Heritage Statement for a Site at Beacon Road Crowborough East Sussex

Chris Butler MCIfA Archaeological Services Ltd

Heritage Statement for a site at Beacon Road Crowborough East Sussex

CBAS1188

By Chris Butler

July 2020

Chris Butler Beacon Road Archaeological Services Crowborough

Summary

A Heritage Statement has been prepared for a site on land to the north of Beacon Road, Crowborough, East Sussex in connection with a planning application for residential development.

There is little evidence for archaeological activity in the immediate vicinity of the site, although the absence of past investigations means the actual probability of finding archaeological remains is unknown. Probable Roman ironworking is known 600m to the NW of the site and a prehistoric/Roman ridgeway track runs along the line of Beacon Road, and evidence for braided trackways may exist on the site. The site is situated outside the medieval deer park, and was probably woodland/heathland, which was not cleared for agriculture until the late Post medieval period. Crowborough military camp used in both the First and Second World Wars is situated just to the west of the site.

It is therefore recommended that a condition be placed on the planning permission to allow for a programme of archaeological work to investigate the site prior to construction commencing, to ensure that any evidence for past activity is excavated and recorded.

Having assessed the evidence, it is concluded that the development will have no impact on the setting of any designated or non-designated heritage asset.

Chris Butler MCIfA Archaeological Services Ltd Unit 12 Mays Farm Selmeston East Sussex BN26 6TS

Tel: 01323 811785

e mail: [email protected]

Website: www.cbasltd.co.uk

Chris Butler Beacon Road Archaeological Services Crowborough

Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Objectives and Scope of Report 4

3. Methodology 5

4. Archaeological and Historical Background 6

5. Site Visit 13

6. Discussion and Impact of the Development 16

7. Conclusion and Recommendations 18

8. Acknowledgements 19

Figures

Fig. 1: Site Location Map Fig. 2: Current Site Plan Fig. 3: Listed Buildings Map Fig. 4: HER map Fig. 5: Yeakell & Gardiner map 1778-83 Fig. 6: Buxted Tithe Map (1840) Fig. 7: 1st Edition OS Map 1875 Fig. 8: 4th Edition OS Map 1931-32 Fig. 9: 1971 OS Map Fig. 10: Lidar image Fig. 11: Illustrative development plan

Chris Butler Beacon Road Archaeological Services Crowborough

1. Introduction

1.1 Chris Butler Archaeological Services Ltd has been commissioned by Land Value Alliances LLP (The Client) to prepare a Heritage Statement on a site at Beacon Road, Crowborough, East Sussex TN6 1UB (Fig. 1), in connection with a planning application (WD/2020/0854/MAO) for 18 No. dwellings including access, in order to establish the likely presence and importance of any archaeological remains that may exist on the site.

1.2 The site (Fig. 2) is 1.13 hectares in size, and is land located to the northwest side of the A26 Beacon Road to the south-west of Crowborough town. The Site lies between c.185m to 190m aOD and the underlying geology is Ashdown Formation - Sandstone and Siltstone, a sedimentary bedrock formed approximately 134 to 145 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period, in a local environment previously dominated by swamps, estuaries and deltas1.

1.3 The Site is not located within an Archaeological Notification Area. Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Scheduled Monuments have statutory protection. The site is not situated within a Conservation Area, and no Scheduled Monuments are recorded within a 1km radius of the Site. There are two Listed Buildings within the study area (Fig. 3), to the northeast of the site; these being Windlesham Manor (DES6692) and Winscombe House and Tower (DES5236), both are late Post medieval in date.

1.4 Ashdown Forest is situated to the west of the site, and comprises the county’s largest area of open access countryside. Ashdown Forest is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is also a European Special Area for Conservation and a Special Protection Area. The historic Forest Pale (boundary) runs north-south approximately 200m to the west of the site, placing this site just outside the Forest boundary. The site itself is situated outside the AONB, although the boundary runs along the southwest side of the site.2

1 http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html 2 Land North of Beacon Road, Crowborough, TN6 1UW PLANNING STATEMENT

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2. Objectives & Scope of Report

2.1 The objective of this report is to gain information about the known or potential archaeological resource of the site and its immediate area. This will include information relating to the presence or absence of any archaeology, its character, extent, date, integrity and state of preservation, and the relative quality of the potential archaeological resource.

