Welcome to the 24 Hour Museum news in brief page for the week ending July 15 2007.
13.07.2007 - National Museum of Computing planned for Bletchley Park
The Codes and Ciphers Heritage Trust (CCHT) has announced that it will establish a National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.
CCHT plans to house the museum in Block H at Bletchley, which was designed to house the world's first digital computers, the Colossus machines, in 1944.
The trust will be helped by the British Computer Society, and the museum will trace the development of computers from the 1940s onwards. It will use original working systems from a 1960 Elliott 803 through to large ICL mainframes and modern PCs and workstations.
Visitors will be able to operate the computers and there will also be an education rooms and facilities for children.
13.07.2007 - Wreckage of Lockerbie jet could go on display in museum
Wreckage from the 747 jet aircraft destroyed in the Lockerbie bombing could be placed in Glasgow's Museum of Transport.
The museum already has a display about the 1988 disaster, which claimed 270 victims. It is waiting for confirmation that the plane parts will not be needed in a forthcoming appeal by the convicted bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi.
The museum hopes that it will be able to include parts from the plane in a display at its new £74m building on the Clyde, which is due to open in 2010.
It has stated that it would not go ahead with the plans if there were objections from the victims' families.
12.07.2007 - Eight arrested for aggravated trespass at Rotherwas Ribbon protest
Eight protestors have been arrested for ‘aggravated trespass’ during a demonstration against Herefordshire Council's plans to cover the Rotherwas Ribbon archaeological find with a new relief road.
The 60m-long curved ribbon of stones dates from the early Bronze Age and is a surface of cracked stones believed to be of ritual use. It was recently discovered as a result of archaeological investigations carried out prior to the construction of the Rotherwas access road, located just south of Hereford city.
Police were called after a group of 30 protestors staged a sit-in at the Council's chambers on July 12 2007 ahead of a cabinet meeting. Eight people were eventually led away by police.
The council is awaiting a full report from English Heritage before deciding on the future of the site. In the meantime work on the Rotherwas Relief Road has now stopped and the issue will be discussed at the council's next cabinet meeting in a month’s time.
12.07.2007 - New book highlights military heritage under threat from coastal erosion
English Heritage has launched Suffolk's Defended Shore, a new book that highlights the increasing threat of coastal erosion to England's coastal heritage, and in particular Suffolk's historic military defences.
It is estimated that many thousands of historical sites and buildings are under threat of being literally washed out to sea. Geologically soft and low-lying, the Suffolk coastline is particularly at risk and some of its coastal heritage has already been lost.
Erosion affecting the Suffolk coast and its military heritage has been highlighted by the National Mapping Programme (NMP), a countrywide survey commissioned by English Heritage.
Aerial photographs from the scheme are featured in the new book, which illustrates the history and development of military defences on the Suffolk coast and demonstrates the importance of the coast in national defence strategies.
12.07.2007 - Devon Bronze Age underwater site damaged by fishing boat
An undersea archaeological site off Prawle Point in South Devon containing Bronze Age artefacts has been damaged by a fishing boat laying lobster pots.
A series of lines and buoys laid to protect the site by the South West Maritime Archaeological Group (SWMAG) have been cut resulting in severe damage to the underwater site.
The lines acted as markers - mapping out the wreck site, which has yielded items linking Bronze Age Britain to Europe and the Mediterranean. Bronze Age swords, rapiers and single items of jewellery have also been found.
SWMAG is now working with English Heritage and local organisations to find the culprit and flag up the important issue with the local fishing community.
12.07.2007 - Sutton Hoo prepares to unleash living history spectacular
After months of planning, this weekend (July 14 & 15) sees the biggest event in Sutton Hoo’s events calendar - Sutton Hoo through the Ages. The event will be packed full of living history, combat, demonstrations, displays and activities for children and adults.
From the twilight of the Roman Empire to the Norman Conquest, organisers are promising visitors the chance to witness over 600 years of history in one weekend.
The biggest event to take place at a National Trust property this summer, the weekend will see early Saxon burial rites re-created, interactive displays about invasions, raids and migrations, have-a-go sessions for Saxon calligraphy and crafts - and one of the biggest gatherings of re-enactors in the heritage calendar.
Sutton Hoo through the Ages – Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 July (10am to 5pm). NT members: Adult £3.50, Child £2, Family £9. Non members: Adult £9, Child £4.50, Family £22
12.07.2007 - Come lancing this weekend at Linlithgow Palace
The ever popular Spectacular Jousting event at Linlithgow Palace takes place this weekend on July 14 & 15 - and this year staff are preparing themselves for the mass of visitors who are expected to flock to the magnificent lochside ruins.
