Priories Historical Society took part in its first field survey at Braithwell, South Yorkshire on Sunday 27th March. The morning was very cold as I arrived, the sky was scattered with grey cloud which made the day look daunting but during the day the sky cleared leaving a beautiful blue sky. The field was originally five fields over time these boundaries have been removed. At least one of these boundaries seems to have been made from stone due to the change in soil colour and blocks of limestone present although this could have been a hedge and the limestone in this area might not have been cleared during field improvements.
There were many finds during the day. The field is littered with bits of clay pipe throughout although there is a concentration to the northern hedge possibly indicating where the labourers rested and ate whilst working in the field. Glass and modern pottery is also numerous so care was taken when inspecting shards. Roman finds were quite numerous in one section of the field so this will be inspected further on the next few visits. This pottery comprised mainly greyware but other more exquisite pieces were also found. The star find of the day was a Charles II farthing coin from 1674 (with the date below Britannia). At some point livestock have been kept in the field as there are numerous bone fragments.
To be able to go on Field Surveying with the society you need to become a member which is a nominal amount of £5 per year (due in April), this also gets you £1 off meetings and free copies of the societies magazine. There is also a Health & Safety document which needs to be signed. If you wish to metal detect with us you will need to have approved Metal Detector Insurance (NCMD or FID) and have to be vetted by the committee before being allowed on-site.
