Download April 2010 (issue 120) - The Sussex Archaeological Society

NUMBER 120 APRIL 2010
New Season’s Property Exhibitions
Archaeology Round Up
Members’ Survey Feedback
Nero’s Head Pictures
Hidden Roman Waterways
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
1
Membership Matters
MEMBERSHIP
OPENING LINES
Lorna’s Notebook
A round-up of all that’s new in the membership department
W
elcome to the April edition of
Sussex Past & Present.
Castles and Sussex
Saturday 22 May
Booking is going well for our
third annual half-day history
conference, and we have added
two morning events, both focused
on Lewes Castle, to complement
the afternoon sessions. You do
not have to be registered for the
conference to book for either of
these, and more details are in the
Noticeboard pages.
Society AGM
Saturday 12 June
Owing to the broken ankle sustained
by Jan Nichols, our Accounts
Officer, during the ice and snow
of last December, necessitating
one month off work with her foot
up, the production of the Society’s
annual accounts will be delayed.
Consequently the Annual General
Meeting will also have to be put
back. The Society’s AGM will now
be held at 10.30am on Saturday 12
June at Michelham Priory. The full
AGM papers will be sent to members
a little nearer the time, but details
of the lunch and afternoon events
are in the Newsletter. As always,
we do need you to book and pay
in advance for the lunch. You are
also asked to book in advance for
the afternoon events, as although
these are free we do need to know
how many people to expect.
Annual Conference
Saturday 11 September
Sussex in Roman Britain
Keen readers of this page will note
the change of conference topic from
our original plans. 2010 is the 1600th
anniversary of the end of Roman
Britain and as such it seemed
particularly appropriate to review
2
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
our knowledge and understanding
of the Romans in Sussex. We will
explore how different the experience
of Romanitas in Sussex was from
other areas of Britain, and deeper
still, what were the differences in the
experience of Roman-ness in the
large settlements (like Chichester),
in the countryside or in the ironrich areas of the Weald? Lastly,
how did those regional and intraSussex differences evolve through
the four centuries of Britain in the
Roman Empire? This conference
will seek to explore the distinctive
experiences of Sussex during its
four centuries of being a part of the
frontier province that was Britain
in the Roman Empire. More details
and a booking form are enclosed,
and we look forward to seeing
many of you there.
Weald Forest Ridge Historic
Environment Awareness
Project – Woodland
conference and fieldtrips
We are planning a conference
for February 2011 jointly with the
Historic Environment Awareness
Project, which is exploring the
archaeology of the Forest Ridge and
in particular its ancient woodland.
Further details will be in the August
newsletter, but you may like to
make a note of the dates now.
The conference will take place at
Meridian Hall, East Grinstead, on
Saturday 12 February 2011, and
on Sunday there will be associated
free fieldtrips. The choice of a
late winter date is deliberate, to
maximise what can be seen on the
fieldtrips.
Visiting our Properties
As the season for going out and
about comes round again, please
remember that if you are planning
CEO Appointment
SUSSEX
to visit any of our properties you
must have a valid membership card
to show at the admissions desk in
order to gain free entry. If you don’t
you will be asked to pay the normal
admission price and this cannot be
subsequently refunded. Please do
not get cross with our admissions
staff if you have forgotten to check
that you have a current card with
you before setting off!
Don’t forget that if you have internet
access you can check opening
hours at all our properties on-line by
visiting www.sussexpast.co.uk
Lorna Gartside
Membership Secretary
STOP PRESS!
Eminent medieval historian David
Carpenter will be giving a talk on
‘The Battle of Lewes’ in the evening
of Saturday June 5 at 7.00pm in the
Corn Exchange, Town Hall, Lewes
... and it’s free!
Check on www.sussexpast.co.uk
for more details.
For all membership enquiries
and to apply, please contact
MEMBERSHIP
DEPARTMENT
Past &
Present
The Sussex Archaeological
Society Newsletter
NUMBER 120
APRIL 2010
Contents
2 Membership Matters
3 Opening Lines
4 Member’s survey feedback
5 New member of staff
6 Property Exhibitions
7 Hidden Roman Waterways
8 Archaeology Round-up
9 Church Wall Paintings
10 Ovingdean Excavation
11 Nero’s Head
12 Library news
13 Letters
14 Book reviews
15 Book reviews
16 Snippets
Published by the Sussex
Archaeological Society, Bull
House, Lewes, E Sussex, BN71XH
Tel: 01273 486260
Fax: 01273 486990
Email: [email protected]
Editor: Wendy Muriel
Email: [email protected]
Research Editor: Luke Barber
Designer:
Penelope Parker
[email protected]
ISSN 1357-7417
Cover: Ship’s figure head, on
display at Marlipins Museum.
Photo: Penelope Parker
Barbican House,
169 High Street
Lewes, Sussex BN7 1YE
Tues-Fri 10.00am-3.00pm
Answering machine facility
outside these hours
01273 405737
Recruitment process underway
U
nlike the winter months last year, when the Lewes Castle and Barbican
House refurbishment works and some essential repair work for Anne
of Cleves works were being carried out, this year has seen a relatively
quiet period. That is not to say that the work of caring for the Society’s
collection of historic properties really ever comes to an end. Thus, by the
time you read this, Phase 2 of the work to Anne of Cleves to carry out
significant repairs to the roof, timbers and windows should be underway.
Most of the monies for these works come from major grantors, such as
English Heritage and the Monument Trust, and the Society is extremely
grateful for their support.
With the completion of the works at Lewes Castle the Society was
honoured to welcome HRH The Duke of Kent to officially open Lewes
Castle and Barbican House on 3rd November. This occasion was well
publicised, and visitor numbers to the Castle have been considerably up
on last year, indicating that the new displays and refreshed Lewes Town
Model audio-visual have proved both successful and popular.
Council has agreed a budget for 2010 which I am pleased to be able to
report predicts a small surplus, before non-recurrent expenditure, for the
first time in four years following cost savings and changes made in 2009.
We are hoping that, following some cold and wet weather in recent weeks,
the spring and summer will bring a better climate and we will be able to
attract more visitors to the many activities and events which are planned
for 2010. In particular, there are eight weekend events at Michelham Priory
aimed at attracting visitors to a wide range of interests.
The other main task for Council is the recruitment of a new Chief
Executive Officer in anticipation of John Manley retiring at some point
during 2010. The position was advertised in January and the closing date
for applicants to apply is March 1, following which a full selection and
interview process will be conducted. The new CEO will have much on his/
her plate to tackle. Improved facilities for our visitors both at Michelham
Priory and Fishbourne Roman Palace may well feature. In addition we
need to revamp our presence on the internet, not, of course, neglecting
those members who do not have internet access. It is hard to deny,
however, that the scope and range of digital services continues to grow,
and the Society needs to be part of that. Buying membership or books
on-line, booking tickets for our conferences, finding out what is on at
our properties, communicating with members, putting elements of our
collections on-line, such as the Lambert water-colours, or the Wealden
firebacks, improved marketing and using social networking media – the
digital age offers all of these and we must fully grasp the opportunities.
