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ENHAS Acting Chairman John Warren
Hon. Treasurer & Membership Secretary John Warren 49 Prideaux Rd Eastbourne BN21 2NE Tel: 01323 731792 [email protected]
Hon. Secretary & Newsletter Editor Helen Warren M: 07811 480292 [email protected]
Other committee members: Rob Davies, Sheena Dine, Neil Richardson and Alison Selmes For general enquiries Email: [email protected]
A Message from the Editor Welcome to the100th issue of the ENHAS Newsletter! Thanks to all who have contributed over the years. In this edition there is a summary of Kim Hunnisett’s Butts Brow Report 2016. Let me know if you would like the full report emailed as a PDF. On pages 6 - 7 you can find out more about our committee. Also included in this issue is the Bullock Down walk. Page 3 is a plea for help! As you know it has not been an easy time for ENHAS over the last few years but things are looking up. Our Autumn and Spring programme is more or less arranged although we need members to volunteer for the Christmas meeting and someone to speak after our AGM in April. From time to time I send out emails to all on my membership mailing list. Please ensure that you have completed and returned the GDPR form allowing me to use your contact details. If you did not receive an email about the meeting on 27th September then you are not on my list! I welcome articles for the Newsletter. The next issue will be on out on 13th December at our Christmas meeting, copy date 27th Nov. With all good wishes, Helen Warren [email protected]
Email: [email protected] .
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Butts Brow 2017 Report Kim Hunnisett has now written up the report which I am happy to email as a PDF, all 49 pages! However, here is my summary. The excavations were conducted by volunteers from ENHAS between Friday 21st July to Sunday 23rd July 2017. The excavation ran alongside the community and research excavation conducted by Heritage Eastbourne at the Beehive Plantation, Butts Brow near Willingdon, Eastbourne. The Beehive Plantation excavations focused on a sub-circular earthwork consisting of an internally banked ditch which was also externally banked in parts. Excavations of this site in 2016 produced an assemblage of thirty sherds of pottery within the ditch fill dated to between 3750 – 3550 cal. BC, meaning that this earthwork is contemporary with, or even predates the nearby Combe Hill causewayed enclosure. The main objective of the ENHAS excavation was to determine the function of a number of earthworks within close proximity to the Beehive Neolithic enclosure and how they related to this monument. The dating of this monument is based on evidence from excavations conducted in 2016. Initial objectives were to investigate three earthwork features, believed to be bank and ditch features by excavating a section through each of them. A fourth trench (23) was opened on the second day of excavation to investigate another possible ditch feature between trenches 21 and 22. In trench 21 a feature was interpreted as a ditch and it has been proposed that this forms part of an outer ditch of the Neolithic enclosure. However, the limits of the excavation mean that it is difficult to conclude that this feature is part of a ditch and could instead be a discrete pit feature, possibly the result of flint extraction from the clay-with-flints deposit. In trench 22 a feature has been interpreted as a cross-ridge dyke and many of these linear earthworks are typically found on the South Downs. Trench 23 again showed a possible ditch. There was a layer of tabular flint in its base which appeared to have been partially removed on the western side. During construction of the ditch, the excavated material appeared to have been predominantly deposited on the north side of the ditch to form a bank. The number of finds from the ENHAS excavations were small with most of the assemblage recovered from trench 21a and b. Most was worked flint with a small amount of pottery from the primary fill of Trench 21. Two very small sherds of pottery with four further fragments of possible pottery were found within trench 21a. These sherds were very abraded with a coarse fabric that was dark grey in colour with moderate poorly sorted sub-angular flint inclusions. This pottery has similarities to the pottery found at the Beehive Neolithic enclosure which was attributed to the Early Neolithic (3750- 3550BC).
