Rod Collins

Steam Trains in Grimsby ~ When Did the Railway Arrive ?

Rod — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:55:19 +0000

When did the railway first come to Grimsby ?
I had no idea personally, but now I do after a little research into the history.
It arrived in 1848 and here’s a great engraving to illustrate it

The railway has been the precursor of progress the world over. Once invented I imagine places were divided into those connected by train tracks and those not.
The opportunity for development both in terms of trade and growth and well as social mobility must have been stifled or boosted by the advent of the ‘Railway Coming to Town’.

In Grimsby, Lincolnshire, it was in 1848 I believe that the first steam train rolled along the newly constructed train tracks and into Grimsby Town Station for the first time.
Here’s a superb engraving from 1848, originally published in the Illustrated London News marking the occasion

MS & L Steam Train Coming into Grimsby in 1848

Interestingly, geographically little has changed. The train is passing under Deansgate Bridge just as they do today and top left you can just see St James church looking out majestically over the scene. Incidentally, it was just a little over to the left of the scene shown that the recent Roman Dig was that I reported on.

The arrival had a big impact on the town’s economy, which was in the process of recovering from the historic decline caused largely by the silting up of the Humber many years previously. Once in place the docks could really expand with the easy and quick movement of goods both to and from the docks.
It all happened in and around the same time with the Grimsby Docks Act of 1845 allowing for the expansion and building projects, 1851 saw the Dock Tower completed with new fish landing docks completed in subsequent years.

Whilst the Fish Docks were already booming with the fish trade the railway opened up the possibilities for other commercial trade such as the movement and export of coal. It’s all gone pretty quiet again now though. The glory days of the town as the largest fishing port in the world have long since gone.
Much else has gone backward as well, I remember regularly going to London for the day on the straight through train to King’s Cross, took only 3 hours and cost less than £20. Now there’s no direct link and I’ve just looked at East Coast Trains for a quote and a standard 2nd class return is £190 for today !!

I’d be very interested to find out more about the early days of trains in Grimsby so if you know anything of the history or have and information - please do leave a comment - likewise if you have any opinion or comment on the subject in general

Yours Going off the Rails
Rod

Hitler and the Boy Scouts in Lincolnshire

Rod — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:14:32 +0000

Hitler, the Nazis and the Lincolnshire Boy Scouts
It sounds like an unlikely combination . . . that is until you read released MI5 top secret documents which tell of how Adolf Hitler tried to infiltrate the Lincolnshire Boy Scouts !

Around 1937 some young Germans, later found to be the Hitler Youth, were on a cycling tour in this country when concerns were raised by the British Security Service MI5 about possible spying. Indeed it seems it went deeper than that, they were spies and actually trying to infiltrate the Boy Scout movement.
It seems Lord Baden-Powell was invited to meet Hitler himself in order to discuss closer ties between British boy scouts and the Hitler youth. I may seem unlikely but Lord Baden-Powell did in fact meet Joachim von Ribbentrop - the German ambassador.

Needless to say Nationwide plan was cracked open by the Lincolnshire Police, the Lincs Chief Constable alerted the Intelligence Services and an investigation was launched.
There is even a direct connection to my home town of Grimsby:
Sir Vernon Kell, Director General of MI5, ordered covert surveillance once the plot was uncovered. He sent a letter to Grimsby, now released under the Freedom of Information Act and 30 year Rule but till now classified, and it said . . .

“We have received information that a party of young Germans [are] due to arrive [and] are intending to bicycle to London by easy stages. Should they pass through your area we should be interested in any details you can let us have about the route they follow.”

Subsequently dubbed ’spycyclists’ they were closely monitored as were the efforts to infiltrate the Boy Scouts both on a ground level and via Baden-Powell at leadership level. Whilst cycling around they’d also been advised to memorise routes, remember general layouts and take notes of directions, roads and rivers.

It may sound all like a cheap wartime boys novel but it does show that these things did happen.
It’s all heady stuff and to think it was all going here right on my doorstep !

