Several
talks were provided throughout 2004 at Burton Court to visitors and
to local WI groups.
The next talk to be given by members of the Archaeological Project Group
will on November 18th 2005 at 7.30 at Kington. The talk will be given
to the Kington Historical Society and will describe the work undertaken
at Burton Court (2000-2005). There will be a display of photographs
and artefacts.
PROGRAMME OF TALKS ATTRACTING GREAT INTEREST
The
Archaeological Projects Group has organised a programme of talks to
take place during the time when all field work is curtailed as a result
of the foot and mouth epidemic. The aim has been to provide a wider
public insight into our work and also to enable us to gain more understanding
of aspects of the projects being undertaken where we lack the expertise
to interpret our data or the history we are looking at.
On
19th April we had a most helpful question and answer discussion with
Tim about the project to date. The range of work being undertaken was
outlined and issues arising clarified. Concerns about the way to deal
with the collection of artifacts was raised (some can be researched,
and the assemblage given to a local museum, eventually); the problems
created by the foot and mouth epidemic were specified and future plans
when it was resolved were outlined. Further meetings are planned when
the geo-physics data will be interpreted and suggestions about how to
proceed in Quinton Orchard will be considered.
INTREPRETING
THE OUTER LANDSCAPE
On
May 3rd David Whitehead came to talk about the Gardens of Burton Court
and their significance in the times of the Brewsters and the ways in
which the landscape has changed since that time.
He
explained the background to the house and estate the known written history
of which dates to 1331. A dovecote was referred to in 1388. Another
(perhaps a replacement) dates from 1700, although this was demolished
in a storm in the early 1990s. Details of its gardens have not been
uncovered as yet in the Court Rolls, but he explained that there would
have been landscaped gardens in the 17th century when the Brewsters
lived there, because they were apothecaries and doctors, who would have
used the gardens for herbs and the expansive lands around as possible
park-land. The park and pools would have been an important visual feature.
The
Brewsters were obviously wealthy people, as early as 1664 he was a resident
of the parish and assessed for 7 hearths (the highest in the parish).
The extensive library that was built up was dispersed in 1715 to Hereford
(subsequently to the chained library) in the Cathedral and Oxford Colleges.
Among these were many important gardening books which may well throw
light on the way the garden was laid out at Burton Court. The library
made Burton Court the finest repository of gardening knowledge in Herefordshire,
if not the Welsh border. The likely lay out of the gardens was illustrated
by reference to those of other large properties about which there is
clear knowledge, for example Langstone Court and Trewyn. David Whitehead
speculated that there may have been spectacular water features, a possible
bowling green (there is one in his garden in the house he owned in Hereford,
the oldest in Britain) and an entrance that was over water. The two
ancient sweet chestnuts inside the gates confirm its antiquity. It is
likely that as late as c1800 Burton Court was surrounded by formal gardens
which fell out of favour in the early 19thc. Careful fieldwork would
perhaps confirm some of these suggestions.
INTERPRETING
THE POTTERY FOUND ON THE MOUND
On 11th May we had a visit from Derek Hurst who examined the pottery
finds obtained from a trench which the group had dug. The pottery was
initially discovered after a fox or badger had dug pieces out. Derek
examined them rapidly and noted that his comments should be treated
as provisional until a more detailed examination was possible.
He
said that the assemblage was in good condition, judging from the relatively
large size of some sherds and their unabraded state. This suggested
that much could well be in its original position. It comprised a good
group of early medieval pottery from a region where there have been
few such assemblages in the past. All the pottery was cooking pot with
evidence of scaling and sooting. Three types were recognised:
(i)
Worcester type ware
(ii) Silterstone tempered ware
(iii) Cotswold ware
The
dating is assessed as mid to late l2thc and early l3thc. The presence
of Cotswold ware is indicative of mid 11th to mid l2thc for some activity
on the site and it is a particularly exciting find as it has rarely
been seen to date in a rural context. Derek Hurst concluded by noting
that the assemblage was a remarkable one and possibly quite important.