4. The earth work in trench 21 provided the greatest potential for a connection to the enclosure and has been tentatively interpreted as an outer ditch. This is difficult to confirm with the limited investigations .The presence of clay-with-flints in trench 21, as well the north end of trench 23, could be significant as there is evidence for the use of these surface deposits for producing flint axes, particularly towards the latter end of the Neolithic on the Sussex Downs. These deposits provided a good quality source of both nodular and tabular forms of flint which were used to produce flint tools, particularly axes. There is debate about the function of causewayed enclosures, however one argument is that they acted as gathering points for dispersed groups to exchange precious objects and in- crease social bonds. Many of these sites, including Combe Hill causewayed enclosure, have deposits of whole, broken or fragmented flint axes which appear to have been intentionally deposited within the enclosure. The deposition of broken and fragmented axes may hold some ritual significance. An example is the intentional destruction of axes and their burial along with burnt human bone in pits at the causewayed enclosure at Etton in Peterborough. The finds associated with causewayed enclosures could account for the lack of finished tools or axes during the ENHAS excavations, and that this was a possible site of extraction and production of flint objects to be exchanged or deposited elsewhere, potentially at the causewayed enclosure on Combe Hill. It is clear that the landscape surrounding the Neolithic monuments at Combe Hill and Butts Brow has been a focal point for people throughout prehistory and beyond. The favourable locations of these two enclosures on an elevated ridge providing a panorama of the coast to the east and the Weald to the North would have been advantageous for the prehistoric inhabitants of this area. Equally, the elevated position of this location and its monuments would have been highly visible from the surrounding landscape, signifying their importance to a society for whom ritual ideology dictated all aspects of daily life. This is likely a factor in the choice of this site for constructing monuments throughout the Neolithic and the early Bronze Age. The geology of this location would have been a significant draw as the extensive deposits of clay-with-flints within this landscape provided an easily accessible source of raw material. Although the three trenches revealed archaeological features, the limited extent of this excavation means that it is difficult to determine whether these features are definite ditches or if they are discrete pit features. The lack of dating evidence makes it impossible to ascribe a date to these features and thus determine their relationship to the nearby Beehive Neolithic enclosure. Despite the limitations and small-scale of these excavations, trench 21 especially, potentially shows how occupants of this landscape were utilising raw material resources close to significant ceremonial monuments within this area of the South Downs during prehistory, along with potential evidence for the organisation of economic practices associated with this landscape. Report by Kim Hunnisett Summary by Helen Warren 5. I have asked committee members to tell us something about themselves. Treasurer and Members’ Secretary, John Warren I grew up in Kenilworth, and its castle was my regular playground. I thought it was mine because my grandfather had guarded it as a member of the Home Guard during the war and had watched the bombing of Coventry from the Saintlowe tower in November 1940. I loved those ruins, and those of the neighbouring Priory, and climbed all over them despite the efforts of the guards to stop me. I date my recognition of various stylistic differences in construction to this experience and can still quote dates and names of various towers and per- sonalities involved in the history of the place. A few years later when I was at Art School in the early Sixties, I found the subject of History of Art fascinating, as it covered artefacts like pottery, tools, weapons and books, as well as paintings, sculpture and buildings, which all linked to my earlier castle experience. So, when on a trip to Crete in 1965 I discovered a spoil heap of thousands of broken shards by the sea near the Minoan palace of Malia currently being excavated, I was very excited. The archaeologists were all asleep as it was the hottest part of the day as we wandered round the site and saw lots of “stuff” sticking out of the ground, so no one saw me loot a few rim, base and handle shards from the spoil heap as keepsakes of the day. The final link between the exhibits in the muse- ums and discovery from the ground was made, and I have been hooked ever since. Committee member Alison Selmes I moved to Eastbourne in 1971, having been born and brought up in East Sussex. I did spend three years at Lancaster University in the late seventies, during which time I studied a bit of archaeology and quite a lot of history. My main memories of archaeology, in the practical sense, were traipsing round fields looking for Roman ruins near Hadrian’s Wall and recovering in local pubs! I have been involved in local history and archaeology for a number of years, involved in the Beddingham Roman villa dig in the early 1990's, and more recently the digs at Pococks, Kings Drive and last year Jevington and Motcombe Gardens.
