T H A M E S V A L L E Y AARCHAEOLOGICALRCHAEOLOGICAL S E R V I C E S S O U T H

Isfield Camp, Station Road, , , East

Building recording and desk-based heritage assessment

by Sean Wallis

Site Code ICES10/08

(TQ 4510 1700)

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield,

Building Recording and desk-based heritage assessment

For Millwood Designer Homes Ltd

by Sean Wallis

Thames Valley Archaeological

Services Ltd

Site Code ICES 10/08

October 2012 Summary

Site name: Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex

Grid reference: TQ 4510 1700

Site activity: Building Recording and desk-based heritage assessment

Date and duration of project: 4th October 2012

Project manager: Sean Wallis

Project supervisor: Sean Wallis

Site code: ICES 10/08

Location and reference of archive: The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Museum in due course.

Summary: The surviving buildings of a 1930’s Royal Engineer’s army depot have been recorded. Most of the buildings comprised Nissen and Romney type huts. The depot went out of use in the 1960’s but other uses of the buildings took place subsequently. The desk-based assessment revealed little of archaeological interest for the site itself and relatively few items for the study area in general, other than the nearby medieval village of Isfield.

This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. All TVAS unpublished fieldwork reports are available on our website: www.tvas.co.uk/reports/reports.asp

Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford9 31.10.12 Steve Preston9 29.10.12

i Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 77a Hollingdean Terrace, , BN1 7HB Tel. (01273) 554198; Fax (01273) 564043; email [email protected]; website : www.tvas.co.uk

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex Building Recording and desk based heritage assessment

by Sean Wallis

Report 10/08 Introduction

This report documents the results of building recording at Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East

Sussex (TQ 4510 1700) (Fig. 1). The camp is thought to have been built in the 1930s as a military storage depot, and went out of use in 1965. The work was commissioned by Mr Ray Pearson, Senior Design Manager with

Millwood Designer Homes Ltd, Bordyke End, East Street, Tonbridge, , TN9 1HA.

Planning permission (WD/2010/1684) has been gained from Council to demolish the existing structures on the site, and construct new housing and commercial units. The permission is subject to a standard condition relating to archaeology, which requires the implementation of a programme of archaeological work prior to the commencement of any building work. Mr Greg Chuter, Assistant County Archaeologist with

East Sussex County Council, has indicated that two distinct elements of work are required in order to satisfy the planning condition. These entail building recording of the existing camp buildings prior to their demolition, and an archaeological watching brief to be carried out during groundworks in respect of the new development. This report is solely concerned with the building recording, which was carried out in accordance with a written scheme of investigation approved by Mr Chuter. A separate report will detail the results of the watching brief.

The camp is within an Archaeological Notification Area.

This is in accordance with and guided by PPS5 (2010) and the District Council’s policies on the historic environment, although it is acknowledged that PPS5 has now been superseded by the National Planning Policy

Framework (NPPF 2012). The fieldwork was undertaken by Sean Wallis and Felicity Howell on 4th October

2012, and the site code is ICES 10/08.

The archive is presently held at Thames Valley Archaeological Services, Reading and will be deposited with Lewes Museum and a copy of the report sent to the National Monuments Record in due course.

Location, topography and geology

The site is located in an area known as the Low , about 4.km north-east of Lewes and 2.5km south-east of

Uckfield (Fig. 1). The site is accessed via Station Road, and consists of a large open area, surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation. It contains a number of buildings associated with the former Royal Engineers depot,

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which was in operation from just before the Second World War until the 1960s. It is bounded to the west by an arable field, to the north-east by residential housing, to the east by a disused section of railway, and to the south by a meadow which slopes down towards the Iron River. The site is relatively flat, and lies at a height of approximately 10m above Ordnance Datum, although the southern edge of the site is slightly lower. Although the surrounding area is dominated by Wealden Clay Deposits, according to the British Geological Survey, the site itself sits on a small gravel terrace, associated with the River Ouse (BGS 2006), which flows north-south about 600m west of the camp.

Methodology

The building survey was carried out in accordance with guidelines set out by the Royal Commission on Historic

Monuments () for a level 3 record (RCHME 1996; English Heritage 2006).

The objectives of the project were:

to record information on the plan, form, date, materials, function and condition of the exterior and interior of the building(s), and to discuss their phasing;

to highlight constructional details and methods, and materials used;

to highlight the most important architectural details, including carpenters marks and any other inscriptions and significant features, such as fixtures and fittings;

to note any construction materials that may have been re-used;

to set the site in its historical context by doing a desk-based study; and

to discuss the context of the camp within its immediate contemporary landscape.

The project comprised three components of study – a desk-based heritage assessment requiring historical maps and a search of the East Sussex Historic Environment Record (ESHER), photography of items of standing building fabric of historical interest or other items that are to be demolished, and summary analysis of the structures using the architects’ plans of the site as a base. The building has been recorded photographically on

35mm format using colour print and black and white media, along with digital images, which are catalogued

(Appendix 2).

East Sussex Historic Environment Record

In order to provide some archaeological and historical background information, a search was made on the East

Sussex Historic Environment Record (ESHER) on 18th September 2012, for a radius of 1km from the centre of the site. Listed Buildings within 500m of the camp only were included. This produced 21 entries relating to

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archaeology and historic buildings, although some of these were either duplicates, or related to the same location. This information has been collated to produce 17 entries, which are summarized as Appendix 1, with their locations plotted on Figure 1.

Palaeolithic A Palaeolithic handaxe was found at Isfield [1], although little is known about its exact provenance.

Mesolithic Flintwork dating from the Mesolithic period has been found to the north-west [2] and north [3] of the site.

However, much of this was found in the 19th century, and the exact provenance of the material is unknown.

Later Prehistoric It is possible that some of the flintwork recovered to the north-west [2] and north [3] of the site may date from the later prehistoric period.

Roman Despite the presence of a probable Roman road to the west of the site, there are no HER entries for the Roman period within the study area.

Saxon There are no HER entries for the Saxon period within the study area.

Medieval One of the entries within the HER relates to the medieval hamlet of Isfield itself [4], which is first recorded in

1214 as Isefeld. A gold and copper alloy harness pendant, dating from the 12th or 13th century, was found by a metal detectorist to the east of the site [5]. Another HER entry relates to medieval masonry which appears to have been re-used in a now demolished barn to the north-west of the site [6]. It is possible that some of this masonry may have come from .

Post-medieval A musket ball was found by a metal detectorist to the south of the site [7]. Place-name evidence suggests that there was once a watermill to the north-west of the site [8], on the River Ouse. A post-medieval brick and tile works has been identified to the east of the site, in an area north and south of Horsted Lane [9].

The farmhouse and barn at Birches Farm are both Grade II Listed Buildings [10]. The farmhouse may date back to the early 16th century, whilst the timber-framed barn contains 16th- and 18th-century elements. The farmhouse at Boathouse Farm [11] is also a Grade II Listed Building, possibly dating from the 17th century.

Modern A railway line from Lewes to Tunbridge Wells, originally known as the “”, used to run immediately east of the site. The line was closed in 1969, but a small section, known as the “”,

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was re-opened in the 1980s. The restored station building and signal box are listed in the HER [12]. Another entry relates to a telephone exchange in Station Road, Isfield [13].