He showed illustration of the types of pots that the sherds would once
have formed and explained how they were constructed and manufactured.
He added that the finds probably showed the significance of trade with
Worcester (rather than Hereford or Wales) and this was probably related
to the fact that the Leominster Priory had special trading links with
Worcester, which influenced the trade from Eardisland in that direction
also.
SOME
BACKGROUND HISTORY TO THE MANOR OF BURTON
On May 18th Duncan James gave an illustrated talk on the history of
the Manors of Eardisland and his interpretations of the changes which
the Great Hall have undergone. The background details was most helpful
in showing how the fortunes of the parish developed and changed in medieval
times.
·
In 1278 the institution of the vicarage of Eardisland (Erleslone) by
the Abbey of Lyre (Erleslene has a vicar appointed by the Abbey of Lyre).
· In 1289/90 Sir Pontius de Cors claimed Hinton on the death
of its incumbent Hugh de Muster.
· In 1367 the vicar of Eardisland had no garden in which to walk
and grow herbs and was provided with land from the rectorial glebe.
In 1349 there was the appointment of Richard de Gerneston to Eardisland
by the king.
· By 1453 the church is ona list appropriated to the king so
two tenths goes to the crown.
· In 1476 Thomas Ellyottys is presented as vicar of Eardisland
by the Priory and Convent of Shene (founded byHenryV 1413-22). In 1536
this Prior and Convent was still patron of Eardisland church.
NEW
LIGHT SHED ON GREAT HALL
Duncan went on to explain the role the Great Hall would have played
in the life of a great house in this period. He referred to other similar
ones to show how they were constructed and from this deductions could
be made about the way Burton Court was designed. The changes could then
be identified. He was able to indicate the damage which had been caused
when the various changes were made. He described the living arrangements
and the areas in which the Lord of the Manor would have occupied. and
the semi public space surrounding it. He described the technical changes
which the Hall had undergone in subsequent centuries, when it would
have had a second floor and would have been divided into smaller rooms.
The Brewsters would have made significant changes to the architecture
(as revealed in the sketch by Dingley (1684). This sketch gave rise
to much interesting discussion and debate. Duncan suggesting that it
was drawn through a telescope and would have provided a fairly accurate
picture of the house at that time, with five gables.
THE
VICTORIAN IMPACT
There were further changes in the Victorian period when it was reverted
to its original great scale and the ceiling removed and walls taken
out and beams repaired. The architect was Kempson who opened up the
space to its original design. He made excellent copies of original beams
which had been damaged or fallen into disrepair. The only problem was
that it was Kempson's idea of what a Great Hall should be like and he
may have moved doors and added features. A detailed report from Duncan
will follow and further information will appear in a future edition
of this Newsletter.
THE
CHANGING OUTER LANDSCAPE AROUND BURTON COURT SINCE 1840
On 25th May, we had a fascinating talk by David Lovelace, who showed
how changes in the landscape can be interpreted through the analysis
of maps and aerial photographs. He explained and demonstrated how information
from tithe maps (1840) can be laid over OS maps (1885, 1902) and these
laid over recent aerial photographs. The effect is to be able to see
how field boundaries have changed, how buildings have disappeared, which
properties were in existence in 1840, the ways roads and other significant
landmarks have changed or remained in similar positions.
David
Lovelace is perhaps the only person in the country who is undertaking
this kind of analysis so were are very fortunate to have his input into
our project. The beauty of this technique is that it enables us to examine
in close detail features in the landscape not otherwise clearly visible
on the ground. It provides an opportunity to examine the surveying skills
of the l9thc cartographers, which proves to be of the highest standard.
In some cases trees marked on the tithe map of 1840 are shown by the
1995 aerial photographs to be in their precise spot. This work fits
beautifully with that of David Whitehead, so that whilst he can provide
indications of what the landscape around Burton Court was like in the
16th and 17thc, the work of David Lovelace shows how its has changed
in the 19th and 20th centuries.