© Cirencester Archaeological & Historical Society & Contributors 2016-9
Registered Charity no. 287289
Reports of our lectures held during 2015-6
If you would like to write up a report on a
particular future talk, contact a committee
member as early in the season as possible, as we
arrange a rota to ensure that every talk is
reported.
We have reported our lectures in the Wilts and
Gloucestershire Standard for many years. Each
year for some years we have gathered these
together at the end of each season and published
them in late summer as one of our newsletters. If
you should look through our past Lectures page
or our publications pages, you can find which
Newsletters have reports in them. Back copies of
some of our Newsletters may be available on
request from our editor. A copying charge may be made. Since 2014 we now only publish these
reports online. We will keep paper copies solely for archive purposes. In general reports will appear
online about a month after they have appeared in the Wilts & Glos Standard.
Berkeley Nuclear Power Station: Construction, Operation & Decommissioning
by David Brown on 09 September 2015
The combined audiences of Cirencester Science and Technology Society and Cirencester
Archaeological & Historical Society were provided with a fascinating brief history of the life cycle of
the UK’s first fully operational nuclear generating station.
The Berkeley Power Station was conceived in the early 1950s as a scaled up version of the trial
installation at Calder Hall based on two reactors of the Magnox type with work starting on the site
in 1957. The archive film that formed part of the lecture recorded the important stages of the
construction process that culminated in plant commissioning in 1961 and full operation in 1962.
With a maximum output in the order of 300MW the plant remained in operation, apart from a
shutdown in 1983, until final closure in March 1989. During its working life, spanning a little over a
quarter of a century, Berkeley Power Station produced approximately 40 billion units of electricity at
an initial capital cost of approximately £36m.
Most of the lecture described the long process of de-commissioning that started with the de-
fuelling operation that took place between 1989 and 1992. This was followed by the “Safestore”
period between 1993 and 2010 and the removal of the massive boilers in 2012-2013.
The period required for first stage radioactive decay is estimated to be some 70 years after final
shutdown in the late 21st century.
The speaker stressed the importance of the lessons that should be learned from the careful
documentation of the whole process of building, operating and closing down the UK’s first
commercial nuclear power station. Not the least of these lessons is the need to retain a suitable
number of core staff whose knowledge of the operation of plant and accumulated experience is
vital in the final de-commissioning stage in the life cycle of nuclear installations.
The lecture demonstrated the important role that Berkeley has played in the development of our
knowledge in the management of nuclear plants from start to finish.
This report by CS&TS was published in Wilts & Glos Standard, 17 September 2015
Tales from Gloucestershire Railways by Tony Conder on 28 October 2015
Tony Conder has worked for many years in museums and archives and was Curator of the British
Waterways Collection for 25 years after coming to Gloucester in 1988 to open the National
Waterways Museum in the city docks. He has extensively researched the canal and railway history
of the county and used his in-depth knowledge to give a fascinating insight into its railway network.
He showed how the pattern of railways developed, the core part of which survives in use today,
explained the competition between the Midland Railway and the Great Western Railway to extend
their influence, and in particular the pinch-point of competition between them in and around
Gloucester.
Tony also had a good look at the quite intensive pattern of railways throughout the Forest of Dean,
intended to exploit the area’s industrial resources, and by contrast the various cross-country routes
across the Cotswolds, which have also largely disappeared.
There was a nod to Cirencester’s two stations, Town and Watermoor, serving quite distinct routes,
with the town station still standing as a silent reminder of the ways things once were.
The point was well made that the Beeching cuts of the 1960s were not an isolated experience, but
an accelerated part of a much longer process of railway closures and contraction as lines became
increasingly uneconomic. A good part of this was essentially the legacy of wartime neglect of
infrastructure and the changing habits of the population from the later 1950s onwards. Today’s
much slimmed-down railway network nevertheless still continues to represent the county’s
transport needs, at least between the major centres of population and beyond.
David Viner
The History of Allotments in Gloucestershire by John Loosley on 25 November 2015
The Society’s final lecture of 2015 was given by John Loosley on a topic he has been researching for
a number of years. It is well known that the allotment movement in Britain really took off as a result
of both world wars. After the 1914-18 war land was allocated to returning servicemen. In World War
Two disruption to shipping necessitated national self- sufficiency in food production, hence the
slogan, ‘Dig for Victory’.
But the allotment movement goes back much further, with its origins in the late 18th century. In
Gloucestershire in 1797 land for allotments for poor cottagers was provided in Long Newnton and
Shipton Moyne by Mr Estcourt. A few other landowners followed his lead and improved nutrition
and a significant drop in applications for Poor Relief was noted. As a result of the Industrial
Revolution and urbanisation, malnutrition became widespread.
In 1830 a London surgeon founded the Labourers’ Friendly Society and landowners were
persuaded to allocate land to be rented to cottagers, thus enabling them to grow food for their
families.
