Saturday 5 January 2013

Mud, Moss and Martyrs


Happy New Year to you all! Earlier this week, on January 2, it was the Feast Day of The Thousand Holy Martyrs of Lichfield, who may – or may not – have been slain for their faith. St Amphibaus (whose existence is equally questionable) and his 999 followers were slaughtered (allegedly) on the orders of the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the start of the 4th century, on a site now known as Christian Fields (what else could it be called!). And since the area, now a Local Nature Reserve, is only a short drive away, and since I am trying to walk for at least 20 minutes every day, I thought I would pay a visit, accompanied by the Man Of The House, and I took some photos there for today's Saturday Snapshot.

At this time of year the countryside (I know this is not really the countryside, but it’s certainly not an urban area) always looks rather dead, but the bare branches against the sky looked really stunning, as did the bleached stems of grasses and other plants, and there were lots of mosses and lichens to look at. However, it was indescribably muddy, as a result of all the rain we’ve had, and highlighted how much I need a pair of decent walking boots!
 The area is right on the edge of the city, and contains the remains of a Saxon walkway known as The Dimbles – a dimble, apparently, is a raised earth walkway with a ditch on both sides. Sadly, it’s very difficult to photograph this feature, but as we wandered round it was interesting to think men and women were living and working here some 1,400 years ago.
 More recently part of the site was once used for landfill, but by the time I worked in Lichfield during the late 1990s, it had become a kind of unofficial wild area, and there was an old lady called Bertha who lived there in a caravan – a little like Alan Bennett’s ‘Lady in the Van’, I guess. She was something of a local character, and had a collection of dogs which she wheeled around in a pram.  
 These days it’s maintained by Lichfield District Council, with help from volunteers, and there’s a surprising variety of landscapes, including grassland, woods, hedges, and scrubby areas, as well as streams, and a recently created pool. Work is still being carried out to improve the site, and hopefully there will eventually be information boards to explain the history and tell visitors about the wildlife and habitats. We will certainly return during the summer, to take another look.
 Meanwhile, if you’re wondering about that story of the Martyrs, no firm evidence has ever come to light to prove they existed, although it is thought that early Christians may have met and worshipped at Christian Fields. And for many years people believed Lichfield got its name from Lyke-field, ‘ field of dead’, but it is now thought to mean  ‘common pasture beside grey wood’, which is not nearly as romantic.
 Anyway, the tale seems to have to have surfaced during the 12th century, but was largely ignored until 1548, when the city was incorporated as a borough and needed a badge, or coat of arms - what we would now call a brand image. At the same time leading citizens were concerned that the Reformation had killed off the pilgrim trade (in Medieval times people flocked to Lichfield to the shrine of St Chad, but this was no longer possible in the Protestant England of Edward VI). The city fathers must have been looking for a way to win their visitors back that wouldn’t land them in trouble for appearing to have links with Catholicism.
So, in what sounds like a pretty astute marketing ploy, they took up the tale of early Christian Martyrs, and used an image of dismembered bodies on the city’s coat of arms and the civic seal, and the massacre that may never have happened was woven into the city’s history. Whatever the truth of the matter, this particular site was used by the Anglo Saxons, and perhaps one day we may be able to discover more of its history. For more Saturday Snapshots see  Alice's blog at http://athomewithbooks.net/





41 comments:

  1. What a beautiful place to spend a day! Loved learning the history!

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  2. Fabulous post! How wonderful to have such a beautiful space just a short drive away. Looking forward to seeing more

    Thanks for stopping by The Lair

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    1. forgot....I don't know the meaning either but the answer is 42

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    2. I know the answer as well... but I'd like to what it means!

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  3. Absolutely lovely spot. I must visit the UK one day. My fav is the photo you took up the path.

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    1. That's kind of you to say so - I was pleased with the way the path photo came out.

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  4. You always give us such delicious slices of local history! I agree, though, get the mud boots and a good stout walking stick for when you get stuck in the mud!

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    1. A walking stick sounds a good idea as well - I hadn't considrered that, but thinking about it now, other people who were out walking had sticks.

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  5. What a wonderful place to visit and walk. Whenever I'm in a place like that, I always wonder about the people who were there before me.

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    1. I always do that, and start making up stories in my head.

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  6. It would be interesting to know what the real story is. :) It looks like a lovely place to walk regardless.

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    1. Even if the Martyrs did exist, the massacre may have been on different site, but it is a lovely spot.

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  7. I tell myself that I would walk more regularly if I had beautiful sights to see....but you can actually do that; walk along beautiful paths and trails.

    Thanks for sharing...and for visiting my blog.

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    1. It's actually quite built-up where we live. However we are lucky to be within walking distance of a canal, river and the fabulous Castle Grounds, and there are some lovely villages, towns and countryside only a short drive away.

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  8. You're a historian with pictures alongside the story. So interesting!

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    1. I guess I'm just nosy - I like to discover the hidden histories of places.

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  9. It looks very muddy, but worth the slog through the mud. Here's Mine

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    1. It was very muddy indeed - I'm not sure the shoes I was wearing will ever recover!

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  10. I love the pic of the bare tree forest - very atmospheric :-)

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    1. Trees in winter have such a different feel to the way they are in summer - I thought the views through the bare trunks and branches was interesting, so I'm glad you liked this photo.

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  11. What a lovely place to go for a New Year's walk. You look like you picked a good day for it between all the rain.

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    1. It was warmish, and dry, with a slight breeze, which is pretty good for a walk, but everything was waterlogged from all the rain n recent weeks.

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  12. Great photos and what a lovely place for a walk! I was just saying to my husband yesterday how much I love the trees this time of year because you can see all of the "bones" and the true shape of the tree. Have a great day!

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    1. Oh, I like the idea of seeing the 'bones' of the tree. I shall remember that.

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    1. Thank you. It's a good story, whether it's true or not!

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  14. Love the photo journey - I especially the love the photo of the moss! I enjoyed reading the history as well. I would love to live in a caravan like Bertha too!

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    1. I'm not sure her lifestyle would have been comfortable - as I remember there was no running water or electricity, and there can't have been any proper sanitation or washing facilities. It was just her caravan all on its own on a patch of land. But a lot of local people were kind and kept an eye on her, and I think she was given food sometimes, as well as food for her dogs.

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  15. A great series of photos, and what a history! Interesting how municipal branding has a long history,too :)

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    1. Thank you Melwyk - I thought perhaps I was being bit cynical, but I guess there have always been people who were good at promoting themselves or their organisation, and putting their own 'spin' on a situation.

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  16. Nice photos....loved your summary and explanation.

    THANKS for sharing.

    New Blog Follower.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Saturday Snapshot

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    1. Elizabeth, thank you so much for your kind comment, and for following me.

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  17. Thanks for the lovely photos and the history!

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  18. It'll be wonderful to walk in the woods and come in the clearing covered with green grass. I would imagine a relaxing walk in the fresh air.

    And to think of the history with a thousand holy martyrs.

    Very nice photos.

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  19. I would be delighted if you would like to knit my caterpillar. I tried emailing you from my ipod, but am not sure if it worked. If you send your email address through my comments page I will email you the pattern as a PDF, (and I won't publish your message).

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  20. I am sure this will look stunning when the spring comes, but still a lovely day to get out and about

    carol

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    1. We reckon that by May or June it will be really spectacular so we're hoping to back then.

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