Very interesting 🙂 There wasn't anything in the cave when I used to go in it when I was younger. (Before the sleeping bag was left there, that may have been left by the late Gary Parsons who used to live along Ferry Lane before his mum threw him out. He later jumped to his death from a cliff) I used to live at the bottom on the corner of Sandy Lane. I found some flint chippings at the top of the hill, washed out of the topsoil onto the sandy slope. The museum said they were from Mesolithic tool making.
Thank you so much for putting that together. I live not far away from the site (and in fact was there a fortnight ago). There's a legend which links St Catherine's Hill to St Martha's Hill on the other side of the valley, another significant folkloric site, to the effect that the two hilltop chapels were built by giantess sisters who had (I think) only one hammer and one axe between them so they would throw the tools to one another from hill to hill! I'm especially interested in holy wells. What's the source for the spring being named St Catherine's Fountain in the 15th century? The earliest reference I could find of its being called St Catherine's came from the 1930s before which it's just called 'Artington Spring', so I assumed the saint's name was just a bit of romantic antiquarianism, but perhaps it's not. I'd be very grateful to know.
Michael says: Thank you very much for your kind comment, I'm very pleased our work on the hill has been of interest. I hadn't heard of the legend of the two giantesses, although it matches similar themes from comparable prehistoric sites elsewhere in the region. Do you have the details of that legend? Regarding the spring, it is mentioned in a 15th century addition to a document of 1328, available at the Surrey History Centre: www.surreyarchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHCOL_LM_SectionG_4_1_22_3
@@ArchaeologySouthEast Excellent, thank you very much indeed. The legend of the two giantesses is in a modern collection of Surrey Folklore, Matthew Alexander's 'A Surrey Garland' (2004): I don't know where it came from before that. The medieval reference to St Catherine's Fountain is very interesting, as it makes it the earliest-attested well-dedication to St Catherine in England; there's a St Catherine's Well in Exeter which according to one Victorian writer appears in 'ancient writings' but with no further details, and a couple more associated with fifteenth-century chapels but without documentary attestation. So, brilliant!
Very interesting thank you. Note that it may not have been Basingstoke back then. Probably just the village of Old Basing next door which has some history.
It was quite common for historical and Archaelogical Artifacts to be found and only rarely was these revealed in the 183Os-1900 due to time,financial and ignorance as diaries published between then and now reveal entries of coin hoards being dug up and stolen.
Very interesting 🙂 There wasn't anything in the cave when I used to go in it when I was younger. (Before the sleeping bag was left there, that may have been left by the late Gary Parsons who used to live along Ferry Lane before his mum threw him out. He later jumped to his death from a cliff) I used to live at the bottom on the corner of Sandy Lane. I found some flint chippings at the top of the hill, washed out of the topsoil onto the sandy slope. The museum said they were from Mesolithic tool making.
Great presentation and research on the cave itself and the local history in the area.
Thank you for teaching me a little more about my adopted home town! Really interesting to watch.
Thank you so much for putting that together. I live not far away from the site (and in fact was there a fortnight ago). There's a legend which links St Catherine's Hill to St Martha's Hill on the other side of the valley, another significant folkloric site, to the effect that the two hilltop chapels were built by giantess sisters who had (I think) only one hammer and one axe between them so they would throw the tools to one another from hill to hill!
I'm especially interested in holy wells. What's the source for the spring being named St Catherine's Fountain in the 15th century? The earliest reference I could find of its being called St Catherine's came from the 1930s before which it's just called 'Artington Spring', so I assumed the saint's name was just a bit of romantic antiquarianism, but perhaps it's not. I'd be very grateful to know.
Michael says:
Thank you very much for your kind comment, I'm very pleased our work on the hill has been of interest. I hadn't heard of the legend of the two giantesses, although it matches similar themes from comparable prehistoric sites elsewhere in the region. Do you have the details of that legend? Regarding the spring, it is mentioned in a 15th century addition to a document of 1328, available at the Surrey History Centre: www.surreyarchives.org.uk/collections/getrecord/SHCOL_LM_SectionG_4_1_22_3
@@ArchaeologySouthEast Excellent, thank you very much indeed. The legend of the two giantesses is in a modern collection of Surrey Folklore, Matthew Alexander's 'A Surrey Garland' (2004): I don't know where it came from before that. The medieval reference to St Catherine's Fountain is very interesting, as it makes it the earliest-attested well-dedication to St Catherine in England; there's a St Catherine's Well in Exeter which according to one Victorian writer appears in 'ancient writings' but with no further details, and a couple more associated with fifteenth-century chapels but without documentary attestation. So, brilliant!
A fantastic presentation! thank you so much - it as been great to learn more about my town.
Thank you, that was fascinating
A good thorough presentation. Thank you. Tiny correction - Royston not Roystone.
Very interesting thank you. Note that it may not have been Basingstoke back then. Probably just the village of Old Basing next door which has some history.
It was quite common for historical and Archaelogical Artifacts to be found and only rarely was these revealed in the 183Os-1900 due to time,financial and ignorance as diaries published between then and now reveal entries of coin hoards being dug up and stolen.
Pronunciation comment ... Godalming is actually pronounced God..ull.ming.Otherwise a really interesting presentation.
or more closely goddle-ming