All the best
Rod

The Archbishop of Canterbury and Grimsby ~ Some History

Rod — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:12:52 +0000

The Archbishop of Canterbury came to Grimsby
No, it’s not the start of a joke or vulgar limerick, he actually did visit the town last week.
‘It’s the first time any Archbishop of Canterbury has ever visited Grimsby’ is what I was told
Hmmmm I thought . . . let’s look into that . . . so we shall and it’s pretty interesting

It sounded slightly suspect to me as a statement, especially after being told ‘thats what it said on the local radio’ so today I thought I’d do some research.

The first thing I came across was our own local boy made good - one John Whitgift, son of the famous Grimsby businessman Henry Whitgift.
John Whitgift, portrait seen left, was born in Grimsby and was The Archbishop of Canterbury . . . from 1583 to 1604 !
Incidentally, he was once rector of St Margaret’s Church in Laceby and his uncle was the Abbot at Wellow Abbey.

Interestingly, after his elevation he was involved in something I’ve written about before,
St Mary’s church in Grimsby. In 1586 it was him that united the two parishes of St Mary and Saint James.
From what I read he seems like a good man doing much for the poor.
He also attended Queen Elizabeth on her last night on earth to pray with her, after her death he placed the crown on the head of her successor - not bad for a Grimsby Boy !

Of course, we’ve all read the Latin Chronicle by the well known Anglo-Saxon historian Ethelward, or Æthelweard if you can get your computer to write it, he was an Abbot at the monastery at Louth not far from Grimsby. He too became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1020 !
Not GY but very close - did neither of these men ever visit Grimsby after their elevation ?

I have to say I’m struggling now, I thought I’d nail this with a nice snippet from an antiquarian book of a visit a millennium ago or such like but . . .
Could it be that Dr Rowan Williams, leader of the Church of England, is the first Archbishop of Canterbury to visit Grimsby ?

I still can’t believe it, there must be something somewhere to disprove it, I’ll have to keep digging and also hope that somebody out there may know something or indeed any other interesting connections between the post and Grimsby or its immediate environs.

Reverentially Yours
Rod

Big Cats in Lincolnshire ~ Big Cat Sightings

Rod — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:49:32 +0000

Big Cat Sightings in Lincolnshire
It’s a topic once touched on before but one I find particularly interesting so I think it’s worth covering properly.
Are there Panthers, lynx, leopards, pumas and the like here in Lincolnshire ?

I’d like to split this issue properly in as much as there are hoaxes and genuine mistakes out there, of course there are, but this is not ‘tin foil hat’ stuff.
There is genuine evidence of big cats in the UK. Obviously non-native to Britain they are believed to have been released into the wild by their owners - particularly some years ago when the British government act made it illegal to own such creatures without proper licence.

Here’s a quote from the United Kingdom government agency dealing with this . . .

In Lincolnshire, a farmer found several of his sheep killed and eaten. On some of the carcases only the skull and spine were left. The farmer said the attack was down to a big cat and officials visited the site. Photos of the carcases were taken

There have also been reports of a Puma type cat around the River Ancholme area, a Lynx at Market Rasen, others at Fiskerton near Lincoln, Tattershall Castle, Laughton Forest, Grimsby and Scunthorpe ( around the M180 ) to name but a few. Some get spotted by numerous people - so much so they get a nom de guerre ‘Manthorpe Puma’ and who could forget the Grimsby Growler . . . remember this quote

This latest sighting of the so-called Grimsby Growler is the third in the Great Coates and Wybers Wood area and brings the total number of incidents reported to the police to four.

If there are those out there that think this is all the works of cranks and UFO spotters then think again
The existence of big cats in this country has evidential support and is accepted as factual by the government bodies dealing with it.

Having looked at some of the pictures DEFRA ( Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ) have they are, as well as being very gory so not included here, quite staggering - there’s clearly something going on here

What would be interesting is to find out whether any have actually bred here in the countryside of Britain or are they all simply escapees or big cats released by their owners who held them illegally.

I am very keen to hear of more sightings, information, experiences or opinions.
Do you believe there are big cats out there ?
Have you seen a big cat in Lincolnshire ?

Please do leave a comment if you have any opinions, thoughts or know of any sightings
Many thanks in advance
Rod

Please feel free to click the Facebook link below to share with others - many thanks
Share

Carla Bruni’s Lingerie & Other Important Issues

Rod — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:23:14 +0000

Carla Bruni’s Underwear
Yes folks you might think it’s making mountains out of a couple of molehills but the pressing issue this week seems to be should Carla Bruni have worn a bra
We’ll examine this and other hot topics in this weeks hot shots and damp squibs
Thank goodness that’s all the world has to worry about . . .

