Hi everyone,
It’s been a long time since we have had an update to give. CBA London hopes you all have been well during this difficult and challenging time for the world
On a more positive note:
We are pleased to announce that we are holding our AGM and LAF on the 23rd of November via Zoom! All the members should have received an email update regarding the meeting – please remeber to check your Spam email box if it hasn’t arrived! Below information for the LAF! See you there!
LAF Agenda Presentation of the London Archaeological Prize 2020 by Alison Telfer and one of the judges. Since its inception in 2004, this biennial prize has encouraged and recognised the highest standards in writing about London’s Archaeology. Topics covered in winning publications have included Tabard Square, the Rose and Globe theatres, King’s Cross Goods Yard and Medieval London.
Joe Brooks on Westminster Abbey: the Sacristy – The 2020 excavation on the North Green of Westminster Abbey revealed the remains of the Great Sacristy, constructed as part of Henry III’s rebuilding of the Abbey. The work shed light on the construction of the Abbey nave as well as uncovering earlier graves of monks.
Heather Knight on the Boar’s Head: London’s forgotten playhouse – The Boar’s Head was a late 16 th century playhouse in Whitechapel. It didn’t have that connection to Shakespeare that has been so central to what most people think of as a London playhouse and over the following centuries it became an overlooked performance space. Thanks to archaeology the Boar’s Head will no longer be London’s forgotten playhouse and hopefully the role of women in the management and ownership of performance spaces will also once more take centre stage.
Our additional future events: Our planned visit to Fulham Palace in November is currently on hold because of the uprating of Covid precautions to tier 2, but we hope to reinstate it before too long. Fulham Palace has been part of the Bishop of London’s Estate since AD 704, and was a residence of the Bishop until 1973. The history of the site goes back much further however, with evidence for Late Mesolithic to Early Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and late Roman activity. A recent £3.8 million restoration project has restored the Henry VII era Tudor court, brought key rooms such as the great hall back to life and to restored historic varieties of plants in what is London’s second oldest botanic garden. An impressive new museum space has also been completed. We’ll have a fully compliant risk-assessed visit as soon as it is safe to do so.