After all, if the British Monarchy and the British Museum are both using
Twitter and Facebook, the Society must surely follow.
Peter Sangster
Chairman of Council
Email:
[email protected]
www.sussexpast.co.uk
Opening Lines
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
3
Feature
NEW MARKETING & ADMIN OFFICER
MEMBERS’ SURVEY 2009
Members’ Survey Feedback
Introducing Ruth Dawson
A valued response from the membership
L
ate last year we conducted
our third survey of members
since 2003, keeping to a similar
format as in the past to enable
some useful comparisons to be
drawn. As in previous years, senior
staff and the Society’s Trustees
will consider the findings from the
survey and see what we can learn
from it and how we can improve the
service we offer to our members.
We had a good response, with
222 completed forms received by
the end of January, which represents
just over 13% of current individual
members as at 31 December 2009.
Every form was read, as were all
the comments, as those members
who received an individual reply
can testify.
Interest in History
It’s good to be able to report that
there were no real surprises. The
level of interest in Roman, Saxon,
medieval and post-medieval history
is very high, with 66% stating
that they were very interested or
interested in Roman history, 86% in
Saxon, 89% in medieval and 76%
in post-medieval. As in previous
surveys, industrial and modern
history are slightly less popular,
but still attract 64% (industrial) and
51% (modern) declaring that they
were very interested or interested.
Archaeology
As was to be expected, 86%
said that they were interested or
very interested in archaeology.
With regard to taking part in or
visiting digs, 31% of respondents
considered themselves very likely
to do this, with another 31%
indicating that they possibly would.
74% said that they either would
4
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
or might possibly read excavation
reports, while 11% said they
definitely would not.
Newsletter
The level of interest in contributing
to the newsletter, Sussex Past &
Present, was disappointingly low,
with only 9% regarding themselves
as very likely to do so. However,
comments about SP&P were very
favourable, with 13% saying that
they thought the newsletter was
very good. Four people suggested
emailing it rather than printing, and
one felt it was not a medium for
members’ involvement.
Collections
By contrast with the newsletter,
10% thought themselves very
likely to contribute to Sussex
Archaeological
Collections,
although 41% said they definitely
would not. We also asked how
members would feel about having
the Collections provided in future in
digital form instead of as a book,
and this prompted the largest single
response to any of our questions
- 66% (147 people) were definitely
opposed, although 20% were in
favour of the idea. This topic also
produced a number of additional
comments, in some cases simply
reinforcing the responses above,
but also proposing, for example,
that a CD be supplied with future
Collections to make searching
easier, or suggesting an e-book
format be used. 15% of those who
added comments (a total of 123
respondents took advantage of the
blank area for additional comments)
praised the Collections, many of
them saying how much they looked
forward to receiving it each year.
Research
Feature
New member of staff at Lewes
Library
The Library at Barbican House
is clearly still providing a valued
service, with 61% of respondents
indicating that they are very or
possibly likely to use the Library
over the next twelve months (36%
very likely). Nine people made
a point of commenting that the
Library is an excellent facility and
that the staff are very helpful.
Properties
The Society’s properties continue
to be popular, with 58% saying that
they were very likely to visit at least
one in the next year. By contrast,
in the comments section we had 7
people saying that the properties
(some or all) are not needed, and
3 firmly of the opinion that they
should be retained.
Volunteering
Only 9% indicated that they
might be willing to volunteer at the
Society in some capacity, but in
fact this figure is quite encouraging
as the questionnaire was not sent
to our staff and volunteer members,
so this figure does not reflect those
who already offer their time.
Society Events
With regard to Society events,
the one most likely to attract
members is the annual one day
conference, with 32% indicating
a definite interest in attending and
another 26% possibly interested.
Weekend day schools appear to
be the least attractive option on
offer, although even here 30% said
they would be very interested or
possibly interested in attending
one. It seems from the comments
that in general the events offered
www.sussexpast.co.uk
by the Society are well-received,
although we had 3 requests for
more events in West Sussex and 1
for more in East Sussex.
Website Use
64% of respondents sometimes
or frequently visit our website,
www.sussexpast.co.uk,
while
20% never do. 18% do not have
internet access. This is quite a high
figure, and is why we still have to
be very aware not to disadvantage
members who, for example, do not
have the facility to book on-line for
events. In 2006, the figure for those
without internet access was 24%.
Society as a Whole
With regard to the Society as a
whole, it seems that those members
who commented are generally very
happy with the organisation. There
was some concern expressed
about specific issues, such as the
name of the Society, whether it
should run award-bearing courses
and an unfavourable comment
about the 2009 AGM, but each of
these views was expressed by only
one person.
If you would like to see the full
figures, these will be posted online in the membership section of
our website, where you can also
find copies of previous surveys
undertaken in 2003 and 2006. For
those without internet access I can
send a hard copy on request.
Finally, the prize draw for a £20
book token was won by Mr D
Blaber of Seaford.
Many thanks to all of you who
took part.
Lorna Gartside
Membership Secretary
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
R
uth Dawson joined the Society
as the new Marketing and
Administration Officer in January.
Based in Lewes, her main role will
be to actively promote the Society’s
properties and events in order to
boost visitor numbers.
Ruth has a lifelong passion
for archaeology and all things
historical, and a particular interest
in interpreting and communicating
heritage to visitors. She has a first
degree in archaeology and has
studied learning and visitor studies
in museums and galleries at post
graduate level. She is very happy
to be returning to the heritage
sector. She has a background
in research, strategic planning
and service development and
management in the statutory and
voluntary sectors. She recently
returned from a couple of years
‘sabbatical’ in France and worked
as marketing, communications and
interpretation officer for a Heritage
Ruth pictured in Bull House
Photo: W. Muriel
Lottery Scheme in the High Weald
AONB before joining the Society.
She is looking forward to working
with everyone to promote Sussex
Archaeological Society and ensure
that the visitor experience is
interesting and engaging.
Could your skills help the Society?
The Society is governed by a Council of 14 Trustees, who are
drawn from, and elected by, the members at an AGM. Two existing
Trustees are due to stand down this year and ideally the Society
would like to appoint two new ones, however, if you don’t want the
responsibility of becoming a Trustee you can always offer your skills
as a co-option to one of the Society’s four committees. These are
Membership and Events, Research, Properties and Tourism, and
Finance and Administration. All four committees report to Council.
