§ 4.1 p.m.
§ Sir John Langford-Holt (Shrewsbury)Before raising the matter of a Roman city which existed once in my constituency, relics of which still remain, may I preface my remarks first by paying tribute, which is somewhat unusual in an Adjournment debate, to the Department of the Environment with which I am raising this matter today. I should also like to mention Lord Sandford, with whom at the time I had many dealings on this matter and who was most helpful. Third, in everything I have to say—I am sure that my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment will be aware of this because I have written to him about it—I am conscious of the rights of the sitting tenant, the farmer, who is trying to operate his business in the area which I am discussing. I hope that at all times his well-being and welfare will be kept in mind. Lastly may I, as the Minister's predecessor has done, thank Lord Barnby whose generosity made it possible for the State to acquire the site about which we are talking.
We are speaking of a site which is about five miles from the centre of my constituency in Shrewsbury, where formerly there was a Roman city which in its heyday was the fourth largest city in the whole of the kingdom. Today it is an area of about 180 acres which over the years has been partly excavated.
I suppose one must give a bit of history. The first phase of Uriconium dates back from the time of the Roman conquest and it was here that King Caractacus, who was the son of Cunobelinus, 1803 better known to most of us as Old King Cole, faced the Roman invasion. The Romans were the first people to build a fortress, and it was simply a fortress at that time on this site. It was from there that Nero's legions invaded Wales.
In about AD 90 the fortress passed from military to civilian control, and 32 years later Uriconium, as we know it today, was built by the Emperor Hadrian. In about AD 160 a fire took place in what one might call the shopping quarter. Nevertheless about 40 years later, after further development, a city covered the full area of 200 acres. As I have said, it was the fourth largest city in the kingdom, after London, Cirencester and St. Albans or Verulamium. It is of interest that at that time, bearing in mind that Uriconium was 200 acres, London—the capital city—was only 330 acres. It was therefore an astonishingly big town within the limits of those days.
The importance of Uriconium—this does not apply anywhere else—is that, whereas all the other developments have been built over subsequently, Uriconium is still right out in the open. By the sixth century, for reasons which are not altogether clear, the people of the city, if I may so put it, upped and left and went into the town of Shrewsbury. They probably did it for the sake of defence. As everyone knows, Shrewsbury is almost completely surrounded by a river and, no doubt, it was for that reason much more defensible.
Today there can hardly be a greater hunk of our history located in one place. What is there to be found at Uriconium? There are relics—one must admit frankly that, in the main, they are only relics—of the Roman market hall and of the bath house with its adjacent exercise hall, where, one is told by experts, people used to sit about and get up a good sweat or take exercise by boxing and wrestling. There is also the forum, which has been excavated once. It was excavated, I think, in 1923. Sir Mortimer Wheeler told me that the first bit of excavation he ever did was on the forum at Uriconium. In order to protect it, it was then filled in and covered over until such time as it could be worked on and looked at again. I believe that that time is now, and that is my purpose in raising the matter today.
1804 This Roman city of Uriconium is, as I say, wholly under fields, little more than a plough's depth from the surface. It was in its day a city larger than Pompeii. This site covers 180 acres in the open countryside. One can find there relics of each phase in not only its history but our country's history. Archaeologists have been working there rather like detectives, piecing together its past, trying to find out not only what happened but why it happened. Probably, some of the best work has been done in recent years by Dr. Graham Webster from Birmingham University, who has performed outstanding work.
Uriconium, as I say, did not suffer the fate of other sites. It was not buried under a medieval or modern town as the others were. The Roman city of London, for example, is, I believe, about 20 feet below the feet of the City of London. However, that is not to say that one cannot find in the area of Uriconium evidence of the history of medieval and modern times. The amount of it is quite astonishing. In Shrewsbury, only a few miles from Uriconium, one has the site of an ancient British town, a Saxon town and a medieval town. In the other direction, only a little further away, one finds the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. To bring it right up to date, in the third direction one finds the new town of Telford. All this is within an area of about 10 miles. It is almost a museum piece in itself.
We are not thinking here of any minor excavation. Uriconium would show the one complete civic centre of a Roman town left in Britain today. What is important is to know what is to be done in the future, and this is where I put my suggestion to my hon. Friend.
