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Syon Park / Syon Abbey excavations: view this week!

To think that Brentford TW8..well Syon Park to be more precise... once was the location of a vast medieval BRIDGETTINE ABBEY/monastary in the 1500's.  The size of Westminster Abbey we were told today.Local history books and Google Searches will give you details and pictures...perhaps check out the Syon House website.Monks and Nuns were kept well apart and prayers at 3am...and all that. Then Henry VIII had it knocked down! but the residents were safely released!Television programmes in recent years have shown the excavations being undertaken by Brunel Uni and others. They dig, find old walls and layouts, a couple of coins, pieces of glass showing patterns and more..and then fill in the trenches and then move on to an adjoining patch.The Brentford TW8 calender notes that this Wednesday 7th July there is an Evening Archaelogical Talk and tour of this year's Syon Abbey excavations. There's food and drink too. Tickets/ Estate Office 020 8560 0882.Then next Sunday is an Open Day (11am - 4pm) with free entry to the Dig only (not the House) After next week..the excavations will be filled in and you will have missed out!

Jim Lawes ● 5778d5 Comments

Thanks for highlighting the Open Day.I had a good time and the guides from Richmond Archaeological Society were informative. My one was relieved that no skeletons were unearthed during this years excavations of the sisters side of the buildings. (Was it 17 skeletons when they did the side used by the monks?)http://www.syonpark.co.uk/downloads/syon_abbey.pdfis a useful brochure showing where the (?previous) digs have taken place.My medieval correspondent has pointed out to me that Wynken de Worde's 1519 edition of The Orcherd of Syon (a translation of Catherine of Siena's Dialogo)was produced for the community at Syon and she suggests the woodcuts include representations of the Abbey at that time.http://www.umilta.net/orcherd.html

Tim Henderson ● 5771d

Good link to life in the Abbey. http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/SyonAbbey.htmI've been lucky enough to go below the floor in the house and look at the remains of the Abbey. Some very impressive structures still sxist.

Neil Chippendale ● 5778d

http://tinyurl.com/2dgwegvCorrection: it's Birkbeck College not Brunel who are involved with excavations.

Jim Lawes ● 5778d

After all that energy expended touring the House and grounds...one deserved a reward!As Michael Winner would say.. "the scone was a knock out"!

Jim Lawes ● 5778d

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Jim Lawes ● 5778d