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This wonderful articles comes from our Summer 1999 Heritage Newsletter:

The summer months are an appropriate time to catalogue the air photograph collection held in the HER. Cropmarks appearing in the fields of the county at this time of year can add greatly to our knowledge of Nottinghamshire’s past. Often these cropmarks reveal sites and features that cannot be discovered through other types of investigation. Cropmarks show as variations in colour which highlight areas where the crop has grown or ripened at different rates. So how have peoples’ activities created these cropmarks?

There are two types of cropmark that can form (see illustration above). In the first case, a buried feature, such as the remains of a wall or foundations of a building, can affect the make up of the soil in that area and cause it to be better drained. This means that the crops in this area are receiving less water than those in the rest of the field. Therefore, they grow slower and ripen quicker. These buried features show as yellow lines of ripe crop in an otherwise unripe green field.

Secondly, features cut into the ground, such as ditches and pits, usually retain more moisture than the rest of the surrounding crop due to the nature of the material that has filled the features over time. The material washed into the holes tend to contain more organic material than the surrounding soil and so holds more moisture. This means that the crops will grow quicker in the spring and show as darker green lines in a green field. Then, as the crop ripens in the summer, the plants over the ditches have more water and are later to ripen, showing as green lines in ripe cereals.

Cropmarks can give us a wealth of information about archaeology of many different periods. Aerial photographs of cropmarks in the Muskham area, for example, show vast areas of land marked out with complex field system and possible settlement sites that may date from the Iron Age and Roman periods. We would know a great deal less about the county’s past if it were not for this perspective from the air.

With summer on its way, June is a great chance to get out and get involved in some Nottinghamshire heritage! There are plenty of heritage events happening, check some of them out below:

Thursday 5th June: At Retford Library, local author and historian Adrian Gray will be presenting ‘Heritage Talk: Historical Highlights from Bassetlaw’. This talk ‘brings together some of the most interesting places in the historic landscape of this area - great scenery, romantic old houses and stories of the people who lived there’. Tickets are £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Sunday 8th June: A talk, titled ‘Green Man? The Myth of Robin Hood’, by Jonathan Pageau at Southwell Minster will explore the myths and identity of our famous legendary Robin Hood. Booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Monday 9th June: ‘Join one of [the Inspire] librarians for a small group session to talk about the history of Nottinghamshire's parish registers and look at some of the fascinating stories they contain’ at Southwell Library. ‘Parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials are a major resource for anyone beginning their family history’. This event is free, but booking is required. Book your free place here.

Wednesday 11th June: At the Lakeside Arts, ‘Helen Sharp, Curator of Archaeology at Leicestershire County Council Museums, discusses the Roman cavalry helmet from the Hallaton Treasure – a collection of stunning finds buried at an Iron Age ritual site in Leicestershire – alongside two new replica recreations. She’ll discuss what the helmet reveals about religion, propaganda, status and Roman-native relationships. Following the talk, you will have the chance to view 3D prints of the Hallaton Treasure’. Booking costs up to £3 per person (under 30’s go free) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 11th – Friday 20th June: The ‘Victory Nottinghamshire’ exhibition at Mansfield Central Library will be showcasing ‘the war effort made by those on the home front and frontlines’ to ‘celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Second World War’. ‘From the darkest days of the Nottingham Blitz to playing its part in training the aviators of Bomber Command, Victory Nottinghamshire tells the story of the people and county of Nottinghamshire and how they helped the Allies achieve victory. Included is the story of the unique Home Guards Patrol Boats to the bravery of the Boots George Cross medal winners, as well as American Paratroopers and Bevin Boys; this exhibition will give visitors an insight into how all came together and played a vital role in the allied victory’. This event is free, and booking is not required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Thursday 12th June: ‘Join Collections Officer Dr Anja Thompson-Rohde as she reveals how to read coins like a historian, unlocking the news, propaganda, and political spin hidden in plain sight’ at Mansfield Museum. This talk, ‘Money Talks: Coins as the First Mass Media’ is only £1 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Threepence of Elizabeth I. Image rights holder: Derby Museums Trust. Image taken from: Portable Antiquities Scheme. (Record ID: DENO-DE8606)

Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th June: Head to Southwell Workhouse and Infirmary ‘for an interactive historical re-enactment by living history group Foreign Field. Discover the history of bodysnatching and the role workhouses played in the process. Learn about pauper funerals and how changes to the anatomy act affected the trade’. This ‘Dead and Destitute: Body Snatching at The Workhouse’ event is free but normal admission to the Workhouse is required. Booking is not required. Book your place here.

Monday 16th June: Join Dr Lara González Carretero (University of York) for the online talk ‘Unlocking Prehistoric Culinary Records through the Analysis of Food Remains’ in association with Creswell Crags. ‘This talk will focus on some of the earliest examples of food remains recovered from archaeological sites around the world, providing an overview of early culinary traditions from the Epipalaeolithic to the Neolithic’. It will explore the advances of scientific methodologies, such as Digital Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy, along with Organic Residue Analysis, to detect food remains which sheds light on ‘past food choices and cuisine’. This event is free but booking is required. Book your free place here.

Tuesday 17th June: Head to Mansfield Central Library to hear about ‘Adrian Gray’s new book ‘The Scandalous Lives of the Sherwood Forest Nobility’ which tells the story of their illicit love affairs and disastrous gambling habits, and in this talk, he focuses on some of the disastrous marriages they contracted’. For example, ‘did you know that modern divorce laws originated with a Sherwood Forest case? Find out how, and who was to blame, in this fascinating talk!’. Tickets cost £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 18th June: At Beeston Library, NCC’s Jason Mordan will be giving ‘an illustrated introduction to the range and variety of historic designed parks, gardens and landscapes of the county’ in association with the Nottinghamshire Gardens Trust. ‘From the oldest allotments, to the largest historic parklands, through monastic deer parks and the boating lakes of public parks, Nottinghamshire has a wonderful selection!’. Tickets are £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 18th June: Lakeside Arts will also be hosting the lunchtime talk ‘Health and the Countryside’ which is ‘connected to the’ Country Lives: Exploring the English Countryside from 1800’ exhibition. ‘The countryside was often thought of as a healthy place during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, this could mask the realities for those living and working there. In this talk, Dr Sarah Holland, Associate Professor of History at the University of Nottingham, will explore ideas and lived experiences relating to health and the countryside’. Tickets cost up to £3 per person (under 30’s go free) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Tuesday 24th June: West Bridgford Library will be hosting the talk ‘Heritage Talk: History of St Anns Allotments’. ‘St Anns Allotments are the largest Victorian gardens in the country. Today they provide an oasis of peace and a fantastic resource for local people and children. Learn how the site developed from burgess parts, to leisure gardens, and how the gardeners saved their allotments from development’. Tickets cost £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 25th June: Lakeside Arts will also be hosting ‘a talk exploring ideas and lived experiences relating to health and the countryside in the 1800s’. In this ‘Folk Custom and Rural Communities’ talk, ‘Jessica Lloyd-May explores what a case study of the Randwick Wap, a May custom that takes place in the village of Randwick, Gloucestershire, tells us about different aspects of folk customs. Using a variety of sources, connections between rural community, folk custom and wider interest in folklore studies will be made’. Tickets cost up to £3 per person (under 30’s go free) and booking is required. Book your place here.

This wonderful article was first published in our Summer 1998 Heritage Newsletter:

We owe much to the Ancient Greeks and the Romans, even in Nottinghamshire (the Greeks they didn’t get a far as Britain in their conquering days – too cold for their sunny dispositions). But did you know, for example, that we owe them for the columns that adorn many buildings around us?