There is in this country, I am told, no permanent base for the training of archaeologists. The result is that there is a shortage of trained and qualified archaeologists, which to some extent is holding up studies not only in this area but elsewhere. In this area of Shropshire which I represent, not only can we help but we can be helped.
In parenthesis, one notes that every time a motorway is pushed across some part of our country, or every time a new high-rise building goes up—we found an 1805 example ourselves in New Palace Yard—some site which is worth excavating and looking at in its own right suddenly comes to light, but there are not enough people available to do it properly in the time available.
Not two miles away from Uriconium is an adult education college at Attingham Park, and here, I believe, lies the answer to the problem. It could be made into a base for the training of archaeologists. Here could be trained the graduates to become supervisors and technicians, possibly under directors of excavation who are coming out of or who are perhaps graduates from universities. Between Uriconium and Attingham all the facilities exist and can, with a little cost, be used.
One interesting spin-off came to my notice. The archaeologists need all the help, both professional and amateur, they can get. I hasten to add that the amateur help must be with supervision. They have even used from time to time prisoners from Shrewsbury Prison. Mr. Geoffrey Toms, the principal at Attingham, says that the supervisors have a high regard for these prison workers. They are mostly long-term offenders in their final year and, he says, half of them become instinctively good archaeologists.
At Uriconium, therefore, the facilities are excellent. The site is there, the buildings are there—my hon. Friend's Department has erected an excellent building recently—and the facilities are located nearby at Attingham. All that is needed is a fusion of these things into an archaeological training college of enormous value not only to the county of Shropshire but to every part of the country. Graduates from this place could breathe new life into centres and sites everywhere. Much has been done by recent building, but with the modern use of drawings and models, and with reconstruction on the lines of that at Fishbourne, Uriconium could, in Dr. Webster's words, become unique as an imaginative museum display. We might soon discover how much in our history we have lost, found and lost again because we did not care enough. I ask the Government to maintain their excellent record and keep up the momentum of progress.
There is a great hope for the future of this national asset but there is danger 1806 that, feeling that we have done so well so far, we might slip back into a period of inactivity from which it might be difficult to rouse ourselves. The ancient monuments division of the Department of the Environment has shown itself very alive to the importance and value of what lies at Uriconium. It is of value not only for the interest and amusement of an ever-growing army of eggheads; it goes much further than that. There is the advantage that, with a little help, those of us who are not archaeologists could give these enthusiasts the chance to create something which people from all over the world will come to see, both to their advantage and to ours. I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will be able to help us.
§ 4.13 p.m.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Reginald Eyre)I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Sir J. Langford-Holt) for raising this afternoon the interesting subject of the Roman City of Wroxeter. I appreciate the kind reference he made to the work of my Department. I know that he continues to take a close and informed interest in the future of this outstandingly important site and I shall do my best to answer the points he has raised.
Before dealing with the question of providing training facilities for archaeologists I emphasise the significance of this uniquely important monument and explain something of my Department's involvement in it. I note that my hon. Friend was careful to use the name Uriconium in his reference to the city, as did A. E. Housman in his poem about leaves falling on Wenlock Edge. But I shall try to avoid misunderstanding by calling it Wroxeter.
The nucleus of the town, containing the public baths, the palaestra—the exercise hall—and the east side of forum—the public law court and market—has been in the Department's care since 1947. This area has been the subject of a series of excavations organised on the Department's behalf by Dr. Graham Webster as a training excavation for Birmingham University Extra-Mural Department, and more recently by Mr. Philip Barker, also of Birmingham University.
1807 These have been important not only as part of the lengthy and painstaking process of increasing our knowledge of the site but also as the first stage of displaying additional areas to the public. The joint efforts of Dr. Webster and Mr. Barker, and their teams, have been most successful in extending our knowledge, particularly of the last phases of Romano-British settlement, and in giving students valuable practical experience in excavating techniques.
