Below you will find 241 items from around the world on many different topics in the news concerning the Middle Ages. These might range from obituaries of great scholars of the period to articles about the last efforts to preserve a medieval barn. The Middle Ages comes up quite regularly in the news and so we will aim to bring you the latest. To help with that we have also set up two methods for you to get these items:

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Restoration of medieval manor house opens up a mystery

Turn right off a quintessentially dull suburban parade of shops and 1930s houses, down a lane past the scrapyard and the playing fields, and there is something so bizarre it seems a hallucination: a medieval manor house, still surrounded by a moat and flanked by its tithe barn, as it has been for almost 700 years.
Source: Guardian Unlimited       Date: 30 Dec 2005

Blazing bull will make it all light on the night

A wicker bull is to be set alight to herald the start of Edinburgh's Hogmanay festivities tonight. A crowd of 15,000 people is expected to attend the annual torchlight procession, which will end in a blaze of glory with the burning of a seven-metre-high wicker bull on top of Calton Hill. And the flaming bull will not be the only fiery spectacle as a traditional 33ft Viking Longship will also be set alight, along with various fire sculptures. A display of fireworks will complete the show.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 29 Dec 2005

Burning effigies launch Hogmanay

A river of fire and the burning of a Viking longship and a Catalonian wicker bull kicked off four days of New Year celebrations in Edinburgh. A torchlight procession through the capital's historic heart on Thursday night signalled the start of the city's annual festivities.
Source: BBC News       Date: 29 Dec 2005

No Saxon find for archaeologists

Archaeologists who started excavations to uncover the remains of an ancient Saxon rotunda have been disappointed. A radar scan of Grange Court, in Leominster, showed what the team believed to be a 1,000-year-old round church and a dig began in August. At the time the area, which is used as a council car park, was hailed as a site of international importance.
Source: BBC News       Date: 29 Dec 2005

Candle-lit service at medieval church

Christmas Communion will be held by candlelight tonight at a mountainside church which dates back to 900 years ago. At 11.30pm the annual candlelit service will take place at the church of Llanfihangel Rhos y Corn, high up in Brechfa Forest.
Source: icWales       Date: 24 Dec 2005

New area of castle is reopened

Visitors are being urged to enjoy the view from Nottingham Castle's south terrace, which has opened for the first time in nine years. It collapsed on Christmas Day, 1996, when a water main burst. Costing over £500,000, there have been repeated delays to the renovations because of the exposed position and its scheduled ancient monument status.
Source: BBC News       Date: 24 Dec 2005

Step up to a castle and trim your waistline

Forget step aerobics and cross-training machines for the inevitable New Year health kick. English Heritage says some of Yorkshire's monuments provide a perfect backdrop for exercise – and will save hundreds of pounds on gym membership into the bargain.
Source: Yorkshire Post       Date: 23 Dec 2005

'Santa Pope' woos Vatican crowds

Pope Benedict XVI appears to be getting into a different kind of Christmas spirit, donning a Santa-style hat for his weekly appearance at the Vatican. At a chilly St Peter's Square, the Pope draped a red cloak over his shoulders and covered his head with a red velvet hat lined with white fur. Vatican officials said the hat, known as a camauro, has been part of the papal wardrobe since the 12th century.
Source: BBC News       Date: 22 Dec 2005

Ancient prayer book to be shown at Victoria and Albert

For 300 years it has been a book without a beginning, middle or end. But thanks to scholarly detective work, a 15th century Book of Hours, written for King Louis XII of France, has been pieced back together and will go on display for the first time at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in February.
Source: Telegraph       Date: 22 Dec 2005

Maurice Beresford - Obit

A historian on the trail of England's lost villages
Source: Guardian Unlimited       Date: 22 Dec 2005

City castle set for big switch on

The new floodlights at Lancaster Castle will be officially switched on in a formal ceremony on Thursday. The castle has been in the dark since Lancaster City Council said it could not continue to repair the old lights which were being repeatedly vandalised.
Source: BBC News       Date: 21 Dec 2005

Council unveils £3m castle scheme

A £3m scheme to refurbish 800-year-old Clitheroe Castle, Lancashire, is being revealed on Thursday. The scheme - the biggest heritage project in Clitheroe's history - is expected to be completed by 2008. It follows a successful bid for £2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the launch of a local campaign to promote the castle.
Source: BBC News       Date: 21 Dec 2005

George Painter - obit

George Painter won instant fame for his biography of Marcel Proust when the first volume came out in 1959 (volume II followed in 1965). The book immediately became the standard biography of the novelist, and was hailed in France as warmly as it was in Britain. From time to time Painter was also in the news defending the authenticity of the Vinland Map, a supposed 15th-century copy, discovered in 1957, of a much earlier Norse or Icelandic map of the North American coast.
Source: Times Online       Date: 21 Dec 2005

Lottery revamp for historic castle

Lottery chiefs have approved a £2m bid to revamp Clitheroe's historic castle. The cash windfall will be used to kick-start the town's biggest restoration project yet, linking the site with the town's museum and the North West Sound Archive and allowing the castle to become an all-weather attraction. More than £159,000 will be released by the Heritage Lottery Fund immediately with more cash likely to follow once strict conditions have been met.
Source: Preston Today       Date: 20 Dec 2005

Hospital dig is a dead end

The whereabouts of a medieval hospital in Peterborough still remains a mystery after an archaeological dig failed to unearth any clues. A team from York Archaeological Trust (YAT) were commissioned to investigate the Westgate area of Peterborough city centre ahead of the the proposed £400 million North Westgate development.
Source: Peterborough Today       Date: 19 Dec 2005

Devon treasure hunters strike a rich seam

This is the hoard of treasure dug up around Devon - and it's set to earn a windfall for the metal detector enthusiasts who found it. The Viking gold ingot, silver gilt dress hook, silver huntsman's whistle and medieval gold and sapphire ring have all been officially declared treasure and have become the property of the Crown.
Source: Hoovers       Date: 17 Dec 2005

