Book - Trio of buildings lead to town of great importance (Doncaster)

Doncaster is one of the most historic market towns in the land developing from a classic close knit trio of church, Norman motte and bailey castle, to one of the of the finest in the land.

It is a long, interesting but complicated story involving the need for permission from Norman Lords and many charters - but space is limited so we will concentrate on the latter half of its history.

By the 13th Century the Market Place had its own church, the splendid Mary Magdalene’s, and in 1467 Edward IV granted municipal borough status which meant a legal mayor, a council of freemen and two sergeants of mace to represent authority.

Doncaster itself covered 40 acres at this time and 18 of these were taken up by the church and priory sites, burial grounds and the Market Place.

By 1611 the corporation was renting out 63 market stalls including 25 butchers, 18 shoemakers, 16 wool and linen drapers and six fishmongers. From the 15th century there was even a weekly mystery play performed on a cart driven into the market square. It was a taste of live shows which were to eventually lead to the building of a fine market place theatre many years later.

The 1840s saw another major market square facelift when borough engineer John Butterfield designed the imposing 6,000 sq ft Corn Exchange with cast iron columns and a glass roof connected to the 15,000 square Market Hall. It was a major change to the look of the town mainly because its construction hastened the demolition of a cluster of older buildings including the old town hall and grammar school, the Buttercross and the butchers open fronted shambles arcade as well as the remnants of the St. Mary Magdalene chapel.

The Corn Exchange itself was given a Victorian facelift in 1875 when it became an entertainment venue, a venue which went on to benefit from appearances by such names as a young Winston Churchill, who gave a lecture on his Boer War experiences, and Sir Edward Elgar conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in 1909.

The wonderful Wool Market, which has benefited greatly from a recent update, reflected Doncaster’s sometimes understated importance when in Tudor and Stuart times the wool trade throughout summer involved the hectic trading of fleeces to London and the Midlands which was basically brought about by the Great North Road making travelling a much more attractive proposition.

Doncaster Market is still one of the finest and traditional markets, it was actually voted the best in Britain.

You can read a more detailed account of the town’s fascinating past accompanied with fine illustrations in the splendid book “A History of Doncaster” by Brian Barber, which is available from Doncaster Tourist Information Centre at The Blue Building in High Street, Doncaster as well as local bookshops.

The information given here is taken from just one of 30 leaflets on the positive aspects of Doncaster which are available

From: http://www.thornegazette.co.uk/community/trio_of_buildings_lead_to_town_of_great_importance_1_3797090

Link - In pictures: Historic buildings for sale in Nottingham

Nottinghamshire County Council are selling off several historic buildings: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-14528625

TV - Wentworth Estate on country show (BBC1 Sunday 30 January 19.00)

A GARDEN estate in South Yorkshire is set to feature on the BBC One television series Countryfile this Sunday.

The show team spent a day at Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley earlier this month, and was given a tour by estate manager Michael Klemperer.

The feature will be screened at 7pm and looks at the development of Stainborough Castle, the parkland and the restoration of the estate’s 19th century conservatory. 

Heritage director Vicky Martin said she was “thrilled” the programme chose to film at Wentworth.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/estate_on_country_show_1_2977868

I'm surprised the buildings not "too old" to appear :P 

Stamp of approval for Nottingham Castle

Nottingham Castle has been recognised by VisitEngland for its excellent customer service through the national tourist board's Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS).

The Castle was praised for its image, presentation of staff and welcome.

Councillor David Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Customers at Nottingham City Council, said: "Nottingham Castle is a fantastic site enjoyed by local people and visitors alike. Being accredited by VAQAS gives external confirmation that customers will enjoy excellent service when they visit. 

"It is a huge honour for the team at Nottingham Castle and recognises the hard work they put in day in and day out, from the exhibition team and maintenance team, to the trading team and front of house staff. We would like to thank Renaissance East Midlands who funded this assessment.

"If you've not been to the Castle recently, or have friends and family due to visit soon, why not make a date to come along to this popular and historic Nottingham attraction."