Isfield Camp itself is listed in the HER [14]. A defensive line of pillboxes was built along the western side of the River Ouse during the Second World War. Two of these, located to the west [15] and south-west [16] of the site, fall within the HER study area.

Negative

One of the entries within the HER relates to an archaeological watching brief which was carried out to the east of the site [17], where nothing of interest was found.

Historical and Archaeological Background

The site was traditionally located in the of Isfield, the western boundary of which runs along the River

Ouse, and the original settlement probably grew close to where the River Uck joins this larger river. A Roman road, known as the to Lewes Way (Margary (1955) route 14), is thought to have crossed the River Ouse at Isfield. Whilst this road was predominantly built to serve the iron industry in the Weald, it would also have been used to provide London with food produce, particularly corn from the (Vincent 2000). The strategic importance of this river crossing is underlined by the fact that a timber and earth fortification was built close by in the 12th century. The fortification was located at the confluence of the rivers Uck and Ouse, and used both in its defensive works (Jones 2003) (marked as Motte and Bailey on Fig. 1).

Isfield itself does not have a separate entry in Domesday Book (1086) (Williams and Martin 1992), and the name first appears in 1214 as Isefeld. The name is derived from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) word feld and the personal name Isa, and is therefore taken to mean ‘open land of a man called Isa’ (Mills 1993). The Saxon name indicates that the settlement was probably well established by the time the fortifications and church were built in the 12th century. The parish church is situated at some distance to the north-east of the main settlement, close to the fortifications. It was originally dedicated to St Mary, but became St Margaret of Antioch in 1505, due to the wishes of the Lord of the Manor. It is believed that the large house at Isfield Place, to the north of the church, may have been established at about the same time.

The River Ouse was important as far as the early development of the village was concerned, but following the construction of a railway line from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes in the mid 19th century, the focus of the village shifted towards the new railway station. The railway operated until its closure in 1969, after which the

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buildings became derelict. However, in the 1980s the station buildings were renovated and part of the railway line to the north of the station re-opened as a heritage railway. This is now known as the Lavender Line.

The military camp at Isfield is believed to have been built shortly before the outbreak of the Second World

War, as a Royal Engineers depot. In 1940 a small railway siding was built in the south-east part of the camp, which meant that men and machinery could be easily transported from the mainline railway into the heart of the camp itself (Butler 2007). This siding proved extremely important during the evacuation of British and French troops from Dunkirk in the June of that year.

A number of historic maps were consulted to ascertain the development of the site. Although the earliest maps of Sussex, such as Speed’s 1610 map (not illustrated), depict Isfield, no detail is shown in the area of the present site. More detail is shown on Budgen’s map of 1724 (Fig. 3), which depicts the emerging road system.

The site was located close to the point where the road to Lewes crossed the Iron River. By the time of the First

Edition Ordnance Survey of 1875-1880 (Fig. 4) the boundaries of the field that would later become the army camp had clearly been established, and a line of trees is shown running along the southern boundary. Beyond this boundary the ground slopes down towards the Iron River. The site appears to be an arable field at this time, possibly accessed via two tracks to the north-east. The railway line is already in place, with sidings at the station but not the siding into the site itself. Very little appears to have changed on the site before the camp was built and, unsurprisingly, the camp itself does not appear on the Ordnance Survey maps until the post-war period. The earliest of these available at a large-scale dates from 1976-77 (Fig. 5) and shows the site shortly after the army left the site. By this time the siding has already been removed. There is very little difference between this map and the modern Ordnance Survey (Fig. 2), with just two structures shown in the south-west part of the site on the

1970s map which are not included on the modern one.

The aerial photographic catalogue of the National Monuments Record was searched on 19 October 2012 for a radius of 1km around the site. This search produced 244 vertical and 8 oblique (specialist) photographs from 58 sorties flown between 1920 and 1999 (Appendix 3). Most of these photographs were viewed on 25

October 2012, but a number were not available. There were no indications of any cropmarks on the site as it was occupied by the camp in all views. All the vertical photographs were from high altitude, and surprisingly few were of good quality. However, the aerial photographic study confirms that the site has remained more or less unchanged from the earliest photograph (1946) with the exception of the railway siding, clearly seen in 1946 and later views although in fact it is difficult to tell when it was decommissioned from the photographs alone as its line is still visible even if the track may no longer be present.

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Description of the Site

The site is accessed via a driveway which leads south-west from Station Road. Upon reaching the entrance there is a brick-built building, which would presumably have functioned as a guardhouse and office when the Royal

Engineers depot was operational. From in front of this building, one can get a good view across much of the site.

There are large area of concrete or Tarmac hard standings, including a perimeter road and various other roads which would have been used for moving materials around the camp. The majority of the buildings are located around the edge of the camp, although there are several within the perimeter road, including five large huts to the south.

The former camp has obviously been deserted for many years and there are large areas of overgrown vegetation. This is particularly true of the area between the perimeter road and fence, where there are also a number of mature trees. At the time of the survey, work was ongoing to clear some of the vegetation for ecological reasons. However, this was largely concerned with the area within the perimeter road, where a 360° type machine was used to remove the vegetation which, in some places, had developed over the roads and other hard standings.

The amount of dense vegetation in certain parts of the site hindered the survey slightly, but most of the structures shown on the architects’ plans could be accurately identified. The only features which could not be located were the concrete bases of demolished buildings, which had presumably been covered by vegetation since the earlier survey. The building recording survey was carried out on a bright sunny day, which made photographing some aspects of the buildings quite difficult, and gave the dense areas of vegetation a jungle like feel. All the individual buildings were photographed, and general shots of the site were also taken. As the architects’ plans were only concerned with the external layout of the buildings across the site, it was necessary to produce accurate drawings of the internal layout of two of the brick-built structures, namely the guardroom and bungalow.

Apart from the structures themselves, there is very little in the site dating back to its time as a military establishment. However, the site is literally littered with material dating from its post-army days, including tyres, electrical components and an odd collection of old lawnmowers. Despite the amount of rubbish which has been left on the site it is difficult to identify any particular businesses which may have taken up residence after the army camp closed. The only exception is one of the buildings in the northern part of the site which was clearly

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used for storing building materials. More recent activity is evidenced by the stencil paintings and graffiti which appear in several of the buildings, and by traces of habitation in the former guardhouse.

The Buildings

The site contains a variety of buildings and structures associated with its former use as a Royal Engineers depot.

These can be divided into largely brick or timber built structures, all of which appear to be unique within the camp, and pre-fabricated steel huts of varying size.

The brick and timber built structures include the guardhouse / office, a lavatory block, and a bungalow which probably provided accommodation for some of the officers. These are all built from materials common during the wartime period and, although the size and layout of military buildings of this type would have varied from camp to camp, the bricks, windows and other fittings were fairly standard, and usually mass-produced.