Internet search finds stolen shield

When a bronze shield commemorating the site of a bloody battle was stolen from a Yorkshire monument four years ago no one ever expected to see it again. The bronze emblem on the Battle of the Standard monument at Northallerton was thought to have been sold for scrap by someone unaware of its historic significance.
Source: Yorkshire Post       Date: 17 Dec 2005

£6M Gorton Monastery restoration now on track

A start on restoration work at Gorton Monastery has been announced almost a year after campaigning began. The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust has announced the appointment of a specialist heritage contractor to carry out the £6 million restoration on the former friary.
Source: The Advertiser       Date: 16 Dec 2005

Medieval archive could be history

A massive archive detailing the history of medieval medicine is set to be made homeless. The archive, weighing around four tonnes, is the work of archaeo-botanist Dr Brian Moffat, who has spent the past 20 years investigating the work of medieval monks at the former Soutra Hospital site at Soutra Aisle, Midlothian. Dr Moffat has housed his archive at the nearby former Fala Primary School, Fala, for the past three years, since he was forced to move it from its original home at a cottage in the village.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 16 Dec 2005

Return of Burgess roll could be just the ticket

The historic roll of the Burgess is poised to be reinstated in Edinburgh. The position will be reincarnated to stop the historical Incorporated Trades or Guilds dying a death. The history of the Burgess can be traced back as far as 1406 when workers needed to get a Burgess ticket in order to join a guild of the Incorporated Trades.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 16 Dec 2005

Medieval find halts car park rebuilding work

Unsuspecting workmen have unearthed mysterious medieval artefacts below Lichfield's Cross Keys car park. Plans to construct the controversial multi-storey car park were passed by Lichfield District Council in October and work began on the site last month. But in recent days, nearby residents noticed that development had stopped, with workmen apparently staring and pointing at structures within the site.
Source: Lichfield Mercury       Date: 15 Dec 2005

Medieval sewerage unearthed in Brno

Archaeologists have unearthed parts of a sewerage from the 13th century and a ceramic water pipe system, dating from the 15th century that are considered an extraordinary find, the local daily Rovnost writes today. "It has never happened before that we could examine such an old water system in the very location where it was originally placed," archaeologist Antonin Zubek told the paper.
Source: Prague Daily Monitor       Date: 15 Dec 2005

Get your bone skates on!

They are neither stylish nor very practical. But these ice skates, made of animal shinbones, are exact replicas of the winter footwear favoured by our ancestors. Skating is enjoying a boom time in the capital, with a record number of ice rinks open this winter at venues including Somerset House, the Natural History Museum, Kew Gardens and Hampstead Heath. But Londoners have been skating for hundreds of years, as was proved when a pair of almost perfectly preserved medieval skates was discovered in the earth below an office block in Moorfields.
Source: This is London       Date: 14 Dec 2005

Going Medieval

One hears a lot about the Crusades when studying the terrorist threat, and almost exclusively in the form of an accusation. These centuries-old conflicts are raised whenever someone, whether from the region or not, seeks to activate the Western guilt complex. We have to understand this conflict from their point of view, one is told. Memories are long in the region. The time of Saladin is as though yesterday. Had the Europeans (and by extension Americans) not started it all with the Crusades, we might not have the problems we face today.
Source: CBS News       Date: 14 Dec 2005

Lottery cash for medieval ship

The immediate future of a medieval ship was secured today with an award of nearly £800,000 in lottery money. The Heritage Lottery Fund cash will allow experts to examine the timbers of the 15th century Newport ship and uncover its origins and history. The £799,950 grant will also fund exhibitions for school children, as well as talks, workshops and exhibitions for the public.
Source: icWales       Date: 14 Dec 2005

Lottery cash helps medieval ship

The team studying one of Wales' most important archaeological finds will receive an extra £799,500 in funding. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant will help pay for the project to examine the medieval ship buried in the banks of the River Usk, Newport.
Source: BBC News       Date: 14 Dec 2005

Historic castle illuminates city

One of Lancashire's most famous landmarks is to light up the skyline. Lancaster Castle, which dates back to the middle ages, is to be floodlit in time for Christmas, Lancaster City Council has announced.
Source: BBC News       Date: 13 Dec 2005

Historic dwellings face uncertain future

Their foundations date back more than a thousand years, to the times when the Vikings invaded Scotland's remote islands. But now campaigners fear that dozens of historic shielings – tiny stone dwellings used by crofters and farm tenants – could be damaged or even destroyed on the Isle of Lewis.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 13 Dec 2005

Almost a saint

Fra Angelico was the model of a self-effacing medieval monk, whose art was an expression of religion. How is it, Jonathan Jones asks, that his name and his genius are still celebrated 550 years on?
Source: Guardian Unlimited       Date: 10 Dec 2005

Castle tree makes a festive return

Carlisle Castle was back to its festive best last night after Mayor Sandra Fisher threw the switch to light the Christmas tree on the city’s battlements. Last year English Heritage bosses responsible for the castle’s upkeep, were dubbed Scrooges when they said they could not afford to buy and install a tree. When local businessmen offered a 20ft tree to the castle, they were told it could not be installed as they might have damaged the stonework.
Source: News and Star       Date: 10 Dec 2005

Historic site seeking volunteers

Wardens at an historic site in Cornwall are asking for help to conserve the archaeological remains on the landmark. Volunteers will be involved in work to preserve the industrial past of Kit Hill near Callington, including a tin and copper mine. Kit Hill has been an important natural feature in south east Cornwall since prehistoric times.
Source: BBC News       Date: 9 Dec 2005

Historic gem restored

The historic Church House at South Tawton was packed to bursting point last Wednesday (November 30) as visitors came to marvel at the extensive restoration work on the 500-year-old building. The Church House was built around 1490 as a place where villagers could meet to enjoy church ales, have wedding and funeral parties and hold feasts.
Source: Okehampton-Today       Date: 8 Dec 2005

