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A new review in The British Numismatic Journal has described the Winchester Mint volume of Winchester Studies as 'the most important work of reference for the study of Late Saxon coinage to have been published in recent times'.

Andrew Woods, Curator of Numismatics at the Yorkshire Museum's Trust writes:

'A its heart is a dazzling detailed corpus of coins struck in Winchester between the reigns of Alfred and Henry III.  This is as near comprehensive as possible and includes die-links, weiths, diameters and provenance of over 5,000 coins, in addition to images for virtually all die combinations.  It was compiled by the late Yvonne Harvey and the scale of her efforts in its production are staggering, with tens of thousands of comparisons needed to complete the die study alone.  Students of Late Saxon coinage should be grateful to her for producing such tremendous resource and it will be a fitting legacy that her work is likely to act as the foundation and inspiration for a whole new generation of scholars. '

'...The book will continue to be important and relevant as a foundation for much further work for many years to come.  Any collector or scholar of the period should have a copy on their shelf.'

 

 

Thank you for everyone who attended our annual lecture evening, which this year focussed on the lost Minsters of Winchester.

All three lectures from the even are now available to listen to online, so if you missed out on the evening or would just like to listen to the speakers again then please click on the link here.

This year’s Annual Lecture evening organised by the Winchester Excavations Committee set out to explore the lost Minsters of Winchester.

Professor Martin Biddle, CBE, FBA, Director of the Winchester Research Unit, described to a packed house, how as late as 1962 nobody knew where either of the two great churches of Anglo-Saxon Winchester, Old Minster and New Minster, had once stood. He told the fascinating tale of how these two churches were both found during his excavations in Winchester in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. And how Old Minster was completely excavated, revealing a vast building of huge complexity with a five-storey tower and the grave of St Swithun.

Dr John Crook, FSA, Consultant Archaeologist at Winchester Cathedral, explored the lost West Front of the Norman Cathedral, which was remodelled in the fourteenth century, when the nave of Winchester Cathedral extended 40ft further west than it does today, terminating in a western massif. Whilst the form of this massif is debated, Dr John Crook was able to reconstruct the lost West Front for the audience, using the evidence presented from parts of the structure that survive above ground in a boundary wall and high within the present west front, and the plan of the Norman structure known from archaeological works (including the Cathedral Green excavations of the 1960s).

King Alfred and Winchester are forever linked. New Minster was founded in 901 by King Alfred’s son and successor King Edward the Elder. Built in part to serve as a burial place for his parents and subsequently for himself and other members of his family, it stood alongside the Cathedral Church of Old Minster, until the community transferred to the northern Winchester suburb of Hyde c. 1110. Professor Barbara Yorke, FRHistS, Emeritus Professor of Early Medieval History at the University of Winchester, examined the circumstances surrounding the use of New Minster as a place of royal burial, the significance of the burials in the subsequent history of the foundation, and their sad fate after Hyde Abbey was dissolved in the sixteenth century.

The evening, which was attended by the Mayor of Winchester, Cllr Eileen Berry, was introduced by the Chairman of the Winchester Excavations Committee, Barbara Bryant and closed by Nigel McNair Scott (both pictured right). The audience were enthralled by the three eminent speakers, who provided a thoroughly enjoyable and informative evening at Winchester Guildhall.

In January 2014, it was announced that a piece of pelvic bone that could belong to Alfred the Great or Edward the Elder, or another male member of Alfred’s close family, had been uncovered in Winchester. This sparked a renewed interest in King Alfred and in the excavations at Hyde Abbey in the late 1990’s where the piece of bone was found. It also lead to the question of whether further investigation of Hyde Abbey would take place. This in turn has has caused quite a debate, as further excavation of the site would mean digging up Hyde Abbey Garden.

Calling all Winchester Diggers!

Professor Martin Biddle will be giving a lecture at the University of North Carolina next week. The lecture will focus on the Winchester Dig and the remarkable American collaboration . This will also be a great opportunity for Winchester diggers to reunite.

This year’s annual lecture evening will feature three talks that focus on the Anglo-Saxon Minsters of Winchester, to celebrate our new book (forthcoming).

The book, which has been beautifully illustrated by Simon Hayfield will bring to life as never before the long-lost Anglo-Saxon Cathedral, the burial church of English kings.

Attendees of the event will have the opportunity to pre-order the book at a reduced price of £13*.

Thursday 4th December 2014 at 6pm
(Doors open 5.30pm)
King Alfred’s Conference Chamber, Winchester Guildhall.

The Speakers:

Professor Martin Biddle, CBE, FBA, Director of the Winchester Research Unit
‘The Search for Winchester’s Anglo-Saxon Minsters’

Dr John Crook, FSA,
Consultant Archaeologist, Winchester Cathedral
‘The lost Norman West Front of Winchester Cathedral’

Professor Barbara Yorke, FRHistS, FSA, Emeritus Professor in Early Medieval History, University of Winchester
‘New Minster – Hyde Abbey: the lost burial place of King Alfred and his family’

Tickets
Full Price: £10

Available from the Tourist Office: 01962 840500

WARG / Hampshire Field Club: £7.50**
(Contact Julia Sandison at wec@ntcom.co.uk or call 01962 867490)

FREE to members of the Friends of Winchester Studies
(Contact Clare Chapman at friends@winchesterstudies.org.uk or call 07743 953504)

*Standard price for the book will be £14.99 and £13.50 for members of the Friends of Winchester Studies and the Hampshire Field Club.
**Advance purchase only. Discounted tickets will not be available on the door.

 

Please note: our lecture evening is now sold out.

Dr Geoff Denford has retired from the post of Head of the Museums Service.  Geoff Denford, who held the post for over thirty years and also sat on our Committee, was a constant source of information and invaluable guide for the Winchester Museums collections.  We wish him all the best and hope he enjoys his retirement.

Article taken from the Hampshire Chronicle.