During the application process, an independent assessor visited the Castle considering various aspects such as the layout of the attraction, the range and quality of signage, the appearance and cleanliness of the grounds, quality of presentation and interpretation, appearance and attitude of staff, retail, catering and toilet facilities, information leaflets and attractions inside the museum. 

Recent improvements at the Castle over the past year have included:

• a new Hood in the Wood Gallery - a new Robin Hood themed feature telling the story of Nottingham
• improved audio and video facilities
• a wide range of information leaflets which can be picked up on site, including details of The Nottingham Museum of Life, Green's Mill, Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey .
• The Castle was also praised for its local exhibitions such as the along the River Trent exhibition currently showing in the Mezzanine.

James Berresford, VisitEngland's Chief Executive said: "We know 59 per cent of Brits feel they don't make the best use of their time. A day out at any of our amazing cultural attractions like Nottingham Castle can be as inspirational as it is enjoyable.  The VisitEngland Quality Rose Marque is a stamp of approval showing our visitors that the attraction they are visiting offers a high quality and memorable experience."

The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) is managed by VisitEngland and, through its network of regional assessors. It has an incredible reputation for instigating, modifying and shaping change to the customer experience at visitor attractions across England. The scheme encourages participants to make VAQAS work for them as a management tool. 

Industry support has been consistently strong with participants eager to take on board the recommendations of their local assessor.

Nottingham Castle is a magnificent 17th century ducal mansion built on the site of the original Medieval Castle, with spectacular views across the city. The Castle has a turbulent past, linked to kings and conquerors and still has a maze of original caves hidden beneath its imposing walls.

For further information about Nottingham Castle please visit Nottingham Castle. For events at Nottingham Castle visit What´s On in Nottingham

From: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=13234

A Family War of the Follies Leaves a Little Reminder of Rivals

DON'T you just love a story of family rivalry – that is, so long as it doesn't concern your own kith and kin? 

 

Strolling through the hundreds of graceful acres of some of Britain's large country estates, the visitor will appreciate the planning and hard work that went into creating the sumptuous gardens and views of mansion and monuments, but we don't necessarily understand how these vast properties came about.

Take Wentworth Castle. Five minutes from junction 37 of the M1, this is the only grade one listed landscape in South Yorkshire, and it encompasses a fascinating collection of 26 listed buildings and monuments. Among them are the Rotunda, Queen Anne's Obelisk, the Duke of Argyll's Column and the majestic Stainborough Castle, a large romantic folly built by Sir Thomas Wentworth the Earl of Strafford in 1730.

Designed as an "eyecatcher", this mock castle, believed to be the second oldest Gothic garden folly in the country, is a wonderful architectural flourish with four towers named Harriet, Anne, Lucy and William after the Earl's children. The interior of each was painted a different colour.

Patrick Eyres, a landscape historian and one of the trustees of Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust, clearly enjoys telling the story of the castle and the property on which it stands.

"In 1695, when Sir Thomas's father died, he expected to inherit the estate at Wentworth Woodhouse which had been in the family for generations, six miles as the crow flies from where Wentworth Castle now stands.

"But for some reason the inheritance was passed down the female line to a cousin called Thomas Watson, who added Wentworth to his name. He was a member of the gentry, whereas Sir Thomas was an aristocrat, a renowned and respected diplomat. Finding himself disinherited, Sir Thomas bought the 500-acre Stainborough Hall Estate nearby and set about building a castle and a series of follies around his land, including the mock castle. It had a bailey wall and four turrets, a gatehouse keep with four towers and a first floor banqueting room. It was properly plastered inside, and was used regularly to entertain. The name of the estate was changed to Wentworth Castle, probably to annoy the cousin down the road.

"A lovely letter exists, written by Sir Thomas, detailing how he entertained in the folly, and even enjoyed a 'breakfast' there with Thomas Watson Wentworth, although the two men were poles apart in many ways including politically."

The disinherited Sir Thomas went about adding to his acreage by secretly buying up land from local farmers and referring to his rival in documents by the codename "the vermin". The Earl of Strafford's son continued the rivalry, and the owners vied with each other to create eye-catching follies on their land.