The pre-fabricated steel structures also vary in size and shape, but can be broadly divided into smaller

Nissen huts, and a larger variation introduced at the end of 1941, known as the Romney hut. Although there had been limited use of corrugated iron by the military from the mid 19th century onwards, the British had been slow to realise its potential until the Second Boer War when it was used to construct a series of blockhouses across the

Veldt. Despite this demonstration of its usefulness, it was not until the First World War that it finally overtook canvas as the preferred material for keeping soldiers dry. Due to the fact that the front-line in Belgium and

France had been fairly static since the end of 1914, by 1916, vast areas to the rear of the front-lines had been devastated by shelling, with entire villages all but disappearing beneath the mud. Both sides were therefore faced with the huge problems of having to billet men close to the front-line, and be able to keep them warm, dry, and relatively safe from artillery. For the allies the problem was exacerbated due to planned offensives on the front- line at the Somme and Verdun (Mornement and Holloway 2003).

According to legend, the idea of a semi-circular hut came to a temporary lieutenant in the 103rd Field

Company Royal Engineers, Peter Norman Nissen, late one night when he was having trouble sleeping. It was based on a building at his university in Canada. The first Nissen hut appeared in May 1916 and, after some revisions and fine tuning, two standard models were agreed. These were the Nissen Bow Hut, which was 27ft

(8.23m) long, 16ft (4.88m) wide and 8ft (2.44m) high, and the larger Nissen Hospital Hut, which measured 60ft

(18.29m) by 20ft (6.10m) wide, and was about 10ft (3.05m) high. The fundamental elements of the design were a frame, comprised of T-shaped steel ribs and timber purlins, which supported a semi-circular skin of curved corrugated iron sheets. The windows and doors were situated at the ends of the structure, which were constructed

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from timber. Most internal floors, features and fittings in these early huts were also timber. The huts were intended to be portable, and were designed in such a way that a team of six men could assemble one in about four hours. All the individual parts of the structure could be carried by at least two men, and the whole hut weighed about 2 tons, which meant that they could easily be transported by lorry. The only piece of equipment needed to assemble a structure was a spanner, and this was supplied with the hut. The huts proved to be extremely versatile, and were used for housing men, horses and equipment, as well as providing emergency accommodation for displaced civilians. By the end of the war there were over 100,000 Nissen huts in Northern

Europe (Mornement and Holloway 2007).

Nissen huts continued to be used by the military during the inter-war years and, although the basic concept remained the same, various modifications were made including the insertion of windows along the sides. By the

Second World War, there were two standard sizes (16ft and 24ft width) being widely used. As the huts were usually constructed from 6ft (1.83m) long sections, it was quite easy to make the huts to any length, simply by adding more sections. The huts which were built across Britain prior to the outbreak of the war were, for the most part, clearly not designed to be portable, and this is evident at Isfield as all the surviving floors are concrete.

Most of the Nissen huts at Isfield were probably constructed when the camp was first opened, shortly before the war started. This is based on the fact that their ends generally tend to be built of timber. Once the war had started, the shortage of natural resources lead to other materials being used, and the ends were subsequently constructed from brick (Mornement and Holloway 2007). As far as the camp itself is concerned, only one Nissen hut appears to date from this later period, although it has been largely demolished.

The five large buildings in the southern part of the site are clearly later as they are Romney huts, which were not introduced until the latter end of 1941. The Romney Hut retained the semi-circular shape of the Nissen, but had a stronger frame. Two inch thick tubular steel ribs replaced the earlier T-shaped ones, and the timber purlins were replaced by one and a half inch angle iron (Mornement and Holloway 2007). Being positioned close to the railway siding which ran into the camp, the Romney huts were obviously intended to store large items of military hardware. As the siding was constructed in 1940, it is possible that the Romneys replaced earlier structures in this area later in the war, although no trace of any such earlier structures was recorded during the survey.

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The Building Recording Survey

The building recording was carried out on 4th October 2012, and included a photographic survey of all the existing structures on the site. These consist of a mixture of pre-fabricated Nissen and Romney huts, two large brick buildings, and a number of smaller ancillary structures. Many of these buildings would presumably have been built to standard sizes, due to the fact that the pre-fabricated metal frames were mass produced. However, the measurements taken from the architects’ drawings show some variation from the standard sizes, and it is not clear whether this is merely a result of the surveying methods used, or actually reflects some variation in the structures built on the site. Some of the structures shown on the architects’ plans and modern Ordnance Survey could not be seen during the survey due to the overgrown vegetation in parts of the site. These structures have presumably been largely demolished, and their concrete bases were not visible. Some of the original roads and

Tarmac areas within the camp are still visible, although these have been encroached upon by vegetation.

Just one of the original concrete gateposts at the entrance survives. The buildings within the camp are largely situated around the perimeter, although there are five large Romney huts in the southern part of the site immediately adjacent to the old railway siding, and one surviving Romney hut to the north of these (Fig. 6).

Although many of the buildings have been used for various purposes since the camp closed in the 1960s, at the time of the survey all the buildings were derelict and in varying states of disrepair.

To the south-east of the original gate there is a brick and timber structure (building A) which would presumably have functioned as a guardhouse and office when the Royal Engineers depot was operational (Fig.

7). The original main entrance was through the south-east wall, and had a small porch. However this was boarded up during the survey, due to it being structurally unsafe. The building was therefore entered via an entrance in the south-west wall. This also has a small brick-built porch. The first room (A) encountered on entering this end of the building is quite narrow, measuring 5.60m by just 1.70m. The north-west, south-west and south-east walls of this room are constructed from timber, and there are two small windows in the south-west wall, positioned either side of the entrance. The room contains nothing to indicate its original function, but there are a number of fuse boxes and electrical equipment on its south-east wall, which may be associated with a later use of the building. The north-east wall is brick built, and there is a small window (now boarded up) which originally looked into the adjacent room (B). Room B is the largest room in the building, measuring 5.60m by

9.05m. The room is decorated in a distinctive two-tone design, which is typical for British Army buildings. Apart from the décor, there is nothing obvious in the room to suggest its former function. The room is littered with work benches, and old electrical components, suggesting that the building may have been used as a workshop

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after the army camp closed. The north-west and south-east have two small windows each, and there is a large window in the north-east wall, which looks into room D beyond. This window has been partially blocked with a notice board. A doorway in the north-east corner of the room leads into a small corridor (C) which has two small windows in its south-east wall, positioned either side of the main entrance. Room D is accessed via this corridor, and measures 4.42m by 3.60m. It has two small windows in its north-west wall, along with the large window in the south-west wall which looks out onto room B. The room stills contains traces of the original army décor, most notably on the woodwork, but nothing to suggest its former function. A door in the north-east wall of the room leads into a lavatory (E), which measures 1.85m by 1.70m. The lavatory has one small window in its north- west wall, and still contains a WC, although the plastic cistern is obviously a replacement. There is another lavatory (F) at the northern end of corridor C, which measures 1.90m by 2.78m, although one corner is occupied by a separate cubicle for the WC. This lavatory still retains its army décor, and the original fittings include a hand basin, urinal and WC (with original cistern). The room has small windows in its north-east and south-east walls. Room G is next to lavatory F, and is also accessed from the corridor. The room measures 1.62m by 3.65m, and still retains its original two-tone army décor. There is one small window in the north-east wall. Coat hooks on the south-east wall of the room suggest that this may originally have functioned as a cloakroom. The final room in the building is another lavatory (H), which is accessed from room G. The room measures 1.85m by

1.80m, but is divided into two by a partition wall. To the north of the partition there is a WC with its original cistern, whilst there is a hand basin in the southern part of the room. Although there was little to indicate the former function of the building, it is possible that a large number of personnel (both men and women) worked in room B, dealing with the paperwork associated with the depot. Room D may have been occupied by NCOs or officers, who had a large window overlooking the main room, and a separate lavatory. Room F is obviously a gents lavatory and, as a result, it is likely that room H was used by the ladies.