STENCHAOLL FIELD EASTBOURNE £1.00
SHINEWATER EASTBOURNE'S BRONZE AGE GEM £2.00
EASTBOURNE URBAN MEDIEVAL PROJECT £1.50
EASTBOURNE URBAN MEDIEVAL PROJECT £1.50
AN INTERIM ACCOUNT OF THE BOURNE VALLEY EXCAVATION £3.00
FLORA OF THE STAR BREWERY SITE 50p
THE EASTBOURNE ROMAN VILLA £2.00
EASTBOURNE THE VIGIL AND THE MORROW £2.00
THREE LIME BURNING PITS, CHURCH STREET, EASTBOURNE £1.50
WATCHING BRIEF REPORT - BULLOCK DOWN FARM 75p A report on a watching brief covering the installation of a water pipe across an area of known archaeological interest by Robin Reffell
RESCUE EXCAVATION POCOCKS FIELD 1991 £3 A comprehensive account and analysis of an excavation carried out ahead of exten- sive roads work to build Cross Levels Way Eastbourne by Lawrence Stevens
AN EXCAVATION AT POCOCKS FIELD, EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX 2004 - AN INTERIM REPORT 60p An interim report on the excavation carried out in September 2004 by Robin Reffell
AN EXCAVATION AT POCOCKS FIELD, EASTBOURNE, EAST SUSSEX 2005 - AN INTERIM REPORT 60p An interim report on the excavation carried out in September 2005 by Robin Reffell
EXAMINATION OF A WINDMILLSTEAD - WILMINGTON WOOD EASTBOURNE by Lawrence and Patricia Stevens 75p
A NATURAL HISTORY OF EASTBOURNE £1 .00 Published by Eastbourne Natural History & Archaeological Society
FLORA OF THE STAR BREWERY SITE by M.A. Ash 50p
EASTBOURNE - ASPECTS OF ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY AND HERITAGE A tribute to Lawrence Stevens Edited by Michael J. Allen BSc PhD with ten articles on local archaeology £5
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What’s On Round and About Saturday 28th September 2019, 10am-12 noon - Whiteway Morning Lecture: The Impact of the Normans The Towns. Tutor: Simon Stevens. Venue: Rottingdean Whiteway Centre. This, the first in a series of three lectures by Simon Stevens, is a joint Rottingdean Whiteway Centre and Sussex School of Archaeology event. "The Norman Conquest brought great change to the existing towns of Late Anglo-Saxon England and saw the founding of other new settlements as centres for administration and commerce. Recent redevelopment in our urban centres has offered numerous op- portunities to excavate and interpret the buried remains of the post-Conquest period and place them within the context of the surviving townscapes and above-ground re- mains". Fee: £12 (or the series of 3 lectures for £30. The other lectures are on Satur- day 19 October: The Countryside; Saturday 16 November: The People). This/these event/s must be booked in advance: for more information or to book, please email [email protected] or ring 07913 753493. Shoreham Wordfest - September and October. We would like to recommend a talk by Dr Matt Pope, on 'The Shaping of the Downs in Prehistory' at 7.30pm and on Friday October 4th. Dr Geoff Mead is leading a walk along the Adur, and talking about Chang- ing Landscapes. Details at www.shorehamwordfest.com Tuesday October 8th Worthing Arch. Society Lecture - Speaker Connie Shirley - The Malthouse Fields at Sompting –Investigation of Building Remains. Worthing Ar- chaeological Society have investigated the building remains in Sompting Paddocks which may be part of a malthouse and farm complex known to be on this site in the 17th Century. Excavations have taken place over three years and a chalk-lined well and fur- ther flint walls have been found. Finds recovered include pre-historic flints and pottery from the late Neolithic to the present day. We present a review of the site in the land- scape and findings to date. Friday 11th October - BHAS Lecture – Sussex and Surrey