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DESERTED medieval villages of Warwickshire and Worcestershire was the title of the most recent talk at Alcester and District Local History Society.

The speaker was James Bond of Somerset (a contemporary of Time Team's Professor Mick Aston at Birmingham University in the 1970's), who had taken part in research into lost villages of the area in the 1970s and 80s.

This was a marvellous talk with excellent explanatory slides, given by a charming and excellent speaker who was also a master of his subject.

Mr Bond treated the large audience to a wonderful explanation of the research that had identified some 70 sites of deserted villages in Warwickshire.

His interesting slides showed the possible location of some of these villages, and it was possible to see the grassy outline of what had once been village streets in his aerial photographs.

The nearest and most readily known deserted village in our area is Billesley, between Alcester and Stratford.

The outline of the main village street can clearly be seen in field marks alongside the church, but it is not known for certain why it became deserted.

Mr Bond put forward several reasons including the oft cited Black Death, the expansion of sheep farming that meant fewer men were needed to farm the land, and also that then, as now, extreme weather may have played a part.

A period of very cold, wet winters were recorded during the 1350s to 1370, bringing poor harvests and causing hunger and starvation in rural communities.

The effect of this in many areas was widespread migration from isolated settlements.

The speaker at the next meeting will be Maggie Wood of Warwickshire Museum Service.

Her talk will deal with the important collection of costumes and textiles held by Warwickshire Museums, which date from the 17th century up to the present day, looking at what the collection consists of and the challenges involved in caring for, sometimes delicate, materials.

This promises to be of great interest to all of those with an interest in the domestic and social side of local history.

Costumes and Textiles at the Warwickshire Museum, Greig Centre, Kinwarton Road, Alcester on Wednesday, May 14 at 7.45pm for 8pm. Members and non-members are welcome to attend. Admission is £1.50 for members, £3 for non-members.

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