Welcome to YCCCARTA Great Weekend at Woodspring PrioryBeautiful weather and good publicity (especially in North Somerset Life) ensured a big turnout for the Open Weekend at Woodspring Priory. The Priory, for those of you who don't know it, is a set of medieval and later buildings at the end of Collum Lane in Kewstoke. The property belongs to the Landmark Trust, who rent out part of it as weekly holiday lets.The Trust holds open weekends every year, but this year, community archaeology groups (especially YCCCART - the Yatton Congresbury Claverham and Cleeve Archaeology Research Team) helped out. We had carried out very successful geophysical survey at the Priory last year (see Report link), and so we presented the results of this in an exhibition in the museum room at Woodspring, along with a 'then and now' exhibit of 19th century drawings of the Priory and modern photographs. I led three guided walks during the weekend, all of which were very well attended, showing ... more>NEWS & EVENTSYCCCART report on gradiometry survey at Iwood which revealed paleochannels, which relate to those recorded in an adjacent field. Open reportOpen weekend at Woodspring Priory, Kewstoke, North Somerset (ST34316614)on 18th & 19th May 2013, 10am - 4pm.Woodspring Priory was a Victorine house, remote and rural, and always poor, although wonderful medieval buildings remain at the site. It is owned and maintained by the ...more>YCCCART newsletter for 2012 has been released. Open newsletterYCCCART report on a resistivity survey on Yatton Moor from which no significant features were revealed. Open reportmore>
A Great Weekend at Woodspring PrioryBeautiful weather and good publicity (especially in North Somerset Life) ensured a big turnout for the Open Weekend at Woodspring Priory. The Priory, for those of you who don't know it, is a set of medieval and later buildings at the end of Collum Lane in Kewstoke. The property belongs to the Landmark Trust, who rent out part of it as weekly holiday lets.The Trust holds open weekends every year, but this year, community archaeology groups (especially YCCCART - the Yatton Congresbury Claverham and Cleeve Archaeology Research Team) helped out. We had carried out very successful geophysical survey at the Priory last year (see Report), and so we presented the results of this in an exhibition in the museum room at Woodspring, along with a 'then and now' exhibit of 19th century drawings of the Priory and modern photographs.I led three guided walks during the weekend, all of which were very well attended, showing people the priory buildings and the history of the site before, during and after the life of the priory. Before there was a monastery, there had been an agricultural settlement, recorded in Domesday Book in 1086. Since it ceased to be a monastery, it has been a country house (with its own formal gardens), a hospital for maimed soldiers, a practical working farm, a private golf course, and is now the Landmark Trust holiday property.Landmark arranged for demonstrations of medieval tile making, and events for children (and made much-needed cups of tea for the volunteers), as well as attending to the practical problems of parking and wardening the site. We estimate somewhere in the region of 1000 people attended in all over the two days. Because there are several entrances to the site, it wasn't possible to accurately count all the visitors in and out (but I don't think any were left behind!).In addition, discussions with the artist in residence for the weekend has led to an idea about a possible collaboration in a study of the Beckett reliquary once at Woodspring Priory, now in the Somerset Museum. (It is a wooden cup of medieval date, containing a brown stain supposed to be the blood of Thomas Beckett). More on this to follow.Hearty thanks to all the volunteers and helpers, from Landmark, YCCCART, WESMART and anyone else I may have forgotten.Vince