28 February 2011

Time Team avoid Nottinghamshire again

I'm enjoying the current series of Time Team (while quietly hoping that Channel 4 don't mess about with the scheduling like they did last year) but find myself musing on the fact that this is series 18 of TV's longest-running archaeology show and yet again the team give Nottinghamshire a wide berth! Is it something we said???

What sites in the county would be sufficiently interesting to lure Tony and his chums here? Here are a few suggestions:
  •  Haughton Hall, near Walesby, was a magnificent medieval house, surrounded by a moat, set in impressive parkland. There is a ruined medieval chapel a short distance away from the site of the hall, presumably associated with the deserted settlement of Haughton, and a duck decoy refashioned from a motte and bailey castle (see the following articles on the Notts History website "Haughton to the verge of splendour" and "Haughton Hall")
  • Greasley Castle, a mid-14th century fortified manor house near Eastwood (see article covering brief excavations in the 1930s and the Greasley Parish website for further information)
  • Cromwell Roman villa just north of Newark is clearly visible from the air but (as far as I know) hasn't been excavated
  • Medieval-18th century coal pits near Strelley village on the western outskirts of Nottingham
  • The English Civil War defensive earthworks around Newark-on-Trent
  • Clipstone Peel in Sherwood Forest, identified by Dr David Crook, was "a sophisticated wooden palisade with external ditch and gates ...  [it] included a gatehouse, hall, royal chamber, a chapel, bakehouse, grange, and animal sheds" - it only lasted a few years in the early 14th century before being dismantled (further information on The Gatehouse website)
Any others?!

9 comments:

Priories Historical Society said...

Everyone avoids Nottinghamshire and the council even try to avoid the northern bit!

Despite all the Roman stuff we have in the county its rare to find it mentioned in books. The Pilgrim fathers hardly get a mention

It all goes towards Yorkshire's greatest hero - Robin Hood :(

Priories Historical Society said...

Oldcotes Roman Villa (although church said in 1970's they wouldn't let anyone excavate for 50 years) or the area of land excavated by Sir Mortimer Wheeler in the 1950's but never published

The roundhouses and field system to the north of Worksop

The tournament fields at Styrrup

The medieval moat/manor house at Rayton...the list is pretty infinite

Andy Nicholson said...

Thanks for reminding us all that we shouldn't forget the north of the county (and after spending my teenage years in Retford I shouldn't have overlooked it!)

I agree with your suggestions and could add others: Hodsock moated manor house, Hayton Castle Farm, Whimpton medieval village site, Littleborough Roman town, Kingshaugh hunting lodge, Worksop Manor, Worksop Castle etc etc

Unknown said...

How about the medieval moated manor house at stoke bardolph nottinghamshire?

Unknown said...
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dave underhill said...

unfortunately, as its telly, they need to be sure of what they are going to find before they go somewhere. The lack of funds for archaeological work in the county mean that although we do have some great sites, there are very few research questions being asked of them, and no clear indication that the Time Team could add anything by re-excavating.

Jim said...

I'll let you into a secret. TT are filming in Nottinghamshire right now...

Andy Nicholson said...

I've just learnt (courtesy of David) that Time Team are at King John's Palace (a medieval royal hunting lodge serving Sherwood Forest) at King's Clipstone.

Andy

Anonymous said...

Re. the site at Stoke Bardolf et al see ' Gazetteer of Minor Moated & Fortified Sites in Nottinghamshire' by Colin Groves (University of Nottingham 1987)