the shape and size of the stones, but also all the historic graffiti – including the name Christopher Wren, plus prehistoric Bronze Age axes not visible to the naked eye – and clues to construction methods.’

Most visitors will be unaware of such work.

But that’s true of the behind-the-scenes efforts at many prehistoric sites under English Heritage’s guardianship. It’s more evident at Stonehenge: there’s a huge amount to see, from the visitor centre with its permanent and special exhibitions, artefacts and digital 360 experience, to the replica Neolithic village, the henge and the stone circle itself. More than 200 staff are involved, in catering, retail, conservation and marketing, and as property curators, volunteer managers and in many more roles. At the on-site offices, teams curate exhibitions, update interpretation panels, develop educational material, manage finances and so on.

Meanwhile, academics like Professor Nash conduct research. Hundreds of people work directly or indirectly on Stonehenge – and that’s just one of around 60 prehistoric sites in English Heritage’s care.

The diversity of these sites is extraordinary.

The oldest site is believed to be the early Neolithic dolmen burial chamber known as Kit’s Coty House in Kent, which may date from 3900 BC. There are

Kit’s Coty House in Kent is a Neolthic dolmen burial chamber that may date from 3900 BC, making it the oldest site in our care

LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST EPISODES ON STONEHENGE www.english-heritage.org. uk/podcast

single standing stones, Neolithic henges, stone circles and chambered tombs. Bronze Age sites include Flowerdown Barrows in Hampshire, while the Iron Age is represented by hill forts like Maiden Castle in Dorset and Carn Euny village in Cornwall.

Part of the mission is to ensure these treasures are protected and maintained for future generations to enjoy and, yes, study. ‘Much of our conservation work is a bit hidden – for example, monitoring water ingress at Neolithic long barrows such as West Kennet near Avebury and Uley in the Cotswolds,’ says Greaney. ‘It’s not very glamorous – fixing 1960s concrete roofing, repairing dry-stone walling, resurfacing gravel. But it’s all important because we do get a lot of erosion.’

HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE

Journey into the Stone Age

The pocked landscape at Grime’s Graves in Norfolk, where 433 Neolithic flint mine pits were dug around 4,600 years ago

Each site presents different challenges. Take the Norfolk site known as Grime’s Graves – a vast expanse of 96 acres pocked with 433 indentations.

These are pits dug around 4,600 years ago, one of which was the first in the world to be identified as a Neolithic flint mine – Canon Greenwell’s Pit, named after the Victorian clergyman who excavated it in 1868–70. ‘This is one of only four Neolithic flint mines anywhere in the world that are accessible to visitors,’ explains site manager Rob Pyatt. ‘And Greenwell’s, where we run guided tours about 10 times each year, is particularly special. There are sacrificial offerings left down there, animal skulls and antler picks from 4,600 years ago that people can see as they crawl past.’

Naturally, health and safety is crucial here.

A new ladder is being installed in Pit One, the culmination of three years’ planning, to allow English Heritage to welcome back children aged www.english-heritage.org.uk

45

‘Most of the prehistoric monuments aren’t staffed, yet they still need to be cared for and maintained’ Above, from left The entrance to the West Kennet Long Barrow, which is part of the Avebury World Heritage Site in Marlborough, Wiltshire; a school group explores the ruins of Carn Euny Ancient Village, an Iron Age and Roman settlement in Cornwall

5 to 10. ‘We’re desperate to get those guys back,’ says Pyatt. ‘They’re at Key Stage 2, learning about prehistory, and we can really bring it to life.’ Helping visitors get the most from the experience has to be balanced with conservation of the site. In particular, moisture, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels in the mines have to be monitored, and the growth of algae, moss and grass managed.

Open to everyone

Most of the prehistoric monuments in English Heritage’s guardianship aren’t staffed to greet visitors, and are open for access during reasonable daylight hours, yet they still need to be cared for, maintained and monitored. ‘In the West territory alone, a team of three looks after 103 sites, more than 25 of which are prehistoric,’ explains free sites partnership manager Helen Allen. ‘All are visited at least quarterly by an English Heritage staff member to ensure there are no safety issues, to check on the signage and report any problems to our landscape or conservation managers.’

