Cirencester - The Amphitheatre

One of the largest Roman amphitheatres in Britain can be visited in Cirencester. The town itself was known as "Corinium", and at one point only the city of Londinium was larger. The amphitheatre is thought to date from the early second century, and, after being rebuilt in stone later that century,  to have been capable of holding between eight and nine thousand people.




It's well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area. There are a number of publications available from Cirencester's "Corinium Museum". The English Heritage website - http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/cirencester-amphitheatre/  has practical information as well as more on the history. You can also download a PDF from the Royal Geographical Society, by clicking here.

Head of the Thames

During last year's visit to Gloucester, I drove into Cirencester - then took a short drive along the Fosse Way (now thee A433) to this pub. The name hints at its significance.




A short walk from this pub, and there is a stone marker which says "The Conservation of the River Thames 1857-1974. This stone was placed here to mark the Source of the River Thames. I don't have a photograph, as the path was muddy and my time was short. Next time perhaps...

Had I reached the stone, it would have been unlikely that I would have seen water bubbling up. Most of the time the immediate area is dry - only after heavy and prolonged rainfall does the Thames reappear. First sight of a tiny stream comes a little further down the Thames Path - which begins here - I've walked London parts of that walk - but have yet to explore the early part of that great river's journey.

There are some excellent guides to the Thames Path - I have the National Trail Guide and the Thames Path AZ Adventure.




Online you can visit Keith Pauling's informative website at
http://www.thamespathway.com

The Source of the Thames is adjacent to an iron age hill fort. There's some useful background to this hill fort at http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=30767

Stow in the Wold

Stow in the Wold is a delightful small town in the Cotswolds - we visited on our way back from a weekend in Gloucester. It's a junction town - where seven major roads meet - including the Roman road, the Fosse Way (which runs from Exeter to Lincoln).

We visited the Porch House, said to be the oldest pub in England. An inn has stood on this site since 975, and timber in some of the beams were radio-carbon dates to within 50 years of 1000 AD.




The Porch House 

If you are thinking of visiting this lovely town, it is worth visiting the Cotswolds.info website. It's in our plans for a longer visit in 2017.

2016 An "Important" Year?

History Blogs of the future will no doubt make many references to a remarkable (if troubling year). It saw events which felt like massive earthquakes - the British Referendum, which led to a win for the forces seeking withdrawal from the European Union. In November, the shock winner was Donald Trump. Both the UK and US seem destined to be one-party states, at least until the next elections and perhaps for longer. Referenda brought down two European Prime Ministers, and a French President declined to seek a second term.





As this year comes to an end, the questions we need to be asking, are whether these were shooting stars - which may give rise to comments in future history Blogs - or whether they are signs of a seismic shift in world affairs.

But for this history blog, it is too early to be rushing to conclusions. (You might want to visit two of my other blogs - Washminster and jdm_progressive - for tentative conclusions and analysis.

This blog looks further back. During 2016 I had the opportunity to visit some very interesting places, take photographs, and research some of the history associated with them. In 2017 it is my aim to post about these visits and that research. I'm also intending to make further visits. During my pre-Christmas holiday in Rutland, I reviewed Milton Keynes history (which despite its 50th anniversary history in 2017, has a history going back to the Stone Age). I've also been reading up, amongst other things, about Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror and Shakespeare.

I hope you will become a frequent visitor to this blog in 2017. For now, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

The Wonderful Parliament

I just had to share this from te History of Parliament Online website - very relevant 630 years later - as some American's speculate upon whether Donald Trump may end up facing impeachment during his term of office, and the assertion of Royal Prerogative angers MPs and the courts -

The Wonderful Parliament of 1386 (‘Mirabile Parliamentum’, so-called by another writer of the period, Thomas Favent)4 witnessed the most important political crisis in the reign of Richard II thus far, which, in constitutional as well as political significance, even surpassed that of 1376. For, during the session, not only was the King insolently threatened with deposition if he persisted in absenting himself from Parliament, but also the chancellor (Michael de la Pole, earl of Suffolk) was forcibly removed from office, impeached by the Commons and condemned by the Lords.5 Moreover, a parliamentary commission was also established, which, as formally authorized by statute, assumed responsibility for the royal administration, and for the period of its appointment (finally limited to twelve months), effectively governed the kingdom. William Stubbs was right in saying that with this Parliament ‘the clearer and more dramatic action of the reign begins’.6 Indeed, its momentous constitutional as well as political consequences were soon revealed: witness Richard II’s hostile reactions in 1387 to what had been done in defiance of his royal prerogative, and the savage counter-reaction of his opponents among the Lords and Commons in 1388, who inflicted dire punishments upon his most prominent supporters at Court, following the appeals of high treason and impeachments of the Merciless Parliament (called the ‘Parliamentum sine misericordia’, by Henry Knighton).

Billy Fury

The picture on the top left hand side comes from an album I once owned - which was released for the 15th anniversary of the death of Eddie Cochran. [The Very Best of Eddie Cochran - 15th Anniversary Album - United Artists - UK]

It's a very special photo for me - since it was taken on the day I was born. One of the group was Billy Fury. His last public performance was at the Sunnyside Pub, opposite Northampton University, where I worked for many years. I enjoy the music of Billy Fury - and I have his "30 Greatest Hits" album on my iPhone.

Last week I was in Liverpool and found his statue close to the Mersey and between the Royal Liver Building (which I remember from the opening sequences of the Liver Birds) and the Liverpool Museum.



There's an article about him at http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/exhibitions/liverpoollives/billy_fury.aspx

and you can listen to "Halfway to Paradise" at https://youtu.be/9MTXBQp5OgI

The House of Wessex

There is little mystery about the name "Wessex" - it designated the western area on the British mainland where the saxons settled. (Essex - East Saxons; Sussex - South Saxons - and guess where the Middle Saxons were to be found?).

The Saxons began to arrive in the fourth century AD. After Roman government had broken down in Britannia, the country split into tribal area, each with their own chief, or King.


As the other kingdoms of England fell into decline, the Kings of Wessex became recognised as the Kings of England. One of the most well known is Alfred the Great - of whom I intend to post further. Also, towards the end of the line - is Edward the Confessor (English King from 1042 to 1066). His mother, Emma of Normandy, is a fascinating character in her own right. Edgar the Atheling was chosen by the Witenagemot as the successor to Harold, killed at Hastings. He never gained control of the kingdom - and is reputed to have been one of the people who met William at Berkhamsted, to make the final surrender.

Winchester was the capital of the kingdom of Wessex - and a palace existed there. Many of these kings and their Queens (Emma of Normandy included - and her other husband, King Canute) were buried in the Old Minister. Their bones were reinterred in the current cathedral.