Firm and Pert

Gordon Brown
Clears himself of any responsibility for troops equipment shortages. “It was all the general’s fault”
That’s alright then, we believe you Gord !

Synarchists
Was synarchy and the synarchists ultimately responsible for creating the European Union and the single currency ?

MacDonald’s for Slimming
Yes you heard it right, a new range for the fast food giant is to be endorsed by Weight Watchers. Needless to say there’s outcry, though presumably not for those ~~lacking any self discipline~~ members of Weight Watchers.
I wonder if it will be like the healthy meal salads they launched with a fanfare that time - their ‘Ranch Salad’ turned out to have more fat and calories in it than a Big Mac !

Clever Wives
It seems for the ideal marriage the wife should be 27% more intelligent than the husband.
Everything that’s rushing into my mind now will get me into trouble so I’ll let you digest that ’scientific fact’ yourself

The Hamlyn Guide to Birds of Britain
I used it this afternoon to identify the birds I photographed whilst out today. Inside is an inscription written by me and dated 17.6.78
I bought that when I was 12 years old Marvellous memories . . . and I’m back there again

Grimsby Goes to Hollywood
Well not quite . . . but in what seems like a hell of a stretch, even for the well known stretchers at the local organ, the Grimsby Telegraph trumpeted a connection with Grimsby and non other than Johnny Depp.
There’s a blog post here thought I with ever the eye open to save you from another church
Well, the connection was that somebody connected to Grimsby is also connected to some of the singing on the backing tracks to the new Alice in Wonderland movie
Desperate times call for desperate measure I suppose

Needing Support

Footballers
According to Manchester Rovers leader the pitch at Wembley is leaving his players drained and unable to play !
Perhaps more money might be an incentive for them !

Parents Choosing their Child’s School
It seems many are disappointed because they’re not getting their first choice ! And that’s surprising is it ?
Tell me how this choice nonsense can ever work. Virtually everybody will always select the best school, university or hospital etc - nobody will choose ones deemed lesser therefore most will be disappointed. The whole choice idea is nonsense - I can’t believe people got suckered into believing it !

Thin Eyebrows
Seems women with thin or sparse eyebrows no longer have to suffer - they are now offering eyebrow transplants for those desirous of the more hirsute look.

Carla Bruni
Yes, she should have worn a bra . . . there the oracle has spoken - the debate is over

Drink Driving
If you’re young don’t get in a car with somebody who has been drinking !
If you’re old you should know better and you can pay if you lose the bet.
A young life was lost not far from me this week - it should never happen, there’s enough risk in life with creating unnecessarily stupid ones.

And just in case you thought everything was rubbish - somethings are just perfect and always work in perfect harmony - those left to Mother Nature !

A Wren Photographed Today at Bradley Gairs

There’s also a few new pics in the new gallery - top right of page for link.
If you’ve anything you want to condone or condemn, pull down or praise up or any comments on the above - feel free to leave a comment

Upliftingly Yours
Rod

Masonic Gravestones ~ Freemason’s Graves

Rod — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:51:53 +0000

Masonic Gravestones and Freemason’s Graves
As part of my mission to visit, photograph and research all the churches in Lincolnshire I’ve also decided to catalogue some of the interesting grave stones and tombs.
The Masonic tradition is one of increasing interest to me and something I’m researching all the time, to that end I thought it would be an interesting idea to try and record grave markers that have Masonic insignia on them.

Caveat: I cannot say definitively that the head stones mark the graves of Freemasons for sure in every case. The ones I shall feature will bear all the tell tale carvings, symbols and insignia which suggest they do mark the resting place of a Freemason.
When possible I shall be including the details of the person as seen on the gravestone, this may provide some useful information for those researching ancestry and family trees.

The one below is in the Churchyard at St Peter and Paul Tetney in Lincolnshire and is unusual in that it contains exact details of the lodge.
It has the crossed keys, hourglass, the Agnus Dei ( Lamb of God ) amongst other things

Tetney
Loyal Sovereign Lodge No 570
M.U. Gt Grimsby District
Thomas Robinson
Died 1866

Below is to be found in West Ashby Lincolnshire. The arrow is the arrow of death, the hour glass signifies mortality ( time running out ) . The scythe also time, the divine harvest. The eye above surrounded by the sun is classic Masonic symbolism.