The aim of the Society was to improve the living standards of the poor and to reduce ‘drunken
dissipation’. A monthly publication was circulated and rules drawn up; these included quarterly
payment of rent, banning use of a plough, digging with a spade and to keep at least one pig per
allotment.
Agents were employed to travel the country, encouraging landowners to subscribe and provide
land. In 1833 Mr Perry, the local agent, visited Stroud and Uley, where 33 acres were made available.
Gradually the movement gained momentum.
Colonel Kingscote supplied seed potatoes, poles for pigsties were donated, and loans made to
provide for purchase of pigs. In November 1833 Mr Perry came to Cirencester. Mr Blackwell of
Ampney Park chaired a meeting and a local committee was formed.
Farmers were suspicious of these developments, fearing their labourers’ independence, but a
dramatic reduction in crime ensued as men spent less time in the beer shops. Rent was generally
paid regularly and very few gave up their allotments.
The Smallholdings and Allotments Act of 1908 placed a duty on local authorities to provide land for
allotments according to need but a massive increase occurred at the end of the First World War.
The speaker was warmly thanked on behalf of the Society for a most interesting lecture.
This report by Kathleen Lindesay was published in Wilts & Glos Standard, 07 January 2016
Women’s Suffrage and the Cotswolds by Sue Jones on 27 January 2016
The timing couldn’t have been better for the Society’s talk on Women’s Suffrage and the Cotswolds
as the popular film Suffragette is receiving glowing reviews. So Sue Jones’ illustrated talk bringing
the subject to the local area was viewed with great interest.
Sue explained that she had developed an interest in the Suffragette movement after hearing stories
from an aunt about a lady who had actually tried to poison Lloyd George.
When Sue returned to the Cotswolds, she began to research the Women’s suffrage movement in
this area where there were a number of well-educated and often economically independent ladies
including the well-known Dorothea Beale at Cheltenham Ladies College.
She explained that not all those in favour of women’s suffrage were suffragettes; the non – militant
suffragists often had their peaceful rallies attacked because of the violence of the militants.
There was probably a society in Cirencester at the end of the 19th century, but there is little
evidence of this. However, in 1911 Mrs Pankhurst herself did come to Cirencester, and Sue had a
wonderful picture of her in the car she was presented with – decorated in purple, white and green,
the movement’s colours, on her release from prison. Her visit had been arranged by Ada Flatman,
who lodged in Ashcroft Villas.
Drawing room meetings were held by ladies including Mrs Melville of Stratton House, and Mrs
Evelyn Dives of Cecily Hill, and there was a meeting in the Bingham Hall. But as most of the seat
cost 2s.6p, it is easy to see that few working people were involved. So the Suffrage movement soon
began to fizzle out in Cirencester, as many of the key figures in the town did not give any support.
It was interesting for us, a hundred years later, to see Sue’s collection of photographs of these often
brave ladies, and to hear of their struggles.
This report by Aileen Anderson was published in Wilts & Glos Standard, 03 March 2016
The Croome Memorial Lecture 2016:
Traditional Festivals of England by Prof Ronald Hutton on 24 February 2016
This annual free lecture was first held in 1969 and is jointly organised by Cirencester Archaeological
& Historical Society and Cirencester Civic Society. This year the venue was Cirencester Parish
Church and the event kindly sponsored by the Friends of the Parish Church. Once again it did not
disappoint a fascinated audience.
Professor Ronald Hutton of the University of Bristol led us through a calendar of Traditional
Festivals of England with eloquence and style, demonstrating his extensive research into folklore
and the marking of significant events by pagan and then early Christian communities.
With him we were able to unravel some of the reasons behind modern celebrations, and observe
the changes in emphasis as society and priorities changed through the millennia. He explained
how the natural world was the focus of the earliest festivals, with themes that included summer
cleansing with fire, autumnal fun and fear with its mocking of the coming dark and communing with
spirits, midwinter lights against the dark and gift-giving to welcome the increasing daylight, and
then the springtime blessing of produce and animals.
Prof Hutton observed that misrule and a long period of feasting and relaxation could only happen
in the mud and dark of winter when communities felt safer from attack, and that romance and love
were better celebrated in warmer weather, when more comfortable privacy could be found in the
hedgerows and meadows!
Although modern customs retain many of the basics despite the influence of the Victorians and
more recently American culture, the speaker concluded that humanity has replaced nature; we put
ourselves and escaping the workplace at the heart of our celebrations. He pointed out as an
example that the focus on family relationships at Christmas, and the New Year emphasis on adults
and friends, can aggravate loneliness in many instead of bonding us in our communities alongside
the natural world that sustains us.
This report by Anne Buffoni was published in Wilts & Glos Standard, 10 March 2016
Feb 2016 - Croome Lecture - Ron Hutton
Mar 2016 - CA Lecture - Richard Buckley
Apr 2016 - Cirencester College Students Prize
Evening