2.2 This will allow an assessment of the merit of the archaeology in context to be made, leading to the formulation of a strategy for the recording, preservation and management of the resource or, where necessary, the formulation of a strategy for further investigation where the character and value of the resource is not sufficiently defined to permit a mitigation strategy or other response to be defined.

2.3 The report will consider the archaeological resource within a 1km radius around the site (hereafter, called the Study Area), whilst also taking into account sites further afield where these may be considered to have an impact or relevance to the Site in its landscape setting.

2.4 The report will assess the impact of the development on the setting and significance of Listed Buildings and other designated and non-designated historic assets in line with Historic England’s Historic Environment Good Practice Advice Note in Planning No. 3: The Setting of Heritage Assets

2.5 It should be noted that this report can only take into account the existing known archaeology, and by its nature cannot provide a complete record of the archaeological resource of the Site. Its intention is to provide an overview of the known archaeology in the Study Area, from which judgements can be made about the potential archaeological resource of the Site itself.

Chris Butler Beacon Road Archaeological Services Crowborough

3 Methodology

3.1 This Heritage Statement has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (Department for Communities and Local Government 2012); the Sussex Archaeological Standards (2019); the Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-based Assessment (Chartered Institute for Archaeologists 2017), and Historic England’s The Setting of Heritage Assets. Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning: 3 (2015).

3.2 The research for this Heritage Statement has included an analysis of the following resources:

• ESCC Historic Environment Record (HER Ref. No. 202/19); • ESRO search; • CBAS Ltd library resources; • Online resources; • Crowborough Common website (https://www.crowboroughcommon.org) • British Geological Survey; • Aerial photograph search; and

3.3 The following maps were used:

• Kelton’s 1744 Map of Ashdown Forest (AMS/4084) • Yeakell & Gardiner Map • Buxted Tithe map (1840) (TD/E135) • Rotherfield Tithe map (1846) (TD/E156) • 1st Edition OS map (1875); • 2nd Edition OS map (1899) • 3rd Edition OS map (1910); • 4th Edition OS map (1931-32); • 1971 OS map

Information gained from the map regression exercise is contained in the Post medieval section below.

3.4 Archaeological sites and finds recorded on the HER are shown on Fig. 4 and are mentioned in the text where relevant.

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4. Archaeological & Historical Background (Fig. 4)

4.0.1 This section considers each archaeological period in turn, reviewing the known archaeological resource of the area, defining its location and extent, character, date, integrity, state of preservation, and quality.

4.0.2 Little archaeological fieldwork has been undertaken within the surrounding area, with no fieldwork events being recorded within the study area itself. A number of desk-top and field surveys have been carried out in the immediate surrounding area. The Crowborough Historic Character Assessment Report3 covers Crowborough town, but does not extend as far south as the site (EES15053). An archaeological survey of Ashdown Forest was carried out in 20094, together with a Lidar enhanced survey in 20115, and a survey of the Ashdown Forest Pale was undertaken in 20126, although none of these are shown on the HER data.

4.1 Palaeolithic Period (750,000BC - 10,000BC)

4.1.1 This period covers a broad expanse of time, during which early hominid occupation of southern Britain was intermittent. The period is divided into warm and cold periods, with the evidence suggesting that hominid occupation occurred during some of the warm periods.

4.1.2 In the southeast, the raised beach deposits at Boxgrove, near Chichester, have revealed a large number of in situ Palaeolithic finds up to 500,000 years old7. Elsewhere in this region, most Palaeolithic artefacts are isolated chance finds of hand axes or worked flint, which frequently relate to disturbed geological contexts, mostly from buried river terrace gravels and the coastal plain.

4.1.3 No Palaeolithic finds have been recorded within the Study Area. On considering this recorded absence of artefacts and also the geology of the Site, it is thought that the Site holds low potential for containing Palaeolithic flintwork.

3 Harris, R. 2008 Crowborough Historic Character Assessment Report, Sussex Extensive Urban Survey 4 Butler, C, 2009 An Archaeological Survey of Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, CBAS Report. 5 Butler, C. et. al. 2011 Ashdown Forest Historic Environment Resource: A Lidar-Enhanced Archaeological Survey. CBAS Report 6 Blandford, V. 2012 Tracing the Pale of the Ashdown Forest Deer Park. CBAS Report 7 Pope, M. 2003. ‘The earliest occupation of Sussex: recent research and future objectives’ in Rudling, D. (ed), The Archaeology of Sussex to AD2000. King’s Lynn: Heritage Marketing and Publications Ltd. 6

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4.2 Mesolithic Period (10,000BC - 4,000BC)

4.2.1 The start of the Mesolithic period saw Britain largely covered by pine and birch woodland, which was gradually replaced by a mixed deciduous woodland that provided an ideal environment for the bands of hunter-gatherers who exploited the resources on a seasonal basis8.

