Reference
X962/T27
Title
Transcript of interview with J A Bernard Jones, born 30 June 1939, Dunstable. Accountant and amateur archeaologist. Interviewed by Carmela Semeraro.
Date free text
Interview date 24 July 2009
Production date
From: 2009 To: 2009
Scope and Content
(00 mins)
[Preliminary conversation. Technical problems]
Bernard Jones – lived in Leighton Buzzard for almost 40 years.
(20 mins)
Born in 1939 – 70 years old – born in Dunstable – always interested in Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable history and archaeology. Took part in first excavation over 50 years ago – Totternhoe Roman Villa, then Puddle Hill, Dunstable
(25 mins)
Father – businessman – high-quality tailoring – London and Dunstable. Bernard not interested in tailoring – left Dunstable Grammar School and went into accountancy –first job in Luton – Keen, Shay Keens – after year – move to Leighton Buzzard firm – got to know Leighton Buzzard and its businesses – lived here 40 years.
(30 mins)
Loves the canal, river, sand quarries.
At school, one teacher interested in archaeology – Bernard was one of first members of club – active in archaeological work ever since, as amateur. Set up Leighton Buzzard Archaeological Society in 1989 – did research: field walking and some excavations. Found Iron Age site at Stone Lane, Heath and Reach. Did survey work during building of the Leighton Buzzard relief road – also during building of Little Brickhill Bypass – watching brief uncovered 33 remains – recorded ditches for posterity.
(35 mins)
Initial knowledge from reading – then practical experience. Now, retired 15 years – able to focus on academic side – studying for degrees at Oxford University (with other mature students) and Reading University for Master’s degree in Archaeology (with younger undergraduate and post-graduate students). Excellent experience – learning the discipline of archaeology.
(40 mins)
Worked with specialists internationally known – Professors Richard Bradley, Gay Lock and Chris Godsden. Not able to do this earlier in life – family of three children – mortgage to pay – full-time study put on ‘back burner’.
(45 mins)
Early archaeologists in Leighton Buzzard –in early 20th Centuries – Dr Lawford, Mr. Gurney and Mr. Griffin – small-scale excavations. Bernard has recorded more than 60 find spots in Leighton Buzzard parishes – but previous discoverers left only brief descriptions of what they found and the artefacts have been lost – not possible to go back and corroborate what they found.
Stephen Coleman – formerly with Bedfordshire County Council [now Central Bedfordshire Council] – keeps the Historic Environment Record for all historic sites
(50 mins)
Previously, Ministry of Works (now English Heritage) – scheduled ancient monuments – several in Leighton Buzzard – two Bronze Age Barrows in Plantation Road.
(55 mins)
Barnard made it known – through local library – that he would like to know about all archaeological finds so as to record them as well as possible. Did his own field walking across open land on a grid basis, recording what was found on the surface. Two excavations at Stone and Quarry in Heath and Reach.
(60 mins)
Early antiquarians – like Mr. Gurney – got to know workmen in sand pits so that they would alert him to any finds – he would rush down to the quarries and record them. A few were deposited in museums but most were lost. Bernard gained permission from several quarry owners to allow him to visit quarries and do research.
(65 mins)
Found a lot of good-quality Iron Age pottery and a domestic hearth – but no post holes. Artefacts boxed up at home, after recording – may eventually find their way into museum collections, if they want them. Major storage problems for archaeology. Had hoped that a Leighton Buzzard Museum might be created – never materialized.
(75 mins)
Importance of archaeological research before finds lost for ever – because of quarrying.
(80 mins)
1950s – Chat Griffin – finds at Double Arches quarry – limited excavation – floors, building remains, well and pottery from Roman period.
(85 mins)
Now planning law requires a certain amount of archaeological research, funded by the developers, before building developments can go ahead.
(90 mins)
Government Guideline PPG16 – conditions put on planning application if the area if archeologically sensitive – investigations first.
Bloor Homes hoping to build large estate of 200 houses in Stoke Road. Leighton Linslade – pre-planning archaeological assessment first
(95 mins)
Sometimes lack of co-operation from land owners – Bernard found sign of interesting pottery in one quarry – Stone Lane – but was refused permission to do proper survey work.
(100mins)
Possible Iron Age settlement – one metre down – ditches which could have been defensive.
(105 mins)
Brickhill Bypass – searched but found no interesting remains
(110 mins)
Watching brief is looking for surface finds – just carry a trowel with you. Southern Bypass area covered by ½ metre of alluvial earth washed down by water from the hills and the River Ousel flowing through there.
(120 mins)
Geophysical techniques now allow archaeologists to detect where remains lie buried below the ground using resistivity and geomagnetism - building patterns then emerge.
(125 mins)
Thanks to design work by Professor Bill Martin a simple resistivity meter (normally costing thousands of pounds) can be built for about £500 – may make it possible for local archaeological societies to purchase – with grants from local authorities.
(130 mins)
Surveying with this meter – 30 metre squares – walking up and down – 30 times – takes an hour. Three people needed: two to move the tapes, one to operate the machine.
(140 mins)
Print-out on A4 paper 0 dots representing every metre square – light grey to dark grey – indicating anomalies within the ground. Not easy – examples shown on TV’s Time Team programmes – need analysis.
Grey Priory excavation – by Evelyn Baker – 1980s – finds still being processed – to be published in near future. Evidence back to Bronze Age times – several thousands of years.
(145 mins)
Dig took place over ten years on a seasonal basis. A lot of the site has now been quarried away.
(150 mins)
In 1996 Bernard did a desk-based assessment of the archaeology of the area – for Oxford University dissertation – all know find spots – hundreds plotted for different periods – Palaeolithic to Saxon – all linked back to the Historic Environment Record in Bedford – most finds lost – some deposited in Bedford or Luton museums.
(155 mins)
Some finds from Leighton Buzzard (from 100 years ago) in the British Museum in London – Bronze Age brooches and pins; some in Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Palaeolithic hand axe (from Dead Man’s Slade, Plantation Road). [Illustrations of brooches in book by Robert Richmond]
(160 mins)
Set up Leighton Buzzard Archaeological Society with Maureen Brown who ran local history research group for many years. Merged in 2006 with Historical Research Society to become Leighton Buzzard and District Archaeological and Historical Society.
(165 mins)
Regular committee meetings –various initiatives – survey with Greensand Trust of existing sandstone buildings in the town – excavation in Pond Meadow, Heath and Reach – for training purposes; found pottery – Iron Age and medieval – 20 – 30 have learned how to do digs.
(170 mins)
Society has acquired extra tools – further facilities – publishes a journal. “Transactions”, every year – knowledge can be carried forward – web site: lbdahs.co.org
(175 mins)
Lecture or talk once a month, except in summer – research forum – research into place and street names in Leighton Buzzard – several excavations – test pits (one hour’s digging, within one metre square).
(180 mins)
Small excavation in garden of house close to All Saints’ Church – found some medieval pieces – possible site of early sand quarry
(185 mins)
Prebendal House – formerly part of the manor close to All Saints Church, Leighton Buzzard – possible site for future excavation – within grounds of Middle School – would benefit schoolchildren
(190 mins)
Society members have given talks to local groups of Scouts and schools explaining what they know of the area’s history and archaeology – trying to expand the knowledge of children in the area.
End of Interview
Summary by Stuart Antrobus: (2 February 2010).
Format
Microsoft Word File
The Greensand Trust
Leighton Buzzard Library
Reference
External document
Level of description
item