The Greeks originally used columns to make their public buildings more majestic such as their temples and government offices. How many of us have seen pictures of the glamorous Parthenon in Athens? It can be said that the Ancient Greeks refined the systems of the orders originally begun by the Egyptians and arrived at works of architecture of rare beauty.

What constitutes an order? It’s the entire column, consisting of the base, the shaft, and the capital, plus the entablature above, meaning the areas above the column including the frieze. Each order is slightly different. Please remember, these are Greek orders, and are different again from the Roman orders, as the Romans later copied the Greek ideas.

The simplest of columns is the Doric order. This order has no base and the column shaft as placed immediately on the top step of the building. It has a fluted shaft, tapering towards the top, with a simply curved capital under a square block. The frieze has divisions, known as triglyphs and metopes, one often decorated with sculpture.

The Ionic order is further enriched with sculpture. The capitals are the most recognisable features, ornamented with four spiral projections (known as volutes or ears), arranged to exhibit a flat face on the two opposite sides of the capital. The entablature is either left plain or decorated with a continuous sculptured frieze.

The Corinthian order was the most decorated, the capital being ornamented in a variety of ways, usually with figures or foliage plus similar volutes to the Ionic order.

And why are these so important to English architecture? In the late eighteenth century, travel to Greece and Rome became fashionable and a deep interest in the ancient forms of architecture arose. This was also influenced by archaeological discoveries at this time, such as at Pompeii, and by the removal of the Elgin Marbles from Athens to London, where the noble simplicity and serene grandeur was admired and therefore copied. The resulting form of architecture is known as the neo-classical style.

Above: Doric orders on the Roman style seat alcove at the Roman Temple Garden, Clumber Park, Worksop

Look out in the towns of Nottinghamshire, for examples of the Classical orders, both Greek and Roman, the difference mainly being that Roman orders tend not to have fluted columns. What is the most popular order that you can see?

With the weather warming up, it's a perfect time to get involved in some heritage! Here's a list of just some of the historical events happening in Nottinghamshire in May:

Thursday 1st May: Nottinghamshire Archives will be hosting a ‘‘Marching in Time’ Discovering your Military Ancestors’ workshop. ‘Discover the range of records relating to military personnel in Nottinghamshire Archives from the early 17th century to the Second World War. [You will also get a chance to] discover the stories of local Crimean War veterans, find out who was on the militia roll for Norton Cuckney in 1788 and explore the military careers of Nottinghamshire soldiers.’ Tickets cost £6 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 10th May: ‘An event to celebrate Kimberley’s past and all it has meant to residents and their loved ones over the years. They want to bring together photographs and memorabilia of local places and people that will bring a smile to your face’. There will be many local historians/experts joining as well as Inspire’s Heritage team, Ancestry volunteers, and members of the Friends of Bennerley Viaduct. Head down to Kimberley Library – no need to book. For more information, visit the event page here.

Thursday 15th May: ‘Geoarchaeologist Tom Keyworth, York Archaeology, explores the 2020 Cromwell Quarry excavation, its landscape, Anglo-Saxon and palaeoenvironmental context’. The talk ‘Bridges, Berths and Boats’ at Lakeside Arts ‘will discuss its links with the 8th-century bridge that was discovered at the site of the Cromwell Lock, which is contemporary with a landing stage in an ancient course of the River Trent. After the talk, join Post-excavation Archaeologists Rosie Hughes and Morwenna Fox from York Archaeology to examine Anglo Saxon finds discovered in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, revealing everyday life in the Anglo-Saxon Trent Valley’. Tickets cost £3 (under 30’s go free) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 17th May: ‘Hands On Heritage Day returns to Mansfield Central Library this May, bringing a variety of fun and free activities for all the family’. As well as many stall holders, on offer will be augmented reality experiences, virtual reality experiences as well as interactive maps and the chance to digitise your photographs. Also, ‘to commemorate 80 years since VE Day, stallholders will be presenting a range of World War II-related activities and collections, with live 1940s era music by the Red Hot Band’. This event is free, and no booking is required. For more information, visit the event page here.