The functions of the committees are pretty much described by their
titles. So if you have some accounting or legal expertise, why not
offer your services to the Finance Committee? Or if you know of
some great walks and talks that would be popular for our Members,
why not offer to help the Membership and Events Committee? In one
way becoming a co-option allows you to have the enjoyment and
satisfaction of contributing without any of the legal responsibilities of
governance. If you are interested in helping any of the committees in
this way do give John Manley a call (01273-486260) or send him an
email to [email protected].
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
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Feature
BARCOMBE EXCAVATION
PROPERTY EXHIBITIONS
New Season’s Exhibitions
Hidden Roman Waterways?
Details of some of the special exhibitions at our properties
T
The Priest House
Antony Smith, custodian of
the Priest House in West Hoathly,
whose family has lived in the village
for generations, is building on
the museum’s speciality for local
history by mounting an exhibition
entitled “One Boy’s War” based on
his father’s experience (including
two close encounters with the
Luftwaffe) of WW2 in the village.
John Smith, as a boy
Photo: A. Smith
John Smith was born in the
butcher’s shop in North Lane and
was ten years old when the war
began. Childhood in West Hoathly
during the early 1940s seems
to have been a lot of fun; village
children could wander safely over
Ashdown Forest, spending long
summer days watching ‘dogfights’ in the clear blue sky, racing
the authorities to crash sites and
swapping cannon shells and
6
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
Geoarchaeological research at Barcombe Roman villa
B
his year’s main tourist season
is nearly upon us and some of
our properties are planning special
exhibitions to attract visitors.
Shoreham Airport in its early days
aircraft parts like postage stamps.
They played football against Italian
prisoners of war from the local
camp and in the winter played ice
hockey with the Canadian army
on the frozen pond. But of course
there was also a darker side; West
Hoathly was in ‘Bomb Alley’ and
was regularly threatened by bombs,
aerial torpedoes and V1s. School
friends were killed and injured in
the Whitehall Cinema bombing in
East Grinstead and, most of all, the
loss of several young men from the
village made a deep impression on
a small, close-knit community.
This exhibition is not specifically
about the war but about growing up
in a village in extraordinary times.
It opens on May 1 and continues
throughout the summer season
until the end of October.
Marlipins
Marlipins Museum in Shorehamby-Sea will be starting the season
on May 1 by marking the 100th
Anniversary of the opening of
nearby
Shoreham
Aerodrome
with a fascinating exhibition of
photographs of aviation in the early
years of the last century.
Excavations
Photo: Source unknown
The museum will end the season
with a display of some of the best
of its large collection of nautical
paintings.
Barbican House Museum
Opening on Friday March 12 and
running until Sunday July 4 in its
temporary exhibitions gallery, the
museum will be showing a selection
of portraits from the reserve
collection. These will comprise oil
paintings, prints and photographs
of a variety of subjects ranging
from local dignatories to images of
more humble individuals such as
a downland shepherd. It will also
include examples of the Victorian
practice of commemorating
the
recently
deceased
with
photographs.
This will be followed by a new
exhibition, opening on Friday July
9 and continuing until Sunday
October 3, of early photographs
from the Society’s collection from
the ‘Sussex Survey’. This was a
survey carried out from about 1906
by a sub group of the Society with
the primary aim of recording local
buildings and architecture and the
archaeology and topography of the
county.
www.sussexpast.co.uk
etween
the
Barcombe
Roman villa (Dunstalls Field)
and bath-house (Church Field)
is a small ditched drain running
from Barcombe toward the
Ouse floodplain. Today it’s an
inconvenience as we have to cross
the footbridge to go between these
two Roman sites. But what was it
like in Roman times; how did they
cross between the villa and bathhouse? Perhaps the stream didn’t
exist then... or perhaps it, like some
of the other small field-side ditches,
were much larger water courses. If
so, surely it is important to know a
bit about the nature of these before
we can really understand the villa
and bath-house at Barcombe and
the other Roman sites at Culver
Farm. While we’re on the subject
of water, Church Pond next to
St Mary’s Church is large and
auspicious, and clearly today a
managed and landscaped feature.
With the important Roman activity
here, perhaps this water too was
an important resource and factor in
the choice of location here?
At the invitation of Directors
David Rudling and Chris Butler,
the project started last year to
look at these questions. Today the
water in the ditched stream runs
only 10cm deep for much of year.
The geoarchaeological project
combined augering transects across
the landscape to draw sections or
profiles of the hidden sediments,
and recording excavation sections,
with field observation of the
topography, geology and soils.
Several teams of Sussex University
students and hardened volunteers
assisted in augering profiles and
exploring other parts of the local
landscape.
Surprising depths and extents of
colluvium, alluvium and floodplain
deposits were encountered in
Church Field and Culver valley,
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
indicating much larger former watercourses. A substantial lynchet (field
bank) on the edge of Dunstalls Field
and next to Church Field stream
was discovered nearly 2m thick
and c. 250m long. Situated next
to the stream and overlying former
floodplain deposits it could cover
up to 10,000 m2 of Roman riverside
landscape.
Map of the Barcombe area showing key sites.
The floodplain alluvium, up to
1.5m thick, extended over 30m
from beneath the lynchet to the
edge of the bath-house. Near to
the bath-house and sealed beneath
1m of alluvium was a layer of large
flint nodules and some Roman tile
fragments... possibly a part of a
ford, or hard, or even the footings
of a riverside building such as a
watermill. The line of the former
water-course was traced along the
edge of Church Field, then running
northwards behind the bath-house
block, before crossing the Ouse
floodplain and into the valley
incised through the floodplain at
‘The Wilderness’. Here a 2.5cm
diameter gouge auger recovered
a humic alluvial soil with charcoal,
burnt flint and ceramic building
material beneath 1m of alluvium.
So what does this geoarchaeology
tell us? Field and cartographic
examination suggest that a former
spring line ran along a part of
Church Road and that Church
Pond may once have been the site
of a former spring; perhaps issuing
sacred water and imbuing this
locale with special significance, and
in part being the reason for location
of the bath-house, and perhaps
other as yet undiscovered Roman
ritual sites at Barcombe. The small
field-side ditched drains may once
have been part of more significant
Roman waterways. Perhaps ones
that could allow access by boat or
barge towards, if not right up to, the
bath-house and villa sites. There
may be wharfs, hards and quays, or
even watermills. The Culver valley
could even hold a harbour or quay.
This work has demonstrated the
presence of significant alluvium and
colluvium at several locations within
the Barcombe environs leading
to a re-appraisal of the Roman
landscape, and increasing the
potential and economic diversity of
the landscape around the Barcombe
villa and bath-house and Culver
industrial and waterlogged sites.
This first season has opened up a
new landscape, but there is much
more to discover. You can help
with this research by enrolling on
a weekend Sussex University CCE
course ‘Geoarchaeology in Action’
(10-11 July, 2010), where you will
learn about geoarchaeology and
can participate, or you can volunteer
your help by contacting Mike Allen
([email protected]).
