Hidden treasures on the Playing Close
If you have seen a man waving a stick and carrying a spade on the Playing Close and wondered what on earth he was doing, read on...
The Playing Close has been used since medieval times and the Charlbury Museum has an ongoing project to research its history.
A definitive way to learn about its history would be to bring in a team of archaeologists to remove the topsoil and dig trenches. And indeed if this were done, and if we dug deep enough, we might find medieval coins and artefacts, as well as arrow heads (in medieval times the Playing Close was used for archery practice).
Another, less invasive approach is to search the area with a metal detector. With permission from the Thomas Gifford Trust and in association with the Charlbury Museum, Charlbury resident Neil Pakenham-Walsh has been searching the area.
What have we found? Loads of ringpulls! Lots of decimal coins: 1/2p, 1p, 2p... Several old pennies and halfpennies going back to Victoria. And three interesting finds, all within a few inches of the surface:
The first, and oldest, is a dandy button. These were especially popular in the late 1700s and were worn by men who wanted to be seen. Wikipedia describes dandy as 'a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance and personal grooming' and with penchant for large buttons. There are doubtless still a few strutting around Charlbury today.
The second is a badge of some kind and we would like to ask your help to identify it. We do know that political rallies were held on the Playing Close in the 1800s. At this time there was growing tension between farm workers and landowners. This is recounted in a book published in Charlbury: the Ascott Martyrs, which relates how women and children were cruelly imprisoned, with their children, simply for protesting in solidarity with their farm worker husbands. Sue Rangeley has found that in that same year, 1873, there was a Charlbury Labourers Union meeting on the Playing Close. Perhaps this badge was lost then?
The third item is particularly lovely. It is made of solid silver and is set with marcasite, which glistens like diamonds. We think it is a Royal Artillery sweetheart brooch from World War Two, given by a soldier as he left for war. It would be wonderful to reunite it with their descendants.
These items will be on display in the Playing Close Exhibition when the museum reopens in April 2026.
So where are the medieval finds and arrowheads? They are there, but they are likely to be at least 2-3 feet deep. Much deeper than a metal detector can go (8-10 inches). The Playing Close has had repeated changes of use over the past 500 years and each change of use adds another layer, so that previous coins and artefacts become deeper and deeper. By contrast, if you detect arable fields or pasture you will find medieval, saxon, roman and even bronze age artefacts going back to 2500 BC in the top few inches.
To see examples of what might lie *deep* under the Playing Close, see the 214 coins and artefacts from Oxfordshire that Neil has registered with the British Museum's Portable Antiquity Scheme (those found in Charlbury are on display in the Museum): https://finds.org.uk/database/search/results/finderID/PAS62A6F70C00103D/show/100
If you have a piece of land and would like to learn more about its history, contact Neil at neil@hifa.org
Acknowledgements: With thanks to Sue Rangeley and the Charlbury Museum for the opportunity to contribute to Charlbury’s history, and to Kim Harrison, Trustee, and the Thomas Gifford Trust for permission to search.
Neil Pakenham-Walsh · Fri 21 Nov, 13:18 · Link