Worcestershire Archaeological Society

Last updated
Worcestershire Archaeological Society
Formation1854
Type Historical society
Registration no.517092
Legal statusCharity
PurposeHistorical study and research
HeadquartersUnited Kingdom
Activities
Research, publications, lectures, excursions, and events
Collections
Library, archives, museum collections
Chair
 Helen Loney
Website http://worcestershirearchaeologicalsociety.org.uk/

The Worcestershire Archaeological Society, founded in 1854, is a local historical, antiquarian, and archaeological society and registered charity covering Worcestershire. [1]

Contents

Aims

The society exists to "promote the study of any aspect of the archaeology and history relating to the historic county of Worcestershire, to publish the results of research and excavations and to provide lectures and excursions of archaeological, antiquarian and historical interest". [2]

History

The Worcestershire Diocesan Architectural Society, as it was then called, was established at a public meeting in Worcester on 20 June 1854. [3] Its first president was Lord Lyttelton, although its first Secretary, Sir Edmund Lechmere, is more widely considered as "the founder of the Society". [3] [4]

The early years of the Society were heavily influenced by the Oxford Movement. [4] Its original aims were to "promote the study of ecclesiastical architecture, antiquities and design by the collection of books, casts, drawings, etc., and the restoration of mutilated architectural remains within the diocese and to furnish suggestions, so far as may be within its province, for improving the character of ecclesiastical edifices hereafter to be erected or restored". [3] Membership of the Society in this period was essentially diocesan, and was originally restricted to clergymen and lay members of the Church of England. [3] [4]

The Society was renamed the Worcestershire Archaeological Society in 1910, and it began issuing a regular journal, the Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, in 1923. [3] Its editors have included major county historians and archaeologists, such as E.A.B. Barnard, Philip Barker, and Robin Whittaker. [4] Since 1967 the Society has also produced a regular bulletin containing news, archaeological reports, local history research, book reviews and event listings, known variously as the Worcestershire Archaeology Newsletter (1967–1974), Worcestershire Archaeology and Local History Newsletter (1974–1995), and the Worcestershire Recorder (1995–). [4]

It was actively involved in the development of rescue archaeology between the 1960s and 1980s, with influential members including Philip Barker and Martin Carver. It has played a major role in supporting the conservation of important historical sites and artefacts from Worcestershire, including Greyfriars, [5] the Bredon Hill Roman coin hoard, [6] [7] and the Habington chest. [8]

In 2018 the Society sponsored the creation of a new archaeology gallery at the Worcestershire County Museum. [9] From 2021 to 2022 it organised the 'Small Pits, Big Ideas' test pitting project in Badsey, Beoley, Bewdley, White Ladies Aston, Wichenford, and Wolverley. [10] [11] [12] This project was awarded the Council for British Archaeology's Community Archaeology Project of the Year prize in July 2023. [13]

In 2025 the Society co-sponsored the publication of a booklet on the Worcestershire Conquest Hoard, which was released to accompany the first exhibition of the hoard at Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery. [14]

The Society also operates a research grant scheme for projects on the archaeology, history, and architectural history of Worcestershire, named after its former Treasurer, Garth Raymer. [15]

The current Chair of the Society is Dr Helen Loney. [16]

Activities

The Society runs an annual programme of public talks and lectures, which are usually held in the winter and early spring. [17] [18]

Since its formation the Society has undertaken summer excursions to sites of archaeological and historical interest. The first excursion took place in September 1854, and involved a tour of the medieval churches of Coventry in conjunction with the Oxford Architectural Society. [3] Recent excursions have included visits to Avoncroft Museum, Chedworth Roman Villa, Hadrian's Wall, and the site of the Battle of Evesham. [19]

The Society maintains a library, which is accessible to members at the Hive in Worcester. [20] It also holds a collection of artefacts, artworks, and other material, which are curated in collaboration with Museums Worcestershire. [21]

Publications

The Society produces two regular publications. Its peer-reviewed journal, the Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, is published biennially, and is edited by Dr Shelagh Norton. [20] The Society's bulletin, the Worcestershire Recorder, is published biannually in the spring and autumn, and is edited by Dr Murray Andrews. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcestershire</span> County of England

