Recently I realised an ambition and invested in
a metal detector. My first few finds in Wrington
have all been coins (amongst a good haul of old
beer cans and bottle tops) which consist of the following;
a 1797 George III pure copper 'Cartwheel' penny, 3
William III solid silver shillings, a Queen Anne solid silver
shilling and a Queen Victoria solid silver shilling dated
1888 - this being the only coin of those mentioned in a
good condition.
Which is all very well...
My thought is that surely there ought to be some means
to collate such information on items found by myself and
other local detectorists and historians in such a fashion
as to be readily accessible by anyone with an interest.
My concern is, ironically, the very nature of metal
detecting which is that of a selfish nature; when
something is found it is now the property of the finder (in
negotiation with the landowner of course) excepting fluke
circumstances such as the recent 'Frome Horde' and the
'Roman Cavalry Mask' which are covered by the
Treasure Trove act.
The point is that once uncovered the find is taken away
and possibly shown to the landowner and family &
friends then either sold or kept in a private collection.
This is all fine and proper and utterly legal. But what of
the knowledge of the find?
I am the proud holder of a Certificate in Archaeology from
the University of Bristol and my project for that
qualification was an in depth investigation in the tumuli
on Felton Common.
What annoyed, exasperated and infuriated me about the
tumuli was the fact that in the course of the last 250
years a group of antiquarians (forerunners to
Archaeologists which only really became established as
a science in the early 20th century) spent a couple of
hours 'raping' the tumuli by excavating the burial
chamber in the centre and removing the contents
whatever they may have been- even a few fragments of
bone left for modern Archaeologists could have told us a
huge amount about builders of the tumuli and their
society.
If any records were ever made of the excavation they
were certainly beyond my ability to recover, my tutor
assured me that records were very seldom kept and the
whole event staged as an excuse for a picnic by the well
to do while the workers dug the monuments.
So my emphasis is on compiling a record of finds,
however discovered, within the parish boundary of
Wrington for future interested parties to refer to.
After all what a metal detectorist is actually doing is
removing tangible history from its context, which I have
no problem with SO LONG as a significant find is
recorded and other archaeology is not damaged or
destroyed in accessing the find.
I was fortunate to know Julius Herrstein who was a
fountain of enthusiasm for Wrington and its history. On
several occasions he told me of a Roman brooch that
had been discovered somewhere within the village by a
metal detectorist. If he ever said exactly where it was
found then I have forgotten, but I am quite sure he
mentioned it was found near water as I mentioned the
distinct possibility of it being lost during the weekly
wash at the local stream (the Congresbury Yeo in
Wrington). It is my dearest wish to examine this brooch
and refer it to my former tutor at the University of Bristol
or to Professor Mick Aston who lives in Sandford.
Better yet with an accurate fix on its discovery site it
may be possible to determine further Roman features
lost for nearly 2000 years whether they be actual
Roman building remnants or pottery shards.
At the very least an academic study of this one brooch
will likely be able to determine the date, the style, the
means and likely site of manufacture as well as the
status and possible gender of the wearer.
To the best of my knowledge there are 2 sites of
Roman antiquity within 5 miles of Wrington, firstly the
remains of a villa at Lye Hole and secondly more villa
remains somewhere deep within Blagdon Lake! It is no
stretch of the imagination to see activity within Wrington
at the time of the Roman conquest (AD 45 - 420), it is a
beautiful area with rich, fertile and highly productive
land and this would certainly not have escaped the
notice of the invaders, bear in mind that the over-
whelming majority of England was forested in this
period.
I have also personally found 3 shards of Roman pottery
from a molehill in a field just of Cook's Bridle Path in
Downside. I am also sure that Julius Herrstein recorded
other Roman finds discovered though I cannot put my
hand to the relevant documentation at the present!
In summary I feel it is VITAL to those with any interest
in local history, both now and in the future, to have a
record of the sort I have proposed. Quite what form that
record will take I am unsure, I only know that my
meagre computer skills are totally inadequate for
setting up an online database- perhaps you can
propose an easy and workable system?