There is a small brick built structure (W) to the north-east of building A, which supports a metal water tank.

To the west of building A, close to the perimeter fence, there is a lavatory block (V). Part of the original sign is visible on the eastern wall. This structure is 4.5m long and 2.5m wide, and appears to have been constructed from a combination of standard sized red bricks and “clay pots”, which were large hollow bricks, similar in size to modern breeze blocks. The building originally had a small porch in front of its southern entrance, although this has largely been demolished. The structure is rendered both internally and externally, and has a simple single pitch roof. The roof structure is timber and is covered by corrugated asbestos panels. The lavatory block has three cubicles, each containing a WC, and a hand basin at its southern end. A small wooden structure (U) was

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partially visible to the south of the lavatory block, but could not be recorded in detail due to the amount of surrounding vegetation.

Moving south along the western perimeter road, the next buildings encountered are two large Nissen huts

(B and C), both of which are accessed from the road. According to the architects’ plans, building B measures

14.84m by 7.64m, which roughly equates to 48ft by 24ft. The front and rear elevations of the building are built of timber, each having a central doorway and two flanking windows. The steel ribs and wooden purlins of the building are largely present, and although the concrete base has survived, the interior of the building is partially filled with vegetation. There are two windows each in the north and south sides of the structure, which appears to have been used for storing building materials after the camp went out of use. Many of the corrugated iron panels which originally covered the building are missing. Building C is very similar, measuring 14.82m by 7.64m, but has survived rather better. Once again, there is a central door with flanking windows at the front and rear ends, and two windows along each side. There are also vents above the doors at either end. Most of the original structure, including the corrugated iron roof, is still in place, along with the concrete slab floor. The building contains no fittings or features to indicate its former use.

To the south-east of buildings B and C, on the eastern side of the perimeter road, there is a Romney hut (S), measuring 16.74m by 10.76m. The basic steel structure of this hut is still present, although many of its corrugated iron panels are missing. The western end of the building is entirely open, with just two timber posts surviving, albeit out of place. At the eastern end of the building, the two structural posts are in their original position, and some of the corrugated iron panel wall survives, along with one window. The building has a concrete base and, at the time of the survey, was filled with various items of furniture and electrical equipment.

However, there was nothing in the building to indicate its original function. The architects’ plans show a concrete base to the west of building S, but this could not be seen during the survey due to vegetation.

Going back to the western perimeter road, there are two more Nissen huts (D and E), to the south-west of building S. The exteriors of these two huts are largely obscured by vegetation. Building D measures 14.94m by

5.51m and most of its steel structure has survived, despite some damage to its eastern end. This eastern end originally had a central doorway, with a vent above it, and two flanking windows. Some of the timber structure of this end of the building has collapsed. The western end is also built of timber and has two windows, but no doorway. The steel ribs and wooden purlins have largely survived, along with most of the corrugated iron panels.

This structure has no windows along its north and south sides. It still retains its original concrete base, and was fairly empty at the time of the survey, containing nothing to indicate its former function. The east elevation of

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building E also had a central doorway with flanking windows, although these could only be seen internally due to the overgrown vegetation outside. Due to the amount of vegetation, the measurements of the building could not be fully ascertained when the site was surveyed, although it was at least 11.98m long and 5.00m wide. The timber built west wall is complete, with a central door and two flanking windows. An interesting feature of this building is the fact that the eastern half of it was originally provided with an inner wall, constructed from asbestos panels. There appears to have been a brick wall dividing the two sections of the building, although this has subsequently been demolished and all that remains is a pile of rubble. It is possible that the eastern part of the building was used for accommodation, and the presence of a possible chimney vent through the roof supports this theory. However, the only side window in the building was in the western part of the north wall. The building still has its original concrete slab base but, apart from the chimney and internal lining mentioned previously, contains nothing to indicate its former function.

The remains of another Nissen hut (F) could be seen within an overgrown area in the south-west corner of the camp. The building has been largely demolished, although its concrete base survives, along with small portions of its western wall and an internal partition wall, both of which were built using standard sized red bricks. The remaining concrete base measures 11.96m by 3.06m.

In the south-west corner of the camp, between two areas of overgrown vegetation, there is a path leading to the perimeter fence. This is not shown on any of the Ordnance Survey maps, and is likely to date from the period after the camp was sold off in the 1960s. Within the overgrown area to the east of this path are three Nissen huts

(G, H and I), all of which appear to be of the larger, 24ft wide, variety. Some of the steel frames have been twisted out of position by mature trees, and accurate surveying and recording of these structures was hampered by the amount of vegetation in this area. Hut G measures 29.72m by 7.41m, and nothing remains of its front and rear ends, which would presumably have been constructed from timber. However, the steel frame of the hut is largely intact, and is supported by a series of pyramidal concrete bases along its north and south sides. These resemble smaller versions of the anti-tank defences known as “dragon’s teeth”. The presence of these bases indicates that the hut originally had a raised floor, but no traces of this remain. The hut still retains over half of its original corrugated iron roofing panels, although these contain numerous holes, and many are twisted. Hut H is very similar and measures 29.82m by 7.50m. As with hut G, nothing remains of its front and rear ends, although much of the steel frame is still in place. The hut also has pyramidal concrete bases running along its north and south sides, suggesting that it originally had a raised floor. Much of its corrugated iron roof has been removed. The southernmost of this set of huts (I) still retains some of its original western end, although it is

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partially collapsed. This is constructed from timber, and has a central double door. The entrance may have had two flanking windows, but these appear to have been boarded up subsequently. This end of the building is supported by four brick built pillars, whilst the north and south sides of the building are supported by the pyramidal concrete bases seen in huts G and H. Once again, there is no trace of the original raised floor surviving within the structure, and much of the corrugated iron roof is missing. Hut I measures 25.88m by

7.61m.

To the north of hut G there is a large fuel tank, which sits on a brick base. This is not shown on the architects’ plans and was not recorded in detail. However, it is likely to have been an original feature of the camp.

There are supposedly several Nissen huts to the east of huts G, H and I but, due to the amount of vegetation in this area, only the western end of one (J) is visible. This hut is 7.40m wide and at least 5.68m long. Its steel frame is visible amongst the vegetation, but the undergrowth was so dense that it was not possible to gain access to the interior of the structure. To the east of hut J there is another large Nissen hut (K) which is aligned approximately N-S. Very little survives of the northern end of the hut, with just one timber panel remaining. The southern end has survived rather better, although its central doorway has been removed. The doorway would have had two flanking windows, and a further window appears to have been inserted above the doorway at a later date. Most of the corrugated iron roof is still in place, although many of the panels at the northern end have been removed. This building is raised on concrete pyramidal supports, and still retains its original floor, which is comprised of close-set concrete panels. The building measures 29.76m by 7.79m.

