Archaeology in Marlow» Current Projects

Warren Wood Update

Kathy Bragg — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:57:44 +0000

AIM is continuing to investigate and to excavate in Warren Wood, which we believe to be a medieval site. Within the double enclosure, we are excavating eight 1 metre x 1 metre test trenches which we hope will date the site more accurately. We visit the site on alternate Sundays and will be meeting up on the 1st, 15th and 29th of August, and the 12^th and 26^th of September at 10 o’clock prompt (weather permitting). We will gather at the gateway just before Woodlands House in Winchbottom Lane, Little Marlow, before driving to the site.

We are currently excavating all four trenches in the inner enclosure and hope to venture into the outer enclosure’s test pits by the end of August.

No experience is needed, just book in and come along and learn from our experts. Apart from ‘digging’, we sieve the soil we excavate, wash and clean the artefacts we find, use our surveying and drawing equipment to extend our knowledge and records and take photographs and video footage of the site and the artifacts we find.

So, if you are interested, please call our fieldwork co-ordinator, John Laker, on 01628 481792 for more information. If you are not an AIM member and wish to be covered by our insurance, temporary membership is available on the day at £2/day

Warren Wood Dig Sundays 6th and 20th June Just a quick reminder that we are meeting up at...
Warren Wood Investigation Update Following on from our survey work as part of the...

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Warren Wood Dig Sundays 6th and 20th June

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Just a quick reminder that we are meeting up at Warren Wood for further investigations on Sundays, the 6th and 20th of June at 10 o’clock.

As we had concluded most of the digging work using spades, both stout boots, or Wellington boots, are now acceptable on site.

If you are free and available, we would love to see you on either, or both, days.

Non-members will need to pay a £2 temporary membership in order that they are covered by our insurance.

If you are interested, please call our fieldwork co-ordinator John Laker, on 01628 481792 for more information.

Warren Wood Update AIM is continuing to investigate and to excavate in Warren...
Warren Wood Investigation Update Following on from our survey work as part of the...
Members Update Show and Tell and Social Evening An invitation to members and friends to bring anything they...

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Warren Wood Investigation Update

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:36:38 +0000

Following on from our survey work as part of the R.O.M.A.D.A.M. Project at Warren Wood, we started excavations on Sunday 14th of February at 10 a.m. We intend to work on alternate Sundays until the work is completed. We will visit the site every two weeks (weather permitting) continuing on the 28th February, 14th and 28th March, etc.

Our plan is to excavate eight test pits measuring one metre by one metre. Four of these pits will be in the inner enclosure and four in the outer enclosure.

Although many archaeological techniques will be employed on the site, our main task is to dig through the various contexts/levels, recording them and the ‘finds’ unearthed as we go. As with all AIM excavations, training will be given to those with little or no experience in order to acquaint them with ‘best practice’ to be employed on site to achieve our objectives. Contact is John Laker 01628 481792 or johnlaker@thamesinternet.com

Warren Wood Update AIM is continuing to investigate and to excavate in Warren...
Warren Wood Dig Sundays 6th and 20th June Just a quick reminder that we are meeting up at...

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Members Update Show and Tell and Social Evening

Kathy Bragg — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 +0000

An invitation to members and friends to bring anything they have which might be of interest to others to discuss and/or display. A chance to see the video of the recent training days at Happy Valley. A chance to meet other members, hopefully new members will come to this to meet the rest of us. Any queries about the evening, please give a call to Gerry on 01628 472126

Warren Wood Update AIM is continuing to investigate and to excavate in Warren...
Warren Wood Dig Sundays 6th and 20th June Just a quick reminder that we are meeting up at...
Chiltern Woodlands Project Happy Valley Walk As part of the English Heritage Open Days weekend activities,...

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Chiltern Woodlands Project Happy Valley Walk

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 +0000

As part of the English Heritage Open Days weekend activities, the Chiltern Woodlands Special Trees & Woods project team suggested a walk round Happy Valley and the WW1 training trenches in Pullingshill wood to be led by AIM.
So, on Sunday 13th September Gerry Platten and I waited at the entrance to Happy Valley. 5 interested people arrived, including a trainee arborist (specialist in trees) from Sandhurst and a couple from near Twyford who were interested in WW1 history and local flora and fauna.

As we travelled, we explained the work which AIM has done in Happy Valley with its alleged history of a Roman vineyard, possible crop marks and other interesting finds. On entering the wooded area some quite old trees were seen, including an infected chestnut tree, a magnificent old oak tree and a splendidly tall cherry tree.

Several lines of trees beside the footpath suggest that this may have be ancient track and part of a boundary feature between farmland, a common or woodland. (The diameter of the oak tree was measured and its age estimated at about 160 years. The calculation is: – circumference of tree measured about 2m above ground in inches is its age in years, roughly!). Other boundary banks and possible sawpits were noticed.

We travelled though the trenches demonstrating all the various features and discussing the events surrounding their construction. Travelling back along the path to Bovingdon Green, where the soldiers’ camp was built, we noticed several very old concrete fence posts showing where the boundary of the camp could have been.
Several circular earthworks in Davenport Wood were seen – these may be stock enclosures relating to the original Marlow Common.

It was a fascinating day even though I cannot remember the number of different species which we saw! Thanks to all for making it well worthwhile.