Mike Allen
Allen Environmental Archaeology
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
7
Excavations
ARCHAEOLOGY ROUND UP
MEDIEVAL CHURCH WALL PAINTINGS
What’s Going On in Sussex?
Church Wall Paintings
A round-up of this season’s planned excavations
T
he following gives brief details
of the more interesting sites
and discoveries made in the last
few months as well as forthcoming
volunteering
opportunities.
Summaries of all archaeological
work that I am aware of, even if
it found nothing, are to be found
on the website (www.sussexpast.
co.uk) under the Research page
‘What’s
been
happening
in
Sussex Archaeology’. Volunteer
opportunities are highlighted (*)
where known (these are updated on
the web-page as more information
is forthcoming). For information
on particular sites contact the
responsible body (abbreviated in
brackets at the end of the report)
whose details are given on the
web-pages, where the key to the
abbreviations is also to be found.
If you do not have access to the
web then you should contact me
on 01273-405733 or research@
sussexpast.co.uk.
Luke Barber
Research Officer
East Sussex
*Barcombe: Culver Farm. An impressive
stretch of the Roman road was revealed in
2009, together with evidence of roadside
settlement. Further fieldwork planned
for summer 2010. (Rob Wallace/Uni of
Sussex: [email protected]).
*Barcombe Roman Villa. 2010 will
hopefully finish off the investigation of
the bath buildings and continue the
environmental work started in 2009. Week/
weekend training courses and volunteering
opportunities between June and August.
(CCE/MSFAT).
*Bishopstone Tidemills. The 2009
fieldwork completed one of the agricultural
areas of the village and demonstrated the
complexity of even the farm buildings. The
2010 season starts in May and will hopefully
finish recording the agricultural part of the
village, and the later WW2 activity within
this area. Volunteers are still welcome;
please contact Luke Barber on research@
sussexpast.co.uk (SAS).
8
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
Where are they? An appeal for help
West Sussex
Work in progress at Tidemills
Photo: L. Barber
*Brighton:
Rocky
Clump.
Work
continued until mid December extending
the cobbled floor/possible well but
geophysics suggest further features in
the vicinity. Further work planned for
2010. (BHAS)
*Brighton: Varley Halls. The 2010
season will look at a probable Bronze
Age house platform and barrow. Dig
dates c. 12th July until end August.
Volunteers welcome. Contact lisa.
[email protected] or call 01273
400174. (Sussex Uni/CCE).
Chiddinglye Woods. Two small trenches
revealed semi in-situ Mesolithic and
Neolithic flintwork and pottery at the rock
shelter. (Sussex Uni/CCE).
Hastings, Church in the Wood,
Hollington. A watching brief within the
church revealed medieval masonry walls,
a possible post-medieval pulpit support
and two burials (CG Archaeology).
*Hastings
Area
Archaeological
Research
Group
(HAARG)
are
conducting ongoing field work including
field walking, surveying, excavation and
post excavation work. Further details
from Kevin and Lynn Cornwell on 01424
224405 or [email protected].
Lewes, North Street. Work has revealed
substantial remains of the 19th- century
Naval prison as well as a scatter of
medieval pits (TVAS).
Peacehaven Waste Water Treatment
Works: An area of 31 ha. was stripped
and mapped with sample excavation
revealing an extensive South Downs
prehistoric landscape including Neolithic
pits, possible flint mines, Bronze Age
barrows, field systems, droveways,
pits and houses with activity going on
through the Iron Age and in to the early
Roman period. (ASE).
Research
Chichester Walls: A geophysical survey
outside the Bishop’s garden identified a
previously unknown bastion, which when
viewed with those known, suggests a
distance between each as being 36m.
If bastions are sited all around the
circuit this means there are a total of 79!
Excavated within the Roman foundations
at the ‘Deanery’ bastion was a medieval
chamber. (James Kenny/CDC & CDAS).
Chichester: The Treasury, Chichester
Cathedral. Monitoring of service
trenches revealed a wall, probably part
of the medieval treasury (DAS).
Coldwaltham,
Hardham
Priory,
Hardham. A watching brief revealed
previously unmapped medieval masonry
wall foundations to the south-east of the
Chapter House and to the east of the
Refectory of the Augustinian monastery
(ASE).
Lindfield: Newton Road. Excavations
revealed two pits one of which could be
dated to the Early Bronze Age by sherds
of parts of at least three “domestic Beaker
style” vessels. There was also a shallow
late 6th-7th century AD ditch (WA).
*Worthing Archaeological Society are
planning another busy year. Ongoing
work on the Slindon Estate, including
some of the WW2 features, the Walberton
Roman villa and work on the medieval
village at Parham. (WAS).
Worthing,
St
Mary’s
Church,
Broadwater. Monitoring within the
church has revealed a wall within the
nave which may relate either to the preNorman church or to the early phase of
the current building, before extension of
the nave in the late 12th century (West
Sussex Archaeology Ltd).
Worthing: Highdown School. Late
Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age ditches,
probably forming part of a field system,
were revealed as well as a number of
medieval pits which may represent
“backland” occupation associated with
the medieval hamlet of Durrington.
(ASE).
Yapton, Bilsham Farm, Bilsham Road,
Yapton. Work has revealed a system
of deep Roman ditches, probably for
drainage and/or irrigation, associated
with a pond several metres in depth, and
a post-built sub-rectangular structure,
also of RB date (DAS).
www.sussexpast.co.uk
A
s a mature student in full
time employment currently
studying for a BA in Archaeology
and Landscape, time for personal
research is at a premium. In order
to maximise available time I have
already chosen a topic for my final
year dissertation, due in 2011,
enabling me to commence my
preliminary investigations early.
Identifying individual churches
where medieval wall paintings
may be present or, even where
no longer extant, have at least
been documented might appear
yielded a total of 727 churches and
chapels of various denominations
within Sussex. Those indicated
as having wall paintings is wholly
dependent upon the amount
of information contained within
individual
entries,
themselves
varying from highly detailed (such
as St Michael at Amberley) to
nonexistent
(e.g.
Southease).
Pevsner’s book on Sussex yielded
more locations whilst omitting
reference to paintings mentioned in
either or both of the aforementioned
sources. Other sources such as SAC
13th C wall paintings in church of St Peter, Southease
a relatively straight forward task.
However, this is proving not to be
so simple. One might think a search
of the Church of England website
(www.achurchnearyou.com)
would provide a definitive list of
churches containing wall paintings of
any date. Forty six Sussex churches
were identified but several well
known locations such as Clayton
and Coombes were notably absent.