Skeleton secrets revealed by test

Experts examining an Iron Age skeleton found discovered buried beneath a medieval ship in Newport, south Wales, say it is "remarkably well preserved". Tests on the bones, by forensic archaeologists at Lampeter University, mid Wales, have shown that they date back to 170 BC. The bones were found three years ago, and the findings mean they are 1,500 years older than the 15th century ship.
Source: BBC News       Date: 7 Dec 2005

Viking in the Blood? Volunteers needed for DNA tests in Newcastle

Predisposed towards battleaxes, but never understood why? The answer maybe in your genes. On Sunday December 11 2005, volunteers willing to spare a little blood will be able to join in a nationwide project that aims to find out how many of us has a little Viking, Saxon, Angle, Celt, Jute, Roman or Norman in them.
Source: 24 Hour Museum       Date: 7 Dec 2005

Grant boost for minster

A £50,000 grant will pay for a tour of Dewsbury Minster, showcasing its 'lost' heritage. It will also pay for improvements to the Grade II listed building’s outdated lighting, heating, access, signs and literature in the west end. The Rev Kevin Partington, Dewsbury team rector, said the cash would mean people of all ages and abilities can enjoy a ‘unique heritage experience’.
Source: Dewsbury Today       Date: 6 Dec 2005

Sacrifice theory for ship skeleton

A skeleton found under the Newport Ship could have belonged to a man who was decapitated in a sacrificial killing, a leading archaeologist working on the project says. But there is also the possibility that he met his end in the waters of the River Usk by drowning. Kate Hunter, Newport Ship project leader, said there was no firm evidence that the man, discovered to be from the Iron Age, had been decapitated - but she believes he could have fallen foul of a sacrificial killing which were common during the period.
Source: This is Gwent       Date: 6 Dec 2005

Skeleton under ship is Iron age

The remains of a skeleton found underneath a medieval ship discovered buried in the banks of the River Usk in Newport are that of an Iron age man. Tests carried out on the bones which were found in December 2002, have shown that they date back to 170BC. It makes the skeleton about 1,500 years older than the 15th century ship.
Source: BBC News       Date: 5 Dec 2005

Blow for church repairs plan

Residents desperately trying to repair a huge window at their church near Bewdley have been turned down for funding – despite growing fears that pieces of stonework could start falling from it. Villages are hoping to raise £150,000 for a huge refurbishment of St Peter and St Paul church in Rock, near Bewdley. However the £40,000 bid for their Great West Window, which is 25 feet by 12 feet and unusually large for a church, has been recently turned down by English Heritage.
Source: Express and Star       Date: 3 Dec 2005

Saxon warrior remains may stay in county

Ambitious plans to house at a Suffolk museum the “internationally important” discovery of the skeleton of a Saxon warrior buried with his horse have been launched. A massive £400,000 fund-raising drive to extend the Mildenhall Museum has begun after project chiefs were offered the 6th Century Lakenheath Warrior, found at the USAF base eight years ago.
Source: East Anglian Daily Times       Date: 3 Dec 2005

Edward the Confessor's original grave discovered

Christian pilgrims have flocked to visit the altar shrine of Edward the Confessor every year since he was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey in 1066. The site of the saint's original grave has remained a mystery since his body was moved twice in the 12th and 13th centuries, finally being laid to rest at the tiered shrine at the altar of the Abbey. But now the original tomb has been discovered in a forgotten, underground chamber at the Abbey.
Source: The Independent       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Funding saves city's festive tree

An illuminated festive tree will grace a medieval fortress in Cumbria after a deal to secure funding. Carlisle Castle was without the traditional Christmas attraction last year, due to a shortage of cash. English Heritage, which manages the historic building, has collected the £1,500 needed by contributions from local partners and stakeholders.
Source: BBC News       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Greg praises Battle Abbey renovation plans

Major renovation plans for Battle Abbey have been give the thumbs up by the town's MP. Greg Baker has branded the plans "exciting" and said they would help to further boost the town's economy. He pledged his support. English Heritage, which owns Battle Abbey, took the Conservative MP on a tour of the historic site last week, before work on the £2.3 million programme of improvements begins.
Source: Rye and Battle Today       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Grizedale Farmer Makes History Restoring Cumbria's Ancient Woodland

As Britain celebrates the 30th anniversary of National Tree Week, one Cumbrian farmer is making a valuable contribution to the regeneration of the county's woodland - and uncovering some fascinating facts about the region's industrial heritage into the process.
Source: Stackyard.com       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Piece of history from Priory to go on display

An archaeological gem which gives an insight into the lost world of Merton Priory has gone on display at the Museum of London. An Augustinian foundation established in 1117, the priory was once one of the most important and influential monasteries in southern England, attracting royal patronage and many distinguished visitors.
Source: Edgware and Mill Hill Times       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Radar pinpoints tomb of King Edward the Confessor

The ancient tomb of Edward the Confessor, one of the most revered of British saints, has been discovered under Westminster Abbey 1,000 years after his birth. The original burial chamber of the Anglo-Saxon king, who died in 1066, months before the invasion of William the Conqueror, was revealed by archaeologists using the latest radar technology.
Source: Telegraph       Date: 2 Dec 2005

Ancient royal tomb is uncovered

Experts believe they have uncovered the tomb of English Saint Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey. Archaeologists using radar have also discovered a series of royal tombs dating back to the 13th and 14th Centuries in under-floor chambers. The discoveries were made as experts investigated the construction of the Abbey's Cosmati mosaic pavement.
Source: BBC News       Date: 1 Dec 2005

Valuable medieval manuscript completed the Blago Fund Archive

The Blago Fund team made a tour of the Manasija monastery where they paid a visit to the monastery library and were acquainted with the precious cultural heritage lying there. The first copy of the valuable medieval manuscript has been digitalized and will be submitted to the Blago Fund Archive.
Source: Serbian Unity Congress       Date: 30 Nov 2005

The long road from 1128..