4.2.2 There is a great deal of evidence for Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups exploiting the resources of the High Weald throughout the Mesolithic period. These include sites associated with rock outcrops, which are thought to have been short-stay hunting camps, and are mainly associated with the Later Mesolithic period9. The only find of Mesolithic date in the Study Area is the discovery of a microlith and an unspecified number of unretouched flint blades and/or flakes have been found on Crowborough Golf Course to the south of the site (MES2967).

4.2.3 Due to the limited amount of Mesolithic activity that has been recorded within the Study Area, the likelihood of Mesolithic material being produced on Site is believed to be low.

4.3 Neolithic Period (4,000BC - 2,500BC)

4.3.1 The Neolithic period saw the hunter-gatherer economies gradually superseded by more sedentary lifestyles, associated with the introduction of arable cultivation and the domestication of animals. The southeast lowlands of Britain have provided a significant amount of archaeological evidence related to the Neolithic period, including causewayed enclosures, long barrows and flint mines. Many of these large- scale monuments are located on the South Downs and comparative evidence for the Neolithic period elsewhere in Sussex is limited10.

4.3.2 Whilst evidence of Neolithic activity within the High Weald is limited, a small number of Neolithic sites have been recorded. The Weald is thought to have remained largely forested until c. 2000 BC11, and most evidence for activity suggests temporary settlement associated with hunter-gatherer activities, similar to those of the Mesolithic12.

8 Holgate, R. 2003. ‘Late Glacial and Post-glacial Hunter-gatherers in Sussex’, in Rudling, D. (Ed) The Archaeology of Sussex to AD2000. Kings Lynn: Heritage Marketing and Publications Ltd, 29-38. 9 Jacobi, R.M. & Tebbutt, C. F. 1981 ‘A late Mesolithic Rock-shelter site at High Hurstwood, Sussex’, Sussex Archaeological Collections 119, 1-36. 10 Harding, A. F. and Ostoja-Zagórski, J. 1987. Excavations in Rocks Wood, Withyham, SAC 125, 11-32. 11 Waller, M. P. 1994. Flandrian vegetational history of south-eastern England. Stratigraphy of the Brede valley and pollen data from Brede Bridge, New Phytologist 126 386-90. 12 Drewett, P. 2003. ‘Taming the Wild: The First Farming Communities in Sussex’, in Rudling, D. (Ed) The 7

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4.3.3 Within the Study Area, Neolithic flints (arrowhead and scraper) have also been found on Crowborough Golf Course (MES2966), whilst a flint saw is also known from Crowborough (MES2954). The Ashdown Forest - Horsham ridgeway (LIN 133), is a probable Prehistoric or Roman trackway, which may have originated in the Neolithic period, and runs along the line of Beacon Road (MES3038).

4.3.4 With just a few finds, there is little evidence of Neolithic activity within the Study Area. Therefore, there is low potential for encountering Neolithic artefacts or features at the Site.

4.4 The Bronze Age (2500BC - 800BC)

4.4.1 The Early Bronze Age provides limited evidence for settlement in lowland Britain, although the distribution of round barrows is a strong indicator of settled communities. By the Later Bronze Age, the use of bronze tools and weapons is more common and there is a significant change of focus in the archaeological record towards more visibly sedentary settlement patterns and increasingly developed agricultural exploitation.

4.4.2 There is little evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area around the Study Area, and only a single find of Bronze Age date within the Study Area, this being a pick-like bronze palstave from Crowborough (MES2954). The Site is therefore, considered to have low potential for producing Bronze Age archaeological remains.

4.5 The Iron Age (800BC - 43AD)

4.5.1 Social and economic growth increased rapidly during the Iron Age, leading to an increase in population and the need to exploit more marginal environments. In southern Britain, small-scale open farmsteads seem to have been sited within an emerging agricultural landscape, reflecting increasing control and manipulation of the environment. Larger defended hillfort settlements were interspersed between these farmsteads, field systems and trackways.