The pinnacle of this "folly war" really was Stainborough Castle, says Patrick Eyres. "I think we can safely say that Sir Thomas Wentworth and his family's efforts outranked, outswanked and outshone those of the cousin at Wentworth Woodhouse – although over time the family at Wentworth Woodhouse rose to become more senior within the aristocracy. The castle folly at Wentworth Castle was placed deliberately so as to be seen from the highest point of the Wentworth Woodhouse Estate. Unlike most follies, though, it was useful for entertaining and for the children to play in."

Today, Wentworth Woodhouse is still in private ownership, whereas Wentworth Castle is now the Northern College, an adult education centre. The gardens and parkland are open to the public and are looked after by the trust. In the 1960s two of the castle folly's towers collapsed after the structure was destabilised by the opening up of new coal seams beneath it. The castle fell into disrepair and became overgrown, although some thought this added to its romance.

In recent years, Stainborough Castle has been expensively restored after a campaign to raise £20m to refurbish the mansion, gardens, parkland and follies, and it can be used for picnics or to hold events, seating hundreds of visitors for theatrical and musical performances.

The folly was featured in the BBC's Restoration series and will be seen again next year in another BBC series about Britain's "hidden" houses, which will examine the famous Wentworth family rivalry.


Wentworth Castle Gardens, Low Lane, Stainborough, South Yorkshire S75 3EN. 01226 776040 or www.wentworthcastle.org

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/A-family-war-of-the.6674450.jp

Goodbye Castle Market!

A BID to have Sheffield's Castle Market listed has been turned down by English Heritage – which said the building was "not notable", did not use high quality materials and was not of artistic interest.

 

Sheffield Council had objected strongly to the application, fearing a decision to preserve the post-war building would prevent redevelopment of the area, planned for when the market is moved to a new building on The Moor.

The site is earmarked for a new open space, where sections of Sheffield's old castle hidden beneath the market will be exposed.
There will also be offices, apartments and part of the planned pedestrian Steel Route, which aims to link Victoria Quays and the Wicker with the rest of the city centre.

Victoria Ellis, Heritage Protection Co-ordinator for English Heritage, said: "Externally the building's appearance is not notable, nor is its construction technologically innovative.

"The materials used in the main are concrete with terrazzo tiling, some now rendered and painted, and metal-framed windows. There is a lack of use of high-quality materials, in contrast to the nearby Castle House – listed Grade II – the contemporary former Co-operative department store.

"Castle Market is an intelligent design for a difficult site, done by a notable architect Andrew Derbyshire, though early in his career.
It is one part of the wider post-war regeneration of Sheffield, aimed to put the city at the forefront of modern urban planning.

"However, the building does not display the quality of design or materials, the technological interest in its construction or the artistic interest which is found in the best market halls of this era and consequently does not meet the criteria for listing."

The decision was welcomed by Sheffield Council.

Leader Coun Paul Scriven said: "I'm delighted the Liberal Democrats have been successful in persuading English Heritage not to list Castle Markets. If listed the building would have been a dead weight around the neck of Sheffield's local taxpayers for generations to come.
"Now we can get on with delivering the new market at the bottom of the Moor knowing that there won't be a spanner thrown in the works.
"I only wish that local Labour politicians had taken the same approach in previous years with other similar buildings when they ran the council, such as Park Hill.

"Past experience has shown that London-based experts listing local large unpopular 1950s and '60s buildings only leads to local taxpayers having to fork out for something that they don't want."

Sheffield Council previously failed in its appeal against the decision to list Castle House Co-op department store.

An appeal can be made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport over the English Heritage decision on Castle House.

The identity of who made the application to have Castle Market listed has not been revealed.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/39Market-will-not-be-preserved39.6668356.jp

Castle Market Sheffield NOT Listed

It's just been announced that English Heritage's bid to get Castle Market in Sheffield listed has failed.  I have to say on a personal level I'm glad Castle Market hasn't been listed, I've spent many hours man and boy shopping in there but I'll be glad when they pull it down and show the city's hidden jewel- Sheffield Castle.

I'll publish the news from one of the local papers as soon as I can find one.