It’s a huge task – so the efforts of hundreds of volunteers are crucial, alongside the community groups and organisations that help to manage the monuments. ‘An example is Carn Euny, an Iron Age village near Land’s End managed by the Cornwall Heritage Trust (CHT),’ says Allen.

‘Recently, volunteers from CHT and English Heritage Members spent a day clearing the inside of the hut circles and laying down fine gravel so the definition became clear again. That was a fantastic collaboration.’

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Research, conservation and visitor experience feed into one another, as occurred when Sebire oversaw repairs at the Cotswold long barrow at Uley known as Hetty Pegler’s Tump. ‘Unfortunately some people had been pulling out the dry stone walling inside,’ she recalls. ‘We had to take it apart to shore it up – and during the work we found intact Neolithic deposits and an ancient floor surface from which we got a radiocarbon date.’ Such new details help to inform visitors. ‘We’ve commissioned new reconstruction paintings for panels at several sites around Avebury, incorporating the latest research,’ reveals Greaney. ‘The one for the Sanctuary, for example, shows a teenager buried at the site – and, thanks to recent studies, we now know he probably grew up in north-west France.’

There’s always more to learn. ‘The last dig at Grime’s Graves was in 1976,’ observes Pyatt. ‘Only 28 of the 433 pits have ever been dug out, but even this has enabled remote research to be ongoing.

A curator at the British Museum is researching the chalk goddess figurine found at the site. New microanalysis has found blood or some sort of patina on her that makes it seem much more viable that she’s authentically Neolithic or even older. It’s really exciting and upholds that new revelations through contemporary research are always found, even at such ancient sites.’

LEARN MORE To read about life in prehistoric England, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/prehistory

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Over to you Trending Ask the experts 20 questions MY EXPERIENCE

‘Our English Heritage baby’ How Jennifer Perry met her future husband at a Clash of Knights event at Beeston Castle

few years ago, I spent a summer working on the sales team at Beeston Castle and Woodland Park in Cheshire, greeting visitors as they arrived. I loved meeting all the visitors and every day was different. Karl, who was a member of the Household Anglo-Norman Living History Society, was taking part in a Clash of Knights event as a re-enactor.

I was selling memberships at the gate on the Saturday morning when three of the ‘knights’ came to guard the gate. We got chatting and he seemed very eager to be on guard duty throughout the rest of the weekend! We met again at a siege event at Kenilworth Castle and took a stroll around the gardens. The rest is history. We got married in 2019 and our daughter Isadora was born in April – an English Heritage baby. She’s the loveliest little thing. It was so nice to be back at Beeston Castle and it was really special taking our daughter to see where Karl and I met. This was our first big day out since Isadora was born in lockdown and it was worth the wait. English Heritage, and Beeston Castle in particular, will always hold a special place in our hearts and we are now saving up to buy Isadora a life membership so she can have a lifetime of adventures in history. www.english-heritage.org.uk/beeston

TOM ARBER

A

Got an interesting story to share?

Email us at membersmagazine@ immediate.co.uk

Jennifer, Karl and Isadora Perry at Beeston Castle and (inset) Jennifer and Karl (standing, second from left) when they first met

www.english-heritage.org.uk

51

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OUT & ABOUT

Over to you

www.english-heritage.org.uk/magazine facebook.com/englishheritage

Share your stories and send us your experiences, photos and tips

twitter.com/englishheritage instagram.com/englishheritage

Each issue, our star letter writer will receive a Craghoppers jacket worth £100 – perfect for exploring in the outdoors. To be in with a chance of winning, simply send in a letter or email for publication in the magazine. Email us at membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk or write to us at English Heritage Members’ Magazine, Immediate Media, Eagle House, Colston Avenue, Bristol BS1 4ST.