West Ashby
William Drewry
Died May 27th 1801
Aged 81

I was hoping to have several more articles before I published this but they are proving to be scarce. The second one found only yesterday and the first many months ago.
I am hoping that anybody seeing this may be able to help and let me know if they know if any Masonic Gravestones in Lincolnshire.
I am checking every churchyard I visit but as I started this after my quest to visit all the churches in Lincolnshire I may well have missed some - not to mention missing some anyway.
If you can help with any information on other memorials or you can shed any light on the symbolism, history or heritage then please do leave a comment - it would be greatly appreciated.
All the best
Rod

Kirkstead Abbey ~ A Guide to the History and Site

Rod — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:57:18 +0000

Kirkstead Abbey was a Cistercian Abbey dedicated to St Mary and was founded in 1139 - I was there yesterday and it’s really quite spectacular.
Here’s a guide to the history and archaeology of the site along with plenty of original photographs

Kirkstead Abbey has been on my ‘to visit list’ for some time now and a day bathed in glorious sunlight proved to be the perfect opportunity.
The Manor of Kirkstead, as well as Tattershall, was gifted to Eudo by William the Conqueror but it was his son Hugo Brito, or Hugo the Breton, who actually founded the Abbey itself in 1139 which was ‘populated’ by monks from Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire (a wise move on their part to come to Lincolnshire)

The site is very extensive indeed, the earthworks so extensive it looks as though all the moles in England have been at work for centuries. The greatest delight though is the fact that there are still standing remains !
That’s a rare treat.

Kirkstead Abbey near Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire

As you can see they’re pretty spectacular, I’ve also tried to capture something of the feel of the earthworks in the above picture as well - though earthworks seldom convey just how impressive they are in photographs - it gives you an idea though.
The standing remains form part of what was the south east side of the cruciform church’s central tower and quite why this precarious piece of the building has survived and so much disappeared feels like something of a mystery.

Most of the stone was robbed away over the centuries for other buildings and in 1830 two men spent six months breaking and burning carved stone for lime !
Some survived and can be seen in houses, farms and walls around the area, the font base is at St Margaret’s church in Langton.

A Plan of Kirkstead Abbey from 1716

The plan above shows just how the abbey grew with gifts and bequests of land over the years. The Abbey is also strongly connected with the Lincolnshire Uprising and the last Abbot Richard Harrison ( or Haryson) was executed for his supposed part and became a recognized Catholic Martyr.
Also suffering a similar fate were those from Barlings Abbey and Bardney Abbey.
At the time of the Dissolution the annual net income of the abbey was valued at £286 and it was recognized as one of the larger Abbeys in Lincolnshire

After this the property was granted to the Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon, in 1539. The famed and oft mentioned Clinton family also pops up in this saga as Edward Clinton, who was to become Bishop of Lincoln, was granted the lands in circumstances of dubious legality by the crown. Eventually this was recognized and the lands returned to relatives of Edward Lord Clinton.

Kirkstead, anciently known as Cirsted, also has a church on the site and this will be covered in a separate article

Part of the Moat which surrounded Kirkstead Abbey

You’ll see above part of the surviving moat which ringed the site, as seen on the plan drawing, not only does it give you a greater feel for the site but also shows you what a glorious day it was. At the risk of sounding repetitive I felt, once again, very privileged to be there - for many reasons not just those of historic antiquity.
It may sound corny but sitting there alone amidst the earthworks in the sun it feels different somehow, it’s not like sitting by a field or wood. There’s a peace and tranquillity not to mention the sense of history and wonder at those people and times that preceded me. I know it sounds flowery and may well be self-imagined but non-the-less if did feel that way to me
It truly is a magnificent spot and one well worth visiting - if you share and interest you’ll not regret going.

