June2014 Outside Ver 3.Cdr

This self-guided walk highlights Mortimer’s investigations into a series of pre-historic earthworks around the village, some of which are still visible in today’s landscape. He divided these earthworks into four types: ‘ancient entrenchments’, now known as Linear Earthworks; ‘hollow-ways’ or ‘ancient sunken roads’; ‘habitation terraces’; and ‘cultivation terraces’. Ancient Entrenchments Habitation Terraces Cultivation Terraces Mortimer correctly identified these as ancient land divisions, Mortimer wrote that these were . serving as ‘enclosures for family or even tribal boundaries and Mortimer described these as: . tribal settlement’.He was of the opinion that they were ‘the works of a settled community who spared no amount of labour to enclose ‘(Q)uite distinct from any other form of earth-works, and where they ‘Quite distinct from the Habitation Terraces..(and).. are parallel strips of their pasture- and probably, to some extent, tillage- lands, and to remain perfect in outline are remarkably alike in shape and size. They land of varying lengths, one above another, on hill slopes and in the protect their homes and herds by the most substantial boundaries are unlike the garden terraces, being generally found away from the vicinity of old villages. They usually run parallel with the hill sides... They and ways of communication then known’, and also that they immediate sites of old villages, and are mostly on that side of the valley owe their existence to the action of the plough, which has removed the soil might have been constructed to control access to water supplies. which faces the morning or the mid-day sun, at about one third the from the upper to the lower side of each strip of land, eventually producing distance from the foot of the slope. And are parallel with the course of Modern research has shown that the linear earthworks are not all a ledge with a steep bank on its upper side. These terraces were once bounded the valley. They occur in some cases as single platforms, in others as by fences, as shown by very old ash and other trees in places standing at of the same date, but were constructed and added to at various double platforms, whilst sometimes there are three, or even more terraces, times from the Middle Bronze Age into the Roman period (that irregular distances along their margins’. running parallel one above another. One end of each terrace is always is from about 1400BC to around the 1st and 2nd centuries AD). of full width, while the other end runs out to a fine point; and it is also These, as Mortimer suggested are terraces (known as lynchets) for worthy of note, that when two or more are found arranged like steps, the growing of crops, and can be of any date between prehistory Hollow-ways one above the other,they invariably have their wide ends in the same and the medieval period. Mortimer defined these as ‘covered ways connected with and direction. When well preserved, they are found to have a breadth varying form 15 to 21 feet, and a length of 100 to 200 yards’. leading to primitive settlements’ . He painted a picture of how the ‘hollow-ways’ might have been used: . Modern archaeologists now see these as artificial terraces Further information on the life and work of Mortimer (known as lynchets) for the growing of crops, and can date can be seen in the permanent exhibition located in ‘In a wild and wooded district these narrow sunk-ways would be safe from prehistoric times right up to the medieval period. St Mary’s Church, Fimber. and sure guides by day and by night to a rude settlement, to which they undoubtedly lead. They would also protect the primitive settlers during their travels in what was probably then more or less a forest, against sudden attacks of the wild and ferocious animals of that period, which would not choose to enter these narrow trenches. They would likewise assist the hunter to approach unobserved, any animal in the vicinity, he wished to capture; and any large game he might surprise and force into these narrow and deep trenches would have great difficultly in extricating itself, and might be readily driven along the ditches into the central and inhabited enclosure, where its capture would be more easily accomplished. Lastly, they unquestionably denote the fixed settlements of a rude and primitive commune in pre-historic times, earlier even... than the period of double dykes (entrenchments), of which, let me remark, there is no written or oral history, and whose use is entirely forgotten’. Although they may well have been used as routeways, it is now known that they were single-ditched linear earthworks and date to the same period as these features . Text taken from JOHN ROBERT MORTIMER The Life of a Nineteenth Century MORTIMER’S SKETCH PLAN OF East Yorkshire Archaeologist, THE EARTHWORKS AROUND FIMBER