Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society

Join us on Wed 8 January 2025 at Trinity-Henleaze United Reformed Church, Waterford Road, Henleaze, Bristol, BS9 4BT at 7i.30 p.m. for a talk by Gail Boyle, Bristol City Museum, on EVIDENCE OF EARLY HUMAN ACTIVITY IN SOUTHERN GLOUCESTERSHIRE. A whistle stop tour of sites and finds relative to the prehistoric period in south Gloucestershire, incorporating details of where to access more information and recommendations of sites to visit. Please note the presentation will refer to and show images of skeletal human remains.

Join us on Saturday 11 May at 1.00 p.m. for a field visit to Kingsweston Roman Villa with Kate Iles, Curator for Archaeology and World Cultures for Bristol Culture and Creative Industries (Bristol City Museum). Discovered during the construction of the Lawrence Weston housing estate in 1947 when two distinct buildings (Eastern and Western) were located. The site has the only Roman bath suite in the Bristol area and two original 3rd century mosaic floors plus the remains of a central heating system.
This event is being held at Kingsweston Roman Villa, Long Cross, Bristol, BS11 0LH. This is an outdoor archaeological site with some uneven surfaces, grassy areas and low walls. Parking is available in the residential streets that surround the villa. Buses 3 or 4 stop on the Long Cross. Tours take roughly 45 minutes and start at 1pm. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the tour starts to ensure a prompt start.

If you would like to come please contact Keith Stenner [email protected]. An ideal group number is 15 people. In the event this number is exceeded an additional tour will run at 2pm.

PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Andrew Pearson's talk (Wed 13 Dec) has been re-scheduled to Thursday 14 December at 7.30 p.m. in the Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Rd, Bristol, BS8 3BX. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this change and hope you will join us on 14 December.

Join us on Wed 8 November at 7.30 p.m. in the Apostle Room, Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, Bristol, BS8 3BX for a talk by Professor Brendan Smith on Bristol and Ireland in the Middle Ages. Professor Smith is a professor of Medieval History at the University of Bristol. The first mention of Bristol in our written records, located in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, refers to it in relation to Ireland. Throughout the medieval period links between the town and the neighbouring island were strong. Trade was an important element of this relationship and was closely related to political developments that drew Bristol and Ireland more closely together. The conquest of Ireland conducted by King Henry II from 1171 onwards relied heavily on resources of finance and personnel provided by Bristol and for the following three centuries English fortunes across the Irish Sea mirrored Bristol's relations with its insular neighbour.

CANCELLATION TONIGHT: We have just been informed that the Apostle Room has been double booked [again] and we therefore have no option but to cancel this evening’s meeting. The Committee are so very sorry about this especially as this is not the first occurrence of our being so totally let down in this way by the Cathedral administration team. The issue will be discussed further by the Committee.

Cancellation! Please note Dr. Andrew Armstrong's talk on 11 October is cancelled but is replaced with a talk by Gail Boyle, Senior Curator of Archaeology for Bristol Culture & Creative Industries, Bristol City Museum. The title of her talk is "Putting the Archaeology back into the Antiquarian - enabling new scientific research into old collections". Please join us at 7.30 in the Apostle Rooms, Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, Bristol, BS8 3BX.

STUKELEY 300 and Stanton Drew: if you missed a guided tour for the Stukeley 300 weekend please see below:

To celebrate Heritage Open Days, on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September, English Heritage Volunteers will be leading free guided tours of Stanton Drew Circles and Cove. Join their knowledgeable volunteers to find out more about this fascinating site.

Tours are being held at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 on 9 and 10 September. Booking is essential.

Events | Heritage Open Days ◄  Back to previous page Stanton Drew Stone Circles and Cove Guided Tours Stanton Drew Stone Circles and Cove , Stanton Drew , , Somerset, BS39 4EW To help celebrate Heritage Open Days, on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 September our team of expert English Heritage Volunteers will be leading guided to...

STUKELEY 300 Weekend
Stanton Drew is the site of the most important stone circles in England, after Stonehenge and Avebury. There are three circles, of which the Great Circle is second only to Avebury in size, and a cove of three stones in the pub garden. William Stukeley was the leading antiquarian of the eighteenth century, and the first to perform a rigorous study of Avebury and Stonehenge. He visited Stanton Drew just the once, on the 23rd July 1723, but in that short time he produced a detailed plan, made several accurate drawings, and wrote an account that was to bring Stanton Drew to national prominence.

On Saturday 22nd July, there will be a symposium of talks on William Stukeley, and the archaeology of Stanton Drew, given by leading academics and archaeologists. Tickets for the village hall have now sold out, but there are still tickets for the live streaming.

On Sunday 23rd July 2023, the exact 300th anniversary, there will be a day of events in the village, including tours of the stones and an exhibition.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a dedicated BAAS tour of the stones at 2 pm on Sunday 23 July with only a few places remaining. We have requests and a waiting list for applications outside of BAAS so this is now is by way of a last opportunity for BAAS members to apply directly to Keith Stenner for the very few remaining places before these are offered to waiting non- BAAS members. This opportunity will only remain valid until Wednesday evening, 19 July, and on a strictly first come first served basis. Please let Keith Stenner know immediately if you would like to join the group on Sunday at 2 pm.

I forgot to put the date of the Gatcombe Walk - it is Saturday 10 June 2023.

Join us for our Summer Field Visit to Gatcombe Roman town and proposed Roman Road. Bev Knott has very kindly agreed to lead another walk, this time around the southern part of Gatcombe Roman town and along the route of a proposed Roman road to the south. Please note this is a different walk from that taken by Bev last May.

As previously the walk will finish with a tea at "The Greedy Goose" restaurant located just west of the walk in Long Ashton. In view of this arrangement the restaurant has kindly agreed we can use their car park free of charge for the afternoon. We will meet in the car park at 1 pm before setting out on the walk [level paths along the side of fields with no steep ascents]. We will return between 3pm - 4pm for the tea of light refreshments. "The Greedy Goose" is open from 9:30 am should prior refreshments be needed. The cost for the afternoon is £6 per person and we are limited to a maximum group size of 25. Places will be allotted on a "first come first served basis".
MEET AT: the Greedy Goose at 1.00 p.m.