A search of the Sussex Historic
Churches Trust website (www.
sussexhistoricchurches.org.uk)
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
Photo: Gill Lindsay
have references to further potential
locations; asking around has
revealed others. Trawling Heritage
Gateway (www.heritagegateway.
org.uk/Gateway/) for details of
listed buildings has also failed to
reveal some well known examples.
Why such discrepancies? Some
may be due to fragments now sadly
lost or others uncovered more
recently; possibly some omissions
may be down to reasons of security.
Notable omissions such as those at
Plumpton are less easy to explain.
During the course of my
preliminary investigations, various
anomalies regarding the dedication
of some churches has become
apparent: for example the church at
Singleton is referred to as St John’s
in both the NMR and Pevsner whilst
the Sussex Historic Churches Trust
gives the dedication as St Mary.
The variation in possible search
terms for use in both on-line and
more traditional indexes has also
become strikingly evident. Even
SAC indexes use various different
terms over the years (mural paintings
has become wall paintings) whilst
on-line searches can yield different
results depending upon the search
engines and order of search terms
used, due to the way different
search engines work and the way
individual sites have been indexed.
Some superb specialist sites have
come to light, two of which merit
mention. Anne Marshall’s excellent
site
at
www.paintedchurch.
org covers a range of locations,
including several Sussex ones,
and gives detailed analysis of the
content of paintings accompanied
by many photographs. Another
site
(www.wallpaintings.org),
compiled by Roger Rosewell to
accompany his recent publication
on English and Welsh Church Wall
paintings, is not as detailed but does
contain some useful links to other
sites. Careful searching has also
produced various interesting image
galleries on Flickr.com, prompting
me to post my own collection of
photos entitled Studies of Sussex
Churches. Should anyone have any
information or advice which could
help me, I would be delighted to
hear from you.
Gill Lindsay
[email protected]
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
9
Excavations
OVINGDEAN 2009
HEAD SCAN RESULTS
Ovingdean Excavations
Scan Confirms
Nero’s
Head
Full story and images of rare statue head
Evidence of a curious Medieval diet uncovered?
I
n 2009 the Brighton and Hove
Archaeological Society returned
to Hog Croft field at Ovingdean.
The new season of excavations was
designed to uncover and plan the
medieval house found in 2003 and
partially exposed in subsequent
seasons. Previous excavations
had uncovered the north/east and
south corners of a substantial
building constructed of flint and
mortar. The corners of the house
revealed previously had shown a
distinct difference in construction,
and raised a number of interesting
questions.
The Medieval building exposed
Photo: J. Funnell
The excavation began in June
and continued until mid-October.
During that time most of the house
walls were exposed and revealed
a very complex and multi-phased
structure. The earliest walls
measured 1.4m in thickness on
the north side. All four sides of the
rectangular building were exposed,
but were located at varying depths.
The south wall had a thinner wall
lying above the earlier, much thicker
one, but on a different alignment.
Most of the interior corners had
been robbed of all valuable building
stone, but a quantity of carved chalk
blocks clearly indicate that this was
one of the materials used. The south
wall produced the vestiges of a pair
of medieval windows, allowing light
into the undercroft or cellar. A small
structure attached to the east face
may be a garderobe. The chalk layer
10
surrounding the building contained
numerous ditches and linear
features possibly associated with
earlier timber framed structures.
The chalk surrounding the flint built
house proved to be a fill and was
not natural, but produced finds of
bone, pottery and a lead plumb
‘bob’.
A number of sondages were cut
into the cellar and revealed that the
interior was filled with large flint
nodules, grit, mortar and pieces
of carved chalk and stone. The
excavation revealed the cellar floor
to be of compact chalk and littered
with the remains of a number of
animal skeletons. These included
sheep, goat, a number of dogs and
a ferret (pers. comm. Carol White).
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
Animal bones on the cellar floor
Photo: J. Funnell
A number of medieval pots were
also uncovered, including an almost
complete dripping pan (Pers.
Comm. Keith Edgar). The entrance
to the cellar was found in the north
east corner of the house, with steps
leading out northwards. A section
in the baulk clearly showed that the
entrance ramp or steps carried on
further north, but was unfortunately
located under the excavation spoil
heap.
The east wall and north/east
corner were very unstable, and
may have been the reason for the
demolition of the house. A later
phase in this same area showed
Feature
newer walls moderately thinner
than the original medieval ones,
being only 800mm thick. Other
Walls and chalk floor NE corner
A
s briefly reported in the last issue,
a 3-D scan of a damaged statue
head at Fishbourne Roman Palace
has revealed that it is probably a
The marble head was found
in 1964 during excavation of the
Palace and will be of international
significance, as most portraits of
Photo: J. Funnell
phases are attested by a new floor
comprised of large beach pebbles,
and the use of 18th and 19th century
bricks (pers. comm. Luke Barber).
The south west section of the house
cellar was used as a rubbish pit
and produced coins of Charles II,
George II, George III and Victoria.
The original house appears to have
been systematically demolished
with the unused rubble deposited
into the cellar. It is probable that flint
and any wood were later used in
the creation of Ovingdean Grange,
located only a short distance down
the hill. The most curious evidence
is the curious collection of animal
remains on the cellar floor. Are they
suggestive of hunting activities or
some form of food source, perhaps
in dire times, but why were they
buried in this manner? There was
little or no stratigraphy in the cellar
deposits, except in the north/east
corner showing that the demolition
was quite a tidy and rapid process.
The
Brighton
and
Hove
Archaeological Society would like
to return to Ovingdean to continue
an investigation into the timber
building found in 2008, but changes
in farm management may make this
impossible.
John Funnell
www.sussexpast.co.uk
CDC Curator Dr Rob Symmons and Dr Miles Russell oversee the scanning process.
rare depiction of Roman Emperor
Nero as a youngster. Curator of
the Collections Discovery Centre
at Fishbourne Dr Rob Symmons, in
collaboration with Dr Miles Russell
and Harry Manley of Bournemouth
University, ran scans on the head
in order to recreate the damaged
parts of the face. Rob Symmons
said: “First impressions indicated
that this was a portrait of Nero as
a boy, which was very exciting as
that would make it one of only three
of its kind in the world. Previously,
we had always assumed the boy
was related to the royal family who
lived here.” Miles Russell added:
“The scan gave us a more complete
picture of the missing parts of the
face, confirming our theory that it is
a depiction of Nero. This suggests
there may have been links between
the Chichester area and one of the
most famous Roman emperors of
all time.”
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
Photo: BU
the disgraced leader as a young
man were destroyed after his
suicide in AD 68. Two of the bestknown examples of the teenage
Nero are preserved in the Museo
Full face image of head.