Worcestershire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands county to the north, Warwickshire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south, and Herefordshire to the west. The city of Worcester is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester, England</span> Cathedral city in Worcestershire, England

Worcester is a cathedral city in Worcestershire, England, of which it is the county town. It is 30 mi (48 km) south-west of Birmingham, 27 mi (43 km) north of Gloucester and 23 mi (37 km) north-east of Hereford. The population was 103,872 in the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droitwich Spa</span> Human settlement in England

Droitwich Spa is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately 22 miles (35 km) south-west of Birmingham and 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evesham</span> Market town in Worcestershire, England

Evesham is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesham, an area comprising the flood plain of the River Avon, which has been renowned for market gardening. The town centre, situated within a meander of the river, is subjected regularly to flooding. The 2007 floods were the most severe in recorded history

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kempsey, Worcestershire</span> Village in Worcestershire, England

Kempsey is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is bounded by the River Severn on the west, and the A38 main road runs through it and is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Worcester. The village has a long history. Its name is derived from the Saxon "Kemys' Eye", or the island of Kemys. Kemys was a Saxon chief, whose island lay between marshes and the River Severn. One of the roads in Kempsey, Lyf's Lane, is named after another Saxon chief. The village was recorded in the 11th century Domesday Book as having a value of £7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartlebury Castle</span> Fortified manor house near Worcester, England

Hartlebury Castle, a Grade I listed building, near Hartlebury in Worcestershire, central England, was built in the mid-13th century as a fortified manor house, on manorial land earlier given to the Bishop of Worcester by King Burgred of Mercia. It lies near Stourport-on-Severn in an area with several large manors and country houses, including Witley Court, Astley Hall, Pool House, Areley Hall and Hartlebury and Abberley Hall. Later, it became the bishop's principal residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trimpley</span> Hamlet in England

Trimpley is a hamlet in the parish of Kidderminster Foreign. It lies on the ridge of Shatterford Hill, north of Wribbenhall and east of Habberley. The village lies along Trimpley Green, a small common. At the northern end of Trimpley is the ancient wooded area of Eymore Wood, now bounded on its west by the Severn Valley Railway, beyond which lies Trimpley Reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croome Court</span> Country house in Worcestershire, England

Croome Court is a mid-18th-century Neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland at Croome D'Abitot, near Upton-upon-Severn in south Worcestershire, England. The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry, and they were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam. St Mary Magdalene's Church, Croome D'Abitot that sits within the grounds of the park is now owned and cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham University Museum of Archaeology</span> Archaeological museum at the University of Durham

The Museum of Archaeology, founded in 1833, is the archaeology museum of Durham University in England and was the second university museum in England to be open to the public. It is mostly focused on the archaeology of north east England with some national and international artefacts. The collections range from the prehistoric to the post-medieval, including the internationally important Oswald-Plique collection of Samian ware and the first complete Roman fleet diploma to be found in Britain. It is the repository for development-led archaeology finds in Durham City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire Hoard</span> Anglo-Saxon hoard discovered in 2009

The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork yet found. It consists of almost 4,600 items and metal fragments, amounting to a total of 5.1 kg (11 lb) of gold, 1.4 kg (3 lb) of silver and some 3,500 pieces of garnet cloisonné jewellery. It is described by the historian Cat Jarman as "possibly the finest collection of early medieval artefacts ever discovered".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John William Willis-Bund</span> British local historian and politician in Worcestershire (1843–1928)

John William Bund Willis-Bund was a British lawyer, legal writer and professor of constitutional law and history at King's College London, a historian who wrote on the Welsh church and other subjects, and a local Worcestershire politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum of the Union</span>

The National Museum of the Union is a history and archaeology museum in Alba-Iulia, Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bredon Hill Hoard</span>

The Bredon Hill Hoard is a hoard of 3,784 debased silver Roman coins discovered in June 2011 by two metal detectorists on Bredon Hill in Worcestershire, approximately 400 metres north of Kemerton Camp, an Iron Age hill fort. The coins were found in a clay pot that had been buried around the middle of the 4th century in a Roman villa, identified by the subsequent archaeological excavation. The coins include the reigns of sixteen different emperors during the mid to late 3rd century, and are the largest hoard of Roman coins to have been discovered in Worcestershire to date.

