History society Report

Audlem History Society meeting Thursday April 16th

The History Society continues to attract large audiences with many visitors, some from outside the village. On Thursday about 60 people including 20 visitors heard Malcolm Reid, a professional archaeologist talk about two important digs in Nantwich about ten years ago.

He drew parallels between the Roman timber structure of the sunken wood-framed tanks for storing brine by the Weaver in Kingsley fields and the harbour walls in the river Thames in London.

The oak trees used were felled in the 2nd century AD but were re-used in the tanks. Their original use is not known. At 15m long and over a metre deep a large amount of natural brine could be stored ready for evaporation. The route of a road linking the site to the network of Roman roads is not yet known.

As we often see on the television, any body of water seems to invite offerings to the Gods and the tanks were no exception, an undamaged adze hammer and a sickle along with 2 complete bowls were found placed carefully.

In the other dig a complete hollowed out tree 'salt ship' (also used for brine storage but in the medieval period) was found in the Wood lane area, removed by crane and preserved.
Unfortunately it had to be cut into 3 to fit the preservation tanks and the Museum in Nantwich has one piece of it on display.

Malcolm was asked many questions about the salt making industry and was kept busy afterwards talking to archaeology students and amateurs. There is a copy of the report on the Kingsley fields dig in Nantwich Library.

Next month's talk is about Barthomley Church, scene of a gruesome Civil War atrocity which links to our 'drive yourself' trip to Barthomley in June.

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