There is a partially collapsed red brick structure (L) in the south-east corner of the site, in an area of dense vegetation. The main part of this building measures 1.88m by 1.63, and has a chimney on its southern side. The original function of this structure is not known, although fires were obviously lit within it, as evidenced by the burnt appearance of some of the internal brickwork.

There is a large Tarmac area in the southern part of the site, on which stand five Romney huts (M, N, O, P and Q). To the south of these huts is an area of dense vegetation, which represents the location of the railway siding which was built within the camp during the Second World War. The track was lifted many years ago, when the siding was closed, but the concrete buffers of the siding still remain at its western end. These buffers are constructed from concrete, and have a steep ramp at their western end. However, it is unlikely that this ramp was used for loading wagons, due to the steepness of its gradient. The presence of the five Romney huts to the north of the railway siding is obviously not a coincidence, as the size of the huts, and their ‘hangar’ style doors

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indicate that they were used to store large items of military hardware. As this was a Royal Engineers depot, it is likely that the material stored in the huts, and transported to and from the camp, would have included earth moving equipment and portable ‘Bailey’ bridges. It is possible that the ‘front’ ends of the buildings actually faced into the camp, as opposed to the siding, due to the fact that the northern ends of the huts are numbered. All of these huts have concrete floors, and their steel frames would originally have been completely covered by corrugated iron panels. Each hut had large ‘hangar’ style doorways at their northern and southern ends, and the doors themselves were also of corrugated iron. Some of the huts have a smaller door next to the main doors at each end, although a number of these have been boarded up. These small doors may actually be a later addition, as their size and exact position varies from hut to hut. Most of the huts are very weathered, with their exteriors being covered in rust, giving them a reddish hue. The exception to this is hut O, which is largely silver in colour.

None of the Romney huts contain anything to suggest their former function.

Hut M is the furthest west of the five huts, and is set back slightly from the others when viewed from the south. It measures 29.65m by 11.14m and, despite retaining a concrete floor, its interior is filled with dense vegetation. Most of the southern end of the building has survived, including its door, but numerous corrugated iron panels are missing from its roof, sides and northern end. It is clear from what remains of the corrugated iron skin that this hut originally had a number of skylights. Hut N measures 29.94m by 10.93m, and most of the structure is intact, including its corrugated iron covering. The interior of the building was empty, and all the original skylights in the roof were present.

Although hut O was identical to the other Romneys in many respects, its appearance is totally different, both externally and internally. The exterior is largely silver, and only appears to have rusted along the seams of the corrugated iron panels. It therefore appears that the exterior may have been painted at some point after the camp went out of use. An interesting feature is an American Air Force badge on the outside of the northern wall, which is clearly not original. The inside of the building also appears to have been maintained far better than the other huts. The skylights of the hut are different to those in the others, being longer and positioned lower down along the walls. Although the windows are larger, there are fewer of them. It is therefore likely that this hut was refurbished after the camp closed. The hut measures 29.79m by 10.98m.

Hut P measures 29.70m by 10.97m and, apart from a number of holes in its corrugated iron skin, appears to be in relatively good condition. It still retains its original skylights. The same can be said of hut Q next door, which measures 29.65m by 10.72m.

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The architects’ plans of the site show two concrete bases to the west of Romney hut M, but these could not be seen during the survey, due to the dense vegetation around them. To the north of hut M there is the circular, brick built, base of an old water tank. This measures 8.20m in diameter and stands to a height of 1.3m.

The final building to be surveyed was a brick and timber built structure (T) in the north-east corner of the site. This building resembles a small bungalow, and would presumably have provided accommodation for the officers of the camp. The building is essentially a rectangular structure, measuring 22.32m by 5.00m, largely constructed from timber, although there are two small brick built extensions. The extension at the southern end of the building could not be examined during the survey due to the presence of dense vegetation. The roof consists of corrugated asbestos panels. The main entrance is via a doorway in the south-west facing wall. There used to be a timber porch above this entrance, but this has largely collapsed. On entering the building there is a small lobby area with corridors leading off it to the north-west and south-east. A couple of original coat hooks survive in the lobby. At the end of the north-east corridor there is a room (A), measuring 4.80m by 3.60m, which has two large windows. The timber panelled construction of the building is apparent in the walls and ceiling. The original light fittings are still present in the room, along with a small shelf. It is not clear whether this room originally functioned as a bedroom or sitting room. The next room along (B) measures 3.60m by 3.60, and was presumably a bedroom. There is a large wardrobe in the room and one large window. There is another probable bedroom next door (C), which is the same size as room B. This room has a small window but, apart from the light fittings contains no original features. Rooms D and E are positioned in front of the main entrance, and are a lavatory and bathroom respectively. The two rooms share a large window. Room D is just 0.90m wide and contains a WC which has been vandalised. The light fitting in this room appears to be a later feature. The bathroom (E) contains a small bath and airing cupboard, which are likely to be original features, and measures

2.70m by 2.55m. Room F is accessed from the end of the south-eastern corridor, and measures 3.60m by 3.55m.

There is a small window in the north-east wall, next to the back door, and another small window looking out onto the corridor. The room was obviously a kitchen, and still contains a gas-fired range in one corner, which may be an original feature. There was a later electric oven next to the range. The kitchen sink would have been positioned in another corner of the room, next to the back door. However, the sink has been removed and the unit in which it originally sat heavily vandalized. There was another door next to the back entrance, which leads into a small room (G) that presumably functioned as a larder. The room occupies a small brick-built extension to the building, and measures 1.20m by 1.00m internally. The final room in the building (H) measures 4.80m by

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3.70m, and probably functioned as a sitting room. There is an open fireplace along the north-west wall, with a decorative tile surround. The room also has a picture rail, and still retains its original door.

Conclusion

The fieldwork at Isfield Camp has recorded the surviving buildings at the former Royal Engineers depot prior to their planned demolition. It is possible that the site may contain the last remnants of a Second World War army camp in Sussex (Longstaff-Tyrell 2000). However, as can be gleaned from this report, all of the buildings have suffered from varying amounts of neglect since the camp closed in the 1960s. Several buildings have been completely or partially demolished, whilst many of the others have deteriorated over the years due to a lack of maintenance. Apart from the buildings themselves, there was very little within the site to indicate its former use.

