Castle in the round Queenborough, Kent Sunday 12 March
This is the eighth programme in the 2006 series of Time Team. The web pages to accompany this programme will go live to coincide with its screening at:
Originally posted by Steffan: Well, I laughed my proverbials off! We're looking for a Medieval castle - so here is a reconstruction of a 17th century paper boat.
That did seem rather pointless. Another example of there not being enough content in the dig ? Nice to see London FLO, Fay Simpson, shame there wasn't much for her to look at.
........................................................................ Support the PAS Go with the FLO
I enjoyed it, but then again I like castles so it was always going to appeal to me.
Yes, the cameo did seem strange. It was interesting, but the link with the dig was tenuous and it probably belonged somewhere else other than Time Team.
With the last day panic over where the walls where or where not and was the layout right, I was a bit suspicious over the certainties at the end.
I'm not saying that 'I didn't enjoy the show - but it was for entertainment value rather than archaeological intrigue. At a few points I thought I had strayed into Antiques Roadshow.
Originally posted by hopski: Another first rate offering. Where were Robin and Beric when you needed them.
I agree hopski. Robin would have livened it up a bit - he always did. Sadly I think Beric passed away about a year ago - am I correct about that? He is sadly missed.
Disappointing. Not a lot of interest on the site itself - day 3 and a couple of hundred tonnes of dirt moved and Phil was still no clearer on where he was ... so enter the lame sideshows: looking for signs of the medieval town, and that pantomime with the paper boat. At the outset the goals included finding the purpose of the castle - including something about it possibly being a refuge from the plague. What? Are they serious? "Here comes the plague racing through continental Europe at a rate of knots - what'll we do?" ... "I know, let's start building a castle ... in Kent". Leaving aside just how bonkers this suggestion was, the entire programme degenerated into a simple search for walls. Finding a robbed out ditch the old 3D reconstruction was thrown in at the end to give the impression of having discovered something yet, to be frank, they could easily have produced the same 3D graphic before day 1, given the plans and the dimensions of the site. TT is still my favourite show on TV but come on, we expect better than this (though it's still better than the Grace Dieu!).
This was interesting, even with so few real clues at the start. I think, although Beric was a true asset to the programme, Dr Jonathan Foyle fills the role completely.
I missed a portion of the show, did they uncap the well, I saw them reconstructing the walls.
A good cameo, and interesting, but seemingly unassociated with the palace...
One aspect of the programme was of particular interest to me. Of the various bits of stone found, some was Reigate stone. The ancient stone quarries in the Reigate area, all underground, supplied a huge amount of building stone to London, and Thamesside areas throughout the medieval period, and the use of Reigate stone at Queensborough is new to me. This stone found its way as far as Windsor Castle, Westminster Palace and Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral, and a host of other important buildings in the area. The curved stones were of particular interest. In studying the old quarries,I have come across rough cut blocks of stone of various shapes, including some curved ones. I believe they were called 'serches' or something similar. An alternative, and far more relevant cameo might have been moving the building stone to the site along the river. The stone from Reigate was carried in huge quantities by cart overland to Southark, then by boat up and down the river. I'm not sure how practical such a cameo might have been to organise, though!
There wasn't enough there to make a really involving programme - when they got to the fifth trench desperation was showing. I had a feeling they were all getting as muddled as me.
And why the paper boat - was that just padding - because it seemed unconnected. Anybody who would use salt cod as oars, well any cook would tell you it softens up in water!
Another grouse coming up - when we are shown maps or plans could we NOT have archeologist's fingers in the viewing line? A bamboo skewer as indicator would serve the purpose better, and not obscure what we are intended to see.
Re the notion that the castle could have been built to avoid the plague, i guess the theory is it was on an 'island' surrounded by marshland, thus making it difficult for the plague to spread to it. But I must admit it did sound a bit far fetched.
As for the paper boat cameo, come on people, lighten up, it is entertainment after all !! A lot of Joe Public watching would have found that interesting or amusing........
Did I hear someone say on the programme that the Queensborough site was scheduled? That means that they would have needed consent to dig there, but I thought TT avoided such sites for this reason? Or have things changed over the years? Just curious.
Originally posted by firestone: Did I hear someone say on the programme that the Queensborough site was scheduled? That means that they would have needed consent to dig there, but I thought TT avoided such sites for this reason? Or have things changed over the years? Just curious.
There have been many digs on scheduled sites over the years - there's nothing new in that.
There has been a relaxation or change of policy in recent. Excavations are more likely to be allowed now if only to establish what remains are present - and their condition - so that a site might be better managed.