4.5.2 It was during the Iron Age that the Weald began to be exploited for iron production, with a relatively small number of sites being known13. There are no known ironworking sites of Iron Age date within the Study Area14.

Archaeology of Sussex to AD2000, Kings Lynn, Heritage Marketing & Publications Ltd, 39-46. 13 Hodgkinson, J. 2008. The Wealden Iron Industry, Stroud, Tempus Publishing. 14 www.wirgdata.org; accessed 21/7/20 8

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4.5.3 Whilst Iron Age sites are recorded within the wider landscape, such as at Kings Standing on Ashdown Forest, none are recorded within the Study Area. There is low potential for encountering Iron Age features and finds at the Site.

4.6 The Roman Period (43AD - 410AD)

4.6.1 The Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD resulted in dramatic alterations to this island’s social and economic environments15. It is likely that many of the rural farmsteads and associated field systems that were in existence in the Late Iron Age continued throughout the Roman period. Where they have been excavated elsewhere, they provide evidence for a mixed farming economy of crops and animal husbandry, but little evidence of Roman farming survives in the area surrounding the Site.

4.6.2 The Weald was one of the most important iron producing regions in Roman Britain, with around 18 bloomery sites of Roman or unknown date being identified within 5km of the Site16. An undated bloomery site is situated on Brownknoll Gill 300m SWW of Crowborough sewage works, and 600m to the northwest of the Site (MES2864).

4.6.3 The Ashdown Forest - Horsham ridgeway (LIN 133), is a probable Prehistoric or Roman trackway, which may have been used in the Roman period to transport iron products from the iron working sites, and runs along the line of Beacon Road (MES3038). The London – Lewes Roman Road runs through Ashdown Forest some 3km to the west of the site.

4.6.4 There is a moderate amount of Roman activity in the surrounding landscape but not particularly in the immediate study area. This activity is primarily related to the iron industry, and frequently located around streams and gills. Given this there is a low to moderate possibility that Roman remains will be found at the Site.

4.7 The Saxon Period (410AD to 1066AD)

4.7.1 There is no archaeological record of Saxon remains within the Study area, although a Saxon iron working site was found at Millbrook on Ashdown Forest. Given the lack of evidence for Saxon activity in the vicinity of the Site, the possibility of locating Saxon activity is considered to be low.

15 Rudling, D. 2003. ‘Roman Rural Settlement in Sussex: Continuity and Change’, in Rudling, D. (Ed) The Archaeology of Sussex to AD2000, Kings Lynn, Heritage Marketing & Publications Ltd. 16 www.wirgdata.org; accessed 21/7/20 9

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4.8 The Medieval Period (1066AD to 1500AD)

4.8.1 Crowborough was part of Rotherfield and is not mentioned in the Doomsday book of 1086. The boundary between Rotherfield and Buxted Parishes passed along the western boundary of the site. There is little evidence for medieval settlement in the vicinity of the site, probably due to its close relationship with Ashdown Forest. A manor of Alchornes 'Alchin' is however mentioned in the Domesday Book although the exact location is unknown (MES22503)17.

4.8.2 The deer park is first recorded in 1273 when the service of ‘claustra’ or enclosure is recorded in the custumal of that year18. In 1283 the Forest was described as the ‘free chase and warren of Essendon and when it was granted to John of Gaunt in 1372 it was also called a chase but in the same year John of Gaunt called it ‘nostre park de Asshedoune. It was also known as Great Park of Lancaster’ or’ Lancaster Great Park’ as John of Gaunt was the Duke of Lancaster. The pale, or boundary, of the deer park passes just to the west of the Site (Fig. 4), with Poundgate, one of the original deer park gates, situated c 1km to the southwest of the Site.

4.8.3 Given the evidence of medieval activity is largely related to Ashdown Forest deer park, but this does not extend onto the Site, there is a low probability that medieval remains will be found at the Site.

4.9 The Post Medieval Period (1500AD to the Present Day)

4.9.1 Just to the northeast of the Site are a series of braided trackways, on the same alignment as Beacon Road, identified on Lidar (MES22439). It is thought that the braided trackways are Post Medieval tracks, generally wide enough for a single person and pack animal, and when they have become impassable they simply migrate to a new parallel route. They would also have served as drove roads, the deep hollows being ideal to constrain the sideways movement of animals. Similar examples occur on Ashdown Forest, and seem to be a feature of heathland landscapes, where there were no fences or boundaries to constrain the routes. Other tracks exist nearby, including a hollow way (MES22442) to the east of the Site.