References

BGS 2006, British Geological Survey 1:50,000 series sheet 319/334, Bedrock and Superficial Deposits edition, Keyworth Butler, C, 2007, East Sussex Under Attack : Anti-Invasion Sites 1500-1990, Stroud EH, 2006, Understanding Historic Buildings, English Heritage, London Jones, R, 2003, ‘ to : the castles of Sussex’, in D Rudling (ed), The Archaeology of Sussex to AD 2000, King’s Lynn, 171-178 Longstaff-Tyrell, P, 2000, Front-Line Sussex : Napoleon Bonaparte to the Cold War, Stroud Margary, I D, 1955, Roman Roads in Britain, London Mills, A D, 1993, English Place-Names, Oxford NPPF, 2012, National Planning Policy Framework, Department of Communities and Local Government, London (TSO) PPS5 2010, Planning for the Historic Environment, Planning Policy Statement 5, London (TSO) RCHME, 1996 Recording Historic Buildings, A Descriptive Specification Third Edition Rudling, D, (ed) 2003, The Archaeology of Sussex to AD2000, King’s Lynn Williams, A and Martin, G H, 1992, Domesday Book – A Complete Translation, London Vincent, A, 2000, Roman Roads of Sussex, Midhurst

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APPENDIX 1: Historic Environment Records within a 1km search radius of Isfield Camp (500m for Listed Buildings)

No HER Ref Grid Ref (TQ) Type Period Comment 1 MES 4478 4480 1770 Find spot Palaeolithic A Lower Palaeolithic handaxe was found at Isfield, although little is known about its exact provenance. 2 MES 1197 4450 1770 Find spot Mesolithic A collection of flintwork, dating from the Mesolithic MES 4477 Later prehistoric period and later, was found above the Ouse floodplain, close to Isfield. 3 MES 4492 4500 1777 Find spot Mesolithic Mesolithic flintwork, including two picks and about twenty microliths, has been found in the area around Isfield. 4 MES 19948 4487 1774 Settlement Medieval The hamlet at Isfield is first mentioned in a document MES 8346 4489 1776 Building Post-medieval dating from 1214, as Isefeld. The present village hall dates from the 19th century, and used to be a school. 5 MES 11216 4560 1720 Find spot Medieval A gold and copper alloy harness pendant, dating from the 12th or 13th century, was found near Isfield by a metal detectorist. 6 MES 1196 4450 1740 Building Medieval Re-used medieval masonry was recorded when a timber- framed barn was demolished. It is possible that the masonry may have come from Lewes Priory. 7 MES 11582 4481 1664 Find spot Post-medieval A musket ball was found at Cob Farm by a metal detectorist. 8 MES 17040 4459 1740 Building Post-medieval A watermill in this location is suggested by place-name evidence. 9 MES 8340 4580 1730 Brickworks Post-medieval A brick and tile works has been identified close to Horsted Lane. 10 DES 4749 4523 1697 Building Post-medieval The farmhouse and barn at Birches Farm are Grade II DES 6058 Listed Buildings. The farmhouse may date back to the early 16th century, whilst the timber framed barn contains 16th and 18th century elements. 11 DES 6059 4512 1667 Buildings Post-medieval The farmhouse at Boathouse Farm is a Grade II Listed Building, probably dating from the 17th century. 12 MES 8341 4521 1708 Buildings Modern and the nearby signal box are MES 8343 4520 1712 now operated by a heritage railway known as the Lavender Line, but were previously connected with the railway line from Lewes to Uckfield. 13 MES 8345 4500 1731 Building Modern Telephone exchange. 14 MES 7712 4510 1710 Military camp Modern Isfield Camp. Originally built as a Royal Engineer’s camp before the Second World War. 15 MES 7702 4422 1682 Pillbox Modern A type 24 pillbox, dating from the Second World War. 16 MES 7703 4423 1639 Pillbox Modern A type 24 pillbox, dating from the Second World War. 17 EES 13909 4606 1710 Watching brief Negative No archaeological finds or features were recorded during a watching brief at Rose Hill, Isfield.

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APPENDIX 2: Photographic Catalogue

A .Colour prints

No. Description 1 Exterior, general view looking SW towards camp entrance, from Station Road. 2 Exterior, general view of camp entrance looking W, with building A in background. 3 Exterior, building A, looking S. 4 Exterior, water tank (W), looking E. 5 Exterior, building A, looking S. 6 Exterior, building A, looking NW. 7 Exterior, building A, looking NE. 8 Exterior, building A, looking N. 9 Exterior, general view looking S, with building S in the distance. 10 Exterior, wooden structure (U), looking W. 11 Exterior, lavatory block (V), looking N. 12 Exterior, lavatory block (V), close-up of sign looking NW. 13 Exterior, building B, looking SW. 14 Interior, building B, looking NW. 15 Exterior, building C, looking N. 16 Interior, building C, looking NW. 17 Exterior, building D, looking NW. 18 Interior, building D, looking NW. 19 Exterior, building E, looking NW. 20 Interior, building E, looking NW. 21 Interior, building E, looking E. 22 Exterior, the remains of building F, looking NW. 23 Exterior, building G, looking SE. 24 Interior, building G, looking E. 25 Exterior, building H, looking E. 26 Exterior, building I, looking E. 27 Interior, building I, looking W. 28 Interior, building I, looking E. 29 Exterior, general view, looking E. 30 Exterior, building J, looking E. 31 Exterior, general view, looking towards buildings M, N, O, P and Q. 32 Exterior, building K, looking S. 33 Interior, building K, looking S. 34 Exterior, structure L, looking N. 35 Exterior, structure L, looking S. 36 Exterior, general view, looking W. 37 Exterior, building M, looking N. 38 Interior, building M, looking N. 39 Exterior, building N, looking N. 40 Interior, building N, looking N. 41 Exterior, building O, looking N. 42 Interior, building O, looking N. 43 Exterior, building P, looking N. 44 Interior, building P, looking N. 45 Interior, building P, close-up of door, looking S. 46 Exterior, building Q, looking N. 47 Interior, building Q, looking N. 48 Exterior, general view, looking W. 49 Exterior, general view, looking SW. 50 Exterior, building Q, looking S. 51 Exterior, building O, looking SW. 52 Exterior, building O, close-up of doorway looking S. 53 Exterior, building N, looking SW. 54 Exterior, building M, looking SW. 55 Exterior, circular water tank (R), looking N. 56 Exterior, general view, looking E. 57 Exterior, building S, looking E. 58 Interior, building S, looking W. 59 Exterior, general view, looking W. 60 Exterior, building T, looking NE. 61 Exterior, building T, looking SE. 62 Exterior, entrance to building T, looking NE. 63 Exterior, rear of building T, looking SW. 64 Interior, building T, room A, looking E.

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No. Description 65 Interior, building T, room A, looking NE. 66 Interior, building T, general view looking SE along corridor from room A. 67 Interior, building T, room B, looking W. 68 Interior, building T, room C, looking N. 69 Interior, building T, entrance lobby, looking SE. 70 Interior, building T, lavatory D, looking NE. 71 Interior, building T, bathroom E, looking E. 72 Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking N. 73 Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking W. 74 Interior, building T, general view looking NW along corridor. 75 Interior, building T, room H, looking W. 76 Exterior, building A, entrance looking NE. 77 Interior, building A, room A, looking SE. 78 Interior, building A, room B, looking E. 79 Interior, building A, room B, looking W. 80 Interior, building A, corridor, looking NE. 81 Interior, building A, room C, looking N. 82 Interior, building A, room C, looking S. 83 Interior, building A, lavatory D, looking N. 84 Interior, building A, corridor looking SW. 85 Interior, building A, lavatory E, looking NE. 86 Interior, building A, room F, looking NE. 87 Interior, building A, lavatory G, looking NW. 88 Interior, building A, room F, looking SW. 89 Interior, building A, lavatory E, close-up of WC cistern, looking SW. 90 Interior, building A, lavatory E, urinal, looking E. 91 Interior, lavatory block V, looking N. 92 Interior, lavatory block V, WC in middle cubicle, looking SE. 93 Interior, lavatory block V, hand basin, looking SE.

