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CHURCH FARM, HOVERINGHAM, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

SITE PRESENTATIONS

Hoveringham and Thurgarton Women's Institute - Thursday 1st August 2024

&

Hoveringham Community Presentation - Saturday 3 August 2024

Over these two days, around 140 people stepped out onto Hall Close field to take a walk around the site of a partly revealed manorial estate, that once belonged to the de Hoveringham and the Goushill families. The artefacts recovered during the investigation arguably date the site to the c. 12th-14th century. However, the series of circular/curved stone structures as featured below, continue to puzzle everyone who has had the opportunity to see them. The uncertain function of the structures led to the creation of a hypothesis bucket, where any suggestions are being retained for future examination.

 

This investigation would not have been possible if it wasn’t for George Allwood. Ever since he was a young boy, George has always felt that there was something special in the field, and with what we have revealed so far, it does look like he was absolutely correct. This is becoming Nottinghamshire’s Pompeii!

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THE FRANCIS HACKER UNVEILING AT THE NATIONAL CIVIL WAR CENTRE

SATURDAY 25 MAY 2024

Thanks to the generous gift of a portrait and family crest from Charles Malcolm Brown to the National Civil War Centre at Newark, Nottinghamshire, 50 people were presented with the opportunity to witness the unveiling of Colonel Francis Hacker’s true face. This was the first time the Nation has officially been able to see him. The portrait will now be placed in the museum gallery alongside the Hacker family crest, and in view of his buff coat.

 

The Field Detectives owe a huge debt of gratitude to Charles, Philip Yorke, Glyn Hughes, Kevin Winter, Denise Greaney, Roger & Barbara Hawkins, The village of Stathern, our colleagues across the heritage sector and many, many more.

 

Another great day made to happen through the collaboration of many...

THE FIELD DETECTIVES ON NOTTS TV TALKING ABOUT THE UNVEILING OF THE REAL FACE OF COLONEL FRANCIS HACKER
22 FEBRUARY 2024

 

THE SEARCH FOR STATHERN HALL INVESTIGATION UPDATE #2
ST GUTHLAC'S CHURCH 
SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2024

Once again The Field Detectives shared their progress to date on the search for Stathern Hall to around 50 people at St Guthlac’s Church. This was an opportunity for us to share our learning and for people to get involved with the Stathern Heritage Participation Programme.

 

The presentation revealed the most probable site of what initially had been described as a lost hall. A document written in Latin was discovered at the National Archives, London last year, which changed everything we had previously understood to be correct regarding the home of the regicide and parliamentarian soldier, Colonel Francis Hacker.

 

There were actually, two properties in the possession of the Hacker family at Stathern during the 17th century. One was a freehold property with 2 acres, his demesne and most probably where he lived, and the other was a leasehold 80 acre farm with a house; this would be the one just off Mill Hill, and the one we had previously assumed was Stathern Hall. In fact, there is no Stathern Hall; just a large farm house and a house somewhere in the village that we can now, with a high degree of confidence, call Hacker’s House (documents refer to it as the Hall House).

There is still much to do both on and off the field. A comprehensive study of the older properties in the village would be the logical next step, and thanks to the kind invitation from a number of  local people, we have an opportunity to pursue this avenue of investigation.

Off the field, we have before us a number of landscape investigation options to explore if we are to confirm our research findings, but, they will require permission from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust if we are to pursue them.

The map featured below, shows the areas of interest. The two blue arrows denote the potential remains of the farm boundary walls. It would be useful to examine these in more detail. The two areas denoted by the yellow circles warrant further investigation. The one on the left where the original FLAG trenches were dug, would benefit from further excavation. By revealing this area in full, we should be able to establish whether or not, it was associated with the farm buildings that were taken away (see excavated area) as additional building materials for the rebuilding of Belvoir Castle c. 1660. A copy of the 'Search for Stathern Hall' Report can be downloaded here

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THE SEARCH FOR STATHERN HALL INVESTIGATION UPDATE #1
ST GUTHLAC'S CHURCH 
SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER 2023

​The Field Detectives shared their progress on the search for Stathern Hall, the home of Colonel Francis Hacker, to over eighty people at St Guthlac’s Church. This was an opportunity for people to learn, engage and get involved with the challenge of finding and commemorating the place where the Death Warrant of Charles I was kept for eleven years from 1649 until its return to London in 1660.

