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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 5 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