Resource packs on the history of Jubilee celebrations produced for Wiltshire Schools

The Wiltsire History Centre has produced over 90 resource packs to primary schools detailing the celebrations in 1897 across Swindon and Wiltshire.


See http://www.wshc.eu/blog/queen-victoriaa-s-diamond-jubilee.html for more information

Find out about Great Wishfords Oak Apple Day one the Wiltshire History Centre Blog

This unique event originates from the time of the restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660. Parliament declared 29^th May, the King’s birthday, a day of thanksgiving for redemption from tyranny and the King’s return to London.

To find out more visit

http://www.wshc.eu/blog/keeping-wiltshire-traditions-alive-oak-apple-day.html 

Day of Archaeology 2012 is scheduled for June 29, 2012

Last year’s event brought out 400+ archaeologists, and almost 450 separate posts including lots of photos, video, audio and more.

You can read more about the Day of Archaeology at About the Project, but the general hope is that by raising awareness about the truly diverse nature of archaeology, we will also in turn emphasize the vital role that archaeology plays in preserving our past for everyone’s future.

http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/

 

Wiltshire Historic Landscape Characterisation underway

The Wiltshire Council Archaeological Service has announced that the Wiltshire and Swindon Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) Project started in early April 2012. This three year project is sponsored by English Heritage and is being run by Wiltshire Council in partnership with Swindon Borough Council.

Salisbury Museum organises guided walk of Down Farm Thursday 19th July 2012

Walk & Visit – Down Farm Museum - Thursday 19 July 2012. Martin Green will lead a walk to explore the rich archaeological landscape centred around Down Farm. In the morning we will visit the museum to set the scene for the sites to be visited later. After this we will explore sites in nearby Fir Tree field which include the natural shaft and burial monuments excavated and subsequently restored by Martin. Following lunch a longer circular walk will cross the Dorset Cursus and take in the earthworks on Gussage Cow Down before traversing a length of the Ackling Dyke. We will then leave the Roman road to cross the Cursus again visiting the restored Neolithic hengers and barrows on Wyke Down before crossing the Allen valley back to Down Farm.

Follow this link on the Salisbury Museum website for more information What's On

Walk - Along the Woodford Valley 18th July 2012

 Wednesday 18 July 2012. A guided walk exploring the landscape and archaeology of the Woodford Valley led by local environmental historian Dr Hadrian Cook. This will be an enjoyable six mile circular walk through the Woodford Valley including uneven ground. The walk, lasting approximately 4-5 hours, will explore the landscape, agriculture and archaeology of the Woodford Valley to the north of Salisbury. 

Booking required. Please contact the Museum to book.

Walk - Through the New Forest and Lower Avon Valley 20 Jul 2012

Friday 20 July 2012. This guided walk discovers the landscape and history of the New Forest and Lower Avon Valley south of Salisbury, near to Fordingbridge. It is led by local environmental historian Dr Hadrian Cook. An enjoyable, approximately eight mile circular walk, will include uneven ground and some climbs. The walk lasts approximately 4-5 hours and will explore the western boundary of the New Forest, the adjacent farmed  landscape, the Avon floodplain including the watermeadows and  associated settlement history in the valley. An annotated map with be provided on the day. A  Festival of British Archaeology event.

Booking required. Please contact the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum to book.

Guided Walk of Clarendon Palace 27th July 2012

Friday 27 July 2012. A guided walk from Salisbury to the 12th century ruins of Clarendon Palace led by local Blue Badge Guide Ruth Newman.  A half day excursion for the adventurous visitor who enjoys walking and a sense of history. Visit the Clarendon Palace ruins dating back to the 12th century; experience the landscape of kings, a royal retreat and place of government even before Salisbury Cathedral was built. Stand on the site where Henry II met Thomas Becket in 1164, an event which led to the archbishop's exile and death just six years later.

An enjoyable four mile (6.4 km) walk with a hill up to the palace, providing fantastic views of Salisbury on the way to this wonderfully isolated spot with friendly llamas patrolling the grounds. A Festival of British Archaeology event. 


Booking required. Please contact the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum to book.

Talk, Tea and Tour: The making of Circles and Tangents:

Tuesday 29 May 2012 Salisbury Museum. Vivienne Light, Curator of Circles and Tangents, the museum’s 2012 summer exhibition, will talk about how she first started writing on the arts (particularly that associated with the Wessex region). She will describe how she undertook her research, a pivotal part of which involved direct contact with the artists and with their friends, families and descendants. During this process a vast number of interconnects emerged and Vivienne has highlighted a fragment of important regional artistic history which could easily have been lost. 

Tickets will include Vivienne’s talk, afternoon cream tea and a tour of the exhibition itself where Vivienne will be happy to answer questions.

Walk the Archaeology of the Chase 25th Jul 2012

Wednesday 25 July 2012. A guided walk around some of the key archaeological sites on Cranborne Chase led by Adrian Green. An enjoyable circular walk on uneven ground including some steep climbs. The walk lasting approximately 4-5 hours will stop at key archaeological sites including Bokerley Dyke, Pentridge, the Dorset Cursus, Ackling Dyke, Oakley Down barrows and Penbury Knoll. A Festival of British Archaeology event.

Booking:  Booking required. Please contact the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum to book

New Material Available Through CBAs ArchLib

The CBA has added the Royal Archaeological Institute, the latest ArchLib publisher, to their volumes 161–167 (2004–2010 ) of the annual Archaeology Journal, presenting the results of archaeological and architectural survey and fieldwork on sites and monuments of all periods as well as syntheses and overviews of such work in the British Isles.

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/news/120418-archlib 

Circles and Tangents - Art in the Shadow of Cranborne Chase

This summer's major exhibition at Salisbury Musem (25 May - 29 September) will feature the work of Augustus John, Henry Lamb, Ben Nicholson, John Craxton, Lucian Freud, Stanley Spencer, Elisabeth Frink, William Nicholson and over 25 other artists connected with Cranborne Chase.

This exhibition brings together a unique collection of paintings and sculpture made by artists who, from the 1920s to the present, have found in Cranborne Chase and its hinterland a landscape of inspiration, seclusion and ‘bare-boned' beauty. Items in the exhibition have been drawn from a variety of sources, many from private collections, and range from early neo-romantic works to contemporary pieces made specifically for this exhibition.

Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and the history of the Cranborne Chase

Thousands of people gathered in Salisbury to greet the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as the monarch continued her Diamond Jubilee Tour yesterday and South West Wiltshire Area Board tent put on a display like no other featuring the Medieval history of the Cranborne Chase. 

See the AONB Blog for a full report  http://ccwwdaonb.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/thousands-gather-to-celebrate-diamond.html 

The Priest’s House Museum, Archaeological Day School 2012 Sat 19th May

I will be giving a presentation on the Medieval Cranborne Chase at this day school which is entitled ‘A Celebration of Archaeological Work and Study in East Dorset’ and features presentations by Martin Green on the archaeology of Cranborne Chase, Verwood Potteries, and Saxon Wimborne.

http://www.priest-house.co.uk/

Drawing the Past 04 Jul 2012 18:30 Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum

Wednesday 4 July 2012. A  talk by Tim Harrisson. In this talk Tim will discuss his series of drawings connected to the Pitt Rivers excavations on Cranborne Chase. 

http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/all/lectures/260-drawing-the-past.html