Saturday, January 18, 2014

Book: Rediscovering Bradford: archaeology in the engine room of Manchester

Thought I had already covered this, but a search of my blog seems to say I haven't!  May be I just photocopied parts of it.  But anyway:

Here's the blurb:

Historically, Bradford was a rural township that lay beyond the eastern fringe of Manchester.  Settlement probably comprised little more than a few cottages scattered around Bradford Old Hall, a moated manor house that was built in the mid 14th century century.  This rich natural resource was the principal reason for the 19th century transformation of Brradford into a key industrial area, known locally as the 'engine room' for Manchester.  This booklet rediscovers the history of Braford, and summarises the findings from archaeological excavations of two important industrial sites: Bradford Colliery; and the famours ironworks of Richard Johnson & Nephew.

Of chief interest for brick fans is the information about the Bradford Colliery Brickworks, and here's a sample:




This is number 4 in the Greater Manchester's Past Revealed series.  The booklet costs £5.00 and the ISBN is 9781907686047.  A search on the Web brought up no details as to how to get hold of the publication, but it was published by Oxford Archaeology North.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Course: Medieval tile making workshop

Medieval tile making workshop: Sunday 11 May 2014

9.30am to 5pm, at Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, West Sussex, UK

A practical day with the opportunity to design your own tiles, or use pre-made patterns, with information on historical aspects of the craft. Each participant can choose four tiles to be fired and sent to them after the course.

The tutor is Karen Slade who has been demonstrating tile making since 1996 and enjoys learning something new about it every year. In her role as Kate Tiler, she demonstrates medieval tile making all around the country, using replica tools and equipment and traditional methods. She is interested in the interpretation and exploration of the hidden meanings of medieval tile designs and images, an understanding of which helps to place them in a historical context.

Fee: £110 per person, to include tuition, tea and coffee.  The museum cafĂ© will be open or you can bring your own packed lunch.

Booking: Click for the booking form

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Castles and Coprolites: Micrograph of the Month: Medieval floors

An interesting post from another blog .... Castles and Coprolites: Micrograph of the Month: Medieval floors: This is the second floor themed micrograph post, you can see examples of Neolithic floors in a post from last year here.