News about BAS or groups within the society
At the Society’s AGM held on 11th May 2019 Julian Hunt (left) was elected as President of the Bucks Archaeological Society, taking over from Dr Richard Gem (right) who retired after serving as President since 2008. The members thanked Richard for his service to the Society and to the heritage of Buckinghamshire and his wise advice to Council during his Presidency.
Swing Bridge abutment
narrow path into the bank
Earlier today members of the BAS Active Archaeology Group visited the south abutment of the old swing bridge at White Houses on the Wendover arm canal. The bridge has been missing for over a hundred years and the only image does not give much clue as to its physical dimensions. Our excavation today attempted to find the platform on which the bridge would swing. We did not find a platform but a narrow brick path leading into the bank. We will discuss with the Wendover Arm trust what to do next.
On Sunday, 27 January 2019, members of the BAS Active Archaeology Group assisted Kris Lockyear and his team from the Community Archaeology Geophysics Group in a 
survey of the church yard of St Mary Magdalene at Boveney near Eton. The church dates back to the 14th-century and is the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. There is debate about whether its churchyard was or was not used for burials and they asked whether a geophysical survey could resolve this. We will update this post when the survey results are published.
The next BAS lecture will be on Saturday, 9 March, at 2.30pm in the Bucks County Museum HP20 2QP, when Gareth Chaffey of Wessex Archaeology will be speaking on:
Extracting the Past: early settlement and monuments in the Middle Thames Valley.
This talk will focus on the Wessex Archaeology excavations at three quarries, namely Kingsmead Quarry, Langley and Riding Court Farm and the extraordinary early prehistoric archaeology from each site including Neolithic houses and a causewayed enclosure.
Everyone is welcome to attend the lecture, which is free to members and non-members of the Society.
Wingrave with Rowsham Heritage Association is pleased to present an illustrated talk on Aspects of the history of local canals, namely the Wendover Arm and Grand Union Canal on Friday 22nd February at 7.30pm in Wingrave Community Centre.
ALL ARE WELCOME! Entrance is free to members of the Association, but there is a fee of £4 for visitors. The Bar will be open.
Our Speaker is Doug Stuckey, the Secretary of the Bucks Archaeological Society and a member of the Society’s Active Archaeological Group.
Recent projects by the Group have included excavation and survey surveys of the former Whitehouses Pumping Station on the Wendover Arm and the former steam-generating boiler house at the Three Locks on the Grand Union Canal. Doug’s talk is a must for anyone interested in industrial archaeology, but it is also highly recommended to those who enjoy walking local towpaths or navigating the canals.
The next BAS lecture – open to all and at no charge – will be on Saturday 9th at 2.30pm in the Bucks County Museum HP20 2QP. Julian Hunt will now talk on How Woughton kept its Green: the story of the ancient village green at Woughton on the Green which survived Parliamentary enclosure, the construction of the Grand Junction Canal and the creation of the New City of Milton Keynes. This talk is a prelude to a proposed BAS summer visit to Woughton when we will inspect the house platforms, sunken lanes and ridge and furrow in and around the Green as well as visiting the church and the remaining timber-framed farmhouses.
Bucks Archaeological Society Library team, County Museum, Church Street Aylesbury HP20 2QP, Tel. 01296 397200
Email: bucksas@buckscountymuseum.org Website: www.bucksas.org.uk
The Library is open to researchers each Wednesday 10am – 4pm. Do drop in but it would be helpful if you could make an appointment so that we can prepare for your visit. Please ring (Wednesdays or voicemail other days) or email to make an appointment.
Our next lecture – open to all and at no charge – will be on Saturday 19th January at 2.30pm in the Bucks County Museum HP20 2QP. Sarah Gray will talk on Artist gardeners between the Wars: Clare Leighton and John Nash in Bucks. Not just art and gardens but also the pressures on landscape in the 1920s and 1930s from motor traffic and both suburban and rural housing developments. Both artists were part of an early and successful campaign to preserve the view of Whiteleaf Cross from being blocked by commercial housing.