More Pictures
For more photographs please visit the gallery we’ve created specifically for Kirkstead Abbey.
Click on the pictures to enlarge - and check if they extend to another page
It will open in a new window or tab (may take a second or so) ~ simply close it down to return to this site
See More Photographs

As always we very much welcome comments from anybody who has an opinion, comment, perhaps you’ve been there or indeed know something of interest about the site.
Please do feel free to share it

Monastically Yours
Rod

Sabaton Tour Dates 2010 Coat of Arms World Tour

Rod — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:49:07 +0000

The mighty Sabaton are about the conquer the world !
Their new album is finished and due for release in May and they are embarking on a worldwide tour as well as doing the festival circuit in 2010
The Vikings are Coming !

I’ve seen Sabaton live in concert and I can assure you there’s nothing like it - if you’ve not seen them before then you simply must go.
The night I saw them they were the support act for Dragonforce and I’d not even heard of them (a bit behind the music times now)
I’ve been going to rock concerts for some 30 years now I suppose - you name ‘em - I’ve seen ‘em pretty much . . . but . . .

Nothing prepared me for Sabaton Live ! They were simply awesome - I listen to almost nothing else now !

We’re used to Viking invaders here in Lincolnshire but sadly they’ll not be at the Engine Shed in Lincoln this year
Anyway, here are the dates and venues so you too can get to see them live - you will not regret it - buy the new album Coat of Arms as well

Sabaton 2010 Tour Dates

27.08.10 Tel Aviv - TBA
15.09.10 Stavanger - Folken
16.09.10 Bergen - Garage
17.09.10 Haugesund - Byscenen
18.09.10 Oslo - Rockefeller
24.09.10 Karlstad - Nöjesfabriken
25.09.10 Köpenhamn - Pumpehuset
26.09.10 Hamburg - Markthalle
27.09.10 Zaandam - De Kade
29.09.10 Hannover - Musikzentrum
30.09.10 Leipzig - Hellraiser
01.10.10 Geiselwind - Musik Hall
02.10.10 München - Backstage
03.10.10 Ludwigsburg - Rockfabrik
05.10.10 Köln - Underground
06.10.10 Saarbrücken - Garage
07.10.10 Milan - Alcatraz
08.10.10 Pratteln - Z7
09.10.10 Paris - Nouveau Casino
11.10.10 Manchester - Academy 2
12.10.10 Glasgow - Garage
14.10.10 London - Electric Ballroom
15.10.10 Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall
16.10.10 Sheffield - Corporation
17.10.10 Brighton - Concorde 2
19.10.10 Antwerpen - Hof Ter Lo
20.10.10 Frankfurt - Batschkapp
21.10.10 Nijmegen - Doornroosje
22.10.10 Dortmund - FZW
28.10.10 Huskvarna - Folkets Park
29.10.10 Lund - Mejeriet
30.10.10 Norrköping - Flygeln
01.11.10 Tallin - Rock Café
02.11.10 Riga - Melna Piekdiena
03.11.10 Minsk - Reaktor
05.11.10 Vienna - Szene
06.11.10 Zlin - MOR Café
07.11.10 Prague - KD Vltavska
08.11.10 Krakow - Studio
10.11.10 Katowice - Mega Club
11.11.10 Lodz - Dekompresja
12.11.10 Rzeszow - Pod Palma
13.11.10 Bratislava - Majestic Musik Club
14.11.10 Budapest - WigWam
16.11.10 Sofia Blue - Box Club
17.11.10 Bucharest - Silver Church
19.11.10 Belgrade - SKC
20.11.10 Zagreb - Mochvara
21.11.10 Graz - Seifenfabrik
22.11.10 Woergl - Komma
23.11.10 Berlin - Colombia Club
25.11.10 Göteborg - Trädgårn
26.11.10 Ronneby - Club Ron
27.11.10 Stockholm - Arenan
03.12.10 Helsinki - Tavastia
04.12.10 Turku - Klubi
05.12.10 Åland - Dino’s
08.12.10 Trondheim - Blæst
09.12.10 Östersund - Gamla Teatern
10.12.10 Piteå - Norrmalmia
11.12.10 Umeå - Idunteatern

If you’ve been or you’re going then feel free to leave a comment - this band are going through the roof and all that they need to conquer the world is that people hear them - spread the word.

Please feel free to click the Facebook link below to share with others - many thanks
Share

All the best
Rod

Is Quality Content ~ Good Articles Better for a Blog ?

Rod — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:52:35 +0000

Is quality content better than fluff or trivia ?
Regulars will be quite aware, unless they’ve now abandoned the site due to boredom, that there has been a gradual but marked change in the site
How’s it going ?