4.9.2 Early mapping provides little information on the site. Kelton’s 1744 Map of Ashdown Forest (ESRO AMS/4084 - not reproduced) shows no detail outside the forest pale. Yeakell & Gardner’s map of 1778-83 (ESRO AMS 6008-01-29-17. Fig. 5) shows

17 https://www.crowboroughcommon.org/manor_of_alchorne 18 Blandford, V. 2012 Tracing the Pale of the Ashdown Forest Deer Park. CBAS Report 10

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Beacon Road and the location of the site being shown as common. Crowborough at this time was a small dispersed settlement.

4.9.3 The site is not shown as a field on either the Buxted or Rotherfield Tithe maps, although the former shows Beacon Road, and Little Warren Farm (Plot 207) to the west of the site (Fig. 6). The farm is owned by Edwards Dadswell and occupied by David Pratt, and the associated fields are mostly shown as arable, although the site itself appears to be open common. The Rotherfield tithe map (not reproduced) only shows detail to the east of Beacon Road.

4.9.4 During the 18th and 19th centuries agriculture spread onto parts of Crowborough Common and around the fringes of Ashdown Forest. Little Warren Farm was one of these small farmsteads, and was formed of a loose courtyard with two sides of the yard formed of agricultural buildings with the farmhouse set away from the yard (MES30033). Others nearby include a demolished 19th century farmstead was located north of Poundgate. The farmstead was formed of a loose courtyard with one side of the yard formed of agricultural buildings (MES30000). Poundgate Farm is a partially extant 19th century farmstead and is formed of a regular courtyard of T-plan (MES30001).

4.9.5 By the 1st Edition OS map of 1875, the field has been enclosed, although the surrounding land to the north and south of the field, and to the east of Beacon Road is still shown as common (Fig. 7). A track runs across the southwestern side of the field leading to Little Warren which is situated on the west side of the site. There is no change to the site through the 2nd Edition (1898) and 3rd Edition (1910) OS maps (not reproduced). The Crowborough Beacon Golf Club was established to the southeast of the site in 189519.

4.9.6 The Canadian Machine Gun Training Depot was organized in Crowborough Training Camp on 22 June 1916, with the Canadian Military School was established in the autumn of 191620, quickly followed by the Canadian Trench Warfare School. The camp (MES23110) remains to this day and is situated to the west of the Site, with an access road running along the southwest side of the Site. Troops based at the camp used Ashdown Forest for training, a series of rifle range butts surviving at Furnace Field (MES2899), and trench training areas located near Poundgate (MES8661). Other WW1 camps were located nearby including on Crowborough Common (MES23109).

4.9.7 By the 4th Edition OS map of 1931-32 (Fig. 8), although the site itself is unchanged apart from the western boundary with Little Warren having moved eastwards reducing the size of the field, houses have been built along the western side of Beacon Road to the south and north of the site.

19 https://www.cbgc.co.uk/history 20 http://www.nutleyhistorical.org.uk 11

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4.9.8 Crowborough Camp was re-used during the Second World War, and in 1944 a V1 flying bomb crashed on soldiers camped on Crowborough Common to the east of the site21. The 1946 aerial photographs (not reproduced) show the camp, but it did not extend as far as the site, and there is no indication that the field was used for military activities. A Cold War ROC post is situated to the east of the site, to the north of Sheep Plain (MES19330).

4.9.9 By 1971 the field has achieved its current shape with a re-alignment of the access road to Little Warren Farm (Fig. 9), possibly at the same time a new access road to Crowborough Camp runs along the southwestern edge of the Site. Apart from further housing development along Beacon Road, the site is otherwise unchanged. In c2003 planning permission was granted for the demolition of the farm buildings at Little Warren Farm and the erection of three new residential properties.

4.9.10 A Lidar image (Fig. 10) shows the site to have no significant earthworks present. There is a feint line of the original road to Little Warren Farm on the southwest side of the Site, and a number of slight ridges running parallel to Beacon Road, which may be ploughed out remains of braided trackways, similar to those situated to the northeast of the site (MES22439).

