Stuart Piggott is probably best known as an archaeologist, but he was also a prolific poet. His first published book was a collection of his poems: Fire among the Ruins – 1942-45, which was published by Oxford University Press in 1948.
Piggott grew up with poetry. As a child, his grandfather wrote him a new poem every birthday. His father had poetry published in the local newspaper. But neither his father nor his grandfather wrote the poem we came across today. It is addressed to Piggott’s aunt Florence. She normally lived with her parents in West Challow, but it seems she was away in Northamptonshire, where she had fallen ill. Perhaps Piggott had a poetic grandmother, too?
Archaeology Archives Oxford 