Report of the Finds Roadshow, Wednesday 19th January 2005.

On Wednesday 19th January '05, 38 people involved with the 'People of Old Whitbourne' project gathered in the Village Hall. Click here for some pictures.

People came along bearing gifts large, small and tiny. It seemed we were in for a very interesting evening which began with a very informative talk by Peter Reavill, who looks after archaeological finds in Shropshire and Herefordshire.  He gave us a very interesting, illustrated talk assuring us that despite their bad reputation, metal detectors can play a big part in finding artefacts.

He then walked around identifying articles found in Whitbourne gardens.  There were large articles - e.g. a scythe, cauldron hanger, pick axe heads and a pig-sticking stool - and small articles such as old bottles, pieces of old pottery from the 1700s, tiles, coins, and old pipes found in the area by the Ring o' Bells, which was the old pub.  The most fascinating thing for me was a leather-worker's palm guard, found in the brook by Derek Shaw.
Hopefully more artefacts will be found, and continue the discovery of the interesting past of Whitbourne.

Linda Gray