The plans for a £180 million redevelopment of the Canongate, including offices, modern apartments and a five-star hotel, mark a remarkable turnaround in the fortunes of this part of the Royal Mile. Whether or not they go ahead - they face protests from the newly-formed Canongate Community Forum - they do at least show that this once regal, then neglected area is on the up again.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 29 Nov 2005

Archaeologist dates nine skeletons to settlement

The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV, reports that the archaeologist Hildur Gestsdottir has dated nine skeletons that have been excavated out of ancient grave-sites to the period of settlement. According to Hildur, the residual levels of Strontium found in the teeth of nine skeletons indicate that the individuals were born not in Iceland but abroad.
Source: Iceland Review       Date: 28 Nov 2005

Ancient Coins found in Iceland

Morgunbladid reports that two coins from the 11th century reign of Norwegian King Haraldur which were found in the ruins of three houses which were discovered last year at Háls at Kárahnjúkar have now been examined. The house ruins are almost 600 metres above sea level. Páll Pálsson, farmer at Adalból, found them, and Landsvirkjun (the National Power department) decided to have them examined, a process that was only completed this year.
Source: Iceland Review       Date: 25 Nov 2005

Knights lay curse on developers

Insanity, illness and a lingering, painful death are in store for the developers behind an £85 million shopping centre, a controversial group claimed after calling down a 1,000-year-old curse on them. On Sunday, the Knights of St Edmund led a procession through the town named in honour of their patron, before cursing the site of the Cattle Market development, as well as flagship store Debenhams.
Source: Bury St Edmunds Today       Date: 25 Nov 2005

Landmark given radical face lift

One of Kent's most recognisable landmarks - Canterbury's Westgate - will disappear for six weeks as part of an innovative arts project. The medieval gateway will be transformed by a large projection show onto its facade.
Source: BBC News       Date: 24 Nov 2005

Project reveals details of abbey's past

Detailed information collected from hundreds of pieces of stone at the site of an historic abbey will be used to create the first computer-generated image of the building. Volunteers have spent two years sifting through stones at Tupholme Abbey, near Bardney, to discover clues about its past.
Source: This is Lincolnshire       Date: 24 Nov 2005

Woodland provides Mabinogion lessons

Children living on the doorstep of one of the Mabinogion's magical woods have been exploring its mysteries. Pupils from Ysgol Edmwnd Prys of Gellilydan in Snowdonia were joined by Welsh poet Twm Morys as they discovered more about Coed Felinrhyd - where the leaders of two warring factions in the Welsh folk tales did battle.
Source: icWales       Date: 24 Nov 2005

Cimabue’s Assisi fresco reconstructed

A fresco by Cimabue, believed destroyed in the 1997 earthquake, has been partially reconstructed from thousands of fragments. It is to be reinstalled in the Basilica of St Francis next March. The restoration is the last in an extraordinary eight-year conservation project co-ordinated by the regional government of Umbria and the State-run Istituto Centrale del Restauro in Rome, and financed by the State.
Source: The Art Newspaper       Date: 23 Nov 2005

Conservationists clash over castle

A bitterly contested public inquiry into the future of Riber Castle drew to a close yesterday. Inspector Philip Wilson heard testimonies for and against proposals for a housing development in and around the historic ruin in a week-long hearing.
Source: Matlock Today       Date: 23 Nov 2005

Fire at 13th Century manor house

Fire crews have been fighting a blaze at an historic house in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Brigades were called to 13th Century Malmesbury House at The Close on Wednesday afternoon.
Source: BBC News       Date: 23 Nov 2005

Lottery cash for historic Rattray Chapel

Banff and Buchan MP Alex Salmond has welcomed the news from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) that an award of £49,800 has been made to Aberdeenshire Council for the Historic Kirkyards Project.
Source: Buchan Observer       Date: 23 Nov 2005

Real story of medieval capital told at the Museum of London

From the decline of Rome to the Protestant Reformation, the medieval period lasted more than a millennia and saw London transformed from ruins to a flourishing capital city, ready to take on the world. The Museum of London’s new Medieval Gallery, which opens on November 25 2005, is tackling this huge subject, with an ambitious and intelligently displayed selection of some 1,200 objects, from miniature toy soldiers to an entire section of riverfront.
Source: 24 Hour Museum       Date: 23 Nov 2005

Sad plight of manor house highlighted

A fire-ravaged 14th-century manor house in Peterborough has been highlighted in a new report about buildings at risk. English Heritage and the Countryside Agency says traditional farm buildings and rural buildings are more at risk of falling into disrepair than in towns. Its annual audit of historic properties in the countryside, Heritage Counts, reveals that thousands of barns, wagon sheds, dovecots, outhouses and stables are falling into ruin as farmers go out of business.
Source: Peterborough Today       Date: 23 Nov 2005

In pictures: Medieval London

Source: BBC News       Date: 22 Nov 2005

Binge-drinking an age-old problem

A culture of 24-hour drinking and bingeing on alcohol may not be unique to modern society, say historians. Experts have uncovered evidence that 12th century Londoners drank ale by the gallon, starting at breakfast time, due to poor quality drinking water. Exhibits at the Museum of London, including a selection of old Toby jugs, depict tubby men with beer bellies.
Source: BBC News       Date: 21 Nov 2005

Binge-drinking not a modern trait

Beer bellies and binge-drinking may not be uniquely modern curiosities, historians suggested. Experts at the Museum of London have uncovered evidence of "inflated" stomachs and a 24-hour boozing culture in medieval London, during preparations to open a new gallery. Due to poor quality drinking water back in the 12th century, "unlucky" Londoners were forced to drink ale - as much as a gallon a day.
Source: Daily Mail       Date: 21 Nov 2005

