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Taming Danebury’s Defences
Whenever I see the Field Club’s Facebook banner (above) – a sparkling panorama of Danebury Hillfort’s east gate, it reminds me that it no longer looks anything like that today. Irrepressible nature, the decay of wooden steps and creation of a mountain bike scar have resulted in a messy picture that doesn’t show the Iron Age fortifications at their best. I’m not one for ‘tidy ruins’ per se, but there are advantages to keeping the scrub under control. As well as being able to see things clearly, it deters burrowing animals and opens up areas for ease of conservation. There…
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Museums under threat?
Budgetary cuts have been a feature of the Hampshire Cultural Trust ever since it was created in 2014 and archaeology and local history have been hit hard. Following the closure of Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham, in 2024, the existential spotlight is now (July 2026) focused on the Curtis Museum, Alton and Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age. At Alton, the Curtis Museum Community Partnership has secured a one-off grant to support the museum’s operation in 2027-28. No such plan exists for Andover as yet, but there is a local petition to raise awareness of the situation. Your support for either of these causes…
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Iron Age chariot fittings go on show
Back in April 2026, we heard from the Hampshire Cultural Trust that the St Mary Bourne Iron Age chariot fittings that we helped to purchase in 2023, were about to go on display at the Museum of the Iron Age, Andover. At the same time, the ‘Bullington Brooch’, an unusual item of chariot horse harness, recently donated to the Trust, would also go on view. This happy coincidence calls for a closer look, not just at these finds, but at the wider evidence for Iron Age chariots in northern Hampshire. The chariot fittings, a metal detector find reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) and listed as HAMP-D18D76, consisted…
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The Avebury Papers
O G S Crawford and the Avebury Papers The Avebury Papers is a four-year UK Research & Innovation funded project, led by the Universities of Bristol and York to digitise, investigate and disseminate the multimedia archives of Avebury’s Neolithic origins and current investigations. One of the spin-offs is the creation of two art installations which will be on show at the Southampton City Art Gallery until 17 October. Oneiric Archaeologies by Gayle Chong Kwan (above) incorporates sound, tactile sculptures and ritual and social dreaming to explore and understand Avebury’s Neolithic landscape, whilst The Bluest Eye by Kiely Tihngang (top) invites…
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13 September 1938
This was the day of the Field Club’s visit to Christopher Hawkes’ excavations on Quarley Hill, near Andover. He had already dug on St Catherine’s Hill, Winchester and Buckland Rings, Lymington, but the Quarley opportunity came about because of the untimely death of Miss Dorothy Liddell, who had led the Society’s fieldwork campaign for a number of years. Quarley had already achieved celebrity, thanks to the pioneering work of OGS Crawford, who persuaded the RAF to take some aerial photographs. These showed that the earthworks of the Iron Age fort overlay the large scale ‘travelling ditches’ then being recognised across…
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King John’s House, Romsey
King John’s House and Heritage Centre, Romsey, is slowly getting back to its feet after the disastrous fire of 23 February 2025. It will be a very long time, however, before visitor access can be restored to the fire damaged and smoke affected indoor areas. For the time being the gardens are open to view from 10am until 4pm on weekdays. The best way to follow the conservation and restoration progress is by visiting the website www.kingjohnshouse.org.uk which promises news and updates as they become available.
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Fundraising
A message from the Hon Treasurer Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be raising money for the Field Club with ‘Easyfundraising’? There are over 4,000 shops and sites ready to make a donation, including eBay, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra. All you need to do is:
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St Catherine’s Hill
One Hundred Years Ago. In 1925 and 1926 St Catharine’s Hill was investigated by three Old Wykehamists (former scholars at Winchester College) C F C Hawkes, J N L Myers and G E Stevens. The privately run excavation was followed by two further seasons, sponsored by the Field Club. The early work concentrated on the mound at the summit and discovered the remains of St Catharine’s Chapel. The first known reference to this building dates from 1284 and John Leland (16th century) described it as ‘a very fair chapel’ which Wolsey caused to be suppressed. By 1538, the first lay…