21 http://www.pillbox.org.uk/blog/216738/ 12

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5.0 Site Visit

5.1 A site visit was carried out by the author on the 20th July 2020. The weather was fine and sunny. The site was accessed from The Warren, and all parts of the site were accessible during the walkover.

5.2 The Site is a gently sloping field, falling from the higher ground of Beacon Road on the east side of the site (Plate 1) down to the boundary with Little Warren Farm on the west side of the site (Plate 2). The site is currently predominantly un-mown meadow grass.

Plate 1: View east towards Beacon Road Plate 2: View west towards Little Warren Farm

5.3 The southwestern boundary of the site is formed by The Warren which is a tarmac road leading to Crowborough Camp with an offshoot to Little Warren Farm (Plate 3). At the junction of these roads there are two Second World War anti-tank cylinders, which are not at their original location but have probably been relocated here after the war (Plate 4). To the south of The Warren is an area of trees and scrub.

Plate 3: Entrance to The Warren Plate 4: Anti-tank cylinders 13

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5.4 There is a c1m drop in height from The Warren into the Site, with the field boundary comprising a sparse hedge and young trees all of recent date. On the field side of this boundary there is a broad area of bracken and other vegetation (Plate 5). The tarmac road to Little Warren Farm, cuts across the original southwest corner of the field, and has a recently planted hedge along its boundary with the Site (Plate 6), although towards Little Warren Farm there is a ditch on the field side which then turns and runs along the east side of the hedge between the site and Little Warren Farm (Plate 7).

Plate 5: Southwestern edge of field Plate 6: Road to Little Warren Farm

Plate 7: Hedge boundary with Little Warren Farm Plate 8: North western boundary of site

5.5 Along the north western boundary there is a broad area of trees and scrub at the western end which narrows down to a strip of trees and vegetation towards the eastern end (Plate 8). Beyond this there is a wooden panel fence with the neighbouring Moor Court Manor.

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5.6 The eastern boundary bordering Beacon Road is predominantly hedge with vegetation against its field side, and trees towards the northern end (Plate 9). There is a drop of c0.5m from Beacon Road into the field along this boundary, but no obvious ditch. Beacon Road runs along this boundary, with a junction with Sheep Plain opposite the north corner of the site.

Plate 9: View to north eastern boundary from Sheep Plain

5.7 There were no obvious earthworks or other features noted on the site during the walkover. A number of mole hills were noted in the north eastern corner of the site, but there were no artefacts seen in the spoil.

5.8 There is no intervisibility from the site with any Listed Buildings or other Heritage assets.

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6.0 Discussion and Impact of the Development

6.1 This Heritage Statement has established that there is limited prehistoric activity in the immediate vicinity of the Site, and little in the wider area. It is in the Roman period that evidence for activity increases, with possible ironworking sites in the area, including one a short distance to the north west of the Site. The Ashdown Forest - Horsham ridgeway runs along the route of Beacon Road, and may have been used in Prehistoric and Roman times.

6.2 The site is situated just outside the medieval deer park of Ashdown Forest, with the Pale a short distance to the west of the site. It is likely that the area just outside the park may have been utilised in the medieval and Post medieval period for activities connected with resources provided by Ashdown Forest. The Beacon Road ridgeway continued in use throughout this period as evidenced by the braided trackways to the northeast of the site, and possible evidence on Lidar for similar features on the site.

6.3 During the later Post medieval small farmsteads were emerging, with Little Warren Farm being an example. Although present by 1840, the area of the site was not enclosed and used for cultivation until later in the 19th century. During the First and Second World Wars Crowborough Camp and Ashdown Forest was an important training centre, although whether activity associated with this extended onto the site is not known.

6.4 Given the evidence accumulated in this Heritage Statement, the probability of finding remains from each of the different archaeological periods, in the event of any groundworks at the site, is shown in Table 1 below:

Table 1 Period Probability Palaeolithic Low Mesolithic Low Neolithic Low Bronze Age Low Iron Age Low Roman Low/Moderate Saxon Low Medieval Low Post Medieval Moderate

6.5 There has been little in the way of archaeological investigation in the immediate vicinity of the site, and therefore the likelihood of finding evidence for most periods is unknown. Periods of agriculture, and tree rooting, may have caused some damage to any potential archaeological remains below ground. 16

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6.6 The proposed works include the excavation of foundations for 18 residential units, associated access roads and parking, and drainage, plus landscaping to create a pond at the north western end of the site (Fig. 10).

