Volume: Correspondence and administrative records relating to the commissioning of excavation work at Old Sarum in 1957, the funding of the work and the payment to Mr Rahtz for writing the report.

Date:
14 Jan 1957 - 14 Sept 1959
Location:
Old Sarum Castle, Salisbury, Old Sarum, Wiltshire
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Old Sarum, Salisbury, Old Sarum, Wiltshire
Reference:
RAH02/02
Type:
Volume Containing Graphic And Textual Material
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Description

The archive relates to two episodes of excavation at Old Sarum, one carried out between the 4th and 9th of March 1957 and the other between the 4th and 16 November 1957. Both were commissioned in response to requests by HM Colvin who at the time was writing 'The history of the King's Works' series. The archive provides a record of the process from the initial discussion of the aim of the excavations (to establish whether the medieval curtain wall ran around the entire site and, after discovering it didn't, to discover the start and end of the wall and the location of a tunnel noted in the 18th century) to the appointment of a supervisor, the estimation and authorisation of costs, the receiving of the Interim reports and the finalisation of costs.

The majority of the archive consists of letters and short notes between members of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments and between the Inspectorate and N Digney, part of the team working on 'The history of the King's Works'. In many cases the internal memos have been added below the formal correspondence or on the back of the same sheet. There is also one rough sketch of Old Sarum showing where the trenches of the initial excavation are to be placed. There are authorisation notes for the costs associated with both projects and two copies of a form requesting approval for archaeological excavations at a site under guardianship. All this paperwork as well as the internal memos and administrative notes have been grouped as administrative records.

The first request was made on 14 January 1957 and the final statement of costs was agreed on the 27 Jan 1958. On the last page is an additional note dated 17 Feb 1959 asking whether the report has been received.

The final three pages carry notes relating to the submission of the final report by Mr Rahtz and the payment of his fees (19 Feb 1959 - 25 Mar 1959) and preliminary discussions of where the report is to be published (26th Mar 1959 - 14 Sep 1959). Each page carries several short notes, the majority between members of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, each is signed and dated.

Content

This is part of the Collection: RAH02 Rahtz, P And Musty, A W: Old Sarum, Wiltshire

This Volume contains the following materials:
Sketch Plan: 1
Administrative Records: 12
Correspondence: 8

Rights

© Crown Copyright. Historic England Archive