Photo: BU
Nazionale d’Antichita in Parma
and the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
Both representations are thought
to have been created as part of the
official recognition that Nero was
in line to become the chief heir of
Claudius. The Fishbourne head
with its rounded cheeks and full,
curving lips almost exactly matches
the features of the young Nero on
display in Parma and Paris, as do
the rounded lower face, slightly
protruding ears, curling locks of
hair and almond-shaped eyes.
The head had obviously been
forcibly removed from the body
and substantial and violent blows
had fragmented the image further,
damaging the nose and chin. This
mimics very closely the process of
damnatio memoriae, a post mortem
mutilation inflicted upon Nero and
everything he was associated with,
following his death in AD 68. The
damage to the Fishbourne portrait
would be totally consistent with
such an empire-wide practice.
Furthermore, the dumping of the
smashed fragments of sculpture
into the foundations of the main
palace, which swept away all trace
of the Nero-inspired earlier phase,
would probably have been seen as
an entirely appropriate fate for the
disgraced emperor.
Image of head in profile.
Photo: BU
The statue head is now on display
in the Museum at Fishbourne
Roman Palace.
Christine Medlock
Director, FRP
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
11
Library
LIBRARY & BOOKSHOP NEWS
Bookshop News
Library News
Library staff beat the winter weather!
D
espite the snowy conditions which we all experienced during
the winter, most of the Library Volunteers managed to get in on
all but the worst days, and some Members also appeared, whilst
others resorted to telephone and email. Lewes may look beautiful
in the snow, but the conditions for pedestrians and drivers were
hardly ideal. By the time this is published we should be over all these
problems and getting more Members using the Library.
We were sorry to hear of the death of Alan Shelley of Bow Windows
Bookshop in Lewes. He was a good friend to both the Library and
Barbican House Bookshop, with advice, valuations and drawing our
attention to items of interest.
We have been given a donation of Rural History 1990 (Vol.1 Part
1) to 2008 inclusive. As we have limited storage space (they are at
present only available with advance notice), these will only be kept if
used, so I would welcome comments (and use!) from Members.
I list below some recent additions to the Library (all 2009):
BROWN, Ian
Beacons in the Landscape: the Hillforts
of England and Wales.
CREIGHTON, Oliver H
Designs Upon the Land: Elite
Landscapes of the Middle Ages.
GIROUARD, Mark
Elizabethan Architecture.
KERRIDGE, Ron
& De RUITER, R
The tokens, metallic tickets, checks and
passes of West Sussex 1650-1950.
MARTIN, David & Barbara Rye Rebuilt: Regeneration and Decline
within a Sussex Port 1350-1660.
NEAL, David S
& COSH, Stephen R
Roman Mosaics of Britain: Vol. 3: SouthEast Britain. (In 2 parts)
We are grateful to the following for their donations to the Library:
S Berry; J Funnell (BHAS); G Hayden; R Martin; D & V Redman;
J Pennington; P Russell; A Vincent. We are also grateful to Dave
Brenchley for the donation of two large carpets for the library.
Esme Evans
Hon. Librarian
12
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
A new Sussex volume of the Victoria
County History was published
towards the end of last year.
There is a reference copy in the
Society’s Library and copies may
be purchased through Barbican
House Bookshop. The advertised
price is £95 but Members ordering
through the Bookshop will pay only
£90. Details as follows:
A History of the County of
Sussex V.ii: Littlehampton and
District (Arundel Rape, SouthEastern Part, comprising Poling
Hundred), ed CP Lewis. Boydell
and Brewer for the Institute of
Historical Research, 2009. 394 pp;
165 b/w illustrations and maps,
hardback in the familiar red boards
with title label on front and gilt title
on spine. (Covers the parishes
of Angmering, Burpham, Ferring,
Goring, Kingston, Littlehampton,
Lyminster, Poling, East Preston,
Rustington, North Stoke and
Warningcamp.)
It is hoped to carry a review in a
future issue of SP&P.
Another Sussex related title to
have come into stock recently is a
study of the artist Eric Ravilious and
some of his watercolours inspired
by Sussex scenes and places:
Ravilious in Pictures: Sussex and
the Downs, by James Russell.
Mainstone Press, 2009. 48pp; 22
full-page colour reproductions;
hardback in pictorial boards and
decorative dust jacket. £25 (SAS
members £23.50).
To order either (or both) books,
please contact John Bleach on
01273 405739 or castleshop@
sussexpast.co.uk.
Please note that postage, if
required, will be added at cost.
John Bleach
Manager,
Barbican House Bookshop
www.sussexpast.co.uk
LETTERS
What and when was
Wyndham Chapel?
WINEHAM – formerly spelled
‘Windham’ or ‘Wyndham’ – is strung
along Wineham Lane parallel to
the A23 southwest of Bolney. The
words “site of Wyndham Chapel”
appear on the 1875 edition of the
25-inch Ordnance Survey plan
and the 1879 edition of the 6-inch
map. The words are written in the
Old English script which denotes
a site of antiquity. They seem to
indicate a site at about TQ235201
on the west side of Wineham Lane,
some 650 yards north of the River
Adur near Meadow Cottage and
opposite Gatefield.
Clearly, the site was regarded as
ancient in the 1870s, so it seems
unlikely that it was an eighteenth
or early nineteenth century chapel,
precursor of the Victorian mission
room which stood in the garden at
Gatefield. Was it a medieval chapelof-ease (the parish church is at
Shermanbury) or, alternately, was
it associated with either Roman
Catholic or Puritan dissenters?
When and why was it demolished?
So far I have not found any
other maps that mark the chapel
site, nor does it appear on later
Ordnance Survey maps. Moreover,
the OS does not mark any other
antiquities in Wineham, not even
the site of the medieval Hospital of
Wyndham, founded by St Richard
of Chichester as a home for sick
clergy in about 1252. The history of
this little hospital is known and it was
suppressed by Bishop Sherburne
in 1523, the revenue going to found
the Prebend of Wyndham.
Why was the site of Wyndham
Chapel marked on the OS map
and the site of Wyndham Hospital
omitted? Where was Wyndham
Hospital? Information relating to its
location held by the OS is said to have
been destroyed in a Southampton
air-raid of 1940 (Margaret Holt,
1969, Sussex Notes & Queries
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
17 No.3), but conventionally the
hospital is thought to have been
at “Abbeylands” south of the River
Adur (TQ231912) (JH Cooper, 1901,
Sussex Archaeological Collections
46 p10; Henry de Candole, 1947
The Story of Henfield p61).
However, the OS Map of Monastic
Britain, originally published in 1939,
marks the hospital north of the river,
though at the scale of 10 inches to
the mile the exact spot cannot be
ascertained. The recently published
History and Guide to St Giles’
Church, Shermanbury (Richard
Putnam, 2007) appears to suggest
that the Wyndham Hospital stood
near to the present Royal Oak in
the field west of Wyndham House
(TQ233253). This publication is, as
far as I know, the only one to place
the hospital north of the river or, for
that matter, anywhere other than at
Abbeylands.