in Later Prehistory – speaker Judie English - The adjacent counties, largely mirroring each other on either side of the geological Wealden dome have contrasting prehistories. The South Downs and coastal plain abound with standing monuments and archaeological sites yet the North Downs appear relatively barren. Is the ‘impenetrable’ Low Weald the sole rea- son? - Venue – Unitarian Church, New Road, Brighton – Start time 7-30 pm. Sunday 13th October - Chichester and District Archaeology Society Study Day: The Coins, Tokens and Jetons of England, c. AD 600-1971. Tutor: Dr David Rud- ling - Time: 10:30 – 16:30. Location: Fishbourne Roman Palace (Rudkin Room), Ro- man Way, Fishbourne, Chichester PO19 3QR. There is plenty of parking. Cost: Mem- bers £25, non-members £30 (if places are available). Payment is due by 15th Septem- ber 2019. Details of how to pay will be sent when your place is confirmed. To book a place please contact Pauline Blagden at [email protected] Wednesday 16th October 2019 at 7pm. University of Sussex Archaeological Society: The Sally Christian Lecture for 2019 – The Frome Coin Hoard, Carausius and the Roman Brexit. Talk by Dr Sam Moorhead (British Museum).Venue: Fulton Lecture Theatre B, University of Sussex. The Frome Hoard of 52,503 Roman coins, found in April 2010, is the largest cache of Roman coins ever found in Britain in a single pot. The coins have been saved for the Museum of Somerset at Taunton and are being conserved and studied at the British Museum. The discovery enables us to carry out a major re-appraisal of Carausius (AD 286-93), Britain’s ‘forgotten emperor’, whose histo- ry can be told through some fine examples of medallic art that even include references to Virgil. Most recently, Carausius has come into sharper focus as a result of 'Brexit' and this talk will outline the nature of the 'Breakaway British Empire' under Carausius and Allectus, how it began, how it faired and how it ended.Free parking at the University after 5pm. Frequent buses to/from Brighton. The nearest railway station is Falmer. All are welcome. Entrance: members of USAS £3; non-members: £4. Saturday 26th October – BHAS Local History Talk – Talking Butts: the many odd ideas, often accepted as part of history, which have no basis in fact – Speaker Kevin Poulton- Smith – Venue Fellowship Room, Central United Reformed Church, Blatchington Road, Hove – Start time 2-30 pm (Please don’t be late as the doors are locked once the talk begins.) HELP TO EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF STANMER PARK! - Stanmer Restoration Project is looking for Oral History Volunteers Dear All, There are four dates for people to come along to share past and present memories of Stanmer Park this October. We are asking people to bring along treas- ured photos and other memorabilia to share and help create a unique record of the park’s fascinating past. I would appreciate if you could please assist us in promoting the days , we are looking forward to seeing lots of people coming along. Please let me know if you would like me to send you a A3 poster for you to display. The events are being held at: St Georges Hall, Newick Road, Moulsecoomb 8 October, 2 – 5pm New Larchwood Waldron Avenue, Coldean 8 October, 9.30am – 12.30pm Plumpton College at Stanmer Park 12 October, 10am – 2pm Brighton Museum, Royal Pavilion Gardens 26 October, 11am – 4pm
Saturday 16th November - A Lewes Arch. Group Walk - Battle of Lewes Battlefield walk - Led by Joe Gazeley. Start time 10-30 am. Meet at the green area next to the start of the gallops, where it meets Nevill Road. Accessibility: Undulating downland.