Two years ago close to 7,000 people attended in just one weekend and this year the Knights of Royal England are back to thrill the crowds with a breathtaking display of duelling on horseback.
"The Spectacular Jousting event was such a success here in 2005, everyone wanted to get involved, leading to a great rush on replica lances from our shop," said Alan Mowat, Historic Scotland Monument Manager at Linlithgow Palace.
"To avoid selling out this year, we have more than tripled the amount of stock to keep up with demand, so it will definitely be a case of strictly come lancing for families over the weekend!"
Jousting shows will be at 1.30pm and 3.15pm on each day. Tickets are available on the day or save 10% by buying online at www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/shop.
11.07.2007 - Do you remember this Chelmsford confectionary company?
Chelmsford Museum is looking for anyone who remembers Hawkes confectionary shops or the Hawkes factory in New Street in the town to help enlighten them on a new acquisition.
The Museum recently obtained a Hawkes sweet tin showing a circus scene, and Keeper of Social History, Dot Bedenham, is researching the history of the confectionary company, which had shops in Moulsham Street, Duke Street and Springfield Road in the early 20th century. Two were still operating in the 1960s.
“We don’t know much about the factory at all, and I am interested to know when it was built and what happened to the building when it closed,” said Dot. “It would be great to hear from previous employees or locals who lived nearby who could shed some light on the company.”
The tin will form part of the new exhibition, the Story of Chelmsford.
If you know anything about the Hawkes confectionary company, contact Dot Bedenham at the Museum on 01245 605702, or email dot.bedenham@chelmsford.gov.uk.
11.07.2007 – Brontë Museum acquires rare letter by Charlotte
The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire, has acquired a rare letter written by Charlotte Brontë.
The letter was purchased at an auction at Christie’s, along with one from her father, the Reverend Patrick Brontë, for £21,000 and £3,100 respectively.
Charlotte’s letter (on mourning paper as it followed the death of her brother and sisters Emily and Anne) speaks of her feelings at the time of the publication of Shirley, which received some scathing comments in reviews. It will go on display in the next few weeks.
11.07.2007 - Nighthawkers damage Roman site near Lincoln
Archaeologists have been angered after finding 31 holes dug by nighthawkers (illegal metal detectorists) at a Roman dig site north of Lincoln.
The villa site has had artefacts stolen and much damage has been caused. The archaeological team who discovered the damage, from Lindum Heritage and Bishop Grosseteste University College, have now taken all the metal from the site as a precaution.
10.07.2007 - Trinny and Susannah Long Man sex change angers Druids
TV fashion presenters Trinny and Susannah have outraged pagans by giving the Long Man of Wilmington a sex change.
Footage of the makeover, in which women place themselves on the hillside figure to give it breasts and pigtails, is due to be broadcast when their new series is aired. However, angry Druids are demanding what they believe to be a desecration of a sacred site is not shown on television.
"We, the Pagans, would not in our wildest dreams consider putting female breasts and clothing on effigies of any of the Holy Prophets, be it Jesus Christ, Buddha or any other revered figure of another faith,” said pagan priest Arthur Pendragon in a statement.
“Why then does ITV commission Trinny and Susannah to do so at the Long Man of Wilmington?”
Protesters have begun an online petition asking for an investigation of the incident by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. They argue that Sussex Archaeological Society, which looks after the site near Eastbourne, should not have allowed the filming, and that it has damaged the Long Man, which is normally closed to the public.
10.07.2007 – Ordnance Survey to put World Heritage Sites on the map
Britain’s 23 World Heritage Sites will be specially highlighted on new Ordnance Survey maps, the national mapping agency has announced.
OS Landranger Maps, Explorer Maps and Travel Maps will now indicate sites such as Stonehenge, Canterbury Cathedral and Hadrian’s Wall with blue symbols based on the World Heritage logo. The aim is to encourage more people to visit and enjoy the sites.
10.07.2007 - Medieval cockerel crowing again at Rievaulx Abbey
A rare piece of medieval stained glass decorated with a unique cockerel motif has been made anew at Rievaulx Abbey thanks to the skills of modern day craftspeople.
English Heritage has commissioned a stunning replica of the 14th century fragment, which is the only one among 8,500 pieces of ancient glass recovered from 900-year-old Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley, to feature a complete bird design.
Members of the York Consortium for Conservation and Craftsmanship used only traditional medieval techniques to re-create the iconic relic. They made it with hand-blown glass, iron oxide for paint and handmade brushes.
It will be on display on Sunday (July 15) as part of National Archaeology Week at Rievaulx, which will offer an exciting day of discovery for families and history fans.
10.07.2007 - British Library and Shakespeare's Globe re-issue Shakespeare's First Folio
Shakespeare’s Globe and the British Library are to launch a series of facsimile editions of individual plays from Shakespeare’s First Folio, beginning with Othello, The Merchant of Venice and Love’s Labour’s Lost, on July 12.