Storming castles My six-year-old son and I have been looking forward to getting back into English Heritage sites for a while now. He is desperate to run about and pretend to be storming castles like he did at Scarborough Castle last summer. While we have been waiting to get back to some of the sites during lockdown, the paper models on the kids’ section of the website (www.englishheritage.org.uk/kids) have been brilliant.

My son has already made the Saxon thegn’s house. He loved finding out that they were made of straw and wood. I think he now has plans to build his own version in the garden. Watch out Grand Designs.

Jon Glover STAR LETTER

King Harold mystery I recently came across the legend that King Harold did not actually die on the battlefield of Hastings but was instead whisked away to Winchester where his wounds were tended by a Moorish nurse. After recovery, he allegedly wandered Europe as a pilgrim, eventually returning to England and settling in Chester. A further search on the internet gave me a more detailed version of events, as well as pointing me to the Vita Haroldi, a chronicle written in the 12th century, detailing his life after 1066.

Alan Mountford

TRENDING What’s got you talking on our social media channels?

Roy Porter, senior properties curator (South), replies: It’s fun to note this later legend, which dates from the very early 13th century, but all the contemporary and early sources for the Battle of Hastings are emphatic that Harold was killed, and our interpretation at Battle Abbey of Harold’s demise follows this evidence.

Flying high Mike and Emma Raphael, the falconers featured in the May edition, are the reason I became a member of English Heritage.

I saw a falconry demonstration by them at Launceston Castle in the late 1990s. I was so entranced by the display that I went straight home to send off a cheque to become a Member, and have been one ever since.

Cherry Warne

minister William Ewart Gladstone. William Ewart’s father was godfather to Gladstone.

Ewart is best known for the Public Libraries Act of 1850, which first made it possible for public libraries to be established.

John Lumsden

Tintagel memories While looking at some old photos I recalled my first visit to an English Heritage site. We were on holiday in Cornwall and decided to visit Tintagel Castle. We were a young family with three small sons and not much money, but decided to join English Heritage. It seemed a lot of money but we decided it would be good value. The following year we visited so many places in our local area, including Boscobel House, Witley Court and Buildwas Abbey. We have rejoined every year and, though it’s usually just us and our dogs now, we are still discovering new places to visit 33 years later. A big thank you to all the staff and volunteers who keep these places accessible, especially during these difficult times.

Lorrie Pearson

Falconers Emma and Mike Raphael

William Ewart photograph On page 57 of the July issue, there is a photograph purporting to be of William Ewart, but which is actually of the prime

The knight’s tale

A fun photo of a knight serving a pain au chocolat in one of our cafés – to highlight more of our sites reopening – has had more than 1,800 likes. bit.ly/3fmrESn

Setting sun

A video on our YouTube channel of the sunset at Stonehenge during the 2020 summer solstice has been viewed a staggering 548,000 times. bit.ly/2Pk6tG7

Tintagel Castle in Cornwall

Castle on the hill

This photograph of Framlingham Castle in Suffolk attracted almost 5,000 admirers, who share Ed Sheeran’s love of this fabulous fortress. bit.ly/30qI7ke www.english-heritage.org.uk

53

Ask the experts

OUR WEBSITE

WHAT’S NEW?

The English Heritage team answers your questions

Listen to our latest podcast episodes

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Roy Porter

Senior properties curator (South)

Steven Brindle

Senior properties historian

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Chris Bagust asks… read that the ‘vertical’ lines of the Q ICenotaph are in fact not quite vertical.

Do you have any information on this point?

ndy ss of Norma The Duche of England, and queen of the wife she was eror the Conqu William

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Play our 1066 Battle of Hastings game Taillefer

Tostig Godwineson

William de Warenne

William fitz Osborn

William the Conqueror

Download everything you need to bring the Norman Conquest into your home! www.english-heritage. org.uk/kids

Pevensey Castle, part of the area invaded by the Normans

Michael Hall asks… a child, I assumed that Normans Bay in Q As East Sussex was so-called as it’s where William’s forces landed. Is this a possibility?