John Noake (1816–1894) was an English journalist and antiquary, known for his writings on Worcestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Worcester</span> Aspect of English history

Worcester's early importance is partly due to its position on trade routes, but also because it was a centre of Church learning and wealth, due to the very large possessions of the See and Priory accumulated in the Anglo-Saxon period. After the reformation, Worcester continued as a centre of learning, with two early grammar schools with strong links to Oxford University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Wales</span> Study of human occupation in Wales

The archaeology of Wales is the study of human occupation within the country of Wales which has been occupied by modern humans since 225,000 BCE, with continuous occupation from 9,000 BCE. Analysis of the sites, artefacts and other archaeological data within Wales details its complex social landscape and evolution from Prehistoric times to the Industrial period. This study is undertaken by academic institutions, consultancies, charities as well as government organisations.

The Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (Y.A.Y.A.S.) is a learned society formed in 1842 as the Yorkshire Architectural Society. Its membership was made up of clergymen and laymen led by Rev. George Ayliffe Poole from Leeds. Its main objectives were the study of ecclesiastical architecture and design, and the restoration of churches within Yorkshire; it also intended to promote improvements in the design of future ecclesiastical buildings.

John Homery Folkes FRIBA (1906-2000) was an English architect, archaeologist, and local historian.

Ettwell Augustine Bracher Barnard was an English antiquarian, local historian, and genealogist.

The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard is a Romano-British coin hoard dating to the reign of Nero. The hoard was found during construction work in Leigh and Bransford, Worcestershire, England, and was hidden inside a clay jar. Valued at minimum of £100,000, there has been a crowdfunding effort since December 2024 to acquire the hoard for Museums Worcestershire, led by the Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums Charity.

References

  1. ↑ "Worcestershire Archaeological Society" . Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  2. ↑ "Worcestershire Archaeological Society – Charity 517092". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Buchanan-Dunlop, W.R. (1954). "A Hundred Years, 1854–1954: The Story of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society". Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society. 2S 30: 1–20.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Whittaker, Robin (2004). "150 Years of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society, 1854–2004" (PDF). Worcestershire Recorder. 69: 11–16.
  5. ↑ Ponsonby, Margaret (2016). Faded and Threadbare Historic Textiles and Their Role in Houses Open to the Public. London: Routledge. p. 189. ISBN   9781317136903.
  6. ↑ "Coin hoard is to stay in the county". Worcester News. 27 November 2012. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  7. ↑ "Support blossoms to keep unique hoard in the county". Worcester News. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  8. ↑ "Restored historical chest dating back centuries goes on display at Worcester museum". Worcester News. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  9. ↑ "New archaeology gallery at County Museum, Hartlebury Castle". Worcester News. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  10. ↑ "Centuries old relics found in archaeological dig in Worcestershire village". Worcester News. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  11. ↑ "Badsey's Big Dig in pictures | The Badsey Society". www.badseysociety.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  12. ↑ "Small Pits, Big Ideas – Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service". www.explorethepast.co.uk. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  13. ↑ Marsh Awards 2023 , retrieved 2023-11-26
  14. ↑ Andrews, Murray (2025). The Worcestershire Conquest Hoard. Worcester: Museums Worcestershire. p. 1.
  15. ↑ "Research Grants – Worcestershire Archaeological Society" . Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  16. 1 2 "Contact Us – Worcestershire Archaeological Society" . Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  17. ↑ "Upcoming Talks – Worcestershire Archaeological Society" . Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  18. ↑ "Stonehenge expert's Zoom talk will bring lost Ice Age world to life". Worcester News. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
  19. ↑ Worcestershire Archaeological Society (2017). "Excursions since 1996" (PDF).
  20. 1 2 "Our Library – Worcestershire Archaeological Society" . Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  21. ↑ Price, Stephen (2010). "The Society's Collection". Transactions of the Worcestershire Archaeological Society. 3S 22: 195–218.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.