I should first say, sorry for those who’ve heard it before, that some things have gone on with this site for search engine purposes. It’s very difficult to get what you do found by people searching the internet. Few would imagine how important our old friends the Grid Girls have been in helping searchers find Little Coates church or WWII bunkers !

I’m personally happier with the site now than I’ve ever been although I still try and keep some humour and entertainment here - I want it to be interesting - not dry and dusty !

Out of interest this month end I’ve changed the most popular pages list (right hand side scroll down) so this this time it’s the top 10 solely for ‘history type’ articles.
It’s interesting as it shows what’s been most popular - and often it’s quite surprising.
The Stallingborough Bunkers for example actually makes it right up there with the ’search engine based posts’
Who also would have thought that Neville’s catch in finding and old map and spotting a strange name would result in Sydnaceaster making the Top Ten !

The most popular article overall, in terms of hits, overall was Vanity Sizing, that is quite pleasing as I count that as a serious article. Quite a bit of work went into it so clearly making an effort with content can pay off.
It beat the #2 page by 300% !! that being how to look like Cheryl Cole. Interestingly, that was written for ‘other reasons’ yet turned into a really good resource with some great comments.

Does it all work, well that’s not for me to say, that’s for those who visit and read.
As always I more than welcome comments on the site content and the way it has changed - good or bad - in fact critical is more use.
It’s very difficult to manage a site like this, balancing content, managing comments and dealing with emails etc - feel free to let me know how I do

I hope all those who lend me their precious time don’t feel cheated afterwards and either found some information they sought, came across something interesting or had a bit of a laugh.
If so then I’ve acquitted myself reasonably well and achieved what I set out to do

All the best
Rod

A Spot in Lincolnshire Where I Regularly Walk

Yarborough Camp ~ A Roman Fort in Lincolnshire

Rod — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:59:29 +0000

Yarborough Camp ~ Roman Hillfort in Lincolnshire
As part of a recent historical tour I took with Chris Keyworth I visited a hill fort at Croxton

Croxton is right by Kirmington and once again part of Lord Yarborough’s Brocklesby Estate and fine expansive woodlands.
It’s a decent hike up to the hillfort, now inside relatively recently planted woods, and the defensive benefits become immediately apparent. What also becomes immediately apparent is the encroaching chalk quarry quite literally right next door !

You can look at the site on an Ordnance Survey map but it doesn’t prepare you for the scale of the place - only standing in the middle of it will do that.
I’ve tried to capture something of the scale of the earthworks in the picture below. These pictures seldom convey things as I’d wish but it gives you some idea at least of the scale of this extensive site

Yarborough Camp ~ Roman Fort Earthworks

It was a fabulous visit, although the weather was against us, standing inside such a historic site is truly awe inspiring and as I always seem to be saying “just imagine what’s gone here before me”.
It is something that should be preserved and shared.
Sadly, the site appeared to me to be less than cared for, subsequent research today has shown the site to be on the English Heritage at Risk List.
Described as a ‘large univallate hillfort’ having ‘major localised problems’ and ‘in decline’ !

This is more than just a shame, something really needs to be done to protect what’s left of our historic heritage in Lincolnshire !
I know it’s all about money nowadays but this site is situated between a massive quarry on one side and Lord Yarborough’s land on the other.
The earth has given up enough riches to the quarriers and Lord Yarborough is comfortably above the Poverty Line - with massive land ownership comes responsibility!

Any way enough ranting some more of the history and archaeology of Yarbrough Camp.

The main earthworks cover an area of some 90m by 70m with some points up to 3 m in height. There have been flint scrapers and the like found on the surface as well as a 14th century gold fibula (brooch).
There are reports of hoards of Roman coins being found in the 1800s not to mention anecdotal talk of finds in the 1930s.
The corners of the for, possibly bastions, are mentioned as being ‘a unique feature’ in an Anglo-Saxon history book !
I’ve yet to find any officially recorded finds though neither have I been able to establish a reliable estimated date for the site.
It’s quite clear that this site demands some serious work and close scrutiny.

We are always very keen to learn more so if you know anything at all about this site perhaps you’ve visited etc or just have an opinion - please do leave a comment
All the best
Rod