Mystery Saxon whip goes on display in London

A small leather whip found in a 1,000-year-old rubbish dump may be evidence of the brutal treatment of slaves in Saxon London. Archaeologists at the Museum of London have been puzzling over it for 15 years since it was excavated just off Cheapside, one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the city. Explanations have ranged from sexual sadism to religious fanaticism, but curator John Clark now believes it was probably kept for disciplining slaves. The whip will be on display for the first time at the Museum of London's new medieval gallery, which opens on Friday.
Source: Guardian Unlimited       Date: 21 Nov 2005

Entering the realm of the divine through icon paintings

It's a pity some people think the Middle Ages were a great big bore, a time in history when nothing much happened beyond the usual pillaging, pestilence and slaughter. They may miss out on a terrific new show. Called Sacred Arts and City Life: The Glory of Medieval Novgorod, this marvelous exhibition, which opened this weekend at the Walters Art Museum, centers around some of the greatest Russian artworks of the Middle Ages, the magnificent icon paintings created by anonymous artist-craftsmen.
Source: Baltimore Sun       Date: 20 Nov 2005

Medieval attraction makes appeal

People in York are being invited to make "a present to the past" and help preserve part of the city's heritage. The Barley Hall is a recreation of a merchant's home from the time of the wars of the roses.
Source: BBC News       Date: 20 Nov 2005

Trim Castle developers breached EU planning law

The European Union’s environment commission has ruled that developers at the controversial Trim Castle site in Co Meath have breached EU planning law. Trim Castle, on the banks of the River Boyne, is the largest Norman castle in Ireland. It has been at the centre of a scandal since 2002, when Trim Urban District Council sold land to a developer to build a 68-bedroom hotel on the perimeter of the 12th-century site.
Source: Daily Ireland       Date: 20 Nov 2005

Medieval drama simply well done

Opera Sacra has, over the course of 30 years, presented operatic works built upon biblical texts or situations involving the Christian church. Composers such as Puccini, Poulenc and Ravel all turn up in the Opera Sacra repertoire, but the ensemble has also delved deep into history for medieval liturgical dramas by Hildegard von Bingen, along with "The Play of Daniel" and this weekend's offering, "The Play of Herod," from the pen of the world's most prolific composer - Anonymous.
Source: Buffalo News       Date: 19 Nov 2005

The castle battle in focus

Originally a Norman motte and bailey castle, Raglan Castle was rebuilt in the mid 15th century by Welsh knight, Sir William ap Thomas. Although it suffered during the Civil War, the structure still remains and it is a Grade One listed building. But according to local action groups, the National Assembly's conservation arm Cadw and the Environment Agency, plans to build a cattle market under its ramparts will threaten its future.
Source: icWales       Date: 19 Nov 2005

Pilgrim's tales

The Royal Shakespeare Company brings its touring production of The Canterbury Tales to Ellesmere Port from February 14-18 next year and there is a bonus for young theatre-goers... The regular visits of the RSC to the Epic Leisure Centre are eagerly awaited, sell-out events and the next one will be no exception. It's the first time the company has presented Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and this major production in two parts will feature all 23 of these famous medieval stories.
Source: icCheshire Online       Date: 18 Nov 2005

Take a virtual castle tour

A new tour of Stirling Castle is providing unparalleled access to visitors with disabilities. The virtual tour provides an on-screen guide to the top attraction combining audio, video, stills, aerial photography and drawn reconstructions to create an hour-long journey into the past.
Source: icStirlingshire       Date: 18 Nov 2005

Prodi promises pilgrims progress

Italian opposition leader Romano Prodi says he hopes to revive the medieval route that took Christian pilgrims from Canterbury to Rome. The Via Francigena from Britain to Italy dates back to the 10th Century.
Source: BBC News       Date: 14 Nov 2005

Days Out: Battle Abbey

The one date in English history that everyone knows is 1066, and this is where it all happened: the site of the Battle of Hastings. On this field William the Conqueror led his Norman army to victory and set the start date for modern British history. As you walk around the battlefield, an exceptionally effective audio guide (suitable for all ages) allows you to hear Aelfric the Saxon thane and Edith Swan-neck, common-law wife to King Harold of England, describe the events of the day.
Source: The Independent       Date: 13 Nov 2005

Knight School changes U.K. town

The town of Spilsby, England, has taken a page out of medieval history and formed a Knight School for its youth to teach manners and values. Police Sgt. Gary Brown created the school after he learned that 9-year-old children vandalized a church and a cemetery of war dead. Brown formed the Knight School to instill a chivalrous code of courtesy, respect and pride for those age 6 to 8, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
Source: United Press International       Date: 13 Nov 2005

Team to probe castle hauntings

A team of ghost investigators will be at a Cornish castle on Saturday night to try to find evidence of haunting. The Paranormal Site Investigators (PSI) will use a range of equipment to record high frequency noise and changes in temperature at Pengersick Castle.
Source: BBC News       Date: 11 Nov 2005

10 lessons from the medieval knights

Police are putting unruly youngsters through their paces on an eight-week "knight school", to teach them some of the ways of medieval knights. The Lincolnshire scheme has been hailed a success in improving behaviour, so what kind of lessons could knights teach youngsters today?
Source: BBC News       Date: 10 Nov 2005

Ancient well discovery sheds light on city's medieval past

Archaeologists have unearthed a medieval well over 3m (9ft) deep which had lain undiscovered for over 800 years. The University of Sheffield's archaeological consultancy firm ARCUS made the unexpected find in Sheffield's city centre. The discovery was made during the team's excavation at Carmel House on Fargate in Sheffield city centre, as part of the redevelopment of the site by Hermes Property Unit Trust.
Source: Yorkshire Post       Date: 10 Nov 2005

Caernarfon turns spotlight on its medieval castle

A few decades ago the Welsh town of Caernarfon seemed on the verge of something big. It was vying with Cardiff to become the Welsh capital and, in 1969, it was the focus of world attention when the Prince of Wales was invested at Caernarfon Castle. Now, the weekend getaway town of 10,000 inhabitants on the Irish Sea is hobbled by high unemployment -- with a rate twice the British average -- and its once-lively streets are deserted at night.
Source: Reuters UK       Date: 9 Nov 2005

Human remains unearthed in Wiltshire

Builders have unearthed what appear to be the oldest human remains ever to be found in Malmesbury. Workmen discovered the two skeletons last Thursday morning (October 27) as they began to dig foundations for an extension to a conference room at the Old Bell Hotel, in Abbey Row. The findings led to work being immediately halted while police and then archaeology experts were called in to examine the skeletons.
Source: This is Cirencester       Date: 9 Nov 2005

Anyone seen an abbey around here?