6.7 The setting of the proposed development on designated and non-designated heritage assets within close proximity of the Site also needs to be considered, and an assessment made of the impact of the proposed development on these assets and their setting. Guidance on setting is provided by Historic England22, and has been followed in making this assessment.

6.8 There are no Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Listed Battlefields or Parks within 1km of the site. The site is not within a Conservation Area and is outside the AONB. There are two Listed Buildings within 1km of the site, but neither of these has any intervisibility with the site and they are some distance from it (Fig. 3). There are no other designated and non-designated heritage assets affected by the proposed development.

22 Historic England 2015. The Setting of Heritage Assets. Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning:3. 17

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7. Conclusion and Recommendations

7.1 There is little evidence for archaeological activity in the immediate vicinity of the site, although the absence of past investigations, means the actual probability of finding archaeological remains is unknown. Probable Roman ironworking is known 600m to the NW of the site and a prehistoric/Roman ridgeway track runs along the line of Beacon Road, and evidence for braided trackways may exist on the site. The site is situated outside the medieval deer park, and was probably woodland/heathland which was not cleared for agriculture until the late Post medieval period.

7.2 The proposed works will involve significant groundworks in the form of the excavation of house foundations, associated access roads and parking, drainage, plus landscaping to create a pond. These works will damage or destroy any archaeological remains which may exist on the site. There is likely to have been limited past impact from agriculture on any archaeology present, a review of aerial images over the last 16 years shows it to have been meadow throughout this period.

7.3 It is therefore recommended that a condition be placed on the planning permission to allow for a programme of archaeological work to investigate the site prior to construction commencing, to ensure that any evidence for past activity is excavated and recorded.

7.4 Having assessed the evidence, it is concluded that the development will have no impact on the setting of any designated or non-designated heritage asset.

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8. Acknowledgements

8.1 We would like to thank Land Value Alliances LLP for appointing us to prepare this Heritage Statement, and Matthew McShane for making the arrangements.

8.2 Andrew Ward at ESCC provided the HER data. The project was managed by Chris Butler for CBAS Ltd.

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Fig. 5: Yeakell and Gardner map (1778-1783)

Fig. 6: Buxted Tithe Map (1840) (Reproduced with permission from ESRO (TD/E135))

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Fig. 7: 1st Edition OS Map 1878

rd Fig. 8: 3 Edition OS Map 1931-32

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Fig. 9: 1971 OS Map

Fig. 10: Lidar image

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Fig. 11: Illustrative Development Plan

Chris Butler Beacon Road Archaeological Services Crowborough

Chris Butler Archaeological Services Ltd

Chris Butler has been an archaeologist since 1985, and formed the Mid Sussex Field Archaeological Team in 1987, since when it has carried out numerous fieldwork projects, and was runner up in the Pitt-Rivers Award at the British Archaeological Awards in 1996. Having previously worked as a Pensions Technical Manager and Administration Director in the financial services industry, Chris formed Chris Butler Archaeological Services at the beginning of 2002.

Chris is a Member of the Institute for Archaeologists, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He was a part time lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Sussex, and until recently taught A-Level Archaeology at Bexhill 6th Form College having qualified (Cert. Ed.) as a teacher in 2006.

Chris specialises in prehistoric flintwork analysis, but has directed excavations, landscape surveys and watching briefs, including the excavation of a Beaker Bowl Barrow, a Saxon cemetery and settlement, Roman pottery kilns, and a Mesolithic hunting camp. He has recently undertaken large landscape surveys of Ashdown Forest and Broadwater Warren and is Co-Director of the Barcombe Roman Villa excavation project.

His publications include Prehistoric Flintwork, East Sussex Under Attack and West Sussex Under Attack, all of which are published by Tempus Publishing Ltd.

Chris Butler Archaeological Services Ltd is available for Flintwork Analysis, Project Management, Military Archaeology, Desktop Assessments, Field Evaluations, Excavation work, Watching Briefs, Historic Building Surveys, Landscape and Woodland Surveys & Fieldwalking, Post Excavation Services and Report Writing.

Chris Butler MCIfA Archaeological Services Ltd

Unit 12, Mays Farm Selmeston, Polegate East Sussex BN26 6TS

Tel & fax: 01323 811785

e mail: [email protected]

Web site: www.cbasltd.co.uk