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4 January 2004
Today the Duke of Northumberland owns the magnificent Syon House in west London. Nearly 600 years ago, however, the land belonged to a group of nuns who settled here from Sweden: the Brigittines.
By the time of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s, Syon Abbey, as it was then known, was one of the richest in the land. The order, a mixed establishment with both monks and nuns in the same abbey, was highly successful. Yet today nothing remains above ground to indicate the presence of a massive church of the type the order was known to have built elsewhere. Time Team set out to investigate what lies beneath the surface.
Geofizz gets in early
The geophysics team started by owning up to the fact that they surveyed the area some years ago. The striking results indicate archaeological features all over the site. Without excavation, though, it was impossible to be sure which of these relate to the abbey and which are part of Capability Brown's later landscaping and garden features. Multiple trenches were excavated by the Team to try to find evidence of the abbey's church and the activities that took place there.
Huge church
Foundations were soon discovered for a colossal 100-metre (328 feet) long church, which would also have been 40 metres (131 feet) wide. Though the walls had been almost completely robbed away (so the stone could be reused), the foundation trenches clearly defined the huge scale of the building.
Nuns' burials
Trenches south of the church building also uncovered what is thought to be the nuns' cloister. Here the remains of two nuns were discovered, one with pins used to keep the wearer's veil in place still in-situ on the skull.
Final prize
The final prize was the discovery of medieval walls in the cellar of Syon House, indicating that the modern house was constructed over the western end of the original church. There may have been no lumps and bumps above ground to indicate that a massive monastic building was here, but the archaeology in the trenches and the cellars solved the mystery and located the Brigittine monastic complex. With a previously undocumented church the size of Salisbury cathedral, it may turn out to be the most important medieval discovery for a generation, according to some experts
Stone mason and carver Alex Wenham has come along to this Time Team dig to help with the reconstruction cameo. The cameo producer, Melisa Akdogan, invited Alex to try to carve a replica section of architectural stone that once was part of the Brigittine abbey. The Time Team website caught up with Alex to find out all about stone carving and masonry.
When did you first get interested in working with stone?
Just a few years ago. I went to the Building Crafts College in London and that's where I first started to play with stone.
Is it your full time job?
I work for a big firm called Stonewest and also do private pieces. It's great. I get to do lots of interesting work and meet lots of interesting people. With Stonewest I do large-scale restoration projects in London – like the House of Commons, where we have lots of masons all working together. The rest of the time I do smaller stuff like carvings, fireplaces and public artwork.
What's the difference between stone carving and stone masonry?
Stone masonry is more about the general shaping of the stone, usually for architectural purposes. It's about working to templates and measurements. Stone carving is much more about working by eye and creating artistic features like figurines.
What are you working on for Time Team?
I'm doing a replica of one face of a piece of stone that used to be a part of the abbey here. The original piece resides with the remaining Brigittine order, who now live in Devon. As I've only got three days I'm just concentrating on doing a figure in an alcove with some carving on the top.
What would the original piece have been used for?
It was actually part of a pinnacle, possibly over a gatehouse.
What type of stone are you using?
This is called Cream Richmont and it comes from France. It's one of a number of fairly soft limestones that are good for this type of carving job. The original is made out of Caen stone, which is hard to get hold of today because the original quarries have been worked out.
What are the properties of Richmont stone?
The particles in the stone are very tightly knitted together, so it's ideal for carving, but it is quite soft. You wouldn't want it anywhere where people could knock it. It's too fragile. It would suit an indoor or out-of-the-weather application, such as a ceiling or under an arch.
Does the stone have a natural stratigraphy?
We call it a bed or bedding plain. In a stone like this it's very fine. If you imagine a pack of cards lying flat on a table you can put lots of pressure on them without any problems. However, if you put the pack on its side it can easily fall apart with little stress. Richmont is what we call a free stone. The bed is so fine you can work the stone in lots of directions.
What tools are you using?
The tools that I'm using would be completely recognisable to a medieval stone mason – mallets and chisels et cetera. We have a few advantages like tungsten-tipped chisels which don't need sharpening all the time, but basically it's the same tool kit.
Why do you use lead and brass hammers?
We call them dummies. It's basically a question of weight. The great thing about lead is that it absorbs shock from a blow and it's great for carving, you have a lot of control. I made the lead hammer myself by pouring lead into a small terracotta flower pot buried in the ground and then breaking it open after the lead had cooled down.
Is there a trick to getting it right?