Archaeologists turned up in force to examine the history of Bisham Abbey last month. About 20 enthusiasts were told of the little-known fact that the existing building once home to the Knights Templar is actually a manor house as opposed to an abbey. However, as John Laker, of Archaeology In Marlow, insists: "The house is still of immense interest, with parts of it dating back over 800 years."
Source: This is Local London       Date: 7 Nov 2005

Historic castle goes up for sale

An 11th Century city centre castle is going on the market this week. Rougemont Castle in Exeter is being sold by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Bids must be submitted by 20 December. The sale is being handled by Lambert Smith Hampton of Bristol, who said no guide price was being quoted. Sums of £1.5m have been mentioned locally.
Source: BBC News       Date: 7 Nov 2005

Place-names and surnames in Malta’s medieval history

The next in the series of educational presentations organised by Din l-Art Helwa will be a lecture by Prof. Godfrey Wettinger on place-names and surnames in Malta’s medieval history. Ever since the time of Commendatore Abela, Maltese historians used random references to Maltese place-names that abound in the islands of Malta and Gozo in order to illustrate their reconstructions of Maltese medieval history.
Source: The Malta Independent       Date: 7 Nov 2005

Skeletons uncovered at airbase

Skeletons and flint tools thought to date from Anglo-Saxon and earlier times have been found at an airbase. They are the latest archaeological finds at the Lakenheath US Air Force base which has previously yielded important discoveries including a warrior who had been buried together with his horse and weapons. Students from the Suffolk branch of the Young Archaeologist Club have helped at the site of a burial mound on land which is to become a new housing area for service personnel.
Source: Cambridge Evening News       Date: 7 Nov 2005

You've never had it so rude

In 13th-century England, it was considered bad manners for lords to pick fleas from their breeches during meals. Urinating in the dining hall was similarly frowned upon, unless you were the head of the household - in which case you could drop your trousers anywhere you pleased and spell out "Lancelot was here" in the dirt.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 6 Nov 2005

Royal seal of approval for 800th anniversary

The Princess Royal will visit Huntingdon this month to view the town's earliest borough charter. It was granted by King John in 1205 to confirm the town's status as a royal borough and the parchment document has been put back on display in the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon. It was on show during the summer where it formed the centrepiece of the Huntingdon 800 celebrations.
Source: Cambridge Evening News       Date: 4 Nov 2005

Ancient hall 'saved by lottery'

A 14th century guildhall in Lincolnshire that has been used as a courtroom, museum and jail is being restored with a lottery award. The £877,000 grant to upgrade St. Mary's Guildhall in Boston brings the total lottery funds allocated to the project to £1m.
Source: BBC News       Date: 3 Nov 2005

Church sells bits of Boston Stump

Church officials are selling off chunks of a medieval Lincolnshire landmark to raise money for its restoration. St Botolph's Church, also known as the Boston Stump, is the largest parish church in England. The church said that the Princess Royal has agreed to be patron of the £3m appeal to raise money for the restoration work.
Source: BBC News       Date: 3 Nov 2005

Ancient Pisan Church Unearthed

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient church in Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli, home to the famed Leaning Tower . The structure, dating back to the 9th century, was discovered during the installation of a new irrigation system for a lawn between the cathedral and the nearby walled Camposanto cemetery .
Source: ANSA       Date: 2 Nov 2005

Belgian and Dutch archaeologists join forces to find medieval farm in Schoondijke

(In Dutch) Dutch and Belgian archaeologists believe a medieval farm is buried under the modern village of Schoondijke (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). In the coastal plain of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen medieval settlements are generally difficult to find, as they are buried under marine sediments, caused by inundations in the 16th century. The new excavations in Schoondijke, which will start next week, should improve the knowledge about the cultural landscape of the coastal region and its transformation in the middle ages.
Source: ArcheoNet.be       Date: 2 Nov 2005

Roman and Medieval Warm Periods in Spain

The five scientists determined that the mean temperature of the Medieval Warm Period in northwest Spain was 1.5°C warmer than it was over the 30 years leading up to the time of their study, and that the mean temperature of the Roman Warm Period was 2°C warmer. Even more impressive was their finding that several decadal-scale intervals during the Roman Warm Period were more than 2.5°C warmer than the 1968-98 period, while an interval in excess of 80 years during the Medieval Warm Period was more than 3°C warmer.
Source: CO2 Science       Date: 2 Nov 2005

£3m project for historic castle

A £3m project is under way to transform one of Lancashire's oldest buildings. A £2m bid has been submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help to fund work on Clitheroe Castle and modernise its museum.
Source: BBC News       Date: 1 Nov 2005

Obit: Professor Angus Mcintosh

Angus McIntosh, linguist and medievalist: born Cleadon, Co Durham 10 January 1914; Lecturer, Department of English, University College, Swansea 1938-46; Lecturer in Mediaeval English, Oxford University 1946-48; Lecturer in English, Christ Church, Oxford 1946-47, Student 1947-48; Forbes Professor of English Language and General Linguistics, Edinburgh University 1948-64, Forbes Professor of English Language 1964-79 (Emeritus), Honorary Consultant, Institute for Historical Dialectology (formerly Gayre Institute for Medieval English and Scottish Dialectology) 1986-2005; President, Scottish Text Society 1977-89, Honorary President 1989-2005; FRSE 1978; Director, Middle English Dialect Atlas Project 1979-86; FBA 1989; Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of English Language, Glasgow University 1993-2005;
Source: The Independent       Date: 1 Nov 2005