This leads to the question “What
was the Wyndham Chapel whose
site is marked on the 1875/79 OS
maps?” Was this the true site of the
medieval hospital or was it some
other ecclesiastical building about
which no record has so far come to
light?
Can anyone in the Sussex
Archaeological Society provide an
answer?
Dr Helen Livingston
[email protected]
Castle Opening
TWO of my library volunteers, not
normally of the moaning type,
commented about there being a
picture of the Castle opening on
the front cover [of the last issue of
SP&P] but nothing inside! Maybe
we should have kept the picture for
next time!
Esme Evans
Hon. Librarian
The editor replies: I accept your
comments. However, I feel that if
Letters
we had kept the picture until the
next issue it would have been too
far removed from the event to be
newsworthy, and I thought by
putting it on the front cover it was
at least mentioned. The event took
place too late after the official copy
deadline to be covered in detail as
I had already finalised the layout. It
takes about six weeks from copy
deadline to organise, print and
distribute the newsletter before it
lands on your doormats. The Castle
reopening was mentioned (plus
picture), albeit only briefly, in the
previous issue.
A lament from the
Northern Territories
I am a member living in Burwash in
the northern range of the Society’s
reach. It is extremely rare that
anything from this outer region gets
covered in SP&P - even the lectures
and events are predominantly in
Lewes and further southward.
Any chance of space in future
issues devoted to these parts? For
example, there is a small group
called the Independent Historical
Research Group which has plans
to start investigating the Dudwell
Valley, between Burwash and
Heathfield. I have myself wandered
through this intriguing, secret and
almost unpoplulated valley and it
would be great if experts were to
investigate it.
Tim Symonds
The editor replies: Thank you for
your comments. I would love to
cover as much of the county as
possible but I can only publish
articles that I am sent. I would gladly
publish an interesting article from
the research group you mention if
they were to send it to me! Similarly
I would always welcome articles
from any other archaeological or
local history groups within the
county, particularly those based in
the northern extremities!
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
13
Books
Sussex Clergy
Inventories
1600-1750
ON the evidence of this volume
many 16th and early 17th century
Sussex clergy were relatively poor
- not surprising because in 1736
well over half of the English parish
clergy received less than £50 pa,
a fifth of them earning less than a
miserable £10. The value of these
177 probate inventories, mostly
from West Sussex, is wide, from
£4.13.4 to Giles Moore’s £1678.
By my calculations ten per cent
were under £10, indicating poverty,
and only a fifth over £250. The
median (middle) valuation is £111,
considerably lower than the median
probate valuation of £179 for a
sample 425 West Sussex yeomen
in this period. The poorest clergy
were a mix of ill-paid unbeneficed
curates, perpetual curates, clergy
ejected in 1662 and sometimes
elderly rectors or vicars. But
probate valuations do not provide a
measurement of total wealth. They
include house contents, personal
effects, and often crops and
livestock but not property, except
for leases for a specified number of
lives. Furthermore, though money
owed was credited, debts are listed
only in the rare pre-1685 valuable
probate accounts. The surviving six
14
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
BOOK REVIEWS
are printed here. One was in the red
after debts had been met.
Cash was short in rural England
and a quarter of the clergy had
debts, ranging from a few pounds
to several hundred. Loans were
usually
non-interest
bearing,
except for a few mortgages and
written interest-bearing bonds. At
least 83 clergy were also farmers
who owned crops and livestock.
Some cultivated not only the glebe
that most rural parishes possessed
but also rented additional land. Dr
Hughes discusses the number of
rooms in parsonages and changes
in their names, although clergy were
untypical in not owning the houses
in which they lived. Appraisers
were not professional valuers
and it is impossible to check the
accuracy of their estimates and Dr
Hughes notes the valuation of the
unusually large number of books
owned by the clergy may not be
reliable. However Prof Overton,
who has examined a large number
of inventories in other counties,
believes that the valuations of crops
and livestock did reflect the market
price. The inventories list a wide
variety of possessions including
virginals, a sun dial and numerous
firearms but the only possessions
almost every parson owned were a
feather bed and a horse!
The
Introduction
discusses
ways inventories can be used and
suggests further work that might
be done but perhaps it could have
discussed the problems of using
probate inventories more fully. Two
queries: there is a discrepancy
between John Buckley’s inventory,
which is noted as illegible and
no total entered, and the List
of Inventories where a value of
£400.3.2 is given; also Richard
Woodeson’s valuation where the
£480 is listed as interest due on
a ten year £60 bond. Documents
are given in full, accompanied by
brief biographical information and
references to wills as well as a
Glossary, two Bibliographies, two
BOOK REVIEWS
maps and an Index of Persons
and Places. A valuable addition
to the Sussex Record Society
publications.
Malcolm Kitch
Annabelle Hughes (ed.); Published by
Sussex Record Society
Volume 91 (Lewes, 2009);
ISBN 978- 0-854445-073-2.
Blakers Park and Gloucester Place.
Equally of interest is the imagery
employed in the older views; one
painted view of the West Pier has
it as another postcard propped
up on some fish with a smokery
or ‘herring-dee’ prominent as the
backdrop.
As ever with Judy Middleton
there are some witty asides in
the commentary and a deal of
fascinating social observation.
Overall an interesting addition to
the Brighton canon.
Geoffrey Mead
Convenor for Local History
CCE, Sussex Institute
University of Sussex
By Judy Middleton (2009).
Amberley Publishing.
ISBN 978-1-84868-122-4.
Paperback, 96pp. Price £12.99.
Brighton
Through Time
THE first line of this volume states
“It cannot be claimed that there
has been a shortage of books
about Brighton” and certainly there
has been a plethora of texts on
the resort. However, this takes a
different view of the city, by using
the advances in colour publishing,
to present a series of old postcard
views contrasted with the modern
scene. The opening pair of single
‘Best Wishes’ cards are charming
Victorian views, one of the Old
Aquarium surrounded by a circle
of brown shrimps (younger readers
note ‘The Seagulls’ were formerly
‘The Shrimps’) and the other of
the Victoria Fountain surrounded,
incongruously, by a variety of
seashells. There follows 90 pages
of (mostly) paired views, the
obvious - Royal Pavilion, Birdcage
bandstand, Old Steine, and the
less obvious - Hollingbury Woods,
www.sussexpast.co.uk
Chichester Murders
& Misdemeanours
DESPITE its lurid title, the seven
stories in this book reveal some
fascinating details of social history,
from early nineteenth century to
post-World War II Chichester. The
two earliest incidents, the trial and
execution in 1818 of John Holloway
for the murder of Thomas Parr, and
Emery Spriggs’ shooting of his wife
Rebecca in 1830 are recounted
www.romansinsussex.co.uk
against the background of social
conditions of the times, for instance
the presence of large numbers of
redundant soldiers following the end
of war with France, with terrible living
conditions and little to do but drink,
and rural unrest due to agricultural
unemployment in the 1830s.