Test your knowledge of prehistory

From stone circles to hill forts, find out how you fare in our 20 questions quiz. www.english-heritage. org.uk/quizzes

Make our latest ‘homes through history’ model Help the kids make their very own mini model of Henry II’s Great Tower at Dover Castle in Kent. www.english-heritage. org.uk/kids

Jeremy Ashbee

Head properties curator

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Roy Porter replies… your question raises two issues. First, A Answering the changing character of the coast over time: in 1066 the coastal resort of Normans Bay did not exist.

Instead, the low-lying area east of Pevensey Castle formed a large tidally submerged bay, criss-crossed by deep-water channels, one of which flowed close to the castle. The bay was separated from the sea by a shingle bar or beach. The second issue is the size of William the Conqueror’s fleet. An important Norman document, known to historians as the Ship List, records that William’s fleet consisted of between 776 and 1,000 ships. Such a large fleet would have required an extended landing area for disembarkation, and Pevensey’s broad bay would have been perfect for this. This means that Pevensey Castle would have been at the west end of the invasion area, and that William’s ships would have passed by or even over the future site of Normans Bay.

Steven Brindle replies…

Lutyens, who designed the Cenotaph, A Edwin was well-versed in Classical architecture.

Ancient architects used a form of optical correction in making columns known as ‘entasis’. This arises from the nature of human stereoscopic vision, which has a kind of parallax distortion. So tall objects with straight sides, especially cylindrical ones, tend to look larger at the top and bottom. Ancient architects made their columns bulge slightly in the middle, as in the Parthenon, in order to look right to the human eye. Lutyens thought that if the Cenotaph had vertical sides it would look top-heavy, so the sides taper slightly: if projected upwards they would converge on a point 990 feet above the street.

Louise Staples asks… do properties end up in the care Q How of English Heritage?

Jeremy Ashbee replies… points are essential – they must be A Two nationally important and they must be in need of a benign owner. Sometimes taking them on is the only way of securing their future and it’s currently true that most acquisitions are offered by other people rather than actively sought out. But our portfolio is presently uneven, with relatively few properties from after 1700, and whole fields of human activity represented sparsely or not at all. So we do discuss whether we could or should be more proactive in seeking out properties to fill in the ‘gaps’.

SEND US A QUESTION For your chance to have your questions answered by one of our English Heritage experts, email us at membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk

GETTY IMAGES

Don’t miss our Halloween episode on witchcraft, plus explore our archive. www.english-heritage. org.uk/podcast

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OUT & ABOUT

questions 20

Test your knowledge of English prehistory with our 20 questions quiz

1 Prehistory in England covers the time up to which event?

2 Can you name the three periods into which the Stone Age is divided?

3 The oldest human remains so far found in England date from around how many years ago?

8 What was the significance of the location of the tallest trilithon (now half fallen) at Stonehenge?

9 Contrary to its name, what is Grime’s Graves (below) in Norfolk?

Log into the Members’ Area at www.english-heritage. org.uk/quizzes to check your answers

14 Belas Knap in Gloucestershire (pictured below) is an example of a Neolithic long barrow. What were long barrows used as?

A 100,000 years B 300,000 years C 500,000 years

4 One of the most important developments in human history was introduced to Britain around 4000 BC. What was it?

5 Can you identify the Neolithic site pictured below?

10 In about 2300 BC, at the start of the Bronze Age, what kind of pottery began to arrive in Britain?

11 Bronze is an alloy of which two metals?

15 Fogous – Iron Age complexes of underground passages – are unique to which part of the country?

16 Where, in 2003, was Britain’s only known Ice Age cave art discovered?

17 What is the oldest chalk-cut white horse in Britain (pictured below)?

12 Can you identify this site of an Iron Age hill fort (below), which later became a medieval castle?

6 Where is the largest stone circle in Britain?

7 How much does the Heel Stone (below) at Stonehenge weigh?

A About 10 tonnes

GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY; HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE

18 Can you unscramble this anagram to find the name of an Iron Age settlement?

B About 30 tonnes C About 50 tonnes

13 Maiden Castle in Dorset is one of the largest Iron Age hill forts in Europe. It is the size of how many football pitches?

