Studmarsh.

[bobby47]

There's a book out right now, titled, ' Living in the Past'. It's a wonderful read that celebrates the discovery of the medieval village of Studmarsh or, as it was known before the Doomsday document, 'Ye Ole Stud'y'.

This book, produced by a much celebrated academic, outlines how a number of local people, many with mental health issues, came together, dug and successfully found the place.

It's a remarkable find when you consider that this old village predates the Roman occupation, The Norman Conquest, the Black Death, the emergence of Wassailing in High Town and the English Civil War.

There is if course another book that is based upon this search for Studmarsh. It's hugely unpopular and once correctly described by Richard & Judy as the work of an idiot who'd successfully produced a bucket of sh.ite!

Of course. I wrote it. Im the author. It's titled, 'Digging for Studmarsh in the Wrong Place' and its a piece of work that describes a thirty year dig without finding a single thing of archaelogical significance. Have I regrets about it?

Indeed I have. With hindsight I should have given it the title Digging for Studmarsh. Had I done that then folk in the library may have picked it up, taken it away and read it. Understandably, the whole 'Wrong Place' bit tends to put people off and mutter,'the fool didn't find it because he was looking in the wrong place. Lets wait for another book to come out that says, 'Digging for Studmarsh In the Right Place' and we found it. I know which bloody book I'd have chosen!

Of course, hindsight being what hindsight is, I should have paid more attention to the many historical documents relating to Studmarsh that clearly indicated that the remains of the village were definitely to be found in close proximity to Bromyard. My mistake was I convinced myself that all these dead writers had colluded with oneanother and were deliberately pointing folk like me in the wrong direction. And whatsmore, if ever it was to be successfully located , you'd be better off digging and burrowing anywhere else other than Bromyard. That's where I went wrong. I chose to completely ignore Bromyard and hamlets in close proximity to the Town and I began to dig in an isolated area just outside Kington.

When did I realise that perhaps I was digging in the wrong place? It's a toss up really. Either pretty much straight away on day one of the dig or eleven years later when I'd burrowed from Kington and found myself emerging beneath the Corn Square in Leominster.

Anyway, my book is available at most Car Boot Sales.