Student launched from catapult died after missing safety net

A university student died after being hurled 100ft through the air by a medieval-style "trebuchet" catapult, an inquest heard yesterday. Kostydin Yankov, 19, an Oxford University student, suffered multiple injuries and serious spinal damage when he fell short of the safety net. He was on a day trip with the extreme sports club, The Oxford Stunt Factory, to Bridgwater, Somerset, in November 2002 when tragedy struck.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 1 Nov 2005

Historic castle begins spook hunt

A reputedly haunted Cumbrian castle is recruiting online ghost hunters to monitor spooky goings-on there. A web camera has been installed in the tapestry room at Muncaster Castle in the Lake District.
Source: BBC News       Date: 31 Oct 2005

Call for returning Wallace document

A Scottish parliamentarian is seeking the return of a document once carried by William Wallace. A letter, known as The Safe Conduct, was in Wallace's possession when he was captured in August 1305 in Robroyston, near Glasgow. Written by the King of France, the paperwork was meant to grant the Scots hero safe passage to visit the Pope. However the document has been archived in London since Wallace was tried and executed on charges of treason.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 28 Oct 2005

Madonna sculpture miraculously discovered among burning thatch

A rare medieval wooden sculpture of the Madonna miraculously discovered among the burning thatch as a fire gutted the Cosy Thatch pub at Kilmeaden, is to go on permanent display at Waterford Museum of Treasures. The statue, which is thirty-one inches in height and dates back to the 15th century, has been donated to the museum by the proprietor of the Cosy Thatch, Martin Doyle.
Source: Waterford News and Star       Date: 28 Oct 2005

Medieval film dream is made real

A first time filmmaker remortagaged his house to raise the funds for a medieval comedy film set in a Gwynedd village. Featuring the members of the Harlech Medieval Society, the filming of The Baron, was a dream come true for history re-enactor Michael Fairbridge.
Source: BBC News       Date: 28 Oct 2005

Marshall Clagett, historian of science in medieval times, dies

Marshall Clagett, one of the world's pre-eminent historians on medieval science and the work of mathematician Archimedes, has died. Clagett's death at age 89 on Oct. 21 was announced by the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton where he worked for the last four decades. He lived in Princeton.
Source: Newsday.com       Date: 26 Oct 2005

Digital bid to calm gospels row

An ancient manuscript containing some of the earliest surviving examples of written Welsh is returning to Wales - but only in a digital format. Scholars are divided over whether the St Chad Gospels - or St Teilo Gospels - originated in England or Wales.
Source: BBC News       Date: 25 Oct 2005

Archaeological sites are discovered near new dual carriageway in Republic

Nineteen archaeological sites including a Neolithic settlement and an early medieval cemetery have been found along the route of the next stage of the Belfast to Dublin road upgrade. Construction of the nine-mile high quality dual carriageway between Dundalk and Newry is under way and it is due to open in 2007.
Source: Belfast Telegraph       Date: 24 Oct 2005

Big cats prowled London's tower

Two lion skulls unearthed at the Tower of London have been dated to Medieval times, shedding light on the lost institution of the "Royal Menagerie". It also shows the relationship between England's early monarchs and the "king of beasts" was not just a symbolic one.
Source: BBC News       Date: 24 Oct 2005

Lion skulls from Tower of London dated back to 13th century

There’s not much evidence of animal liberators taking offence at the time, but contemporary ones be warned – you won’t be pleased to hear how early English monarchs treated the king of beasts. Whatever your position, big cat remains found in the Tower of London moat offer an intriguing glimpse into that earliest of zoos, the Royal Menagerie, and point to the real-life relationship between the monarchy and its heraldic symbol, the lion.
Source: 24 Hour Museum       Date: 24 Oct 2005

Church celebrates 550th birthday

A small town's church, built when Henry VI was king, is celebrating its 550th birthday with a special service. All Saints' in Weymouth was built in 1455, though it is believed there has been a church on the site since 1172.
Source: BBC News       Date: 23 Oct 2005

Gold ring treasure found in field

A metal detector enthusiast has told an inquest how he uncovered a 1,200 year old gold ring in a field near Mold. Welding engineer David Robinson from Garden City, Deeside, discovered the artefact, thought to date from the 9th or 10th Century, in October 2004.
Source: BBC News       Date: 21 Oct 2005

Illuminated Pages Capturing a Fading World

The New York Public Library is a great national resource. If it were a natural one, it would be forested with oil rigs and pocked with mines of gold and silver. Being a cultural resource, the library's riches are truly inexhaustible, benefiting succeeding generations. But this doesn't rule out the bibliographical equivalent of a freshly struck mother lode. The latest proof is "The Splendor of the Word: Medieval and Renaissance Illuminated Manuscripts at the New York Public Library."
Source: New York Times       Date: 21 Oct 2005

Viking action group looks back and ahead

The Save Viking Waterford Action Group held its first Annual General Meeting on Thursday last in Dooley‚s Hotel, the Quay, Waterford. The AGM, which was attended by activists in the campaign as well as supporters, presented an overview of the first thirteen months in the existence of the SVWAG and outlined future campaign tactics.
Source: Waterford News and Star       Date: 21 Oct 2005

Church tower repairs reveal medieval mess

Stonemasons renovating the tower of a parish church have discovered cowboy builders existed 800 years ago. The shoddy workmanship was uncovered when the team started to repair 10ft cracks at St Dionysius, Market Harborough. Instead of finding a solid wall inside to support the tower, there was rubble and clay.
Source: Leicester Mercury       Date: 20 Oct 2005

