NEWS STORIES
THE SEARCH FOR STATHERN HALL INVESTIGATION UPDATE
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!"
Click to enlarge
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.
The National Poo Museum Visit
Tuesday 20th June 2023
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?
