Yeovil School in 1954

Yeovil School in 1954

Jack Sweet our local historian has selected this report from The Yeovilian of July 1954

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

This has certainly been one of our most successful sessions. The standard of lectures was high, and our change of name widened their scope. Attendance at meetings distinctly improved, perhaps because of tea and biscuits!

During the Autumn Term we spent one Saturday afternoon at Cadbury, and a whole day at Bath for the annual excursion. The long awaited Lufton Report was published this year in the Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological Society; thanks are warmly given to the Wyndham Trustees for generous financial help in its production. Talks were given on Roman Britain (a series of three by P. Hawker, M.G. Hebditch and J. Fletcher), on the Somerset Light Infantry by M. Davies and on the excavation of some Bronze Age barrows at Snail Down, Wiltshire, by P. Fry, who with M.G. Hebditch, took part in the digging during this summer holidays.

‘The first meeting of the Spring Term was the very enjoyable Christmas party. Several members spent a cold day in January examining a Roman slab grave with a well-preserved skeleton at Charlton Mackerell. Lectures were given by Hebditch on Heraldry, by Fletcher on the search for the Northwest Passages to the East, by Davies on Medals, and by Sweet on Werewolves, Vampires and Ghouls.

‘During the Easter Holidays, the Society conducted excavations at Ilchester. So far this term, excursions have been made to Pill Bridge, near Ilchester, to Somerton and Long Sutton, and to Birchelney* Abbey and Church. The outstanding feature has, however, been a lecture by J. Fletcher on the Archaeological Aspect of his recent visit to Italy.

*Birchelney Abbey was a very rare misprint, this was of course Muchelney Abbey!

Jack Sweet
May 2014