B. Monochrome images

No. Film / Frame No. Description 1 69/20A Exterior, general view looking SW towards camp entrance, from Station Road. 2 69/19A Exterior, general view of camp entrance looking W, with building A in background. 3 69/18A Exterior, building A, looking S. 4 69/17A Exterior, water tank (W), looking E. 5 69/16A Exterior, building A, looking S. 6 69/15A Exterior, building A, looking NE 7 69/14A Exterior, building A, looking N 8 69/13A Exterior, general view looking S, with building S in the distance. 9 69/12A Exterior, wooden structure (U), looking W. 10 69/11A Exterior, lavatory block (V), looking N. 11 69/10A Exterior, lavatory block (V), close-up of sign looking NW. 12 69/9A Exterior, building B, looking SW. 13 69/8A Interior, building B, looking NW. 14 69/7A Exterior, building C, looking N. 15 69/6A Interior, building C, looking NW. 16 69/5A Exterior, building D, looking NW. 17 69/4A Interior, building D, looking NW. 18 69/3A Exterior, building E, looking NW. 19 69/2A Interior, building E, looking NW. 20 69/1A Interior, building E, looking E. 21 71/36A Exterior, the remains of building F, looking NW. 22 71/35A Exterior, building G, looking SE. 23 71/34A Interior, building G, looking E. 24 71/33A Exterior, building H, looking E. 25 71/32A Exterior, building I, looking E. 26 71/31A Interior, building I, looking W. 27 71/30A Interior, building I, looking E. 28 71/29A Exterior, general view, looking E. 29 71/28A Exterior, building J, looking E. 30 71/27A Exterior, general view, looking towards buildings M, N, O, P and Q. 31 71/26A Exterior, building K, looking S. 32 71/25A Interior, building K, looking S. 33 71/24A Exterior, structure L, looking N. 34 71/23A Exterior, structure L, looking S. 35 71/22A Exterior, general view, looking W.

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No. Film / Frame No. Description 36 71/21A Exterior, building M, looking N. 37 71/20A Interior, building M, looking N. 38 71/19A Exterior, building N, looking N. 39 71/18A Interior, building N, looking N. 40 71/17A Exterior, building O, looking N. 41 71/16A Interior, building O, looking N. 42 71/15A Exterior, building P, looking N. 43 71/14A Interior, building P, looking N. 44 71/13A Interior, building P, close-up of door, looking S. 45 71/12A Exterior, building Q, looking N. 46 71/11A Interior, building Q, looking N. 47 71/10A Exterior, general view, looking W. 48 71/9A Exterior, general view, looking SW. 49 71/8A Exterior, building Q, looking S. 50 71/7A Exterior, building O, looking SW. 51 71/6A Exterior, building O, close-up of doorway looking S. 52 71/5A Exterior, building N, looking SW. 53 71/4A Exterior, building M, looking SW. 54 71/3A Exterior, circular water tank (R), looking N. 55 71/2A Exterior, general view, looking E. 56 71/1A Exterior, building S, looking E. 57 68/36A Interior, building S, looking W. 58 68/35A Exterior, general view, looking W. 59 68/34A Exterior, building T, looking NE. 60 68/33A Exterior, building T, looking SE. 61 68/32A Exterior, entrance to building T, looking NE. 62 68/31A Exterior, rear of building T, looking SW. 63 68/30A Interior, building T, room A, looking E. 64 68/29A Interior, building T, room A, looking NE. 65 68/28A Interior, building T, general view looking SE along corridor from room A. 66 68/27A Interior, building T, room B, looking W. 67 68/26A Interior, building T, room C, looking N. 68 68/25A Interior, building T, entrance lobby, looking SE. 69 68/24A Interior, building T, lavatory D, looking NE. 70 68/23A Interior, building T, bathroom E, looking E. 71 68/22A Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking N. 72 68/21A Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking W. 73 68/20A Interior, building T, general view looking NW along corridor. 74 68/19A Interior, building T, room H, looking W. 75 68/18A Exterior, building A, entrance looking NE. 76 68/17A Interior, building A, room A, looking SE. 77 68/16A Interior, building A, room B, looking E. 78 68/15A Interior, building A, room B, looking W. 79 68/14A Interior, building A, corridor, looking NE. 80 68/13A Interior, building A, room C, looking N. 81 68/12A Interior, building A, room C, looking S. 82 68/11A Interior, building A, lavatory D, looking N. 83 68/10A Interior, building A, corridor looking SW. 84 68/9A Interior, building A, lavatory E, looking NE. 85 68/8A Interior, building A, room F, looking NE. 86 68/7A Interior, building A, lavatory G, looking NW. 87 68/6A Interior, building A, room F, looking SW. 88 68/5A Interior, building A, lavatory E, close-up of WC cistern, looking SW. 89 68/4A Interior, building A, lavatory E, urinal, looking E. 90 68/3A Interior, lavatory block V, looking N. 91 68/2A Interior, lavatory block V, WC in middle cubicle, looking SE. 92 68/1A Interior, lavatory block V, hand basin, looking SE.

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C. Digital images

No. Description 1 Exterior, general view looking SW towards camp entrance, from Station Road. 2 Exterior, general view of camp entrance looking W, with building A in background. 3 Exterior, building A, looking S. 4 Exterior, water tank (W), looking E. 5 Exterior, building A, looking S. 6 Exterior, building A, looking NE 7 Exterior, building A, looking N 8 Exterior, general view looking S, with building S in the distance. 9 Exterior, wooden structure (U), looking W. 10 Exterior, lavatory block (V), looking N. 11 Exterior, lavatory block (V), close-up of sign looking NW. 12 Exterior, building B, looking SW. 13 Interior, building B, looking NW. 14 Exterior, building C, looking N. 15 Interior, building C, looking NW. 16 Exterior, building D, looking NW. 17 Interior, building D, looking NW. 18 Exterior, building E, looking NW. 19 Interior, building E, looking NW. 20 Interior, building E, looking E. 21 Exterior, the remains of building F, looking NW. 22 Exterior, building G, looking SE. 23 Interior, building G, looking E. 24 Exterior, building H, looking E. 25 Exterior, building I, looking E. 26 Interior, building I, looking W. 27 Interior, building I, looking E. 28 Exterior, general view, looking E. 29 Exterior, building J, looking E. 30 Exterior, general view, looking towards buildings M, N, O, P and Q. 31 Exterior, building K, looking S. 32 Interior, building K, looking S. 33 Exterior, structure L, looking N. 34 Exterior, structure L, looking S. 35 Exterior, general view, looking W. 36 Exterior, building M, looking N. 37 Interior, building M, looking N. 38 Exterior, building N, looking N. 39 Interior, building N, looking N. 40 Exterior, building O, looking N. 41 Interior, building O, looking N. 42 Exterior, building P, looking N. 43 Interior, building P, looking N. 44 Interior, building P, close-up of door, looking S. 45 Exterior, building Q, looking N. 46 Interior, building Q, looking N. 47 Exterior, general view, looking W. 48 Exterior, general view, looking SW. 49 Exterior, building Q, looking S. 50 Exterior, building O, looking SW. 51 Exterior, building O, close-up of doorway looking S. 52 Exterior, building N, looking SW. 53 Exterior, building M, looking SW. 54 Exterior, circular water tank (R), looking N. 55 Exterior, general view, looking E. 56 Exterior, building S, looking E. 57 Interior, building S, looking W. 58 Exterior, general view, looking W. 59 Exterior, building T, looking NE. 60 Exterior, building T, looking SE. 61 Exterior, entrance to building T, looking NE. 62 Exterior, rear of building T, looking SW. 63 Interior, building T, room A, looking E. 64 Interior, building T, room A, looking NE. 65 Interior, building T, general view looking SE along corridor from room A. 66 Interior, building T, room B, looking W.

