The Past brought to Life
This is a 15th Century French collection of bawdy tales. The illustrated version in the Hunterian, Glasgow has some marvellous illustrations.
To read the stories follow this link to the Project Gutenberg.
In researching my Prehistoric Virtual Walk (Sunday 25/04/21 Details) I came across many great sites of interest. Here are a few
Barn Elms – London’s Oppidum?
This is a lecture by Alex Barnes – only 15 minutes, long and about a site in South West London that just might be an important Iron Age centre of power, which might explain all that great metalwork found in the River Thames over the centuries.
The Early River Thames – the Iron Age and Before
This is a lecture by Jon Cotton in the Gresham College Series.
Gives interesting insights.
Horton Neolithic Houses
I don’t know how I missed this site, as it was reported in archaeological magazines I read, but it is an amazing multi-period site in the Thames Valley. Excavations before gravel extraction have shown a particularly amazing sequence of Neolithic and Bronze Age discoveries.
They found 4 or 5 early Neolithic Houses, about 15% of those that have been found in the entire UK, and an amazing placed deposit, which contained a collection of objects dating back thousands of years. In effect, a ‘museum’ collection.
I’ll let you read it from the horse’s mouth. To read click here.
This has been a long time coming and only made possible by the need to go Virtual during the Pandemic. I have never done a prehistoric walk around London as such. I have done sections of it, and given lectures on the subject. But they were mostly overviews. This has therefore been a challenge putting this together, but a necessary revision of my knowledge.
So please do join me on:
Sunday 25th April 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of London before the foundation of Londinium
It was long thought that London was founded by a Trojan Exile in the Late Bronze Age. But historical analysis and archaeological excavation gradually demoted the idea to a myth.
On this tour we explore what was in the London area before the Romans. We begin at Heathrow and tour Greater London for evidence from the Paleolithic to the invasion of the Emperor Claudius.
We concentrate on the period since the introduction of farming, and bring together evidence for the prehistoric Kingdoms that controlled the area on the eve of the Invasion. We look for henges, barrows, hill forts, hut circles and look at genetic evidence for identity of prehistoric Londoners. The tour will end in the City.
This is a London Walks event by Kevin Flude, ex Museum of London Archaeology and Museum Curator
THE REBIRTH OF SAXON LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK
Sunday 4th July 2021 6.30pm
An exploration of what happened following the Roman Period. How did a Celtic speaking Latin educated Roman City become, first deserted, then recovered to become the leading City in a Germanic speaking Kingdom?
To book
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL WALK
Virtual Zoom Walk on Sunday Sept 5th 6.30pm
On the Anniversary of the Great Fire of London we retrace the route of the fire of 1666 from Pudding Lane to Smithfield.
To book
RING IN THE EQUINOX VIRTUAL WALK
Tuesday 21st September 2021 7.30pm
On this walk we look at London at the Equinox, its calendars, folklore and events associated with the beginning of Autumn
To book
MYTHS, LEGENDS, & HALLOWEEN VIRTUAL WALK
SUNDAY 31st October 2021 6.30pm
The walk tells the story of London’s myths and legends and the celtic origins of Halloween. .
To book
ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – A VIRTUAL WALK FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Sunday 14 November 2021 6.30pm
We follow the route of a Zeppelin Raid through London. On the way we discover London in World War 1
To book
posted on YouTube by Pablo Aparicio.
Salon Issue 466 from the Society of Antiquaries says:
‘Choices for dinner from this thermopolium would have included duck, goat, pig, fish, and land snails, all of which were found in the deep terracotta jars embedded in the stone counter. It appears that wine was also on offer; fava beans, which were used to modify the taste of wine, were been found in a different container.’
Saturday 20 February 2021 7.00pm
A Virtual Walk around Medieval London following in the footsteps of its resident medieval poet – Geoffrey Chaucer
One of the spectators at the Peasants Revolt was Geoffrey Chaucer, born in the Vintry area of London, who rose to be a diplomat, a Courtier and London’s Customs Officer. He lived with his wife in the Chamber above the Gate in the City Wall at Aldgate. His poetry shows a rugged, joyous medieval England including many scenes reflecting life in London. His stories document the ending of the feudal system, growing dissatisfaction with the corruption in the Church, and shows the robust independence with which the English led their lives.
His work helped change the fashion from poetry in French or Latin to acceptance of the English language as suitable literary language. This was helped by the growth of literacy in London as its Merchants and Guildsmen became increasingly successful. In 1422, for example, the Brewers decided to keep their records in English ‘as there are many of our craft who have the knowledge of reading and writing in the English idiom.’
Chaucer and other poets such as Langland give a vivid portrait of Medieval London which was dynamic, successful but also torn by crisis such as the Lollard challenge to Catholic hegemony, and the Peasants who revolted against oppression as the ruling classes struggled to resist the increased independence of the working people following the Black Death.
A walk which explores London in the Middle Ages, We begin at Aldgate, and follow Chaucer from his home to his place of work at the Customs House, and then to St Thomas Chapel on London Bridge, and through London to Poultry, Bucklersbury and Cheapside before visiting the Guildhall and St Pauls. We will walk in the muddy City Streets, exploring the unhealthy conditions and poverty amidst great riches and pageantry.
This is a London Walks event by Kevin Flude
To Book:
I have recorded a short podcast as an introduction to my Chaucer’s London Virtual Walk for London Walks which is this Saturday at 7pm on 20 February 2021
To listen to the podcast press play
On Sunday at 6,30pm I am doing my Wolf Hall Virtual Boat Trip and Walk for London Walks.
This is the podcast.
The Walk explores the Palaces along the Thames and then takes a walk around the City charting the life and deaths of Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, which are so vividly depicted in Hilary Mantel’s books in the Wolf Hall series.
The discovery of a dismantled Stone Circle, the same size as the Aubrey Holes Circle at Stonehenge, near to the Quarry that modern science has identified as the source of the Bluestones at Stonehenge, has validated what Geoffrey of Monmouth said in the 12th Century.
That is that Stonehenge was second hand and was brought from the West. (OK he said Ireland and the newly discovered Henge is in West Wales, and everything else he said seems to be wrong). But at least it would seem Geoffrey didn’t just make up it all up, which is what I have been saying for many years.
Anyway the point of this post is to direct you to this article which is the definitive word on the new discovery by Mike Parker Pearson and his colleagues.
Do read it!