A5 B 50 C 200

TOIL FORTH WORDLESSLY

19 Bronze Age chambered tombs known as entrance graves were predominantly found on which islands?

20 A tribal chief named Cassivellaunus led the defence against whose invasion of Britain in 54 BC?

If you don’t have internet access, please contact our customer services team on 0370 333 1181 for the answers www.english-heritage.org.uk

57

PA S T L I V E S

Henry II, Becket and Dover Castle

How the consequences of Thomas Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral 850 years ago may have influenced Henry II in creating Dover Castle’s Great Tower WORDS PAUL PAT TISON ILLUSTR ATION JASMINE WHITELE AF

lovely chapel occupies a secluded space in the Great Tower, the immense 12thcentury centrepiece of Dover Castle. It is dedicated to Saint Thomas the Martyr – Thomas Becket – sometime chancellor to Henry II, king of England (reigned 1154–89) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1162–70). So, in this year, the 850th anniversary of Becket’s death, what links this chapel, Henry and Thomas?

Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, in Canterbury Cathedral, by royal knights.

Although there is no evidence that Henry ordered the murder, it came during a long dispute between the two men over the rights and powers of church and state. The disagreement was so bitter that Thomas spent six years in exile, while both men tried to achieve their aims through power politics. With Thomas dead after only five months back in England, Henry’s reputation was muddied, to say the least.

In 1173, Thomas was made a saint and his shrine at Canterbury attracted pilgrims from all over Europe. Many sailed into Dover, then journeyed overland to Canterbury. In 1174, Henry did penance for Thomas’s death by walking barefoot through Canterbury, by suffering beatings from bishops and monks, and by keeping overnight vigil at the shrine.

The year 1179 witnessed the sudden arrival at Dover of an extraordinary pilgrim: Louis VII, king of France (1137–80). Henry rushed to meet him, embarrassed by the absence of

A

‘Henry did penance for Thomas’s death by walking barefoot through Canterbury’ 58

www.english-heritage.org.uk

accommodation for a fellow king. More than anything else, it was probably this astonishing and unprecedented visit that inspired Henry to rebuild Dover Castle on a massive scale between 1179 and 1189.

In his new castle, Henry probably planned to accommodate and entertain the most important pilgrims in the Great Tower before they went to Canterbury. In so doing, he was not only projecting his regal power but also associating himself with the cult

of St Thomas. Furthermore, he was striking a balance in which Canterbury might always be the city of Thomas the archbishop, but Dover was Henry’s, and the entrance to his kingdom of England.

READ MORE To learn more about the history of Dover Castle and Henry II’s Great Tower, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

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Conservators secure the walls of Bishops Waltham Palace in Hampshire

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR CRITICAL CONSERVATION

We need to raise £2.3 million to rescue the decaying stonework at Lincoln Medieval Bishop’s Palace

Since we became a charity in 2015 we have invested £50 million in conservation and infrastructure projects, but none of this would have been possible without you. These projects have been funded through your support as Members and previous appeals. Thanks to your continued support, we are currently completing projects to protect the walls of Pevensey Castle in East Sussex and Bishop’s Waltham Palace in Hampshire (see page 23) but there is still so much more to do. Critical conservation work is now needed to safeguard Lincoln Medieval Bishop’s Palace, Hardwick Old Hall in Derbyshire and 20 flint-built ruins across Norfolk and Suffolk.

To support these vital projects, please go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/sustainableconservation

We need £42,000 to repair Hardwick Old Hall’s Gog Magog plasterwork, which is of high historical significance The final phase of conservation work is being completed to protect Pevensey Castle in East Sussex

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.