13. Bullock Down Natural History and Archaeological Trail Thanks to Corinne Betts, Alison and Don Selmes for planning this walk
TAKES ABOUT 2.5 - 3 HOURS. THERE ARE SOME STEEP SLOPES AND UNEVEN GROUND. DEGREE OF FITNESS IS REQUIRED, AND SENSIBLE SHOES. From the Car Park at the top of Bullock Down Farm Road turn right past the Dew Pond until you come to the road/pathway and turn left into the pathway until you reach a stile on your left. There are six dew ponds on this farm. Stile no 1 This field has an early Iron Age settlement in the south east corner. Stile no 2 Bulling Dean Valley SSSI Designated This valley is crossed by Iron/Roman Age field systems which had been well document- ed by the Sussex Archaeological Society and in "Drewett, P. (ed) The Archaeology of Bullock Down, Eastbourne, East Sussex: The development of a landscape, Sussex Archaeological Society". The uneven bottom of the valley is caused by flint digging in the 19th/20th centuries. The flints were used for road making and buildings in the East- bourne area. Further on and to the right you will see the Lambing Yard Paddock and this field is a scheduled Ancient Monument showing medieval strip systems. Into Sweet Brow: On the right evidence of Medieval Strip systems are shown. On the left of the footpath there is a lynchett which was formed by ploughing during the Iron Age and Roman era. Into Banky Field through a gap in the fences. This field is protected as one of the few remaining unspoilt sections of Downland Turf. Many orchids and rare plants grow in this area. Stile no 3 Over the stile and turn right up the Bridal Path. On the right is the Wine Field, originally called the Wired In Field. This was the first field on the holding to have wire around it. Oxen were rested here overnight during the 19th Century Downland cultiva- tions. Bridle Gate to Frost Hill: As you shut the gate look left and then right and you will see that you are standing on an ancient trackway (this trackway runs from the Iron Age site at the start of the walk to a Roman farmstead on Frost Hill and then on to the Belle-Tout Bronze/ Iron Age site). Further on there are some interesting "skeletons" of dead trees near a dew pond. Carry on over Frost Hill, veering left past some trees and nettles and through another gate down into Kiln Combe Valley which is also SSSI designated. In the bottom of the valley is the remains of a 12th/13th century Medieval Farmstead which was excavated in 1980 by the Sussex Archaeological Society. They found two houses, out-buildings, pig sties and a well. Not much can be seen today but for further information see the report on the Kiln Combe excavations by SAS. Bridle Gate - Long Down At this junction turn right and walk along the crest of the hill and enjoy the view. Bridle Gate - Polo Road A change in environment and plants here results in more butter- flies and insects to be seen along this track. Keep straight on with the bushes on your right side; at the end of the bushes the fields on your left and right are both called Polo Fields (this is either side of the double gates with the track leading to the right towards Bullock Down Farm). In the Victorian era Polo was played in the field on the left and players and spectators parked their carriages in the field to the right. Next to see is the walled in field to the right of the track. It is believed that this wall was built by Napoleonic prisoners of war. The field was the night stop for sheep being driven be- tween Pevensey Marshes and Cuckmere Marshes. The trackway you are walking on was an old Drove Road. Bridle Gate - Main Road Turn right and walk beside the road. The field on the left is called Martins Field. Before the First World War this field was dug for flints by the inmates of the Old Town workhouse. Prior to being called Martins Field it was known as Baggs Park and was an army camp during Napoleonic times. Past the double gates there is an old flint wall known as Admiralty Wall. South of this wall is Countess Meadow, allegedly so called because a Countess had her summer residence here using two old army huts which were built against the wall. If anyone can confirm or has more information on Countess Meadow or anything else in the article, please contact Helen, the Secretary.
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Friday 27 September - “Medieval and Tudor Cookery” with Jan Black
Friday 25 October - “London Mudlarking” - Monika Buttling-Smith and Jason Sandy will give a short history of London mudlarking, followed by details of interesting and im- portant finds from the Thames foreshore. They will also bring along some artefacts.
Friday 15 November - “Medicine in Antiquity” - Dr Keith Liddell MD. FRCP will talk about how medical conditions effect communities as well as their spiritual management. Although his talk covers many civilizations he will concentrate on the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
Friday 13 December - Our Christmas Meeting - Several members tell us about an aspect of special interest. Festive Refreshments - Book Stall - Raffle
Friday 24 January - Steve Patton - “Prehistoric flint; its source, manufacture and identification”. Steve will also bring examples to see and handle.
Friday 28 February - Jo Seaman - “Discoveries at Motcombe Gardens Dovecote”
Friday 27 March - Dr Paul Wilkinson will talk about recent research in Kent
Friday 24 April - AGM followed by a speaker TBA
Meetings at St Saviour’s Church Hall, Spencer Rd, Eastbourne BN21 4PA Meetings start at 7.30 pm, doors open at 7.00 pm Refreshments served ~ Members free, visitors £2.50