There was a good company at the Corn Exchange Hall on Wednesday evening to hear Mr. Alfred Watkins, the well known Hereford archaeologist, lecture on the subject of “Early British Trackways.” Mr. Watkins has recently published a book on the subject, in which he propounds a most interesting theory to account for a variety of pre-historic remains. The proceeds of the lecture were in aid of the Priory Church Organ Fund, and Mr. C. H. Harvey was responsible for the arrangements.
Mr. Theodore Neild presided and in introducing the lecturer referred to his fame as the inventor of the Watkins’ meter in photography, the dough-meter, and the octaval system. No history of the crosses of England could be published without taking note of the work of Mr. Watkins. That night he did not wish to be known as an inventor. He had observed certain facts and those facts he would interpret. It was exceedingly good of him to come and help them in the matter of the church organ.
Mr. Alfred Watkins introduced his subject by saying that he was not so much giving a theory as making deductions from facts. He asked them to clear their minds of Roman roads and trackways used by pilgrims, and to imagine the dawn of civilisation when men had no metals to cut their trees, skin animals, or till the ground. Primitive man had a few wants, for which he had to go across country. In our district for instance there were no flints and no salt. How did early man find his way? The nearest way from one point to another was a straight line, and the human way of finding that was by sighting from one point to another. To get the lie or the “ley” of the land they went to the top of a hill.
Here were shown a series of fine views of beacon hills, Brecon Beacon, the Malvern ridge, Herefordshire beacon, Clee Hill, etc. Mr. Watkins went on to say that having left the hill they were without a guide as to the nearest way and so certain marking points were put in between. These consisted of earth (tumuli mounds, tumps, etc.), water (ponds and moats), stones and trees. Suggesting that the sighting line at some point of its history was called the “ley,” he mentioned the frequency of the name in various forms and showed a picture of the Leys Farm, Weobley. He mentioned as a characteristic of these sighting points that there was always a long distance view in at least two directions. Dealing with earth marking points he showed a picture of Kingsland mount, and said these sighting points became burial places and centres for assemblies (folk-moot). A view at Eardisland showed traces of the old trackway through meadows and orchards. Showing a variety of mark-stones, he said they lined up with churches, camps and moats. Another form of marking point was a notch in a hillside visible only on the sighting line. Dealing with ponds as sighting points, he produced evidence that the old tracks went through them. Answering objections to the theory that the trackway went up hill and down dale without regard to levels, he quoted corroborative evidence in regard to the Red Indians. Showing that wayside crosses were on the “ley,” he touched upon the evolution of the mark stone into the cross.
At this point an interval was taken, during which several musical items were rendered. Mrs. Paxton and Miss Sandiland (violins) and Mr. H. E. Crimp (piano) played Barrett’s “Coronach” in excellent style. Miss Bessie Powell made a very successful appearance as a vocalist, and her singing of “The Kerry Dance” was heartily encored. Mr. Crimp sang “Ole dear,” to the evident satisfaction of the audience, and in response to an encore obliged with “Grinder John.” In announcing another item a “chamber sonata,” Mr. Crimp said the composer Corelli (1653) might be described as a “trackway” in music, for he initiated the modern orchestral form of violin writing. The piece was skilfully and expressively interpreted and warmly applauded.
On the proposition of the Vicar hearty thanks were accorded the lecturer and Mr. Neild, also the artistes, and Mr. Harvey.
The second portion of Mr. Watkins’ lecture was even more interesting than the first, for the excellent slides demonstrated more clearly several remarkable “leys” in which mounds, ponds, churches, crosses, hill side notches, etc., were found to be in line. Mr. Watkins touched upon trees on hill tops, and glades in woods, and said the trackway decided the position of practically every camp and castle. Of great local interest were the pictures of Brampton Brian, and Wigmore, and the position of Hereford in the trackways was illustrated. In Leominster he had discovered a trackway through the moat in the Caswell Fields and the Churchyard. He explained that the line did not go through the present church, but crossed the site of the Saxon church. Dealing with the finial points of the trackways, Mr. Watkins gave illustrations of remains on the coast line. Other pictures showed remains of the old six foot track for pack horses. With the coming of wheels came the broad road. An example of this Mr. Watkins traced from Broad Common, Orleton, through the Broad, Leominster, Broadward Bridge to Broadward, Hereford. In conclusion Mr. Watkins expressed the hope that his work would be taken up by younger people and suggested that it was a suitable subject for Boy Scouts and Girl Guides.
The balance available for the organ fund is expected to be about £15.
This lecture was at Leominster, as shown by the brief report in cutting 100d. The new organ was installed in the Priory Church in 1924. Another appeal was launched in 2009.