Tuesday 20th May: Lakeside Arts will be hosting ‘a lunchtime talk connected to the Country Lives: Exploring the English Countryside from 1800 exhibition. In this talk David Matless, Professor of Cultural Geography at the University of Nottingham, will explore the representation of the English countryside in the 20th century, showing how the depiction of rural landscape was also held to say something about England as a country’. Tickets are £3 per person (under 30’s go free) and booking is required. Book your place here.

Wednesday 21st May: ‘Join Benedict Jephcote at Worksop Library to discover how the Norman and Medieval period laid the groundwork for Worksop in later centuries. The talk will look at notable families, developments in the town and outlying villages, and the construction of some of Worksop's oldest buildings’. Tickets cost £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Friday 23rd May: The National Civil War Centre will be hosting the 'Evening Talk: The Siege of Leicester'. 'In a bloody eight days in May 1645, the Royalist army commanded by King Charles I brutally sacked Leicester, outraging the nation and contributing significantly to his downfall. Now, new archaeological evidence from commercial excavations in Leicester is helping us to reappraise what happened. Join archaeologist Mathew Morris to find out more'. Tickets cost £10 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Saturday 24th - Monday 26th May: At Sherwood Forest, ‘step back to the time of Robin Hood for a thrilling weekend of jousts, hand to hand combat and so much more. There will be archery and axe-throwing to try for yourself, craft workshops to teach techniques that Medieval men and women would have learned, and a trader village which could have been transported straight out of the Middle Ages’. This weekend event is free but a special event car parking fee of £10 per day is in effect. Booking is not required. For more information, visit the website here.

Tuesday 27th May: Head to Mansfield Library for horticulture inspired talk ‘Historic Gardens of Nottinghamshire’. ‘This talk draws on the wealth of gardening heritage remaining in the county. Philip Jones, former local studies librarian, is now a freelance garden historian, currently researching the Victorian and Edwardian gardens at Newstead Abbey and its head gardeners’. Tickets are £3 per person and booking is required. Book your place here.

Above: Renaissance era depiction of jousting (By Paulus Hector Mair - De arte athletica II, Public Domain)

Today is the International Day for Monument and Sites. To celebrate, we would love to highlight some of the Scheduled Monuments we have across Nottinghamshire.

Scheduled Monuments are protected sites of national significance. Protected under various legislation, these monuments are usually buildings or archaeological sites.

‘Although archaeology and important historic sites are all around us, monuments are added to the Schedule if the Secretary of State considers that they are of national importance and that the protection which comes with scheduling would assist the monument's conservation’ (Historic England).

The list of Scheduled Monuments, known as the National Heritage List for England (or NHLE) is maintained by Historic England and you can find it here.

Above: Mattersey Priory

Ashfield: Fishponds 170m south of Damstead Farm. Fishponds, used from the medieval period to breed and cultivate fish, were maintained by a water management system. They were predominantly built by the wealthier echelons of medieval society, with royal estates and monastic sites often hosting large ponds. While the use of fishponds seems to have decreased after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the first half of the 16th century, the use of these fishponds continued into the 17th century in some areas of the country. This particular monument in Annesley, may be from the 18th century but it could also be earlier in date. It was scheduled as this site provides a well-preserved example of medieval fishponds as well as being unusual in size and how the water management system worked.

Bassetlaw: Bowl barrow, 240m SSE of Woodend Farm. The round barrow at Norton, Cuckney, is of a Bronze Age date. These prehistoric monuments are usually created as earthen or rubble mounds, occasionally with a ditch inclusion, to cover one of more burials. There are roughly 10,000 bowl barrows recorded across England with regional variations in form, however many more likely having been destroyed over time. Despite the area of the barrow at Cuckney being subjected to ploughing, it still remains relatively well-preserved and retains valuable archaeological insights into Bronze Age life.

