February 2016

History hangout
beneath the summit at the north-western tip of
Springfield Park. In the British Museum there is a
Roman sarcophagus that was found last century
in the immediate vicinity, so we know that the
Romans were present there.
Having marched with his legions all the way to
Anglesey, Governor Paulinus left his southern
strongholds unchallenged to the ravages of
Queen Boudicca, accompanied by her own Iceni
tribe from Norfolk and the Trinovantes tribes from
Essex. It was a most unfortunate coincidence. She
wasn't defending the religious Druids, she was
claiming back her royal inheritance.
Stephen Selby investigates
the mystery of Blood House
In 60 or 61AD the Roman governor of Britain,
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, with the approval of
Emperor Nero, set about to annihilate every single
Druid, man woman and child. Only in Anglesey did
the remaining Druids escape death by sailing to
Dublin for safety.
Here in Hackney we have our own possible
connection to the Druids in the form of caves
beneath the legendary ancient burial mound in
Springfield Park. It is believed by many historians
that places named as "spring" and "well" were
linked to the Druids. Julius Caesar called these
cave-dwelling priests the Cavernii when he first
encountered them in Kent in BC54.
There is a rather grizzly 1786 map reference
to “The Blood House”, where Springfield Park
overlooks the vast Lea valley. Could nearby
Moundfield Road be a link to the mass execution
of the local Druids?
Two of my dowsing colleagues specialise in
identifying Druid burial locations in Britain and are
certain that there was a Druid temple complex
Boudicca and her tribal armies first destroyed
the major Roman military base at Colchester.
Next, she burnt London, killing 70,000, and then
ordered the destruction of St Albans. Paulinus
had made a great error of judgement by being
absent. These military and civilian massacres were
a major setback for Rome. According to Tacitus
the famous Roman chronicler, Boudicca’s victory
was only temporary. After annihilating the Druids
across the entire country, the disciplined Roman
legions encountered the celebrating tribes in
the south, somewhere along Watling Street. The
Romans then massacred their adversaries; Queen
Boudicca was eventually pronounced dead.
Thus Paulinus provoked two of the most bloody
events under the Roman occupation; the
countless murders of the Druids, and Boudicca's
own revenge.
Was this "Blood House" named after the
massacre of Druid cave-dwellers from Springfield
Park? This pinnacle is located on what is now
Moundfield Road – just a hundred yards from
the possible temple complex. As the Druids did
not fight the Romans, it leaves us to conclude
that they were perhaps lined up like sheep to
the slaughter. Dowsing over the whole area, at
all times with witnesses, there are the possible
remains of literally hundreds of human corpses
beneath this high mound.
Next month: Shoreditch and its ancient Holywell
Mound.
32 LOVEEAST