Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Jun 29, 2010
Tagged in:
Wroughton ,
Wiltshire County Archaeologist ,
Wiltshire Archaeology Service ,
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre ,
two ,
the Ridgeway ,
telephone ,
talk ,
Swindon ,
Sunday 1st August ,
SN15 3QN ,
single day ,
Saturday 31st July ,
Roman Villa ,
ramparts ,
promote ,
prehistoric features ,
Orpheus mosaic ,
nationwide ,
Nancy Jane Danks ,
Melanie Pomeroy-Kellinger ,
Marlborough Downs ,
Littlecote Roman Villa ,
Iron Age Hillfort ,
Hungerford ,
http://festival.britarch.ac.uk/. ,
guided walk ,
guided tour ,
free ,
Festival of British Archaeology ,
excavations ,
event ,
e-mail ,
David Vaughan ,
countryside ,
Cocklebury Road ,
Chippenham ,
Britain ,
Barbury Castle ,
Assistant County Archaeologist ,
archaeology@wiltshire.gov.uk ,
archaeology ,
annual ,
actively involved ,
2pm ,
01249 705504
The Festival of British Archaeology is a nationwide, annual event that aims to promote archaeology. It has been running for twenty years, and has evolved from a single day to two whole weeks. As in previous years the Wiltshire Archaeology Service are actively involved and this year we will be doing not one but two exciting days out. Both events are free!
Aerial view of Barbury Castle
The first event is an exciting guided walk around Barbury Castle followed by a walk down the Ridgeway (approximately 2.6 km) to see some of the amazing prehistoric features of the Marlborough Downs. Barbury Castle is an impressive Iron Age Hillfort with enormous ramparts that overlooks Wroughton, Swindon and the surrounding countryside. David Vaughan, Assistant County Archaeologist will be leading this walk at 2pm on Saturday 31st July. To book your place or to find out more information see the contact details below via 'read more'.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Mar 17, 2010
Tagged in:
tradition ,
spring ,
pagan ,
new lif ,
goddess ,
gift ,
feast ,
Eoste ,
eggs ,
Easter ,
countryside
Easter was the feast of the pagan goddess of spring, Eoste. It was a tradition to give a gift of coloured eggs which represented the new life of the countryside.
Hot cross buns were baked on Good Friday and were ‘carefully hung up in the inglenook, and kept for medicinal purposes’! A small piece of the dried bun was grated and mixed with water – it was drunk as a cure for diarrhoea, but to work it must be hand baked on a Good Friday! The provision of hot cross buns on Good Friday is thought to be one of the strongest surviving symbols of pre-reformation England.
Wiltshire Times, March 26th, 1910; front and second page
It has been said that to wash clothes on Good Friday was considered an 'awful sin'. A story is told ‘A young woman went a –washing on Good Friday. As she were about it, up comes a gentleman, and he asks the way somewhers, most pleasant like’. While he stands talking, the woman chances to look at his feet, and discovers he has a cloven foot; so she answers him very shortly, and refuses the money he offers her. ‘Whereupon the gentleman, who, of course, is the Devil, walks away, and the woman, in a fright, puts aside her washing’. You should always wear something new on Easter Sunday, ‘for good fortune’. A new pair of gloves was the luckiest item, and these were often given as an Easter present. Told by A. Clark in 1893. To find out about the 16th century Cuckowe King and the 'ales', please 'read more'...
