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England
Waulud's BankEnclosure
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Museum Planned For 'Stonedhenge'?From the curiously titled 'Serious About News' local news site: http://www.seriousaboutnews.com/luton/page... continues... |
Posted by Rhiannon15th December 2003ce Edited 15th December 2003ce |
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The book states that this is in the middle of a housing estate, and so it proved to be. There were a couple of burnt out motor vehicles and so much urban rubbish that archeaologists of the future will truly have a 'field day' here... The source of the Lea is trapped in a concrete and steelwork cage, as mentioned by Julian. It's very difficult to make out the layout of the bank itself from the lea-side. The course of the bank is more obvious from the road, but looks just like the soundproofing embankments so loved of modern planners. The only difference between the bank and its modern equivalent is that there are no houses behind it. This post appears as part of the weblog entry Urban Landscape
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Posted by ocifant2nd February 2003ce Edited 2nd February 2003ce |
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Waulud's Bank earthworks lies on the edge of the Marsh Farm Estate in Leagrave, Luton. The River Lea runs close by, its source located within the vicinity of the surrounding marsh. Archaeological excavations date the site at around 3000 bc. therefore the site probably began its origins in the Neolithic period. The 'D' shape of the site is almost identical to that of Durrington Walls nr Avebury, however the Durrington Walls site has an 'A' road cutting it in half and is almost certainly from a later period 2800-2200bc. than the Waulud's Bank site. Documents have placed Julius Caesar at the source of the River Lea, and a substantial roman villa once existed in Bramingham Road which borders Waulud's Bank. Interestingly the site is in close proximity to the Icknield Way and about 5 miles in distance from Watling Street in Dunstable - also famous for its Roman History. The building at the edge of Waulud's Bank was a one time farmhouse called Marsh Farm house the occupants probably owned the acreage that later became the Marsh Farm Estate. |
Posted by wbmft 19th January 2003ce Edited 19th January 2003ce |
| A very enigmatic earthwork, which curves around the river Lea forming a semicircular area just over 7ha. No entrances or extrenal features are known. But stone age pottery and flint arrow heads have been found. Finds are in the Luton Museum |
Posted by GuttBucket 17th January 2002ce |
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The English Heritage record claims that the name Waulud is a corruption of Wayland; that is, the same chap who would shoe your horse at Wayland's Smithy. I am tempted to say that Waulud's Bank is where he kept all those silver coins, but that would be silly. The record also mentions that 'some early writers' believed Waulud's Bank to be a place called Lygeanburgh (the similarly sounding Limbury is nearby). This was a settlement supposedly captured by Cuthwulf, (Prince of Wessex?) in 571AD. Though it probably was unrelated in reality. I assume the name is pronounced rather like 'Warlord'? If any tales exist among local kids, this must surely influence the type of story told? |
Posted by Rhiannon 1st September 2004ce |
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In Faunthorpe's Map of Beds (published by Philip, 1873) it is called "Wayland Bank," in the Tithe Book (1844), "Wallards," in the Ordnance Survey Map (1886), "Waulud's Bank;" being popularly named "Waller's Bank."Henry Cobbs' 'Luton Church, historical and descriptive' (1899). |
Posted by Rhiannon 20th December 2009ce |
| Waulud's Bank is described in the literature I have read as being a 'ritual' or 'ceremonial' site - yet the ditch is *outside* the bank - surely more akin to the defensive/settlement type of earthwork? |
Posted by Sifaka 11th February 2005ce |
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The 'Five Springs' originate at the NW corner of the site, then the stream flows south along the western boundary of the enclosure. This was originally all marshy, but it was drained when the railway line was constructed in the 19th century (I wonder, can you see anything of the site from the train?). According to the EH record on MAGIC, Waulud's Bank is truly a unique type of monument – but it draws comparisons with the 'henge enclosures', Marden particularly, as a stream too forms part of its boundary. They're not the same though, as Waulud's ditch (some 15-20m across) is on the outside, whereas Marden et al.'s are on the inside. And another possible difference is that Waulud's Bank has no opposing hengey-type entrances – but maybe the evidence for those just hasn't been found yet. The site has rarely been ploughed and under all the modern muck there's probably all sorts of clues waiting to be found – maybe especially in the boggy bits where organic material can survive. Also, although you might be horrified by the amount of 21st century detritus round here, it seems it's hardly a new issue. The ditch on the northern side of the site was enlarged in the Roman period, at which time a lot of 2nd century junk got dumped into it (as mentioned in Dyer's 'Southern Britain'). |
Posted by Rhiannon 1st September 2004ce Edited 7th October 2004ce |
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this is just around the corner from the Exodus' farm in North Luton, where they used to have the festy, and still have the odd party (though things ain't what they used to be ...) RG http://tash.gn.apc.org/exodus3.htm |
Posted by RiotGibbon 9th August 2001ce Edited 1st September 2004ce |
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