A walk from Ware in Hertfordshire on the river Lea to Youngsbury and Thundridge in search of two Romano British burial mounds. The walk partly follows the Roman Ermine Street and takes in the abandoned old church at Thundridge / Thundridgebury.
The readings in the video are from 'On the Exploration of a Barrow at Youngsbury, Near Ware, Herts' by John Evans published in 1890 (thanks to Rupert Ferguson for the link).
Here's an extract from his report:
"The more eastern of the two barrows is recorded to have been opened a hundred years ago by Mr. David Barclay, the then owner of Youngsbury, and there is a tradition of spearheads, coins, and other objects having been found in it, none of which however are now forthcoming. According to Clutterbuck's account, it was nevertheless Roman pottery and coins that were found in the barrow, which he says proved it to be of Roman origin. Judging from the appearance of the barrow a shaft has been sunk in it from the top, but I am by no means sure that the original central interment has ever been reached. This barrow is of much the same dimensions as the other, the opening of which I am
about to describe, and in all probability it belongs to the same period.
Both barrows stand at the edge of a field known as the Hilly Field, and are partially overgrown with whitethorns and maples. On my arrival at Youngsbury,, by the kind invitation of Mr. Giles-Puller, on the 11th of June last, I found that a preliminary opening had been made in the upper part of the mound on the south side. At its outer end this cutting extended over about a sixth part of the circumference of the barrow, but its vertical sides converged so as to leave a face about 6 feet wide at what was apparently the centre of the mound, and at this point the cutting was about 9 feet in depth. The diameter of the barrow as nearly as could be judged is 60 feet, and the height about 12 feet above the surface of the adjoining field.
Clearing out the loose gravel and soil still further, a magnificent sepulchral urn became visible, lying slightly on one side. It had split into three principal sections and a few smaller fragments, but is in wonderfully good condition, and has been well repaired by Mr. Talbot Ready.
It is an olla formed of well-burnt grey ware, with a bold rim nearly an inch in depth round the opening, and its surface ornamented with parallel markings somewhat like corduroy. These at the neck are wavy, but on the body run in graceful curves. This ornamentation is by no means common, but is not unlike that which occurs on some Late-Celtic urns."
The footage of artefacts at the British Museum are of objects found in Roman / Romano British burials in London, Hertfordshire and Kent that roughly match the description of items found at the Youngsbury Tumuli and from a similar date (1-2 AD).
The old Ordnance Survey map is from the National Library of Scotland - Sheet 239 - Hertford (Outline) Publication date: 1896
maps.nls.uk/view/101168501#zo...
More on Thundridge Old Church and reports of ghost sightings and devil worship can be found here www.r-l-p.co.uk/+thndold.html
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Music:
The Sea Beneath Our Feet by Puddle of Infinity
Nevada City by Huma-Huma
Little Drunk, Quiet Floats by Puddle of Infinity
John Stockton Slow Drag by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
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Breathing Planet by Doug Maxwell
shot on 22nd December 2018
28 дек 2018