The consolidation of the standing remains and those revealed by the excavations has been undertaken by the Department's craftsmen. The public already enjoy access to this area and, as part of our presentation of the site, a new museum building was opened in 1972, replacing the previous wooden hut which had become unsafe. At present it houses a temporary display of important finds from the site. Plans are in hand to provide, by next season, a permanent display of a selection of this material which will be complemented by finds and interpretative material illustrative of the excavation currently in progress.
In the past 10 years or so, the Department has spent over £100,000 on all work at Wroxeter, and our current expenditure on excavation and consolidation is running at an annual rate of £18,000.
The walled area of the city is known to extend to about 200 acres, which makes Wroxeter the fourth largest town in Roman Britain, exceeded in size only by London, Circencester and St. Albans. It is easily the largest Romano-British site to have remained substantially undeveloped through the centuries. However, only limited areas of the city have been scientifically excavated. It is the immense archaeological potential of the site as a whole which gives Wroxeter its outstanding importance.
It was in recognition of this importance, and to protect the site from future development and from the increasing damage being caused by intensive ploughing, that the Department, in 1972, grasped the opportunity that arose to purchase some 240 acres of Lord Barnard's Shropshire estate, which constitutes the major part of the site of the Roman town. The announcement of the completion of this purchase in March of this year was widely acclaimed in 1808 archaeological circles, and I am glad that my hon. Friend has felt able to add his congratulations.
The acquisition of the site means that it will be safeguarded for future research by archaeologists. It should be possible eventually to excavate and display for the public those areas and buildings of special significance which lend themselves to such treatment.
As my hon. Friend said, the immediately surrounding area of Shropshire already provides a considerable tourist attraction, including the four major monastic sites in the Department's care at Haughmond, Lilleshall, Much Wenlock and Buildwas, all within easy reach, to say nothing of the dominating presence of the Wrekin. There is also the whole complex of industrial relics in Ironbridge Gorge, including the Iron Bridge itself, which will shortly come into the Department's care. These attractions will be further enhanced when, eventually, the Wroxeter site can be excavated and consolidated for display.
There are now some 750 monuments in our care, and they attracted nearly 15½ million visitors last year. We are therefore fully alive to the benefits in terms of tourism that our monuments can bring to an area, and Wroxeter will be no exception. But I think that it is important to understand that it would be an abdication of our responsibilities to exploit a site for its tourist value alone, without due regard to archaeological considerations and limitations, and I would like to explain briefly what these are.
But progress in excavations is not just a question of the availability of funds, which, as the House will need no reminding, have to be carefully allocated according to strict priorities. It is more a question of skilled manpower. Scientific excavation of archaeological remains must be entrusted to highly skilled and experienced excavators. This is particularly so at Wroxeter, bearing in mind the complexity of the site, with its long history of occupations and the subtle sequence of structures. It is an inevitable fact that the increasing pressures throughout the country for rescue work in advance of redevelopment are resulting in fewer suitably qualified archaeologists being available for research excavation at unthreatened sites. The situation is 1809 aggravated by the growing problem of the lack of availability of suitable labour during the excavating season.
It is important that future excavations at Wroxeter remain in the control of the Department to ensure proper co-ordination of effort. Only in that way can all the evidence, whether valuable in itself or for purposes of cross-reference, be fully and objectively recorded. Another important point is that excavation techniques are continually improving. That is another reason for us considering it undesirable, even if it were possible, to rush into areas where there is no immediate need or benefit to be gained from disturbing them.
I think that it is generally accepted in the archaeological world that any programme of excavations must be decided by strict archaeological criteria of this nature. I understand that following his meeting with officials at the end of last year my honourable Friend accepted that the future excavation and the display of these remains will have to be a very long-term project.
I mentioned earlier the consolidation work which the Department has already been doing at the site. Skilled craftsmen who are capable of carrying out this type of specialised work are at premium. Our already stretched labour force must remain largely committed to the conservation of exposed remains which are already at risk from the elements. Buried remains are, of course, protected all the time they stay covered up.
With any programme of excavation we therefore must ensure that there is proper control so that we avoid uncovering more masonry than can be consolidated at any one time. The consequences of the rate of consolidation falling behind the progress of excavation can be readily appreciated and it is important that there is proper co-ordination between the two.
