At the October meeting of the History Society, Edward
Martin of the Archaeology Department at Shire Hall in Bury came
to talk to us about his latest project, a study of our historic
landscape. By peeling away the layers of history, Mr Martin intended
to show why East Anglia looks the way it does.
Mr Martin and his co-author had studied such things as the type
of vegetation and the topography, the effects of the Enclosure Acts,
how the land was ploughed and which animals were kept in the forests,and
how houses were constructed. By studying maps from the16th century
and other data, Mr Martincame up with several intriguing ideas to
puzzle his audience.
For instance, the Gipping Valley, or theA14 corridor as we know it
today, has always been a boundary of sorts, where other natural features
have not, and this has been the case since the time of the Iceni and
Trinovantes. North Suffolk conforms in many ways with Norfolk and
South Suffolk has many more similarities with Essex. Mr Martin jokingly
suggested that Suffolk as an entity did not exist at least where the
study of
landscape is concerned. He was thanked by the Chairman, Percy Nunn.
If you live next to a timber-framed house, don't be surprised if you
see or hear your neighbours scraping gently at their walls with razor
blades in the next few days. Leigh Alston, an expert in mediaeval
buildings told the members of the History Society that contrary to
what Hollywood would have us believe, painted walls, not dark panelling
was all the rage. Even low-status houses belonging to yeoman farmers
have been found to have painted walls inside and out, and parts of
these are still being discovered today when houses are renovated.
Leigh showed some wonderful slides of East Anglian houses where freestyle
art can be seen, from the stylish and elegant to the economical and
grotesque. Hunting scenes seem to have been particularly popular.
Anyone lucky enough to find traces of these paintings should contact
the English Heritage for help and advice and Leigh is keen to be involved
in any discoveries of paint, sooted beams, crown posts or evidence
of early occupation in the village.
Visitors are welcome. Please call Gillian (820052) or Dorothy (820376)
for more information.
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