Elaine Hance

My webpage about the field at the back of my garden…

When I moved to Deanshanger I was amazed at the countryside all around me. Things have since changed. I wanted to find out a little more about the field at the bottom of my garden.

I heard rumours before we moved into our house that there was once three wells in the field. I can only remember the footpath straight through the middle following the telegraph poles and there was some sort of out-building there, which has since been removed.

My Fathers Coat of Arms is Hudswell which means three wells. This is why I wanted to find out a little more, I knew it had nothing at all to do with it, but I was curious anyway.

Well, I haven’t come up with anything at all to do with the wells. But I have heard stories and have been to the library and also a friend told me about a series on the television about Whittlebury Forest.

Commentaries by John and Dan Snow also Time Team…

So I have been diverted onto a different path… or into a different field… so to speak!!

This is where I have been taken!!

You Tube … 1/6 Boudicca Rebellion

Great watching would recommend esp as so close to home.This was taken from You Tube and some details taken from books.. So a quick overview.

THE REBELLION OF BOUDICCA … John Snow and Dan Snow.

Isle of Anglesey Wales Romans.Thetford Norfolk and Suffolk .. Treaty with Rome .Roman Collaborator in AD60. King Prasutagus was ruler of the Iceini Tribe(he made a will to leave half of his estate to Rome and half to his family, but this was ignored.)

Rome seized his throne…Colchester/Lincoln. Fosse Way – 15000 troops. A5 Old Roman Watling Street.Queen Boudicca and Roman General fought at Paulerspury – coming from the East on higher ground – (the reason for defeat) marching from Anglesey Roman army led by Linus.. But 1/3rd of his soldiers didn’t show up from Exeter.

The battle site was an open plain with narrow valley and woods behind – marching along Watling Street between Fosse Way and St Albans. Paulerspury – valley was a bottleneck. NW St Albans Watling Street Whittlewood Forest.

This battle decided the fate of Britain 2000 years ago.It was a Roman victory 400 dead … British 80,000 dead. Greatest human tragedy in history.Boudicca died AD60/61. She was flogged and her daughters raped. The Roman financiers called in their loans.

Cawas a lawyer – possibly from a court in London. He used his influence to buy up the land cheaper…He changed sides from Catholic to Prodestant to suit.

From Time Team

In Roman times/Medievil times they had Lords of the Manors who allowed the common land to be used to graze cattle..But they had to do some work for the Lord of the Manor to be allowed to graze cattle.Strip farming.

Time Team at Wicken…

Old aerial photos (mounds) show strip farming and the valleys for water draining. Later enclosures/old manors bought and sold during Civil war. Deanshanger/Passenham Sir Robert (Bobby) Barrister late 1600 17c (see Passenham church) villagers could take cattle to graize sheep main thing as the poorer people lost their rights.

The Defeat of Boudicca Rebellion by Martin Marix Evans. This book shows you walks – suggested battleground.Page vii/viii mentions north of Stony Stratford. Higher ground passing through the woods that became Whittlewood Forest./Wood. Deanshanger??? Deanshanger on edge of the forest.(man/forester) Warden of Whittlewood forest lived in Deanshanger as it was Kings land, and was needed to stop the poaching.

All this extremely fascinating-but- now to find out about the field at the bottom of my garden.