Bassetlaw: Mattersey Priory Gilbertine Monastery. Founded in the late 12th century, the ruins of this monastery are still present on the site thanks to restoration work in the 20th century. In fact, the monastery is open to the public thanks for English Heritage so if you are looking for an outdoor activity this Easter weekend, we’d definitely recommend a visit (English Heritage)! The monastery was intended for Gilbertine monks, an order which was mainly based in Lincolnshire, but some were spread further afield. As only 29 Gilbertine houses were founded, this rare type of monastery is deemed worthy of being a Scheduled Monument.

Broxtowe: Anglian high cross in the churchyard of St Helen’s Church. This pre-Norman cross in Stapleford is a significant monument for Nottinghamshire. Dated to around 1050 AD, it is a highly decorated stone piece with many references to St Luke, with parts which may have been re-carved within the Anglo-Scandinavian period. These crosses provide valuable insights into early medieval art styles and how they evolved during the period, as well as reflecting on the impact of Scandinavian settlers had on the local culture. Sadly, there are less than 50 of these amazing crosses left in England which makes protecting this one even more important.

Gedling: Bestwood Colliery engine house. This Victorian, 3 storey, winding engine house was built for the Bestwood Iron and Coal company in 1874. This monument helps to provide insight into the technical working of these 19th century winding engines which were important components for many mines at this time. The engine within the engine house is a vertical twin cylinder, non-condensing steam winding engine – an engine that is particularly rare, especially one in situ.

Mansfield: King’s Mill Viaduct. The viaduct, made of sandstone, is part of the original horse-drawn railway from Mansfield Pinsetown. Built in the first half of the 19th century, sadly the viaduct isn’t as used or cared after as it once was so protecting this piece of history is very important.

Newark and Sherwood: Crococalana Roman town. One of the most impressive and valuable sites in Nottinghamshire for the Roman period, Crococalana boasts a fantastic array of finds and building foundations. The town is assumed to have spanned 40 acres but now, no buildings or earthworks are visible in the landscape to show it exists.

Newark and Sherwood: Queen’s Sconce. During the English Civil War (1642-52), earthworks were built up to provide temporary protection for soldiers during military campaigns, or to act as gun emplacements. The series of substantial earthworks known as the Queen’s Sconce are still well-preserved and represents ‘England’s finest remaining example of Civil War military engineering’ (Historic England). It is also believed that this monument contains unusual defensive features like pitfalls which may have been extremely rare according to contemporary sources.

Rushcliffe: St Wilfrid’s Church and churchyard. It is not known when this church in Kinoulton was built but it is recorded that this church was demolished in 1793. A source from the 12th century notes the church of St Wilfrid in Kinoulton so it was certainly existing by the 1100s. The church ruins now lie as earthworks, and buried and standing remains – the area of the church top capped with a series of gravestones. Like most Scheduled Monuments, the remaining ruins of the church are still well-preserved under the ground and can still provide valuable insight into ecclesiastical architecture, nature and use of the church. As well as that, the site allows us to gain a better understanding of economic and religious aspects of local life during the early medieval and medieval periods.

NHLE records for the monuments above:

Fishponds 170m south of Damstead Farm, Annesley - 1018119 | Historic England

Bowl barrow, 240m SSE of Woodend Farm, Norton, Cuckney, Holbeck and Welbeck - 1006388 | Historic England

Mattersey Priory Gilbertine monastery: monastic precinct., Mattersey - 1012495 | Historic England

Anglian high cross in the churchyard of St Helen's Church, Stapleford - 1012870 | Historic England

Bestwood Colliery engine house, Bestwood Village - 1017653 | Historic England

King's Mill viaduct, Non Civil Parish - 1006374 | Historic England

Crococalana Roman town, Collingham - 1003479 | Historic England

Queen's Sconce, Newark - 1016150 | Historic England

St Wilfrid's Church and churchyard, Kinoulton - 1019493 | Historic England