Experts unearth an Iona of the east

When St Columba landed in Scotland in the Dark Ages, he set about creating a centre of learning that would illuminate the Christian world. His monastery on Iona, founded in 563AD, became a place of pilgrimage for saints and kings. It is believed to have produced the Book of Kells, one of the world's most famous religious manuscipts.
Source: The Herald       Date: 17 Oct 2005

Ancient relic is 'once in a lifetime' finding

An ancient relic worth thousands of pounds was recently dug up on an Aughton farm – by a man who thought it was a milk bottle top...Tim found the 9th century artefact eight inches beneath the surface. At first he thought it was a milk bottle top, then a Victorian pendant, but once he got it home he found it was much more interesting.
Source: Dinnington Today       Date: 14 Oct 2005

Archaeologists dig the dirt on rare medieval farm find

The remains of a medieval farm settlement have been uncovered in the walled garden of a city hotel. A team of archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 12th-century building, a garden wall and fragments of pottery from the same era in the grounds of the Norton House Hotel, near Ingliston.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 14 Oct 2005

Grant Expands Medieval Program

The Barker Center’s Thompson Room was abuzz with excitement on Wednesday, as Goelet Professor of Medieval History Michael McCormick approached the podium to introduce the inaugural lecture in a series on migration and medieval culture. For the 50 audience members, the lecture, which focused on the collaboration of a physicist and an archaeologist, was more than a speech. It signaled a renewed commitment to medieval studies at Harvard.
Source: The Harvard Crimson       Date: 14 Oct 2005

Rosslyn Chapel's extraordinary carvings explained at last

The doors of Rosslyn Chapel have shut behind the cast and crew of The Da Vinci Code. But grail tourists will continue to travel to this place of 21st century pilgrimage and walk in the footsteps of the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 13 Oct 2005

£2m rescue plan for Abbey

Time is taking its toll of Tewkesbury's magnificent Abbey. Now the Parochial Church Council is launching a £2 million appeal to pay for desperately needed work on its fabric. Much of the lead and all the guttering and drainage need to be renewed to stop water getting into the Norman tower.
Source: This is Worcestershire       Date: 12 Oct 2005

77 years late, but fourth volume of epic history series was worth the wait

Gill Cookson is the first to admit that her new volume on the history of Darlington is not exactly bedtime reading. But she is equally quick to assert that the 288-page book will soon establish itself as the main point of reference for anyone interested in the town and its past. She is also immensely proud of the end result of six years' work as editor of A History of County Durham IV: Darlington.
Source: Darlington and Stockton Times       Date: 12 Oct 2005

Lynx 'still in UK in medieval period'

Important prehistoric sites on Somerset's moorland are being destroyed because water is being drained from the land for farming, a report has revealed. Two Bronze Age trackways dating back nearly 3,000 years have been lost as the peat they were preserved in has dried up, and 11 further sites are under threat, said the report by English Heritage and Somerset County Council.
Source: icWales       Date: 11 Oct 2005

Low tide reveals lost city find

Archaeologists believe that photographs taken along the Suffolk coast may prove that the ancient city of Dunwich may have been connected with shipbuilding. Recent exceptionally low tides have revealed timbers and banks that experts say may be connected with shipbuilding at Dunwich nearly 500 years ago.
Source: BBC News       Date: 10 Oct 2005

Never give up - Bruce fights back in war of Scottish heroes

One was a national hero and guerrilla fighter who restored Scottish pride before dying a glorious, if bloody, martyr's death. The other was a self-serving opportunist who betrayed his countrymen in his own ambitious quest to become the King of Scotland. Well, according to the movies anyway. Now aristocratic descendants of Robert the Bruce are fighting to restore the legendary king's reputation as the true saviour of Scotland after Hollywood gave the honours to William Wallace.
Source: Scotsman.com       Date: 9 Oct 2005

Apartment in castle up for rent

Flat hunters have the rare chance to rent an apartment inside one of the most striking castles on the Northumberland coastline. The price tag for the six-bedroom luxury flat in Bamburgh Castle is £24,000 a year.
Source: BBC News       Date: 7 Oct 2005

Art of glass

Archaeological evidence of stained glass making traces the craft back as far as the early centuries of the first millennium BC with finds of coloured glass made in Egypt, Greece and Rome as well as the ancient civilisations of Chaldea and Phoenicia. But the English who were relatively late starters since historical references date back only to the 7th century took until the 12th century to develop it into a sophisticated art form.
Source: Suttong Guardian       Date: 6 Oct 2005

Medieval Remains To Stand Along Side By-Pass

Work has begun this week open preserving the remains of a medieval church discovered in Ballyshannon during the construction of the N-15 bypass. Just over two years since archaeological excavations began along the bypass route, archaeologists are now preserving one of the most significant discoveries in Donegal in recent years.
Source: Donegal Democrat       Date: 6 Oct 2005

Online for Anglo Saxon rubbish

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is backing a web service aimed at introducing children to the wonders of archaeology. A database cataloguing rubbish dropped down the toilet, what to do if you find buried treasure and a guide to the sixth century village of West Mucking, are all featured on the latest website set up by the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA).
Source: Kable       Date: 6 Oct 2005

£3m bid to restore town landmark

An appeal to raise £3m is being launched to carry out restoration and improvement works to Boston Stump. The appeal has attracted royal backing with HRH The Princess Royal agreeing to be patron.
Source: BBC News       Date: 5 Oct 2005

Chapel work to finish by summer

Officials involved with the restoration of a medieval Guernsey chapel hope the work will be completed by next summer. St Appoline's Chapel in St Saviour, which was built in 1392, has had increasing problems with damp, damaging a wall painting of the Last Supper.
Source: BBC News       Date: 5 Oct 2005

Middle aged fun factories

On Mediaeval Mischief: Wit and Humour in the