You basically have to have confidence that you can do the job. You need to look at a piece of stone, know what you want it to be, and have the confidence to say, 'Yes, I can do it.'
What's the best part of the job, working the stone or admiring the finished job?
Good question. Both I suppose. I really like working the stone but I also like to see the finished piece. When you are doing architectural stone it is never worked on its own, you are always making a part of a built piece. When something like an archway comes together that's really enjoyable.
One of the new diggers for the 2004 series is Matt Williams. An accomplished field archaeologist, Matt also has an interest in educating people about archaeology.
'I always wanted to do archaeology ever since I was little,' says Matt. 'I used to scramble about in the mud as a kid and ended up doing an archaeology degree at the Institute of Archaeology in London.'
After leaving university Matt went on to work for five years as a field archaeologist for Oxford Archaeology and the London field unit MOLAS (Museum of London Archaeological Service). 'After that I went back to university,' he continues, 'and did an MA degree in public archaeology because I didn't think enough people were involved in their local archaeology and I wanted to find out more about why. After that I ended up working for an archaeological consultancy as one of their consultants.'
Matt saw an advert on the internet for Time Team diggers and applied. Following an interview he started work with the Team at the first programme filmed for the 2004 series at Syndale in Kent. 'I think my favourite one so far has to be Inverness because it was such a great place to be and we had a real laugh at the hotel. As for archaeology, that's difficult. This one is pretty good and the trench I'm digging at the moment is great.'
Singing 'O Birgitta myrrhae gutta', the Sopranos from the choir Magdala (from Magdalen College, Oxford, directed by Dr David Skinner) serenaded the team at the end of Day Two. The song was originally published in 1530 and was written specially to be sung by the followers of St Brigittae. You would never guess that such a beautiful sound actually contained lyrics about rotting bodies.
Here's a sample from the second verse:
Myrre ys a bytter gomme in taste but in smell yt is swete and yt kepyth deade bodyes from rottynge and therefore yt betokened penaunce that is bytter in felynge of sorrow and of sharpenes but smellyth swete in goddess sygthe.'
Further reading.
Monasteries in the Landscape by Mick Aston (Tempus, 2000) £14.99
Mick explains how and why monasticism developed in Britain and why monasteries were placed where they were. This book also takes a look outside the monastery at the agricultural, industrial and commercial activities of monks and friars.
Discovering Abbeys and Priories by Geoffrey Wright (Shire, 1998) paperback £5.99
The new edition of this user-friendly handbook clarifies the difference between abbeys and priories, traces the history of monasteries from Anglo-Saxon times to the dissolution, and describes the different monastic orders. Considerable reference is made to sites open to the public.
Abbeys and Priories by Glyn Coppack (Batsford/English Heritage, 1990) paperback £15.99
This well-illustrated introduction to the archaeology of monasteries explains the development of the variations on the familiar layout of church and cloisters; it discusses the monastic precincts and such fundamental topics as the drainage and sanitation.
Medieval Monasteries by J Patrick Greene (Leicester University Press, 1992) paperback £19.99
A good overview of the archaeological (and literary) evidence for monastic houses in Britain in the Middle Ages and life within them with frequent reference to important sites. Everything from the layout of buildings to the diet and drinking habits of the monks who inhabited them is covered in this wide-ranging book. The archaeology is put in the context of the complex history of monasticism in Britain, from its origins on isolated islands to the dissolution of corrupt and wealthy monastic estates in the 16th century. Clearly written, with no architectural or ecclesiastical jargon.
Life in a Medieval Abbey by Tony McAleavy (English Heritage, 1996) paperback £6.95
Colourful picture book explaining monasticism in simple terms, from a who's who of medieval monks to an evaluation of the political role of the Church in medieval England. Distinguished from other guides by some brilliant reconstruction paintings.
Other websites.
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.
Syon Park
www.syonpark.co.uk
Official website of Syon Park, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland and site of the Time Team excavation.
The Brigittines
www.newadvent.org/cathen/02785a.htm
Background to the Brigittine Order, founded in 1346 by St Brigit at Vadstena in Sweden. As well as the abbey at Syon Park, the Brigittines also spread into France, Italy, Germany, Bavaria, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Russia.
Medieval monasticism
www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/4950.shtml
Dr Deborah Vess, of Georgia College and State University produced this website to accompany her course on medieval monasticism. It covers most forms of monastic life during the medieval period, the major events and the contribution of monasticism to medieval and modern culture.