The plays are in repertory at Shakespeare’s Globe during its 2007 theatre season.
One of the British Library's five copies of the First Folio has recently been photographed especially for the series. Further facsimiles will be produced to coincide with future Shakespeare’s Globe productions.
Copies of the First Folio originally sold for one pound each. In 2001 a copy of the First Folio was sold at auction for over £4 million. With an rrp of £14.95 each, buyers of the new individual facsimiles can look to save over £110,000 per play.
The first books will be available from the Globe shop from July 12 at a special introductory price at the British Library shop, and all good book retailers.
09.07.2007 - New Viking & Medieval Galleries open at Manx Museum
New Viking & Medieval Galleries have opened at the Manx Museum housing dramatic new exhibits including the figures of a man and woman of the Viking period together with numerous archaeological finds and interactives.
The Galleries were opened by Chief Minister, Hon JA Brown on Wednesday 4 July 2007 and aim to place the Vikings and their legacy in a specifically Manx context and to show what an enduring legacy they left to the people of the Isle of Man.
Major excavations at Peel Castle, Castle Rushen and Rushen Abbey over the past 20 years, together with a number of important new finds made by members of the public, have gone on display.
Many of the arefacts are presented in a way that shows how they would have looked and been used centuries ago. Weapons, jewellery and other items are displayed both as original archaeological finds as well as modern reproductions.
The lifesize figure of a Viking woman was inspired by the famous Pagan Lady buried at Peel Castle while the man, accompanied by his ‘Norse Horse’, is dressed according to evidence derived from two important burials from Balladoole in Arbory and Cronk Mooar in Jurby.
Also newly displayed is the Ogham-inscribed stone, unearthed from the keeill site at Mount Murray and featured on Channel Four’s Time Team in January 2007. Research is ongoing to discover the exact purpose of the stone, which dates from around 1,000 years ago and was kindly donated to MNH by Albert Gubay.
09.07.2007 - National Trust property restored after flooding
The Elizabethan House Museum in Great Yarmouth has been restored following serous flooding in November 2006.
The house which forms part of the historic south quay in Great Yarmouth, is a late 16th century merchant’s house. In the months following the flooding, the property was dried out, repaired and redecorated.
Ventilation of the wood panelling and floorboards has been improved, floorboards have been treated and polished and the rush matting in the dining room, which was beyond salvage, has been replaced. The stair carpets have also been removed and cleaned.
The National Trust believe the Museum is now of a better standard than it was before the flood damage, ensuring long term public use of the building.
09.07.2007 - Ancient henge site revealed in Durham
Archaeological digs in advance of the building of a reservoir outside Durham have revealed one of the most significant ancient sites in the region.
Pottery, flint tools and preserved timbers have all been excavated, as well as ceremonial-type circular earthworks, or henges.
Steve Speak, Senior Keeper of Field Archaeology for Tyne & Wear Museums explained that finds showed the site was continuously occupied throughout the prehistoric period.
“What isn’t clear is what it was actually used for – it’s not well enough preserved for us to say it was a farmstead, a defensive site, a settlement or something more spiritual in nature,” he said.
“What is clear is that it is the earliest site of its kind in Durham by a long way, and with material from 3000BC – over 5,000 years ago – it is the earliest settled site in the city.”
09.07.2007 - Tupholme Abbey comes back to life
The long lost Tupholme Abbey near Badney in Lincolnshire has been recreated in a series of computer generated images and an education pack as part of a Heritage Lottery Funded project called the Tupholme Abbey Stone Recording Project.
During the medieval period, the abbey was once home to an order of Premonstratensian canons but after the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s it gradually fell into ruin. Today only a single wall is left standing.
In 2004 the Friends of Lincolnshire Archaeology in association with Heritage Lincolnshire began a project to record and analyse the remaining stones and to use the information that was discovered to improve understanding of what the abbey was like.
09.07.2007 - Public invited to view newly discovered Iron Age village in Cambridgeshire
The public are being invited to visit a dig on July 11, near Milton, Cambridgeshire, where archaeologists have discovered a Celtic village on the site of a park and ride.
The late Iron Age site, south of Butt Lane, next to the A10, is believed to have been the first settlement in the area. The remains of enclosure ditches, round houses, granaries and cremations have been unearthed during the construction of the 1,000-space car park.
The location next to Milton’s rubbish tip is particularly appropriate as Archaeologists have been going through Iron Age rubbish to learn a range of things about life in the Iron Age.
The open day runs from 2pm to 7.30pm. To attend contact the project team. Email capital.programme@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call (01223) 718362.