Another theme is the development
of modern policing organisation
and methods, illustrated by the
history of Chichester’s traditional
October Sloe Fair; in the account
of the tragic murder of eleven year
old Vera Hoad in 1924; and of Ellen
Harding’s trial and acquittal in 1936
for the murder of her baby son. More
success was achieved by the time
of the Second World War, in solving
three of four murders committed
in the area between 1941 and
1944, mostly involving service
personnel. The final story deals
with the mysterious disappearance
of Commander Crabb in 1956, and
the unsatisfactory identification
of a partial body found in 1957 in
Chichester Harbour.
The book is well referenced
to primary sources such as local
press reports and to archives and
secondary sources. Some may
disagree with the use of invented
dialogue (particularly in the first
chapter), and there are unfortunate
slips such as spelling ‘formerly’
meaning ‘formally’. There is no
index, but the stories are illuminated
by frequent black and white
illustrations. Such scenes may still
be witnessed in the pleasant streets
of Chichester, as highlighted by
local press reports, providing much
to interest future historians.
Sarah Hanna
By Philip Macdougall (2009).
Amberley Publishing.
ISBN 978-1-84868-208-5.
Paperback, 128 pp. £12.99.
Books
Land Girls:
Cinderellas of the
Soil
THIS book accompanied the recent
and very popular exhibition at
Brighton Art Gallery and Museum
which focused on the personal
stories of the land girls who were
trained, lived and worked on the
Sussex Downs and surrounding
areas during both World wars.
This is worth looking at if you are
interested in the topic and period,
and what happened in Sussex
in 1914-1918 when there was a
Women’s Land Army, and then
in more depth, the revival of the
WLA in 1939 when they became
known as the Land Girls. In 1939,
Balcombe Place was the national
HQ of the Women’s Land Army,
Lady Denman was the Honorary
Director and they were trained at
Plumpton Agricultural College.
Local women are featured in the
catalogue and so is their distinctive
uniform, especially those amazing
breeches! Many of the photographs
from the Second World War show
cheerful photogenic girls; one has
to wonder how much thought went
into this, especially after a look
at the photographs of what they
wore.
Sue Berry
By Amy de la Haye (2009). Brighton;
Royal Pavilion Libraries & Museums,
ISBN 978-0-948723-72-8.
Paperback, 64pp. £8.99.
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
15
Snippets
New HLF Award
THE
Sussex
Archaeological
Society has been awarded £49,700
from the ‘Your Heritage’ section
of the Heritage Lottery Fund,
which is aimed at local people to
help celebrate some of their local
heritage.
We applied for the funds to help
us celebrate and promote the Battle
of Lewes, Simon de Montfort’s
courageous and tactically brilliant
victory over Henry III in 1264. The
outcome lead to the calling of the
first parliament in this country, laying
one of the earliest foundation stones
of our democratic government.
Themes will concentrate on
democracy, parliament, loyalty,
fighting for rights, and promote
the role of the Castle. Although the
750th anniversary of the Battle is
not until 2014, we thought it would
be good to publicise this event now
and hope that it leads to something
more in 2014.
We now have funding for the next
three years to run a really exciting
series of community projects and
kick-start a new annual celebration
event at Lewes Castle. There will be
number of smaller projects within
the main project:
• Working with local community
groups who will visit sites/
investigate collections.
• Designing and building a
temporary exhibition unit that will
belong to the Society to display
some of the work.
• Marketing and running an
event each May at Lewes Castle to
celebrate some of the work done.
• Running a project with schools
and teachers leading to a new
session and teaching pack.
• Funding to make a film, a
publication, and to develop a walk
in partnership with other town
groups.
The many benefits to the SAS
include greatly improved marketing
for the Castle, hopefully leading to
16
Sussex Past & Present April 2010
increased visitor numbers, improved
links with local community groups
and an enhanced presence in the
local press, and a raised profile
in the museum, schools & town
community.
If you are part of a community
organisation and would like to
know more about the project then
please get in touch, and if any of
you could volunteer some of your
time to help with the project it
would be enormously welcome. We
are still in the early planning stages
and there will be further details in
later issues. In the meantime, if
anyone is available to volunteer on
the event day, May 29th, or during
the week beforehand for a few
hours, then please drop us a line
or phone 01273 405734 – it will
be wonderful to have your help.
Contact
battleoflewes@yahoo.
co.uk.
Kent Archaeological
Society Library
AS reported in the last issue, the
Sussex Archaeological Society has
become an affiliated member of
Kent Archaeological Society which
entitles our members to use their
facilities at Maidstone. However, we
have been asked to point out that
their library is normally kept locked
and unattended. Members may
gain access during regular Museum
opening hours on production of a
valid SAS membership card, but
anyone wishing to use the library for
research purposes at any other time
should make prior arrangements by
contacting the Hon. Librarian :
Dr FH Panton, CBE, PhD
Grove End, Tunstall
Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8DY
Tel. 01795 472218
Email. [email protected]
Details of events and other
information about the KAS are also
available at www.kentarchaeology.
org.uk.
Congratulations
CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah
Hanna, previous editor of this
newsletter, who was recently
awarded an MA in Palaeolithic
Archaeology and Human Origins
from Southampton University.
Sarah gave up the editorship
to concentrate on writing her
dissertation on the Ice Age Refugium
in south west France. She is now
brushing up her French and plans
to explore the late glacial further in
the Dordogne and Cantabria, but
she will still be an active co-option
on the Membership and Events
Committee and write the occasional
article or book review for SP&P.
Next Issue
THE next issue of Sussex Past &
Present will be published in August
2010. Copy deadline is June
18th. Letters and ‘snippets’ are
welcome; longer items should be
kept to a maximum of 500 words
unless prior arrangements have
been made with the editor, Wendy
Muriel, at [email protected],
or Luke Barber on 01273 405733.
Please note that we require images
with most contributions, preferably
in high quality colour format. To
submit digitally, please use MS
Word (97-2003 format) for text
and send images in JPEG or TIF
formats, at a minimum resolution
of 600dpi. Correspondence and
details of events should be sent
to Wendy Muriel, Editor, Sussex
Past & Present, Bull House, 92
High Street, Lewes, East Sussex,
BN7 1XH, or emailed to the above
address.
Rates for insertions into the
newsletter, which goes out to over
2000 members, start at £100 (plus
minimum handling charge of £20).
Contact Lorna Gartside on 01273
405737 for details.
www.sussexpast.co.uk