Dave Greenwood

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Happy Valley Dig Summer 2009

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0000

As part of an ongoing investigation into activity in Happy Valley, Marlow, we are conducting an exploratory excavation. Volunteers and AiM members have been working hard for the last two Sundays and we envisage the dig taking at least two more Sundays.

Part of AiM’s purpose is to educate and train, so we welcome even novice diggers to come along and assist.

Happy Valley is near Beechwood Drive (off the Henley Road and at the junction between the Henley Road and Pound Lane). We meet at 10am and aim to finish at about 12:30 depending on the weather and the willingness of the diggers!

For more information contact John Laker, our Fieldwork Co-Ordinator, on 01628 481792

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Warren Wood Dig Sundays 6th and 20th June Just a quick reminder that we are meeting up at...
Warren Wood Investigation Update Following on from our survey work as part of the...
Members Update Show and Tell and Social Evening An invitation to members and friends to bring anything they...
Chiltern Woodlands Project Happy Valley Walk As part of the English Heritage Open Days weekend activities,...

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Happy Valley Walk

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:00:40 +0000

Walk around Happy Valley, Marlow, in association with the Chiltern Woodlands Project.

The walk will cover Happy Valley and the area including the Pullingshill Wood World War 1 trenches, and will be guided by John Laker and other members of AiM.

Members Update Show and Tell and Social Evening An invitation to members and friends to bring anything they...
Chiltern Woodlands Project Happy Valley Walk As part of the English Heritage Open Days weekend activities,...

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Warren Wood

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:00:20 +0000

Following the conclusion of the ROMADAM Project, AIM decided to do more investigatory work at Warren Wood on Sunday morning on the 23rd of November.

Unfortunately, the weather was not kind to us! A light covering of early snow, followed by a mixture of steady sleet and rain, left the ten visitors to Warren Wood, more than a little damp.

Fortunately the Dowsers, led by Jeff Griffiths, were keen enough to survey the inner enclosure of the Mediaeval Earthwork, within which they believe they have located some features (details will be revealed later, once a comparable Resistivity survey has been conducted).

Geoff Deakin travelled many miles to conduct a Resistivity survey, but the unabating precipitation stymied Geoff’s intentions. We hope to arrange another day next year to try to undertake this important task, especially as a dedicated group of AIM members helped to clear the almost impenetrable bramble patches, prior to the survey.

We also welcomed Mike Farley (previous County Archaeologist for Bucks) to the site to help us to understand and identify the archaeological landscape around the Earthwork. Mike braved the cold and wet, with his enthusiasm for the subject lifting our spirits, and, after a short time, we discovered an ancient track with a probable quarry at its end.

Despite the appalling weather, everyone seemed to enjoy our trip into the woods, but, on returning home, probably required some time to dry out!

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Surveying at Happy Valley

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:27:04 +0000

Although we were promised a sunny day with a few fluffy clouds, Sunday the 2nd of November proved to be heavily overcast all day. However, it was not bitterly cold and the four happy volunteers spent just over three hours surveying the valley so that AIM has a definitive plan of the area to which features detected can be easily added.

AIM’s Total Station (clever optical measuring device) recorded 111 readings. We spent some time looking for two Temporary Bench Marks (TBM) that had been inserted in 2002, but we could only find one; although one is better than none at all!

We needed to record the corners of both fields and the start and finish of the footpath fairly accurately; we then filled in some measurements between these sometimes lengthy distances by taking readings every 20 or 30 paces. Despite this time saving short-cut, we still took over three hours completing the task.

Now we have a good and accurate map of the valley, we can plot any features on it, such as those dowsed on the 5th of October. If we investigate these findings in the future, we can record them directly and accurately onto our survey map.

Surveying at Happy Valley

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Dowsing at Happy Valley

Kathy Bragg — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:31:20 +0000

It does not often rain on AIM events, but on Sunday the 5th of October it rained and rained and rained.

Despite the inclement conditions, nine hardy AIM members turned out for a morning of Dowsing. Members Sue Brown and Jeff Griffiths instructed us in the art of dowsing and kindly brought along sets of rods so that all could experience dowsing first hand.

Our first task was to locate the ‘Roman Vineyard’ so often mentioned by local people. A vineyard was not located, but whilst trying to find a Roman presence, on the west side of the valley, a rectangular feature became apparent, but it was evidently not used by people (a barn?).

Peter Ricketts, AIM member and owner of Happy Valley, had asked us if we could try to locate a long lost water main. A few members concentrated on finding water and a line running very close to the footpath was duplicated by most. After 60 or 70 metres, the direction changed by 90 degrees turning away from the footpath for about 10 metres. However the footpath line also continued on for another 20 metres, or so, where it made a 90 degree turn in the opposite direction across the footpath. Peter subsequently said that a main electrical cable runs along the same route, so, were we right? Time and more investigations will tell.

Further along the west side of the valley most dowsers, who trained their thoughts on Iron Age features, traced out the same circle of about 9 metres in diameter. Amazingly, this circle was within a few feet of our September 2004 excavation across the old footpath! Other smaller circles were also traced out, but the persistent downpour was beginning to dampen even the most enthusiastic dowsers.

We left in good spirits to return to our respective homes to dry off, warm up and hope for better weather next time.

Dowsing at Happy Valley

Chiltern Woodlands Project Happy Valley Walk As part of the English Heritage Open Days weekend activities,...

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