Our development of a co-ordinated plan for the future of the site must be undertaken against the background of these physical constraints. At this stage, I can however say that an outline study for the site is under active consideration within the Department. It envisages a considerable extension of the area displayed to the public, possibly concentrating on the forum as the next major area. The time scale and the subsequent phases 1810 of excavation has yet to be worked out in detail.
The study also takes into account the need for increased amenity and interpretation facilities and we shall, of course, bring the local authorities concerned into our consideration of these aspects of the future of the site. My honourable Friend has made a number of constructive suggestions for the development and future display of Wroxeter, and we value his continued interest. I can assure him that what he has said will receive our very closest consideration as we develop our own ideas for the site.
Our purchase of the site has also brought in the difficult problem of conflicting archaeological and farming interests. We have been concerned for some time about the continuing damage that is being caused to the underlying remains by deep ploughing and one of our immediate aims has been to curtail this by change of the use of the land from arable to permanent pasture. As my honourable Friend knows, we wish to encourage good husbandry without risk to the site in the areas which are not displayed to the public at present and we have discussed this in detail with the farmer and his representatives. We shall also be talking to the farmer in detail about our future plans for the development of the site at the appropriate time. I fully appreciate my hon. Friend's concern for the interests of the farmer. I assure him that my Department will in every way possible show consideration in that respect.
My hon. Friend dealt at some length with training facilities for archaeologists and the need to have available a pool of trained archaeologists to meet the increasing demands of rescue archaeology. We are anxious to see that the training facilities at Wroxeter continue. The experience which has been gained from them will be invaluabe in our consideration of this important matter. I feel, however, that it is very much involved with the formulation of policy and practical organisation for rescue archaeology generally.
At present, as my right hon. and learned Friend has announced, the Department is looking at ways of reorganising and rationalising the variety of agencies which have previously been involved with rescue archaeology. The main objective is to 1811 establish teams of permanent, full-time archaeologists in groups which will serve as a nucleus for rescue archaeology throughout the country, though there will always be ample room for amateurs and volunteers. Local authorities already contribute significantly to rescue archaeology, and it is hoped that they will continue to do so and thereby support the function of these units. By establishing such units we believe that we can achieve better use of our resources both in terms of staff and of money than the existing ad hoc arrangements which have developed rather piecemeal.
As hon. Members will know, we have been able to make a very considerable increase this year in the allocation of funds for rescue archaeology. The total now amounts to £813,000 and we hope to increase the amount next year. These substantially increased allocations bring with them the need to ensure that the money is wisely spent and, particularly important also, that the best use is made of the scarce specialist resources which need to be involved. At present, grant-aided excavations are conducted by more than 100 local committees, but, even so, many parts of the country are inadequately covered.
We are accordingly working on proposals for more co-ordinated arrangements, which envisage a number of archaeological units grouped regionally with common support facilities. This is the essence of the ideas which we have put both to archaeological interests and to the local authority associations. At the moment, the proposals are a general outline only, and we will be continuing our discussions with the interests involved. My right hon. and learned Friend has given tangible earnest of in- 1812 tent, meanwhile, by the allocation of very considerably increased funds and also by appointing an under-secretary to take charge of the discussions and other related matters. We shall endeavour to give all the assistance, both financial and practical, that may be feasible.
Public interest and participation in archaeology has grown greatly in recent years. Universities are providing more courses in archaeology, and it also appears that it is now the most popular of all extra-mural subjects, having gone ahead of sociology. Any greater development of facilities in universities and colleges is, of course, a matter for the Department of Education and Science, but my Department will be in close touch with it. My officials will also shortly be meeting the Universities Committee of the Council for British Archaeology, which has begun a thorough examination of the problems of training for excavations and fieldwork.
In all this, the aim must be to build on the academic learning provided in the universities and the colleges by securing the practical training which will enable students to gain the necessary experience in fieldwork and excavations, so that there will be sufficient qualified and interested archaeologists available to deal as effectively as may be with the tasks of rescue archaeology in the recording of our heritage which is threatened by essential modern-day development.
I repeat my assurance that my Department will pay very close attention to the points and suggestions made by my hon. Friend in his admirable speech.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at twenty-eight minutes past Four o'clock.