I believe that Wrington was mentioned in the
Domesday Book, well- that's nearly 1000 years of
history at the very least!
www.wrington.net
These articles first appeared in the Wrington Village Journal and are reproduced here by permission
From the June Issue 2015 of Wrington Village Journal
Farming and food production has always been an important part of Wrington Village life. Ways of doing
things may change, and the people doing it might alter, but the majority of the Parish area is still used for
food production in one way or another.
Consider dairy farming. Roy Clements will tell you - fifty years ago there were sixteen dairy herds in the
Parish. Now there are four. Without doubt there are more cows in the Parish in 2015 than 1965, but they
are needed to feed an ever expanding population with dairy products.
Methods of doing things have changed as well. In the 1960's many villagers would be directly involved
with farming. Those villagers are very much in the minority now. Mechanisation has helped change this. In
years past, even with the advent of tractors, working the land took many 'passes' to create a seedbed to
sow a crop. Now, with high tech tractors and implements,
ground can be cultivated and seeds planted in just two 'passes'. I've been asked a number of times
recently what Alvis Brothers have planted in the fields at Redhill and why.
The fields that for years have been grass have been ploughed up and sown with spring barley. This has
been done because the herd of cows that normally graze the pasture has been exposed to bovine
tuberculosis, and as a consequence almost half
the herd had to be slaughtered. Without the cows to feed there is no need for grass this year, so a crop
has been sown that can be sold.
Over the next month or so, as well as the barley growing, the bright yellow of flowering oilseed rape will
come and go, cattle will be let out of their winter houses to graze and silage will be made. As ever, there
is lots of work to be done on the farm and if you are out and about in the Parish you will probably see
some of it happening. Keep an eye out for the mower, forage harvester, silage trailer, fertiliser applicator
and manure spreader.
Just like the garden lawn after a cut, the grass will green up and grow again. As farmers, we want it to
grow more so we feed it with nutrients. The more nutrients we can use from natural sources, rather than
manufactured from fossil fuels, the better. The farmerxs best source of natural nutrients is animal manure.
There is nothing new about recycling on farms.
Nick Green
www.wrington.net
These articles first appeared in the Wrington Village Journal and are reproduced here by permission
From the July/August Issue 2015 of Wrington Village Journal
Have you noticed how quickly the maize (corn on the cob) plants are growing in the fields around
Wrington? The maize seed is sown in late spring and grows to about two metres tall by the end of
September, when it is ready for harvest.
Farmers can assess how well their crop is growing by thinking of the rhyme, 'Knee high by the fourth of
July'. Assuming nice weather through the summer, maize at that height will mature into a full sized plant,
each with a cob attached ready to be harvested for animal feed.
When we talk about harvest, most people's immediate vision is of a farmer driving his combine harvester
through a field of golden corn with the summer sun shining, and a trail of straw being left in place of the
standing crop. As well as maize and corn, farmers harvest many other things through the year.
A great example of a not so obvious harvest crop is wool. The sheep you see in the field adjacent to the
A38 just south of the Holiday Inn usually have a summer haircut. Each sheep yields between 2kg and 3kg
of wool which is worth about £3 to the farmer. As well as keeping sheep warm in winter, wool can be used
for making many things including clothing, carpet, insulation and stuffing for furniture. You can recognise
recently sheared sheep as they all look really clean.
There are lots of farming shows held in the summer. The most local to Wrington is the North Somerset
Show held in May each year. There are larger county shows in the south west including the Bath and
West, Devon County and the Royal Cornwall.
Butcombe farmers, Richard and Margaret Wear, show their Ryeland sheep at all these shows. It's like a
beauty parade for sheep, with the judges assessing how well grown the sheep is, how flat its back is,
whether it walks properly, how good the fleece is and how well it actually conforms to what the breed
should look like.
Mr and Mrs Wear have won many first prizes through this show season, topped off with the supreme
champion male and female Ryeland sheep at the Royal Cornwall Show.
So, what should we look out for in the next couple of months as we travel around the parish? Haymaking
and silaging in July, combine harvesting oilseed rape, barley and wheat in August, and all those sheep
who have had haircuts.
Nick Green