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No. Description 67 Interior, building T, room C, looking N. 68 Interior, building T, entrance lobby, looking SE. 69 Interior, building T, lavatory D, looking NE. 70 Interior, building T, bathroom E, looking E. 71 Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking N. 72 Interior, building T, kitchen F, looking W. 73 Interior, building T, general view looking NW along corridor. 74 Interior, building T, room H, looking W. 75 Exterior, building A, entrance looking NE. 76 Interior, building A, room A, looking SE. 77 Interior, building A, room B, looking E. 78 Interior, building A, room B, looking W. 79 Interior, building A, corridor, looking NE. 80 Interior, building A, room C, looking N. 81 Interior, building A, room C, looking S. 82 Interior, building A, lavatory D, looking N. 83 Interior, building A, corridor looking SW. 84 Interior, building A, lavatory E, looking NE. 85 Interior, building A, room F, looking NE. 86 Interior, building A, lavatory G, looking NW. 87 Interior, building A, room F, looking SW. 88 Interior, building A, lavatory E, close-up of WC cistern, looking SW. 89 Interior, building A, lavatory E, urinal, looking E. 90 Interior, lavatory block V, looking N. 91 Interior, lavatory block V, WC in middle cubicle, looking SE. 92 Interior, lavatory block V, hand basin, looking SE.

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APPENDIX 2: Aerial photographs consulted All Vertical Sortie Date flown Frame(s) Grid ref (TQ) Comment RAF/3G/TUD/UK/150 16 APR 1946 5182–4, 5202–3, 5270–1 P 455 170 RAF/CPE/UK/2051 07 MAY 1947 4074–81 P 460 168 RAF/541/20 15 MAY 1948 4071–3, 4087–8 N 443 175 Not all available to view MAL/54089 01 JUN 1954 11490–1 N 449 162 Not available to view MAL/54113 13 NOV 1954 14347–8 N 465 171 Not available to view MAL/58332 06 OCT 1958 62470–6 N 448 165 Not available to view RAF/58/2939 15 JUN 1959 308–9 N 442 165 Not available to view RAF/58/2943 16 JUN 1959 407–8 N 451 175 Not available to view RAF/58/2943 16 JUN 1959 259–60 P 454 171 RAF/543/626 08 JUL 1959 90–2 P 441 174 RAF/58/3915 05 NOV 1960 80–2 P 449 163 MAL/61502 29 AUG 1961 96194–5 N 454 172 Not available to view MAL/62516 17 APR 1962 98533–4, 98543–5, 98216–8 P 451 177 Not all available to view MAL/70017 26 MAR 1970 23–5 P 444 177 MAL/71002 20 JAN 1971 92, 135 P 452 162 MAL/73004 11 FEB 1973 126–7 P 457 163 OS/73230 05 JUN 1973 529–31, 548–9 P 458 176 MAL/74028 09 MAY 1974 225–6, 232–5 P 449 163 Frame 182 Not available MAL/74039 18 JUN 1974 180–2 P 453 168 to view MAL/82006 14 APR 1982 94–5 P 459 167 OS/90005 02 MAR 1990 94–6 P 461 165 OS/94155A 01 JUN 1994 115–17 N 445 168 Not available to view OS/97081 08 APR 1997 69–71, 182–4 N 454 174 Not all available to view

23 Uckfield Battle

Lewes Bexhill Hastings

BRIGHTON Eastbourne SITE

18000

4 2 1 3

6 8

13 9 5 SITE 12 17 14 17000 10

15

11

16 7

16000

TQ45000 46000 ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Figure 1. Location of site within Isfield and East Sussex.

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey Explorer 122 at 1:12500 Ordnance Survey Licence 100025880 Site

17100

17000

16900

16800 TQ45000 45100 45200

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Figure 2. Detailed location of site Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital mapping under licence. Crown copyright reserved. Scale 1:2500 Approximate location of site

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Figure 3. Budgen’s Map of Sussex, 1724. SITE

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording

Figure 4. First Edition Ordnance Survey, 1875-80. SITE

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording

Figure 5. Ordnance Survey, 1976-77. S T A 1 T I O N

R O A D 5 3 4 W 2 91 V A 92

7 GARAGE 90 6 11 8 10 9 17100 U

12 B 13 60 C 15 T 62 61 14 59

S 58 57

56

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17000 R 49 50 D 52 17 55 53 51 54 20 16 E 19 18 Q P O M N

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22 28 30 31 35 23 24 G 29 J H 34 K L 25 26 27 I 32 33 16900 TQ45000 44000 ICES 10/08

N Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Buiding Recording

Figure 6. Plan of site showing external photographs (digital) taken.

0 50m 76 77

81 E 82 86 H

A B D G 75 87 85

80 84 F 89 88 78 79 C 83

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, N East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording

Figure 7. Plan of builiding A, showing internal photographs (digital) taken.

0 5m G

66 72 74 DE

A B C FH 70

69 71 67 63 Lobby 68 64 65 73

ICES 10/08 Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield,

N East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording

Figure 8. Plan of building T, showing internal photographs (digital) taken.

0 5m Plate 1. Exterior, Camp entrance, looking west. Plate 2. Exterior, Building A, looking south.

Plate 3. Exterior, Toillet block (Building V), looking north. Plate 4. Exterior, Hut (Building C), looking north west.

ICES 10/08

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Plates 1 to 4. Plate 5. Interior, Building E, looking north west. Plate 6. Exterior, Building H, looking east.

Plate 7. Exterior, Building M, looking north. Plate 8. Interior, Building N, looking north.

ICES 10/08

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Plates 5 to 8. Plate 9. Exterior, general view over Building P and Q, Plate 10. Exterior, general rear view of Building P and Q, looking west. looking south west.

Plate 12. Exterior, Building T, looking north east.

Plate 11. Exterior, Building O's doorway detail, looking south.

ICES 10/08

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Plates 9 to 12. Plate 13. Interior, Building T entrance lobby, looking Plate 14. Exterior, Building A room B, looking east. south east.

ICES 10/08

Isfield Camp, Station Road, Isfield, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2012 Historic Building Recording Plates 13 and 14. TIME CHART

Calendar Years

Modern AD 1901

Victorian AD 1837

Post Medieval AD 1500

Medieval AD 1066

Saxon AD 410

Roman AD 43 BC/AD Iron Age 750 BC

Bronze Age: Late 1300 BC

Bronze Age: Middle 1700 BC

Bronze Age: Early 2100 BC

Neolithic: Late 3300 BC

Neolithic: Early 4300 BC

Mesolithic: Late 6000 BC

Mesolithic: Early 10000 BC

Palaeolithic: Upper 30000 BC

Palaeolithic: Middle 70000 BC

Palaeolithic: Lower 2,000,000 BC