Medieval Room Found under Lincoln Castle/Loss of Historical Church Records

The recent excavations around Lincoln Castle have now revealed a medieval circular room under the current ground level.  The room was discovered during work to install a lift to enable visitors to gain access to the curtain wall more easily. Hopefully when the feature is completely excavated its use will become known.  This could also indicate that other previously unknown early structures could survive within the area.

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/environment/Tunnel-vision-reveals-buildings-castle/article-2935933-detail/article.html

A survey has recently been carried out after concerns over the loss of important historical documents from churches in the past several years.  The problem seemly arises when the building runs out of storage space for keeping the documents in and lack of staff training.  

We have noticed this locally when one of our members retrieved lots of historical Victorian documents from a local church in a skip.   
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Religious-archives-at-risk.6638179.jp

 

Community Archaeology - Nottinghamshire 2011

Update from Community over their 2011 projects:

 Much of our funding over the next few years will focus on the ‘Trent Vale’ area.  This includes riverside parishes and communities along the Trent, from Newark to Gainsborough.  For those of you who were able to attend the Time Travel Trent Vale event in the summer at Newark Castle, this was the official launch of the project. 

We will still be doing projects when they arise across the rest of the county, but this is where our focus will be for the next two years.  We have included here some background to the project, and some information on what will be happening as part of it.   We hope you find it interesting, and that you see something that you would like to get involved in.

We are still looking for project ideas and suggestions, both in Trent Vale and the rest of Nottinghamshire, so please send them in!

Trent Vale goes live!

The River Trent in the Trent Vale, once an integral part of life for those living on its banks, is now often hidden from view and difficult to visit.  Trentside communities have, in many places, become disconnected from this natural feature that has influenced where and how they and their ancestors lived.  Industry, agriculture and canalisation have all made their mark, and what we see as the river now is a very different picture to what people would have seen even a few hundred years ago.

Trent Vale focuses on the riverside communities of the Lower Trent Valley , between Newark and Gainsborough, in both Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire .  It has been awarded money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to be spent on a wide range of projects and schemes over the next few years.

Projects include (amongst others):

• Riverside Audit – to map and record archaeological features on the riverbank; including everything from ruined barges to clapper gates.  We are looking for volunteers for this project NOW!  So please let us know if you want to be involved.
• Roman Roadsides and River Crossings – this is an extensive fieldwalking project that will be looking to shed light on Roman settlement in the Trent Vale.  There are a number of well-known sites in the area, but relatively little is known.  The fieldwalking will take place either side of Roman roads, and aims to provide a good body of evidence to help us to understand the pattern of settlement in the area.
• Archaeology Clubs – We will be running a series of archaeology clubs for children, at locations across the Trent Vale area, during school holidays.  Children will get the opportunity to try all sorts of activities based on the archaeology and history of the river.
• Workshops, talks and guided walks – It’s not just children that get to have fun with Trent Vale!  We will be putting on workshops, talks, and guided walks around the area for people of all ages to get stuck in to. 
• Excavations – there are a number of excavation opportunities over the next few years.  Watch this space!
• Graveyard Surveys - Some of you have already joined us on the 'Graveyard Shift', to record the information and condition of gravestones in various churchyards.  We intend to start looking at churchyards in the Trent Vale area, so there will be plenty more opportunities for you to come along and take part.  All welcome, from green beginners to hardened veterans.

How To Get Involved

If you are reading this you are already on our general email list, in which case you will receive regular news updates and information.  If you have an interest in any projects in particular, or have questions or suggestions, please get in touch.

Everyone is welcome to join in, and because the range of projects is so wide we should be able to find something for everyone, of all ages and abilities.  Join us for a day, a season, or longer!  No experience is necessary and training will be provided.

Trent Vale involves a lot of partner organisations, so by expressing an interest in our projects we can also link you up with projects run by our partners; such as conservation opportunities with the Wildlife Trust.

Check out the following website for more information.....

http://trentvale.wordpress.com/

This is the best place to keep up to date with what's been happening in Trent Vale.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this rather epic mail. 

All the best

The Community Archaeologists