 

Philip Yorke, the author of the best-selling Hacker Chronicles books gave an insight into the life and times of Colonel Francis Hacker, family historian and author, Catherine Pincott-Allen provided an overview of the Hacker family tree, geologist Geoff Kimbell introduced the audience to the Lidar landscape findings, and Aileen and Peter Ball shone light on the geophysics surveys and explained their interpretations of the readings and the accompanying images.

The day was a wonderful success, it was a fabulous turnout and many people expressed their interest regarding future involvement with the investigation. Artefacts found near the village were brought along, and suggestions, theories and discussions were branching out across the pews long after the presentation was over. To top it all, a lady stepped forward to announce that she had some ancient documents in her loft that might be of some interest to everyone. What follows in the form of a physical historic landscape investigation is in the hands of the landowners, so we shall have to wait and see what emerges on that particular front. On the continuing off the field research front, we can be more optimistic.

 

We envisage a Search for Stathern Hall update presentation at St Guthlac’s for spring 2024. Perhaps this time, we can create an opportunity for the event to incorporate a themed option. 17th-century attire for those brave enough to get involved, and of course, cakes...

A copy of the 'Search for Stathern Hall' Report can be downloaded here

OWTHORPE PRESENTATION

SUNDAY 27TH AUGUST 2023

WOW! WHAT A DAY

 Thank you to everyone for sharing the day with us.

Here are some of the fabulous comments from visitors

"Intriguing; Well done for sharing this with us." "To say I played every day on the land while not knowing what was underneath me." "Fantastic, thank you." "Touching history." "Thank you for all you do, Excellent day." "Very impressive." "Excellent." "Wonderful, so pleased to see it all." "The energy, harmony, and feeling of love the site has given me will be cherished, as I am sure it will be with others." "Can I just say how impressed I am by what you have achieved at Owthorpe. Flabbergasted in fact!"

Drone image of the site

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A big special thank you goes out to Vinny from EMEC (East Midlands Environmental Consultants) for the incredible images he produced from his drone flight over the site.

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THE NATIONAL POO MUSEUM VISIT
TUESDAY 20TH JUNE 2023

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​Field Detectives: Richard, Catherine, Steve, Christine

Hosts: Dan, Nicola & Tracy

 

The Field Detectives met Dan, Nicola and Tracy at the National Poo Museum on Tuesday 20th June 2023 (10:00am), to present the museum with a collection of night soil artefacts, and supporting ‘family engagement’ worksheets following our Historic Landscape investigation work regarding the Grantham Canal.

 

Prior to this first trip to the Isle of Wight, we had been working with Dan and the team on a night soil poster, which now features prominently in the first toilet cubicle.

 

It is envisaged that the poster, artefacts and learning resources will help to prompt further discussion and creative engagement around the taboo subject of human waste.

 

The kind permission, encouragement, support and generosity of Samworth Farms, Brian Wells Agriculture, Canal Farm, Limes Farm, Sycamore Fam, Mill Farm, Cherry Ley, Goadby Hall, University of Nottingham, Wheatcroft Farm, Green Hays Farm & Home Farm have enabled us to curate a night soil collection of intriguing artefacts that can tell us something about the people who were around in Nottingham during the 19th to mid 20th century.

 

Similar stories can be told through the same medium right across the country, and this is the avenue of investigation we are in the process of pursuing in collaboration with the National Poo Museum.

 

We will be returning to see Dan, Nicola and Tracy in 2025 to review progress on our stories from the toilet, which will be the focus of a book we will be writing in 2024, based on the artefacts that arrived onto the land in amongst the night soil deliveries.

 

Who would have believed that walking the fields looking for stuff that came in from the city refuse could be so much fun?

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