by Stephen Harrison. century . h otipratBiihacaooito h ae nineteenth later the of archaeologist British important most the reatilsrtos salse otmrsrptto soeof one as reputation Mortimer’s established illustrations, artefact a onhr n1825 in here born was hsmgiietbo,wt vr1000 over with book, magnificent This onso atYorkshire. East of Mounds on o oercn investigations. recent more for point ulcto of publication ot er’Rsace nBiihadSxnBurial Saxon and British in Researches Years’ Forty tde yMrie who Mortimer by studied ihu rc,adwihhspoie h starting the provided has which and trace, without otmrsacaooia okcliae n10 ihthe with 1905 in culminated work archaeological Mortimer’s oosreteacelgclfeatures archeological the observe to oyo aa hc ol tews ol aedisappeared have would otherwise would which data, of body htgah.Hswr a motn nbign oehralarge a together bringing in important was work His photographs. iewl rudteprs fFimber of parish the around walk mile 2.5 A archaeology. n a nybe ena rpmrsadsi tiso aerial on stains soil and marks crop as seen been only can and ihl aehspaea n ftefudn ahr fmdr day modern of fathers founding the of one as place his take rightly ayo h ie eepoe r o etoe tgon level ground at destroyed now are explored he sites the of Many ftefudtoso hc h ujc aet ebsd ecan He based. be to came subject the which on foundations the of eiuosecvto n eodnsMrie epdt a some lay to helped Mortimer recordings and excavation meticulous eid n novdfedwlig uvy n excavation. and survey, walking, field involved and period, eoigarcgie rao td.Truhhshg standards, high his Through study. of area recognised a becoming oki h onhpwscnutditritnl vra50-year a over intermittently conducted was township the in work h ieo i et n11 rhelg a elo h a to way the on well was archaeology 1911 in death his of time the netgtosit ibrspeitrcps.Hsarcheological His past. prehistoric Fimber’s into investigations eie ujc n a e ocpuetepbi mgnto.By imagination. public the capture to yet had and subject defined togyfl es fblnigi elce nhsrepeated his in reflected is belonging of sense felt strongly otmrwsbr noawrdi hc rhelg a o a not was archaeology which in world a into born was Mortimer otmrhdalfln tahett h lc fhsbrh His birth. his of place the to attachment lifelong a had Mortimer h subject.the . od,eetal eoigantoal eonsdatoiyon authority recognised nationally a becoming eventually Wolds, ons swl sohracaooia etrs nteYorkshire the on features, archaeological other as well as mounds, ytmtcadcrfleaiaino rud40peitrcburial prehistoric 420 around of examination careful and systematic rts rhelg.H eoe uho i dl iet the to life adult his of much devoted He archaeology. British ainlyipratcnrbto otedvlpeto modern of development the to contribution important nationally ineigacaooit h,dsiehshml rgn,md a made origins, humble his despite who, archaeologist, pioneering onmrhn ytae otmri etrmmee sa as remembered best is Mortimer trade, by merchant corn A odCemetery.Road . fhslf.H idi 91adwsbre ntetw’ Bridlington town’s the in buried was and 1911 in died He life. his of akttw fDifed n rmweeh a opa u h rest the out play to was he where from and Driffield, of town market ml ua omnt ni 89 hnh oe otenearby the to moved he when 1869, until community rural small onRbr otmrwsbr tFme n12.H ie nthis in lived He 1825. in Fimber at born was Mortimer Robert John otmrsFimber Mortimer’s around iclrRamble Circular A ot er’Rsace nBiihadSxnBra onso atYrsie p.xii Yorkshire, East of Mounds Burial Saxon and British in Researches Years’ Forty J.R.Mortimer, ihaseilcamadvalue” and charm special a with hyte cur h eps neetadbcm invested become and interest deepest the acquire then they rsn osadftr oe-a oti ie r hel centred, chiefly are life- this to as hopes- future and joys present erteceihdso hc aeu it,adi hc are which in and birth, us gave which spot cherished the near hs xlrtosaecnutdo u aiesis oeespecially more soils, native our on conducted are explorations these olwn h ieadpors fbgn ae.Btwhen But races. bygone of progress and rise the following akn nerytms netgtn hi rgnadatqiy and antiquity, and origin their investigating times, early in mankind INEIGARCHAELOGIST PIONEERING A itr fps gstaigottemnesadcsosof customs and manners the out ages,tracing past of history Fwprut a emr acntn hneqiigit the into enquiring than fascinating more be can pursuits “Few ONRBR OTMR1825-1911 MORTIMER ROBERT JOHN 1. Wandale 2. West End Farm A complex series of well-preserved, multi-period single and multiple ditch and bank linear earthworks running along Mortimer’s birthplace, a small 120 acre farm owned by his grandfather John Welburn, was the last property on the and down the valley sides; constructed piecemeal over a considerable period of time probably between the Middle left as you leave the village along Burdale Lane.

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