St Catherine's chapel, the inlet of Abbotsbury swannery, the Fleet lagoon, Chesil beach and the island of Portland in the distance, from Wears hill.
Image credit: Mike Rowland 10/09/2007.
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The Dorset County Museum is asking for help to raise £23,000 to buy the Chesil Mirror, found by a metal detectorist near Abbotsbury in 2010.
The copper alloy mirror is characteristic of the late Iron Age and is similar to the Portesham Mirror that is already part of the Dorchester museum's collection.
Fewer than 30 mirrors of the type have been found in the UK.
The Chesil Mirror was among the grave goods in a burial dating to the time of the Roman conquest between Abbotsbury and Chickerell.
The grave goods included two brooches, an armlet, copper tweezers, coins and several glass beads.
The collection was declared treasure last year and the Secretary of State set its value at £23,000.
An appeal was started among museum members earlier this year but this week sees the start of a major campaign to raise the sum.
Museum director Jon Murden said: "This mirror is very important to us because it is closely connected with the one we acquired in 1994 and is decorated in a similar way.
"These rare and fascinating objects are significant because they tell us so much about power and wealth in iron Age Dorset.
"We hope this appeal will encourage local people to support us so that we can buy the mirror and give it pride of place in our Archaeology Gallery."
The museum is planning a series of fundraising events and will be applying for various funds and grants to help with the purchase.
An appeal fund has been set up and people can donate by cheque payable to DNHAS to the Chesil Mirror Appeal, Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, DT1 1XA.
Fundraising events include a lecture on 30th November by Professor Andrew Fitzpatrick of Wessex Archaeology. He will talk about the significance of the Chesil Mirror and explain how it fits into our wider understanding of Iron Age Dorset.
dorchesterpeople.co.uk/Appeal-way-save-Iron-Age-treasure-Dorset/story-17004835-detail/story.html
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Abbotsbury Garland-Day Procession stopped. Chief Constable's Apology to Parish Council.Proof that the Express has been complaining about Political Correctness for decades. p175 in Folk Life and Traditions
The Daily Express of May 14, 1954, reported that the village constable of Abbotsbury had stopped the children's Garland-Day Procession as it danced its way through the fishing village to the sea, on the ground that it was "begging" and was against the law. He also confiscated the collection amounting to £1 1s. 7 1/2d. The uproar reached Mr. John Fox-Strangways, Chairman of the parish council and son of the Earl of Ilchester, lord of the manor. He rang up a solicitor and said that the village would take steps to preserve its ancient and picturesque custom. The Thanksgiving Garland is blessed annually and thrown into the sea from whence comes their livelihood. In the evening the children put the Garland on its pole and again danced down to the sea, while the police were busy preparing a legal action.
The Times of May 20 announced that the Chief Constable of Dorset had expressed his sincere apologies for the "unfortunate occurrence" to the Abbotsbury parish council and said that the constable had acted on his own initiative, without the knowledge of the divisional superintendent. "It is no part of my policy to interfere with old village customs," he stated. Mr. Fox-Strangways was authorised to take any necessary action to establish the legality of the Garland Day custom.
E. F. Coote Lake
Folklore, Vol. 65, No. 3/4. (Dec., 1954), pp. 172-175.
13th May – GARLAND DAY AT ABBOTSBURY.
Do we offer floral tributes to Neptune in England to-day? Yes, at Abbotsbury on the 13th May every year the children go round the village with large garlands, asking for gifts from the inhabitants. When the round has been completed, a start is made for the beach, the flowers are placed in boats, and put out to sea--not for Neptune to do as he likes with--for they are brought back again, taken to the church, where a service is gone through. Here then is an excellent instance of a Christianised pagan superstition, for the floral tributes, if Neptune is to be worshipped, should be committed to the waves. The idea was to propitiate the god and bring luck in fishing. In all probability the custom will linger for some years to come, but it is already robbed of its original significance, and shows some signs of decay in consequence. Maybe some modern pagan, interested in old customs, will induce the inhabitants to return to the old rite of trusting the floral gifts to Father Neptune.
(from sacred-texts.com )
14.10.12
People who know me often wonder why I travel the length and breadth of this great country of ours looking at ‘old stones’ – in all their forms. More to the point they often ask Karen how on earth she puts up with me and the travelling. To be fair, she usually defends our exploits on the grounds that we often go to very nice places and see wonderful scenery – Abbotsbury is a point in case.
Had it not been for the fact that I am trying to visit every E.H. site (Abbotsbury has two!) in all probability I would have never come here. But it does – and I did. And what a delightful place Abbotsbury is – very picturesque and charming. In addition to the cottages with thatched roofs, traditional country pub, village church etc it also has a Tithe Barn – something I have a ‘thing’ for. Not only that but also a swannery.
The view from the top of St Catherine’s hill is fabulous.
(Particularly on a gloriously sunny day like today with blue skies and white fluffy clouds)
You get to look over the village / church / Tithe Barn and great coastal views.
In short, if any of those who doubted why we do what we do were able to see what I was looking at while stood on the hill, perhaps they would then understand.
Abbotsbury is a great place to visit. The fact it has so many ‘old stones’ to look at in the area is a bonus. It is at times like this that you get a reminder of what a great hobby of ours this is and how fortunate we are to be ‘in the know’.
