Category Archives: WPLongform

New work: a Roman milestone (and other old stones) in north-west Surrey?

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Robert J S Briggs

It’s the morning of New Year’s Eve and I had a real sense of déjà vu as I started to write this. Another year, another last gasp end-of-year blog post, like the frantic realisation of a pre-new year’s resolution. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Charters, Chertsey, Landscape, Old English, Place-Names, Pyrford, Topography, Woking, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kingston upon Thames, the Coronation Stone, and digging a bit deeper to get past the nonsense

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Robert J S Briggs

Not for the first time, what started as a modest but interesting idea that popped into my head and that I thought could be fleshed out a little through a “quick blog” has ballooned into something much, much larger. So, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Architecture, Folklore, History, Landscape, Place, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Acleah, that is, Junction 7 of the M25? Part 1: Farthing Downs

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

I know what you’re thinking, that there’s a pretty crazy title, so allow me to commence with some retrospection by way of orientation. A little under a year ago, I wrote a post which went to great lengths to discount a proposal made … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Annals, Archaeology, Barrows, Charters, History, Landscape, London, Old English, Phenomenology, Place-Names, Surrey, Viking, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Marching forward into April

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

Looking back at recent posts, it seems to have become standard procedure for me to kick things off with a whinge or at least on a negative tone. Not today. The past few weeks have been some of the most rewarding and exciting … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, News, Place, Puttenham, Talk, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What’s the point of it all?

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

You’ve got to bear with me on this post as I’m not all that sure where I’m going with it, but safe to say the title in no way should be taken too literally. I’m fine. Today I took in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, Landscape, London, Nottingham, Phenomenology, Soapbox, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The brief – or non-existent – history of early medieval salt production in Surrey

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

In a way, this post follows on from my previous one, since it touches upon issues of research, engagement and finding smart ways of working to further knowledge of the early medieval period. However, I began writing it long before, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Charters, Domesday, History, Latin, Surrey, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medieval studies in cathedrals and clouds

Posted on February 1, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

On the train back to London yesterday I read an article in an arts newspaper discussing “internets” and how open-source “cloud” approaches to art and design offer benefits over and above those derived from orthodox “cathedral”-based methods. It wasn’t just the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, History, internet, News, Politics, Portable Antiquities Scheme, Publishing, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

At the edges of Old English toponomastics 1: a textual sidelight on Wanborough

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Robert J S Briggs

Learning Old English is no cakewalk, as I’m sure anyone who has done it will agree, but it does open a window into a fascinating world of writings, both Anglo-Saxon and modern. One of the first things I was given to … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Barrows, Charters, Landscape, Old English, Phenomenology, Place-Names, Religion, Ritual, Seven ditches, Topography, Wanborough, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments