27.03.2013 Views

December 2008 (issue 116) - Sussex Archaeological Society

December 2008 (issue 116) - Sussex Archaeological Society

December 2008 (issue 116) - Sussex Archaeological Society

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

NUMBER <strong>116</strong> DECEM BER <strong>2008</strong><br />

Tom Paine in Lewes<br />

Oral History at Phoenix Foundry<br />

Work starts on Lewes Castle<br />

Beedings Excavation<br />

www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 1


Membership Matters<br />

Lorna’s Notebook<br />

A round-up of all that’s new in the membership department<br />

Welcome to the autumn edition<br />

of <strong>Sussex</strong> Past and Present.<br />

2009 Subscription Renewal<br />

Many of you will be due to renew<br />

your subscription at the start of the<br />

year, and it would help the <strong>Society</strong> if<br />

you would check your membership<br />

card now, and if due for renewal<br />

on January 1, arrange for payment<br />

straightaway. This will save us the<br />

cost of sending out reminder notices,<br />

usually in late January.<br />

Of course, if you pay by direct<br />

debit, no further action is needed.<br />

You will shortly receive, or may<br />

already have done so, a letter notifying<br />

the amount and date of collection.<br />

If you wish to switch to this<br />

method, (the most cost-effective<br />

for the <strong>Society</strong>) you may download<br />

a copy of the direct debit mandate<br />

from the Membership section of our<br />

website www.sussexpast.co.uk,<br />

or I can post a form to you on request.<br />

If you are not prepared to<br />

pay by direct debit, please choose<br />

from the following methods:<br />

— cheque, payable to “<strong>Sussex</strong><br />

Past” and sent to the address<br />

below<br />

— online at www.sussexpastshop.co.uk<br />

(select ‘membership’<br />

followed by ‘subscription renewal’<br />

and then the appropriate category)<br />

— by credit card over the phone<br />

(number as shown).<br />

I am pleased to say that subscription<br />

rates are unchanged for<br />

MEMBERSHIP<br />

2009. The amounts due are shown<br />

in the box below – simply check<br />

your subscription type as shown<br />

on your membership card to verify<br />

the amount you need to pay. If the<br />

subs type shown on your card is<br />

followed by +B or +POST (or both),<br />

you need to add the extra amount(s)<br />

shown to the applicable rate. If<br />

you want to make any changes to<br />

your subscription type, or simply to<br />

check your renewal details, do call<br />

me and I will be pleased to help.<br />

Membership contact<br />

over the winter<br />

As many of you know, I am based at<br />

Barbican House, which will be largely<br />

closed over much of the winter while<br />

building and improvement works<br />

take place both at the Museum<br />

and Lewes Castle. Inevitably, there<br />

will be some disruption as we all<br />

move around to accommodate<br />

the works, and unfortunately I will<br />

be most affected in January, when<br />

many of you will be renewing your<br />

subscriptions (another good reason<br />

to renew early!). After Christmas<br />

I will be available but not always<br />

so accessible as usual, so please<br />

be patient. Use the normal ofce<br />

number initially, but if you cannot<br />

reach me on the landline, try the<br />

temporary mobile number I have<br />

arranged as a fallback. The number<br />

is 07982 830645. I hope to keep<br />

disruption to a minimum over this<br />

period, and normal service should<br />

resume in the spring!<br />

Subscription Type & Description Cost<br />

O Standard Individual £30<br />

J Joint: 2 adults living at same address £42<br />

F1 Family (1 adult + children) £35<br />

F2 Family (2 adults + children) £45<br />

S Student £14<br />

AFF Afliated <strong>Society</strong> £30<br />

+B Hardback copy SAC Add £5 to above<br />

+POST Overseas postage Add £10 to above<br />

Autumn Conference<br />

Our <strong>2008</strong> Conference People and<br />

Place: Landscape and Identity<br />

through Time was very successful,<br />

and although some members found<br />

Chichester a long way to go, the<br />

feedback was very positive. The<br />

posters from the conference will<br />

be displayed at Fishbourne Roman<br />

Palace until the end of February,<br />

so if you have the chance, do go<br />

and have a look. We are starting<br />

to plan next year’s conference, for<br />

which we will return to Falmer, and<br />

the topic is rural change and the<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> landscape. More details<br />

will be available in the April edition<br />

of SP&P, and on our website.<br />

Noticeboard/Events<br />

In order to give members advance<br />

notice of forthcoming events, run<br />

not just by us but by other local<br />

organisations, we will now post<br />

the Noticeboard on our website as<br />

soon as the newsletter is ready for<br />

printing. You can nd it as a ‘pdf’<br />

document on the Members’ events<br />

page of the Membership section.<br />

Lorna Gartside<br />

Membership Secretary<br />

For all membership enquiries<br />

and to apply, please contact<br />

MEMBERSHIP<br />

DEPARTMENT<br />

Barbican House,<br />

169 High Street<br />

Lewes, <strong>Sussex</strong> BN7 1YE<br />

Tues-Fri 10.00am-3.00pm<br />

Answering machine facility<br />

outside these hours<br />

01273 405737<br />

Email:<br />

members@sussexpast.co.uk<br />

SUSSEX<br />

Past &<br />

Present<br />

The <strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong><br />

<strong>Society</strong> Newsletter<br />

NUMBER <strong>116</strong><br />

N O V E M BER <strong>2008</strong><br />

Contents<br />

2 Membership matters<br />

3 Opening lines<br />

4 Tom Paine in Lewes<br />

5 Baxter’s Printworks<br />

6 Autumn Conference<br />

7 Fishbourne News<br />

8 Phoenix Project<br />

9 Lewes Castle<br />

10 Archaeology Round-up<br />

11 History & Library News<br />

12 Beedings excavation<br />

13 Brighton Museum<br />

14 Book reviews<br />

16 Snippets<br />

Published by the <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

<strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong>, Bull<br />

House, Lewes, E <strong>Sussex</strong>, BN71XH<br />

Tel: 01273 486260<br />

Fax: 01273 486990<br />

Email: admin@sussexpast.co.uk<br />

Editor: Sarah Hanna<br />

Email: spp@sussexpast.co.uk<br />

Technical Editors:<br />

John Manley, Luke Barber<br />

Technical Support:<br />

Penelope Parker<br />

ISSN 1357-7417<br />

Cover: Ermin Street Guards at Fishbourne<br />

Roman Palace, September. Photo: P Parker<br />

OPENING LINES<br />

Opening Lines<br />

Future Prospects<br />

New developments and strategic plans<br />

Over the past several months the refurbishment work on Bull House,<br />

Lewes, has been completed. The much needed work on repairs at<br />

Anne of Cleves House, Southover, has commenced. The major project for<br />

the refurbishment of Lewes Castle and Barbican House is well under way,<br />

and works are budgeted to be in excess of £1 million. These works will<br />

cause some disruption and result in part of the properties being closed<br />

from time to time. However we trust that, being over the winter months,<br />

this will not create too much inconvenience to members and to the public.<br />

Although all of these projects are grant-aided, the <strong>Society</strong> will bear<br />

some proportion of the expenditure, and we are most grateful to those<br />

members who have also made a contribution towards raising funds.<br />

The <strong>Society</strong>’s Events (which are publicised on our website) have generally<br />

been well supported this year. In particular the Autumn Conference<br />

held at Chichester University in September was very well attended, with<br />

various informative presentations on Landscape and Identity through<br />

Time, followed by eld trips to Kingley Vale and Fishbourne Harbour.<br />

The summer months have not seen the best of weather and as result<br />

visitor numbers were lower than in previous years, producing a considerable<br />

shortfall in income from our properties. In addition, at the time of<br />

writing, with the recent turbulence in the International Finance markets,<br />

(in common with other organisations) the <strong>Society</strong> has to anticipate further<br />

reductions in income for the rest of this year. Against this background, the<br />

Trustees are looking at ways in which the <strong>Society</strong> can protect its nances,<br />

and reduce running costs, to ensure that the <strong>Society</strong> does not incur a<br />

signicant annual loss. I am pleased to be able to say that, although the<br />

recent Stock Market losses have affected the <strong>Society</strong>’s investments (although<br />

to a lesser extent than might have been expected) this has been<br />

well managed, and none of the <strong>Society</strong>’s funds were invested in banks<br />

that have experienced solvency problems.<br />

The Strategy Working Party (consisting of some of the Trustees) has<br />

prepared a report to Council, and its ndings and recommendations will<br />

be considered with a view to presenting a new Strategy for the <strong>Society</strong><br />

for the next ve years. This is to be discussed with Staff and Members<br />

before implementation, and I hope to be able to report on this in more<br />

detail early in 2009.<br />

On behalf of all the Trustees I would like to wish all our Members a very<br />

happy and peaceful Christmas and a prosperous New Year.<br />

Peter Sangster<br />

Chairman of Council<br />

2 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 3


Feature<br />

THOMAS PAINE CENTENARY<br />

Tom Paine and Bull House<br />

The revolutionary writer’s Lewes connection<br />

Two hundred and forty years<br />

have passed since Tom Paine<br />

rst rode into Lewes, East <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

to take up lodgings in Bull House.<br />

An Outrider with the Excise, he<br />

was to make it his home for the<br />

next six years, the quiet centre<br />

of the life of the man described<br />

by George Washington as “the<br />

godfather of our independence”;<br />

by Michael Foot as “the greatest<br />

exile ever to leave these shores”;<br />

and dismissed, slanderously, by<br />

Theodore Roosevelt as “that lthy<br />

little atheist” – but that is another<br />

story...<br />

Early influences<br />

In 1768 there was little to<br />

mark Paine out as an ‘agent<br />

of revolution’ (Edmund Burke),<br />

though his background provided<br />

a clue to what he was to become.<br />

Born in Norfolk in 1737, the son<br />

of a Quaker, Paine served his<br />

apprenticeship as a corset maker<br />

with his father before moving to<br />

London in 1757. The exposure of<br />

his Quaker sensibilities to the ‘city<br />

of dreadful night’, to the contrast<br />

between the extravagances of the<br />

aristocracy and the poverty of the<br />

‘mobbocracy’ (a word which only<br />

came into use in the eighteenth<br />

century) horried Paine. The times,<br />

however, were growing restless.<br />

In America there was mounting<br />

clamour from the Thirteen<br />

Colonies for independence. In<br />

France the philosophes – amongst<br />

them Voltaire and Rousseau – were<br />

challenging the authority of the<br />

ancien regime, whilst in England<br />

‘that devil Wilkes’ was leading the<br />

charge to determine whether ‘the<br />

freeborn Englishman’s liberty be<br />

reality or shadow.’ For a man who<br />

boasted that he learned something<br />

new every day, the mid-eighteenth<br />

century was alive with portents of<br />

Portrait of Thomas Paine by A Milliere, 1880.<br />

National Portrait Gallery<br />

things to come, and it was in Lewes<br />

that Paine began to formulate the<br />

ideas that helped turn the world<br />

upside down. Not that so much<br />

was apparent during those early<br />

days in the town. He had other business<br />

to hand. In 1769 his landlord,<br />

Samuel Olive died, and in March,<br />

1771 Paine married his daughter<br />

Elizabeth, to take a hand in running<br />

the family’s business which traded<br />

out of Bull House. ‘Every article of<br />

Grocery stocked – TEA excepted.’<br />

Headstrong Club &<br />

Excise Pamphlet<br />

The exception was signicant,<br />

revealing, as it did, Paine’s support<br />

for the Colonists’ opposition to<br />

paying a tax on tea imposed by<br />

London, a position he may well<br />

have developed at meetings of the<br />

Headstrong Club. There is no record<br />

as to when Paine rst joined the<br />

Club. One thing is certain however,<br />

the Headstrong provided him with<br />

a platform to develop his critique<br />

of society, for which he was to be<br />

awarded The Headstrong book, or<br />

Original Book of Obstinacy, and<br />

crowned in mock eulogy:<br />

‘Immortal PAINE! While mighty<br />

reasons jar<br />

We crown thee General of the<br />

Headstrong War...’<br />

The Club’s members were not<br />

the only ones to appreciate Paine.<br />

Altogether more signicantly, he was<br />

invited by his fellow Excise ofcers<br />

to draft a pamphlet – The Case of<br />

the Officers of Excise – representing<br />

their demands for an increase<br />

in pay. Written in Bull House, and<br />

published in 1772, it captures the<br />

penetrating, unadorned, and steelhard<br />

brilliance of Paine’s prose style:<br />

“The rich in ease and afuence may<br />

think I have drawn an unnatural<br />

portrait, but could they descend<br />

into the cold regions of want, the<br />

circle of polar poverty, they would<br />

nd their opinions changing with<br />

the climate.”<br />

Farewell to Lewes<br />

The rst of Paine’s major<br />

publications, the pamphlet was to<br />

cost him his post with the Excise.<br />

On April 8, 1774, he received notice<br />

to quit the service, whilst within<br />

the week the entire Bull House<br />

stock was sold at auction to pay<br />

off the business’ escalating debts.<br />

Seemingly the small world of Lewes<br />

was collapsing about him, and on<br />

June 4 he formally separated from<br />

Elizabeth, and rode out of town<br />

for the last time, his revolutionary<br />

apprenticeship complete.<br />

David Powell<br />

The Headstrong Club, Lewes<br />

Tom Paine died in New York on<br />

June 8 1809. The bicentenary of<br />

his death is to be marked by the<br />

Thomas Paine <strong>Society</strong> with events<br />

including a conference in Lewes.<br />

Bull House will also be opened to<br />

the public for pre-booked parties at<br />

weekends.<br />

EXCAVATION IN LEWES<br />

Excavation<br />

Baxter’s Printworks, Lewes<br />

Simon Stevens reports on excavations at the site<br />

View of Baxter’s site, Lewes. Photo: S Stevens<br />

The Baxter’s Printworks in St<br />

Nicholas Lane, Lewes closed<br />

its doors in 2002, ending two<br />

centuries of the family’s business<br />

association with the town. The majority<br />

of the factory complex was<br />

demolished in 2006, in advance<br />

of new residential development.<br />

Given its location in the heart of<br />

the historic town, a condition was<br />

placed on planning permission<br />

for the development requiring a<br />

programme of archaeological work<br />

at the site. Following some preliminary<br />

investigations, a team from<br />

Archaeology South-East began<br />

large-scale excavations at the site<br />

in August 2006, and although most<br />

of the on-site archaeological work<br />

was completed that year, parts of<br />

the site were not available at the<br />

time. Small-scale excavations and<br />

monitoring visits continued until<br />

<strong>December</strong> 2007, by which time the<br />

entire site had been examined, and<br />

nearly 400 archaeological features<br />

had been identied, excavated and<br />

recorded.<br />

Occupation history<br />

There were hints of prehistoric and<br />

Roman occupation in the vicinity,<br />

including tiles dated to the 1st<br />

century AD, indicating the distinct<br />

possibility of a Roman building<br />

nearby. However the rst proven<br />

activity at the site dates from the<br />

Anglo-Saxon period. The town’s<br />

status as a burh (fortied town) from<br />

the 9th century onwards is wellknown<br />

from historical sources but<br />

archaeological remains from this<br />

date have proved elusive. However,<br />

the Baxter’s site contained an<br />

embarrassment-of-riches from the<br />

9th to 11th centuries including<br />

a stretch of the defensive ditch<br />

marking the edge of the burh<br />

(the rst physical evidence of this<br />

feature), and a hoard of seventeen<br />

silver pennies from the reign of<br />

Edward the Elder, 899-924 AD.<br />

Other nds from this era included<br />

pottery, large quantities of animal<br />

and sh bone and a group of<br />

loom-weights.<br />

Occupation of the area continued<br />

beyond the Norman Conquest,<br />

with at least one building fronting<br />

onto St Nicholas Lane in the 12th<br />

century, and a variety of pits,<br />

cess-pits and wells to the rear. It<br />

appears that the burh ditch was<br />

also backlled at this time. The<br />

evidence was somewhat thinner<br />

for activity from the 13th to 15th<br />

centuries; however the site clearly<br />

continued to be used for rubbish<br />

disposal in pits, and for some industrial<br />

processes. Relatively little<br />

material was deposited at the site<br />

during the 16th and 17th centuries,<br />

but impressive assemblages of late<br />

18th and 19th century artefacts<br />

were recovered from wells, cellars<br />

and pits. The story of the site was<br />

brought almost up-to-date by the<br />

discovery of elements of the printing-presses<br />

housed at the site in<br />

more recent years, some bearing<br />

the scars of a re which destroyed<br />

much of the factory in the 1950s.<br />

Finds analysis<br />

The range of artefacts recovered<br />

from the Anglo-Saxon and medieval<br />

deposits was impressive. Although<br />

there was little imported pottery,<br />

the assemblages were large and<br />

varied in origin of manufacture. The<br />

animal and sh bones included the<br />

usual meat-bearing species and<br />

domestic animals, as well as some<br />

more exotic specimens, including<br />

part of the collarbone of a minke<br />

whale. Some bones had been<br />

made into tools. The metalwork<br />

assemblage was particularly striking,<br />

and included keys, knives,<br />

buckles, brooches, pins and a barrel<br />

padlock. There was a variety of<br />

other medieval nds including tiles,<br />

building stone and more ‘domestic’<br />

items such as quernstones and<br />

spindle whorls. A piece of medieval<br />

window glass was also recovered.<br />

Nineteenth century bottles. Photo: S Stevens<br />

Post-medieval assemblages<br />

included a range of pottery, tiles,<br />

glass, animal bones, clay pipes<br />

and other ‘everyday’ artefacts (see<br />

above photo), as well as evidence<br />

of various industrial processes,<br />

including printing. Analysis of the<br />

artefacts from the Baxter’s site is<br />

now in process. When studied in<br />

conjunction with material from other<br />

sites in Lewes, such as the library<br />

site, and the on-going excavation<br />

at Walwers Lane, a fuller picture of<br />

Lewes’s past will emerge, with full<br />

publication in due course.<br />

4 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 5


Conference<br />

AUTUMN CONFERENCE<br />

Looking at Landscape<br />

Report from the <strong>Society</strong>’s Autumn Conference<br />

September’s Conference, People<br />

and Place: Landscape and<br />

Identity through Time, proved to be<br />

a resounding success. It was jointly<br />

organised with the Universities of<br />

Nottingham and Chichester (hosts),<br />

and also became a sponsored event<br />

on the Landscape and Environment<br />

programme (www.landscape.<br />

ac.uk), a multi-million pound project<br />

funded by the Arts and Humanities<br />

Research Council (AHRC). We<br />

were privileged to have Professor<br />

Stephen Daniels, Programme<br />

Director, to give an opening speech<br />

on the programme’s current work<br />

and future expectations. Many<br />

thanks to Stephen and the AHRC<br />

for providing valuable funding. The<br />

central theme of Landscape attracted<br />

speakers who delivered papers<br />

on current archaeological research,<br />

ranging from the Palaeolithic to<br />

today, within <strong>Sussex</strong> and beyond.<br />

The keynote speaker, Professor<br />

Matthew Johnson (Southampton<br />

University), provided an essential<br />

and thoroughly engaging talk on<br />

how landscape is viewed by people<br />

in diverse ways. Importantly,<br />

Matthew introduced a theoretically<br />

complicated subject in very understandable<br />

terms.<br />

Prehistoric to early Roman<br />

The rst two papers, by Royal<br />

Holloway’s Caroline Juby and<br />

Danielle Shreve, focused on the<br />

Palaeolithic, discussing how<br />

the archaeological record is<br />

currently used to reconstruct past<br />

environments. These gave an<br />

opportunity to view the world before<br />

modern humans; landscapes very<br />

different to today. Caroline’s paper<br />

was especially insightful in revealing<br />

how much our understanding is<br />

based upon the work of nineteenth<br />

century antiquarians and reevaluating<br />

their accounts. Following<br />

that was my chance to showcase<br />

ideas which have developed from<br />

my research on animal bones at<br />

Fishbourne. I aimed to show how<br />

changes in animal management,<br />

across the Iron Age/Romano-<br />

British transition, were embedded<br />

within local environments. As the<br />

political situation altered, these<br />

changes inuenced how people of<br />

different social backgrounds moved<br />

through and understood their own<br />

landscape.<br />

Medieval to modern<br />

Lunch gave people time to view<br />

and vote on the posters, of which<br />

we had sixteen presentations<br />

from archaeologists, historians,<br />

geographers and anthropologists,<br />

from as far away as New Zealand.<br />

Congratulations to Richard<br />

Haddlesey (Winchester University),<br />

Robin Kim (London School of<br />

Economics) and Ramona Usher<br />

(Nottingham Trent University) for<br />

taking the top prizes. We are now<br />

planning to redisplay these posters<br />

at Fishbourne for anyone who<br />

missed the conference: details will<br />

soon be on the <strong>Sussex</strong>past website<br />

(and see p2, this <strong>issue</strong>).<br />

The third paper session was a<br />

medieval monopoly with, most<br />

notably, Richard Jones (Leicester<br />

University) returning to the <strong>Society</strong><br />

where he spent ve years as research<br />

ofcer. Richard’s paper on<br />

eldnames (not place-names!) of<br />

the late Middle Ages showed how<br />

peasants made their mark on a<br />

landscape which we generally associate<br />

with the nobility. The nal<br />

session was a light-hearted affair,<br />

with Chris Lewis giving a drily humourous<br />

account of house-names<br />

in Goring-on-Sea. The association<br />

of this area with the seaside is clear:<br />

but house-names such as ‘Florida’<br />

are a reminder that people’s perception<br />

of the landscape can be<br />

Fishbourne harbour walk: discussing the<br />

Southern Garden. Photo: E van Breemen<br />

rather different to the reality. Finally,<br />

Professor Brian Short’s (<strong>Sussex</strong><br />

University) closing address rounded<br />

off the day, suggesting future conferences<br />

could aim, as this event<br />

did, to be more outward-looking.<br />

Field Trips<br />

The Sunday eldtrips were also<br />

successful, adding an extra<br />

dimension to the conference. Many<br />

thanks to James Kenny (Chichester<br />

District Council) and Matthew<br />

Pope (University College, London)<br />

who gave an inspiring account of<br />

the landscape, past and present,<br />

from Kingley Vale. The Fishbourne<br />

Harbour trip, with gratitude to David<br />

Rudkin, also provided fascinating<br />

discussion (see photo), plus<br />

interest from local cows! We hope<br />

these trips will become a feature of<br />

future conferences. On behalf of the<br />

organising committee, Naomi Sykes<br />

(Nottingham), Mandy Richardson<br />

(Chichester), Lorna Gartside (SAS),<br />

Caroline Juby and myself, I would<br />

like to thank everyone who attended<br />

the conference — you made it an<br />

event to remember.<br />

Martyn Allen<br />

FISHBOURNE ROMAN PALACE<br />

Order out of Chaos<br />

Managing the Fishbourne Collections<br />

Fishbourne Roman Palace has had a full time curator for nearly three<br />

years now, and the collections are starting to feel the benet. Of<br />

course, there is (and always will be!) a lot more work to do, but the<br />

3500 boxes that make up the collection are at last stored and labelled<br />

according to site, material and context number. This will undoubtedly<br />

maximize the research potential of the material, exemplied by the fact<br />

that since it opened in 2006 the Collections Discovery Centre (CDC)<br />

has attracted over eighty separate projects. Work on the catalogue is<br />

proceeding, and ultimately all nds from the Fishbourne collecting area<br />

will be installed on a database using the MODES for Windows system.<br />

The database has been rened for use as a research tool to enable<br />

comparisons between types of material found within features, across a<br />

particular site as a whole, and between sites within the collecting area.<br />

This project is likely to take ve to seven years to complete, but the<br />

potential for the collections as a whole is self explanatory.<br />

New procedures<br />

With the practical tasks going so well, it has been possible to turn our<br />

attention to aspects of collections management policy and procedure. Not<br />

least, we have nally produced a document specifying the requirements<br />

that must be fullled by anybody wishing to deposit archaeological<br />

material in the CDC. This manual, sent out to all archaeological units<br />

working in the area, describes every stage of a deposition. This will<br />

ensure that boxes are packed to our exact requirements and that they<br />

are labelled with the relevant Fishbourne accession number. A charge<br />

is levied for every box deposited. Most importantly, it will mean that<br />

no material can be deposited without transferring the legal title to us.<br />

These procedures place the onus on the depositor to ensure that any<br />

deposition meets our requirements, and will signicantly cut down on<br />

work and expense incurred by the <strong>Society</strong>.<br />

Professionalisation<br />

Implementing such a policy brings us in line with other museums and<br />

can be seen as part of the ongoing process of professionalisation of<br />

the collections at Fishbourne. Another aspect of this is the production<br />

of a procedural manual. Written in collaboration with Chichester District<br />

Museum, this describes detailed processes such as accessioning<br />

an object into our collections, how it should be catalogued, how to<br />

process a loan, and dealing with research or visitor enquiries. It is hardly<br />

a riveting read, but it unquestionably will be a great asset. It means<br />

that procedures can be standardised and will be understood by any<br />

staff member, rather than being accessible to the curator alone. It will<br />

create continuity within the organisation and will signicantly improve<br />

the quality of service that we provide to visitors.<br />

Museums frequently enjoy the reputation of being old-fashioned and<br />

even arcane. However, we hope that this recent work at Fishbourne<br />

has shown us to be dynamic, modern, professional and proactive.<br />

Rob Symmons & Gordon Hayden<br />

Collections Discovery Centre, Fishbourne Roman Palace<br />

Research<br />

Bognor Regis<br />

Warrior Burial<br />

Skeleton and associated metalwork. Photo: TVAS<br />

E xcavations conducted by<br />

Thames Valley Archaeology<br />

Services at North Bersted, near<br />

Bognor Regis, West <strong>Sussex</strong>, in<br />

June <strong>2008</strong> revealed an accompanied<br />

adult male inhumation burial<br />

of Late Iron Age date. The man<br />

appears to have been buried in a<br />

large cofn or chamber within a<br />

small rectilinear ditched Iron Age<br />

enclosure. Three large pots were<br />

placed at the head of the grave<br />

and two small pottery vessels<br />

were situated near the grave foot.<br />

By the body’s left side were found<br />

a copper alloy shield boss, iron<br />

shears/re dogs, a copper alloy<br />

suspension ring, and a copper alloy<br />

helmet of possible continental design<br />

(see above). Associated with<br />

the shield boss were two crescentshaped<br />

or semicircular thin copper<br />

alloy decorated openwork panels.<br />

Mark Taylor, West <strong>Sussex</strong> County<br />

Archaeologist has suggested this<br />

style of metalwork may be unique<br />

in the UK.<br />

Elsewhere on the site, a small<br />

hoard of ve Middle Bronze Age<br />

copper alloy palstaves was recovered<br />

from the topsoil.<br />

6 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 7


Research<br />

PHOENIX FOUNDRY HISTORY<br />

Phoenix Oral History Project<br />

Sarah Hitchings talks to former Foundry workers in Lewes<br />

The Lewes Phoenix project,<br />

which was recently awarded a<br />

Heritage Lottery Fund grant, is the<br />

creation of locally based Artemis<br />

Arts Ltd. They will be working with<br />

members of the community, from<br />

schoolchildren to elderly residents,<br />

to add to the existing historical<br />

records by capturing stories and<br />

images of the former iron foundry<br />

and engineering company, the site<br />

of which is likely to form part of a<br />

major town centre redevelopment.<br />

Established by John Every in 1832,<br />

the nal remnant of the once vast<br />

works closed in 1986, making the<br />

last four employees redundant.<br />

The Every name can be found on<br />

the ironwork at Lewes Station, all<br />

along Brighton Seafront, drain covers<br />

and streetlamps to name but<br />

a few of the extraordinary range<br />

of cast items made there. The engineering<br />

department worked on<br />

many complex projects including a<br />

set of gangways for Hong Kong’s<br />

Kowloon Wharf. Despite once employing<br />

over ve hundred people<br />

in its heyday, and occupying a site<br />

that stretched between the re station<br />

in North Street, the tree outside<br />

Waitrose and the river Ouse, the<br />

history of the Phoenix Ironworks is<br />

little known in today’s Lewes. There<br />

is a scarcity of company records<br />

mainly due to a re which devastated<br />

the company ofces in 1948.<br />

Oral Histories<br />

In order to add substantially to the<br />

existing historical records Artemis<br />

Arts have decided to employ Sarah<br />

Hitchings, an oral historian, to<br />

record the memories of previous<br />

employees and their families. The<br />

interviews will be deposited in the<br />

East <strong>Sussex</strong> Record Ofce,and the<br />

work was generously supported by<br />

a <strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong><br />

Margary Research Grant. Publicity<br />

about the project to date has led<br />

Working on sewage steelworks at Phoenix Foundry. Photo: E Reeves<br />

to contact with many contributors<br />

covering a wide range of trades.<br />

The Margary Grant has enabled<br />

key interviews to take place with<br />

an apprentice pattern maker, a tool<br />

cutter and grinder in the machine<br />

shop, two of the very few women<br />

who worked at the foundry as core<br />

makers, a fettler, and a labourer in<br />

the foundry. These interviews are<br />

rich in experiential details of working<br />

conditions and provide information<br />

about what was made there and<br />

the complex skills involved. One of<br />

the interviewees mentions lorries<br />

that occasionally arrived incognito<br />

from Portsmouth, containing giant<br />

bearings from warships stationed<br />

there. The Phoenix was the only<br />

engineering company in the South<br />

of England that could handle the<br />

necessary repairs, and employees<br />

in the machine shop would be<br />

required to work twenty four hour<br />

shifts until they were nished.<br />

Restoration work<br />

The interviewees also provide a<br />

link to the more distant past, and<br />

it seems there are strong family<br />

connections with the rm over<br />

generations. In the early 1950s the<br />

pattern store contained hundreds<br />

of wooden patterns from previous<br />

castings including the original lamp<br />

column patterns from Brighton<br />

seafront. The pattern makers’<br />

apprentices would refurbish these<br />

patterns when replacements were<br />

necessary. They would also be<br />

required to perform the dangerous<br />

job of maintaining the Brighton<br />

piers during the winter months. This<br />

involved going down onto a lower<br />

platform at the end of the pier, with<br />

nothing to stop them falling in, and<br />

making drawings of the metalwork<br />

that was broken.<br />

Several interviewees have been<br />

able to provide new photographs<br />

and documents for the archives<br />

and Artemis Arts would welcome<br />

any new information, documents<br />

or artefacts. They also welcome<br />

anyone who would like to get<br />

involved with any aspect of the<br />

project. Please contact Artemis<br />

Arts on 01273 486595/01273<br />

470376, or email artemis-arts@<br />

macdream.net.<br />

LEWES PROPERTIES<br />

Development<br />

Developments in Lewes<br />

Work begins at Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleves House<br />

By the time you are reading this<br />

the Castle will have closed<br />

and work on our Heritage Lottery<br />

funded project will have begun on<br />

site. I am not sure whether excitement<br />

or trepidation is uppermost<br />

in the minds of Lewes staff. We all<br />

think the project is a fantastic opportunity<br />

to improve the way we<br />

present the site but getting through<br />

the next six months calmly will be<br />

a challenge. When we re-open next<br />

year you will hear our combined<br />

sighs of relief from either end of<br />

the County. Thank goodness for<br />

the contractors and experts who<br />

are working to make this project a<br />

success.<br />

Please be patient with us. The<br />

Castle will be closed for six months<br />

from October 13, but we will do our<br />

best to keep part of Barbican House<br />

open at all times. Until the end of<br />

this year the front part of the ground<br />

oor will be closed to visitors but<br />

the Library, Gift and Book Shops<br />

will be open. We do not know how<br />

much, if any, of the Museum will be<br />

accessible in the New Year. We will<br />

have no Ofce Administrator for<br />

the next six months so the front of<br />

house staff will cover her work as<br />

well as their own. Some staff may<br />

be relocated to Bull House, or work<br />

from home. We will try to answer<br />

phones and deal with enquiries<br />

but it may take longer than usual<br />

to respond to messages, so keep<br />

an eye on the website for regular<br />

updates on progress for access to<br />

the Library, Museum and Shops.<br />

A great deal of preparatory work<br />

has been done on the interpretation.<br />

Text is being written, edited,<br />

re-written and generally polished,<br />

images sourced or created and<br />

we have the rst draft of the new<br />

audiovisual show. Barbara Alcock<br />

has been creating a photographic<br />

record of everything as it now is.<br />

Lewes Castle in August <strong>2008</strong> before the start of work. Photo: B Alcock<br />

Fundraising<br />

We have raised £120,000 towards<br />

our total of £177,000 including<br />

£1000 from Lewes Town Council<br />

and £1000 from the Lewes Rotary<br />

Carnival. Pupils at Dorothy Stringer<br />

School in Brighton have been<br />

raising money for us and hope to<br />

sponsor a step. Fundraising is<br />

winding down, as we can’t apply<br />

for grants once work has started.<br />

However, it is certainly not too late<br />

to make a contribution, however<br />

large or small. You have until the<br />

end of <strong>December</strong> to sponsor a step<br />

and have your generosity recorded<br />

with an inscribed brick, and every<br />

pound helps so that we don’t have<br />

to dip so far into the <strong>Society</strong>’s<br />

reserves. If you can gift aid it, better<br />

still. You can donate in person, by<br />

post or through the website.<br />

Following an advisory visit by<br />

people with visual impairments I<br />

am now seeking grants to help pay<br />

for a specially recorded guided tour,<br />

and tape or MP3 players. This is<br />

not part of the main project, but an<br />

extra we would really like to do. An<br />

unexpected bonus came when the<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> Gardens Trust invited us to<br />

consider applying for a grant, and<br />

subject to certain conditions, they<br />

have offered £400 for plants for the<br />

upper garden, to provide colour<br />

and scent while also standing up<br />

to strong winds, poor soil and lack<br />

of water. Once all the other work<br />

is completed, Peter, our gardener<br />

should be able to make a huge difference<br />

to the Castle garden.<br />

Anne of Cleves House<br />

As if this is not enough I have<br />

learned from Richard Akhurst that<br />

the long-awaited repairs to Anne of<br />

Cleves House are to run at the same<br />

time as the Lewes Castle works.<br />

This may sound like poor planning,<br />

but the timing is driven by the fact<br />

that we cannot have scaffolding at<br />

Anne of Cleves House during the<br />

wedding season. Once again the<br />

workmen will have to do everything<br />

during the worst weather. Since<br />

they will be replacing all the gutters<br />

and down pipes and working on<br />

the roof and windows, I am hoping<br />

for a warm, dry winter with only the<br />

softest of breezes. Please keep<br />

your ngers crossed!<br />

8 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 9<br />

Sally White


Excavations<br />

ARCHAEOLOGY ROUND-UP HISTORY and LIBRARY NEWS<br />

What’s Going on in <strong>Sussex</strong>?<br />

Round-up of archaeological work July to September <strong>2008</strong><br />

Due to pressure on space in the<br />

newsletter the archaeology<br />

round-up will now feature in the<br />

spring <strong>issue</strong> each year. However,<br />

full summaries will continue to<br />

appear three/four times a year on<br />

the Research pages of the website,<br />

so readers are advised to check<br />

there for up to date information<br />

on activities and volunteer<br />

opportunities (www.sussexpast.<br />

co.uk). For information on particular<br />

sites please contact the responsible<br />

body (abbreviated in brackets at<br />

the end of the report) whose details<br />

are given on the web-pages, where<br />

the key to the abbreviations is also<br />

to be found. If you do not have<br />

access to the web then you should<br />

contact me on 01273-405733 or<br />

research@sussexpast.co.uk.<br />

Luke Barber<br />

Research Officer<br />

East <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

*Arlington: Roman ‘Small Town’<br />

Excavation continued all summer focusing<br />

on roadside activity. Iron smelting<br />

activity was identified in a furnace<br />

base and related deep pit. Evidence for<br />

construction of a road ditch (and road)<br />

between 45-65AD was found, with<br />

evidence of a side road and later pit<br />

concentrations. (ESCC/BHAS/ENHAS/<br />

MSFAT). Contact Greg Chuter (Gregory.<br />

Chuter@eastsussex.gov.uk).<br />

Ashburnham: Kitchenham Farm A<br />

Roman habitation layer was uncovered<br />

with ditches, pits and possible iron<br />

production area. Numerous Roman<br />

finds, including a Bronze Age copper<br />

alloy socketed spearhead fragment.<br />

(HAARG).<br />

Barcombe Roman Villa The <strong>2008</strong><br />

season located a substantial bath<br />

house, which had been systematically<br />

demolished and rebuilt on smaller<br />

scale. (CCE/MSFAT).<br />

*Bishopstone Tidemills The<br />

stationmaster’s cottage was excavated<br />

and recorded, a complex structure<br />

with two main phases of construction.<br />

Work is beginning on two agricultural<br />

buildings to the south-east as well<br />

Stationmaster’s cottage, Tidemills. Photo: L Barber<br />

as a probable WW2 air-raid shelter.<br />

Volunteers welcome, please contact<br />

Luke Barber on research@sussexpast.<br />

co.uk (SAS).<br />

Groombridge to Langton Green<br />

Pipeline Trial trenching revealed evidence<br />

for post-medieval farm complex.<br />

(Network Archaeology).<br />

Hailsham: Welbury Farm Survey<br />

in advance of housing development<br />

identified a possible moated site, ring<br />

ditches and field boundaries. (OA).<br />

Lewes: Lewes House residential<br />

excavation The archaeology consisted<br />

of a large number of deep medieval<br />

pits (12th-14th century), some possible<br />

small-scale quarrying activity and<br />

wells. Iron Age ditches were located<br />

with residual Roman and Saxon artefacts<br />

from across the site. (ASE).<br />

Ovingdean The south/west corner<br />

wall of the medieval manor house was<br />

exposed with a flint cobble floor, and<br />

13th century cellar floor about 1.4m<br />

deeper. No trace of a kitchen found, but<br />

large rectangular post holes indicate a<br />

possible earlier timber framed building<br />

within the enclosure banks. (BHAS/C.<br />

White/Uni of <strong>Sussex</strong>).<br />

Wivelsfield: Theobalds Road Two<br />

main phases of archaeological features<br />

were identified during evaluation:<br />

shallow ditches and pits of Late Iron<br />

Age/Early Roman period, possibly part<br />

of an enclosure immediately south of<br />

the prehistoric ridgeway route; and<br />

medieval enclosure ditches of 13th-<br />

14th century date. (ASE).<br />

West <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

*Alfoldean Fieldwalking around village<br />

is to continue, with geophysical and<br />

non-intrusive investigations. (Richard<br />

P Symonds/ WAS. Tel: 01403 273479).<br />

Beedings, near Pulborough See<br />

report p12. (Matt Pope (UCL)/Caroline<br />

Wells with WAS/BHAS/CDAS).<br />

Bersted: Land at North Bersted See<br />

report and picture p7. (TVAS).<br />

Bognor Regis Community College,<br />

Westloats Lane Excavations in two<br />

areas revealed linear ditches, probably<br />

part of a Later Bronze Age field system;<br />

possible LBA round house eaves-drip<br />

gully, and LBA pits and post-holes.<br />

Romano-British ditches to north-west<br />

of the site may be linked to RB field<br />

system, partly revealed in 1998. (ASE).<br />

Chichester: Tower Street Excavations<br />

for Chichester District Council on site of<br />

Roman public bath-house re-exposed<br />

remains of the hypocaust and ‘cistern’,<br />

in reasonable condition. (ASE).<br />

*Eartham: Selhurst Park The District<br />

Council’s annual community archaeological<br />

excavation opened a large<br />

area, revealing complex of Iron Age<br />

and Roman enclosures and features<br />

including pits and postholes. A ditch<br />

containing later C1st to early C2nd<br />

Roman pottery produced part of the<br />

cheek-piece from a Roman infantry helmet<br />

of mid first century date. (CDC).<br />

Lancing: 67, Manor Road Evaluation<br />

adjacent to the parish church has<br />

revealed medieval occupation of later<br />

12th to mid 14th century date and a<br />

probable property boundary parallel<br />

to Manor Road, the ancient main<br />

street of Lancing village. (C. Butler<br />

<strong>Archaeological</strong> Services).<br />

Lyminster: St Mary Magdalene’s<br />

CE church, Church Road Watching<br />

brief on building extension recorded<br />

an inhumation burial accompanied by<br />

an iron knife – possibly Anglo-Saxon.<br />

(ASE).<br />

*Worthing: Land at Lower Northbrook<br />

Farm, Titnore Lane Excavation and<br />

recording in advance of construction<br />

for the new St Barnabas Hospice,<br />

including 2-week “Community<br />

<strong>Archaeological</strong> Excavation” area directed<br />

by WAS. Initial work revealed<br />

linear features, pits and post-holes of<br />

Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman date.<br />

(AOC Archaeology & WAS).<br />

History Round-up<br />

T his autumn a well known <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

country house caught the attention<br />

of the national press, when<br />

the family of the 6th Lord Hampden<br />

who lived at Glynde House east<br />

of Lewes, sold The Apotheosis<br />

of James First. This is a preparatory<br />

sketch in oil by Rubens, for a<br />

canvas in the Banqueting House<br />

in London. It was bought for the<br />

nation in October for £6million and<br />

will go to the Tate.<br />

Several local web sites and<br />

publications refer to the cost of<br />

building Ovingdean Place (now<br />

Hall), built by Nathaniel Kemp for<br />

himself, some stating the estimate<br />

is ‘at the Victoria and Albert<br />

Museum’. We are back to churches<br />

again, for Nathaniel Kemp was the<br />

father of CE Kempe (who added<br />

an ‘e’ to the family name). Kempe<br />

lived in Lindeld for many years,<br />

and his stained glass adorns many<br />

church windows in the county.<br />

The estimate for Ovingdean Hall<br />

is in the CE Kempe Archives, held<br />

by the V&A but with no catalogue<br />

reference. Another item indicates<br />

that CE Kempe did not donate the<br />

cost of painting the very attractive<br />

chancel ceiling in Ovingdean<br />

church, done by him when GM<br />

Hills undertook restoration of the<br />

church; by then the Kemp/e family<br />

had left the parish.<br />

There are some fascinating<br />

research projects under way in<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong>:<br />

• Dr Gillian Draper is running a<br />

group research project on early<br />

Rye. More information will be in a<br />

future <strong>issue</strong> of SP&P. Contact her<br />

on development.balh@btinternet.<br />

com.<br />

• Judy Woodman is researching<br />

the history of the barns at Charleston<br />

Farmhouse for the Charleston<br />

Trust. Contact her on judy@mayall<br />

-woodman.com.<br />

Please keep in touch with your<br />

news: contact pat.sueberry@<br />

btopenworld.com.<br />

Library News<br />

Library open during development work<br />

It is now apparent that the work on Lewes Castle and Barbican House,<br />

starting in October <strong>2008</strong>, will not in its rst stage (until the end of<br />

<strong>2008</strong>) prevent access to the Library, though members may have to<br />

tolerate some noise from elsewhere in the building. As I mentioned in<br />

the last <strong>issue</strong> of <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present, visual material (photographs,<br />

prints etc) will not be available, nor will most of the maps, as these<br />

items have to be moved and stored before work starts on the Research<br />

room.<br />

From January 2009 until at least the end of March, or completion of<br />

the works if later, the Library will be closed to visiting members, but it is<br />

hoped that telephone and email enquiries can be dealt with throughout<br />

this time. If urgent it is possible that specic items could be made<br />

available for consultation (perhaps at Bull House) by prior arrangement<br />

(week days only).<br />

Please see the website for any changes, and if travelling from a distance<br />

I suggest telephoning the Library in advance.<br />

I list below some recent additions to the Library (all <strong>2008</strong> unless<br />

otherwise stated):<br />

BROOKS, Anthony R The Changing Times of Fulking and<br />

Edburton, 1900-2007. (2007).<br />

BURTSCHER, Michael Earls of Arundel & Surrey, Lords of the<br />

Welsh Marches 1267-1415.<br />

CROOK, Diana Ragged Lands. (Revised edition).<br />

CRUMMY, Philip Stanway: an Elite Burial Site of Camulodunum.<br />

(Britannia Monograph series 24). (2007).<br />

DAVIS, O, and others Changing Perspectives on the First<br />

Millennium BC: Proceedings of the Iron Age<br />

Research Student Seminar, 2006.<br />

TAYLOR, J. An Atlas of Roman Rural Settlement in Britain.<br />

(CBA Research Report 151). (2007).<br />

WILKINSON, Keith & Environmental Archaeology: Approaches,<br />

STEVENS, Chris Techniques and Applications. 2nd edn.<br />

We are grateful to the following for donations to the Library: D Collins<br />

(Old Hastings Preservation <strong>Society</strong>} for three recent publications;<br />

E Colgate for his book on Hurstpierpoint; and H Smith, for a framed<br />

map of Brighton in 1788.<br />

Esme Evans<br />

Hon Librarian<br />

10 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 11<br />

Library<br />

Stop Press: Trustee Resigns<br />

We are sorry to report the recent resignation of Richard Carter as Trustee<br />

and member of Council of the <strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong>. Richard<br />

has served almost three years on Council and we are grateful for his<br />

contribution, which will be much missed. We hope to continue working<br />

with Richard in his role as Lecturer at CCE, University of <strong>Sussex</strong>.


Excavation<br />

BEEDINGS EXCAVATION BRIGHTON MUSEUM<br />

Discoveries at Beedings, <strong>2008</strong><br />

Multiple occupation on a Wealden Greensand ridge<br />

This year’s excavations at<br />

Beedings, on the Lower<br />

Greensand escarpment near<br />

Pulborough, West <strong>Sussex</strong>, has<br />

furthered a century of research and<br />

speculation concerning a collection<br />

of worked int blades, discovered<br />

during construction of a house<br />

in 1900. Initially recognised as an<br />

Upper Palaeolithic assemblage,<br />

it was subsequently discredited<br />

and the rump of the assemblage<br />

discarded in the 1930s, (perhaps<br />

down a well at Lewes castle<br />

mound) consigning the site to obscurity.<br />

Reconsideration by Roger<br />

Jacobi of the remnants of the assemblage<br />

in 2007 conrmed this as<br />

a peerless example of the earliest<br />

Upper Palaeolithic archaeology in<br />

northern Europe, yet excavations<br />

by Jacobi and Ainsworth failed to<br />

nd any Palaeolithic material.<br />

New excavations<br />

Through the rst half of <strong>2008</strong>, a new<br />

project, funded by English Heritage<br />

and directed by Matt Pope and<br />

Caroline Wells, readdressed the hill<br />

and its elusive Upper Palaeolithic<br />

archaeology. The opportunity was<br />

provided by proposed planting<br />

of vineyards and trees at the site,<br />

which required evaluation of the<br />

potential archaeological threat. A<br />

team of volunteers was mobilised<br />

from Worthing and Brighton and<br />

Hove <strong>Archaeological</strong> Societies,<br />

with students from University<br />

College London, Southampton and<br />

Reading Universities. Attention<br />

focused on a series of ssures in<br />

the natural sandstone, which nally<br />

yielded pieces of Upper Palaeolithic<br />

int work in situ, identical in condition<br />

and technological afnity to<br />

the original Beedings nds. This<br />

provided access to the sedimentary<br />

context for environmental and<br />

dating evidence and the analysis<br />

Trench F: Excavating flintwork. Photo: M Pope<br />

programme, already underway, can<br />

provide a modern account of the<br />

site, in lieu of the loss and destruction<br />

of the original nd-spot.<br />

Research potential<br />

The rediscovery of the site is<br />

important. The tools from these<br />

excavations, comprising pieces<br />

of robust, straight-sided blades<br />

which have been retouched and<br />

thinned for hafting as projectiles,<br />

were shown by Jacobi to be part<br />

of an Early Upper Palaeolithic<br />

industry, distributed across the<br />

North European plain from Wales<br />

to Poland. Known as Lincombian-<br />

Ranisian-Jerzmanovician (LRJ),<br />

this represents the rst blade<br />

technology present in northern<br />

Europe, predating the Aurignacian<br />

industries which are often seen<br />

as signifying the appearance of<br />

anatomically modern humans on<br />

the continent. Thus it is entirely<br />

feasible, indeed likely, that the<br />

makers of this efcient and deadly<br />

hunting kit were amongst the last<br />

Neanderthals to occupy northern<br />

Europe, and that prior to extinction<br />

they were developing tool kits as<br />

advanced as those of our own<br />

species.<br />

It may be fortuitous coincidence<br />

that at lower levels in the Beedings<br />

ssures, we found tools of Middle<br />

Palaeolithic character, clearly manufactured<br />

by Neanderthals. These<br />

tools are technologically similar<br />

to those from the ‘rock shelter’ at<br />

Oldbury in Kent, also situated on<br />

the Lower Greensand; and to the<br />

distinctive Neanderthal handaxe<br />

found at Woods Hill, 1km from<br />

Beedings and in an identical topographic<br />

position. Late Neanderthal<br />

archaeology is rare in the Weald<br />

and virtually absent in <strong>Sussex</strong>, so<br />

the indication that Beedings contains<br />

two phases of Neanderthal<br />

occupation is exciting.<br />

Geological significance<br />

A second signicant aspect is<br />

the geological context of the nds:<br />

ancient ssures known across the<br />

Weald as ‘Gulls’ or ‘Wents’, rarely<br />

visible as landscape features, and<br />

which have been ignored for over a<br />

century. While Beedings has shown<br />

the archaeological potential of<br />

these contexts, historical accounts<br />

also exist for preservation of ice<br />

age faunal remains within these<br />

contexts. Until now the Wealden<br />

region has lacked both exceptional<br />

Devensian archaeology and karstic<br />

contexts often responsible for its<br />

preservation in other parts of the<br />

country. The recognition of ssure<br />

potential in the region, galvanised<br />

by this year’s excavations at<br />

Beedings, suggests the need for immediate<br />

and proper consideration<br />

of this resource: in terms of future<br />

management, development control<br />

and targeted research including<br />

prospective eld work.<br />

Matt Pope<br />

Caroline Wells<br />

Many readers will recall the<br />

excellent display of archaeology<br />

that used to be at Brighton<br />

Museum. Perhaps its most memorable<br />

feature was the crouched<br />

burial, complete with skeleton, visible<br />

through a glass screen underfoot.<br />

Sadly the archaeology room<br />

has not been reinstated since the<br />

museum refurbishment some years<br />

ago, but one evening last July a<br />

cross-section of local enthusiasts<br />

had a rare chance to glimpse a few<br />

artefacts from behind the scenes.<br />

Community consultation<br />

The session came out of consultations<br />

with members of the Brighton<br />

and Hove black and minority ethnic<br />

(BME) communities, who, although<br />

they form some 6% of the city’s<br />

population, are notably under-represented<br />

in local archaeology organisations,<br />

courses and activities.<br />

This led the University of <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

to set up a project with community<br />

partners BMECP and InnerVision to<br />

investigate. We found a ourishing<br />

Brighton and Hove Black History<br />

group and a group of people with<br />

an interest in the subject. Their<br />

top four interests turned out to<br />

be ‘archaeology and Black history’,<br />

‘museum artefacts’, ‘arts and<br />

crafts’ and ‘going on a dig’ – but in<br />

many cases they were unaware of<br />

all the archaeology activities available.<br />

Over the past year we have<br />

been helping to bring the BME enthusiasts<br />

and people active in the<br />

archaeology community together.<br />

Black History Group<br />

Bert Williams of Brighton and Hove<br />

Black History welcomed the twenty-strong<br />

group, which included<br />

committee members from the<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong> and<br />

Brighton and Hove <strong>Archaeological</strong><br />

<strong>Society</strong> (BHAS), pointing out some<br />

of the museum’s items related to<br />

12 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 13<br />

Feature<br />

Archaeology for Everyone<br />

Communities come together at Brighton Museum<br />

Handling artefacts at Brighton Museum. Photo: BHAS<br />

Black history. Heather Fitch, the<br />

museum’s curator of local history<br />

and archaeology, introduced the<br />

session, and Tristan Bareham of<br />

East <strong>Sussex</strong> Archaeology and<br />

Museums Partnership (ESAMP),<br />

who was responsible for the museum’s<br />

former archaeology display,<br />

led us through a very ne selection<br />

of artefacts, from Palaeolithic int<br />

handaxes to Saxon loomweights<br />

and medieval ceramic tiles. Such<br />

was the interest that we only had<br />

time to look at the contents of one<br />

box, and at the time of writing we<br />

were hoping to arrange some further<br />

sessions.<br />

Here are some of the reactions<br />

from those participating:<br />

“We could handle local objects<br />

for the rst time and it was amazing…”<br />

(Adriana Naves Silva and<br />

daughters aged 13 and 9)<br />

“… the tile painted with two birds<br />

turning backwards…reminds me of<br />

a wooden carving I have indoors<br />

of an African Sankofa symbol from<br />

the Asante of Ghana…It symbolizes<br />

taking from the past what is good<br />

and bringing it into the present.”<br />

(Bert Williams, Brighton and Hove<br />

Black History).<br />

“Tristan and Heather really<br />

showed the value of actually handling<br />

the material culture from sites<br />

like Whitehawk and it was clear<br />

from Bert’s great introductions<br />

onwards that the opportunity created<br />

a real buzz. I very much hope<br />

that this sort of opportunity can<br />

be made more available in future<br />

years.” (Casper Johnson, East <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

County Archaeologist)<br />

For more information about the<br />

project please contact me on 01273<br />

475381 or anne.locke@talktalk.<br />

net. To nd out more about Brighton<br />

and Hove Black History please<br />

contact Bert Williams on 077 9194<br />

1342 or see www.black-history.<br />

org.uk.<br />

Anne Locke<br />

Inclusive Archaeology Project,<br />

CCE, University of <strong>Sussex</strong>


Books<br />

Pevsner<br />

Architectural Guide<br />

Brighton and Hove<br />

This marvellous paperback expands,<br />

but also preserves, Pevsner’s pioneering<br />

guide to inner Brighton and<br />

Hove, part of his <strong>Sussex</strong> volume<br />

published in 1965. The authors<br />

chart the city’s evolving social and<br />

economic life, and the architects<br />

and developers who responded to<br />

it. They examine major monuments -<br />

the Pavilion, the Dome, St. Michael’s,<br />

St Bartholomew’s, All Saints, The<br />

Pier, Brighton Railway Station and<br />

the Jubilee Library. Twelve walks<br />

traverse the city roughly to its<br />

Edwardian boundaries, from the<br />

seafront out to Montpelier, Preston<br />

Village, London and Lewes Roads<br />

and Queen’s Park. Interspersed are<br />

discrete paragraphs on Building<br />

Materials, Bows and Bays, the<br />

West Pier, Orientalism (Chinese<br />

and Indian), Sea Bathing, Anglican<br />

Ritualism, Magnus Volk etc. All is<br />

accurate and acute, succinct and<br />

accessible.<br />

Like Pevsner, the authors identify<br />

excellence. But unlike the Master,<br />

they could summon up (besides<br />

Georgian aquatints and Victorian<br />

engravings) a hundred superbly<br />

crafted colour photographs by<br />

James Davies of English Heritage.<br />

The ‘Regency’ exteriors are there,<br />

splendid sunlit symphonies of<br />

cream stucco, pilasters and castiron<br />

balconies; the Pavilion, St<br />

Paul’s, the Sassoon Mausoleum,<br />

the Duke of York cinema, the<br />

Jaipur Gate etc. Brilliantly captured<br />

too are majestic interiors, some<br />

depending on spatial form – High-<br />

Gothic St Michael’s; ‘unforgettable’<br />

St Bartholomew’s; the soaring<br />

chancel at St Joseph’s; monumental<br />

All Saints; the Town Hall’s<br />

Corinthian stair-well; the Masonic<br />

council-chamber, domed and Art-<br />

Deco (J.L. Denman, 1928). Other<br />

interiors unite alluring space and<br />

fabulous furniture: the Banqueting<br />

BOOK REVIEWS<br />

and Music Rooms at the Pavilion;<br />

the Middle Street Synagogue;<br />

the reredos and pulpit-cover in<br />

towering St Martin’s; rafters, Della<br />

Robbia and Burne-Jones at the<br />

Annunciation.<br />

About 500 artists, designers and<br />

architects are indexed, and photographs<br />

dwell lovingly on features,<br />

furnishings and ttings: the Music<br />

Room ceiling; a staircase baluster<br />

in <strong>Sussex</strong> Square (1829); John<br />

Carew’s sublime Baptism of Christ<br />

in St John’s (1835); the train-shed<br />

roof at Brighton Station (1882);<br />

a mahogany saloon-bar at the<br />

Cricketers Arms (1886); the lectern<br />

in St. Paul’s (1888); a Moorish ceiling<br />

in Palmeira Mansions (1899); a<br />

Neo-Baroque reading-room at Hove<br />

Library (1907); the Freemason’s<br />

Restaurant, framed in blue and<br />

gold mosaic ‘Viennese Secession’<br />

(Denman again, 1928); Joseph<br />

Cribb’s relief of a mason at work<br />

(1933); sun and shadow at Embassy<br />

Court (1935); a barber’s shop<br />

below Gwydyr Mansions (1936).<br />

And after 1937? Well the authors<br />

do their best - the elegant ‘Art<br />

College’ in Grand Parade (1967), the<br />

hardly Brutal Hove Town Hall (1973),<br />

the ‘rst-class’ Jubilee Library<br />

(2005). Much else is plain ‘sterile’,<br />

‘lumpen’, ‘worthless’. Indeed they<br />

trekked out to Spence’s <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

University to nd a major post-war<br />

complex worth discussing, causing<br />

the exclusion maybe of Brighton<br />

Cemetery, that leafy but awesome<br />

high-bourgeois necropolis.<br />

Every discerning SAS member<br />

should own this amazing dirtcheap<br />

book, in a series which<br />

celebrates the long-neglected,<br />

abused glories of England’s greater<br />

cities. [‘Newcastle! Wouldn’t touch<br />

it! But we adored Prague, or was it<br />

Budapest?’]<br />

Colin Brent<br />

By Nicholas Antram and Richard<br />

Morrice. Published by Yale<br />

University Press, <strong>2008</strong>. ISBN 978-<br />

0-300-12661-7. Paperback. 244 pp.<br />

Price £9.99.<br />

The Archaeology<br />

of Fishbourne and<br />

Chichester<br />

A Framework for<br />

its Future<br />

This new <strong>Society</strong> publication<br />

concerns the future direction of<br />

archaeological research at the<br />

Fishbourne Roman Palace site<br />

and adjacent areas of Chichester<br />

District, following consultation with<br />

researchers and the public. The<br />

project, funded by English Heritage,<br />

the <strong>Society</strong>, and Chichester District<br />

Council, involved assessing the<br />

current state of our knowledge<br />

of the study area (approximately<br />

200 sq km), from the Palaeolithic<br />

to medieval times. An ‘Executive<br />

Summary’ brings together various<br />

‘scored’ research objectives.<br />

The book also reviews current<br />

conservation strategies in the<br />

Fishbourne area; and there are<br />

three Appendices. The volume<br />

is attractively produced and well<br />

illustrated by photographs, line<br />

drawings, distribution maps, etc,<br />

many in colour.<br />

Whilst the purpose of the project<br />

is to establish a broad multi-period<br />

research and conservation frame-<br />

work for the area, the core chronological<br />

period, ‘from the Middle Iron<br />

Age to the Late Saxon period’ gives<br />

examples of priorities for research<br />

projects for the future. For the Iron<br />

Age these are: publication of key<br />

excavations, especially the Middle<br />

Iron Age settlement at Lavant and<br />

Late Iron Age temple on Hayling<br />

Island; artefact and ecofact studies;<br />

and surveying to identify more Early<br />

and Middle Iron Age sites. For the<br />

Roman period highest research priority<br />

is also allocated to unpublished<br />

excavations (various); ‘re-thinking’<br />

older published excavations;<br />

artefact and ecofact studies; and<br />

new investigations at Fishbourne,<br />

Chichester, and areas between the<br />

two sites. Further investigations are<br />

considered for Broadbridge and<br />

Bosham, the Dell Quay tilery, and<br />

the postulated Stane Street extension<br />

to Dell Quay. It is argued that it<br />

may be useful to view the archaeology<br />

of this time ‘through insights<br />

drawn from colonial and post-colonial<br />

theory’. For the subsequent<br />

Saxon period, the main priority is<br />

identied as the construction of a<br />

ceramic chronology.<br />

The public consultations revealed<br />

interest in ‘sea-level changes<br />

through the millennia, associated<br />

with the corresponding changes in<br />

coastal geomorphology’, and the<br />

need for researchers to disseminate<br />

their results in ‘popularised’<br />

formats. The rst is very understandable<br />

as we increasingly face<br />

the threat of ‘global warming’, and<br />

many people on the West <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

coastal plain live only a few metres<br />

above sea-level! The second <strong>issue</strong><br />

is partly met by the accessibility<br />

of the Framework book itself. It is<br />

however a working document which<br />

will, we are informed, ‘be updated<br />

approximately every ve years’.<br />

It will be interesting to see what<br />

changes are necessary in ve years<br />

time, and how many of the highlighted<br />

unpublished excavations<br />

have appeared in print! Hopefully<br />

too, the <strong>Society</strong>’s programme of<br />

BOOK REVIEWS<br />

research excavations to the east<br />

of the Fishbourne Roman Palace<br />

will by then have resumed and<br />

continue to provide us with new information<br />

about the early phases of<br />

our ag-ship archaeological site. To<br />

conclude, this important and useful<br />

book will be welcomed by all those<br />

interested in the archaeology of the<br />

Fishbourne and Chichester area.<br />

David Rudling<br />

Ed John Manley. Published by<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong>,<br />

Lewes, <strong>2008</strong>. ISBN 978-0-904973-<br />

08-2. Paperback. 179 pp. Price<br />

£14-99p.<br />

The Power and the<br />

Poverty – Life in a<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> Village<br />

1790-1850<br />

Like his predecessor, Miss Grace<br />

Weekes, who (probably) penned “A<br />

slight sketch of a picture of Hurst”<br />

in 1825, the author’s enthusiasm for<br />

his town has led him into print, and<br />

here he covers all levels of society.<br />

If you want to know about the workings<br />

of the Poor Law in <strong>Sussex</strong>, or<br />

have an interest in Hurstpierpoint<br />

itself, you will nd much in this<br />

elaborately bound volume.<br />

The author’s experience as a<br />

teacher is evident as he communicates<br />

imaginatively and clearly,<br />

describing the reality of the treadmill<br />

and following beneciaries of<br />

the Poor Rates into other counties,<br />

even other continents.<br />

It shows painstaking research and<br />

illustrates well the town’s development<br />

through the late Georgian<br />

and early Victorian eras. This is a<br />

book for dipping into with its short<br />

chapters, helpful index and plentiful<br />

illustrations.<br />

Juliet Clarke<br />

By E J Colgate. Published by George<br />

Mann Publications, <strong>2008</strong>. ISBN<br />

9780955241567. Hardback 318pp.<br />

Price £15.00<br />

14 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> 15<br />

Books<br />

Poor Cottages and<br />

Proud Palaces<br />

An account of the life and work<br />

of Reverend Thomas Sockett of<br />

Petworth (1777 -1859), who was<br />

born in East London, the son of an<br />

impoverished bookseller. The early<br />

part of this fascinating book deals<br />

with his transition from penury to<br />

rural clergyman under the patronage<br />

of Lord Egremont at Petworth<br />

House. In his journal recording his<br />

life from 1805 to 1807, reproduced<br />

in full, he describes playing tennis<br />

and practising French with refugee<br />

aristocrats, seeing Nelson embark<br />

from Portsmouth on his nal voyage,<br />

and time spent with the Egremont<br />

children reading the classics such<br />

as Horace and Demosthenes.<br />

We are given a picture of his<br />

domestic life, but the authors are<br />

primarily interested in his role as the<br />

thoughtful and concerned Rector of<br />

Petworth. Although he was a friend<br />

of aristocrats, he worked hard to improve<br />

the lives of the poorest of his<br />

parishioners, particularly through<br />

the teaching of literacy which he<br />

saw as a route to morality. Together<br />

with Lord Egremont, he organised<br />

the emigration to Canada of many<br />

of his parishioners, including his<br />

own oldest son, George. He was<br />

also in frequent disagreement with<br />

the guardians of the local workhouse<br />

about the treatment of its<br />

inhabitants.<br />

Sheila Haines and Leigh Lawson<br />

have presented an insight into life<br />

in West <strong>Sussex</strong> from aristocrat to<br />

peasant at a time of political, cultural<br />

and economic upheaval. The<br />

book is meticulously researched<br />

and evidenced and should prove a<br />

valuable resource for local history<br />

students, and anyone else who likes<br />

looking into other people’s lives.<br />

Maria Gardiner<br />

By Sheila Haines and Leigh Lawson.<br />

Published by Hastings Press,<br />

2007. ISBN 978-1-904109-16-7.<br />

Paperback. 294pp. Price £14.99.


16<br />

Snippets<br />

Lewes Priory<br />

CONGRATULATIONS to Lewes<br />

Priory Trust which recently announced<br />

the award of more than<br />

half a million pounds from the<br />

Heritage Lottery Fund. This is part<br />

of an £800,000 development package<br />

supported by English Heritage<br />

and Lewes Town Council, for repair<br />

and consolidation of the Priory remains,<br />

and to provide free access to<br />

visitors. The Priory was founded as<br />

a Cluniac Monastery in about 1081<br />

by William de Warenne, a Norman<br />

lord who fought at the Battle of<br />

Hastings, and also founded Lewes<br />

Castle. In 1845 railway workmen at<br />

the site discovered the burial cists<br />

and bones of William and his wife<br />

Gundrada. The cists are displayed<br />

in a chapel in Southover church.<br />

The Priory Trust plans to turn Priory<br />

Park, Southover, Lewes into an<br />

attractive historical and archaeological<br />

site. Work should begin this<br />

year and will take about two years<br />

to complete. Chairman of the Priory<br />

Trust, John Lawrence said “We are<br />

very pleased that the years of hard<br />

work to secure this grant have nally<br />

paid off, but work starts now! We<br />

need help in managing the project,<br />

in increasing the membership of<br />

the Trust and publicising progress<br />

and other activities.” Volunteers<br />

should contact the Trust by writing<br />

to John Lawrence c/o Lewes Town<br />

Hall, High St, Lewes BN7 or email<br />

lewespriory7@tiscali.co.uk.<br />

SAMMS Project<br />

THE <strong>Sussex</strong> Ancient Monument<br />

Monitoring Scheme (SAMMS) is a<br />

joint project between the <strong>Sussex</strong><br />

<strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong>, the South<br />

Downs Joint Committee, and<br />

English Heritage (EH). This involves<br />

individual volunteers monitoring the<br />

condition of designated monuments<br />

on behalf of EH. The monuments<br />

are either in public ownership or<br />

visible from public footpaths, and<br />

volunteers undertake regular visits,<br />

reporting yearly on their condition (or<br />

more frequently if potentially serious<br />

damage is noted). The scheme has<br />

now been running some ve years,<br />

co-ordinated by Wendy Muriel in<br />

liaison with EH, and in the next few<br />

months they hope to expand the<br />

number of monuments and may be<br />

seeking new volunteers. For information<br />

please contact Wendy on<br />

sammco@sussexpast.co.uk or at<br />

Bull House (Mon and Fri only).<br />

Pevsner Revisited<br />

FOLLOWING publication of the new<br />

Brighton and Hove guide (see p14,<br />

this <strong>issue</strong>), Nick Antram is currently<br />

revising the <strong>Sussex</strong> Pevsner, in<br />

The Buildings of England series.<br />

Over the next three years he will be<br />

working on East <strong>Sussex</strong>, which is<br />

to be published as a single volume<br />

ahead of West <strong>Sussex</strong>. Nick is keen<br />

to improve the coverage of later C19<br />

and C20 domestic architecture both<br />

by national and local architects,<br />

and also to mention the best of<br />

the vernacular buildings, but as<br />

always the revision will aim to be as<br />

comprehensive as possible.<br />

East <strong>Sussex</strong> is known as a very<br />

secret county with many good<br />

buildings tucked away from view.<br />

If any members have knowledge or<br />

interest in the county’s architecture<br />

Nick would be delighted to hear<br />

from them. Please email him at<br />

post@antram.co.uk.<br />

Ditchling Museum<br />

DITCHLING Museum has applied<br />

for Stage One funding from the<br />

Heritage Lottery for a project to<br />

incorporate a Grade II listed farm<br />

building as the new entrance, shop<br />

and café. The 18th century int<br />

and brick Cart Lodge and Granary<br />

stands close to the museum on the<br />

village green, owned by the Friends<br />

of Ditchling who have agreed a<br />

lease. The museum opened in<br />

1985 in the former Victorian village<br />

school and this development would<br />

create environmentally controlled<br />

new display and collection storage<br />

spaces, research and educational<br />

areas. The museum holds important<br />

collections of works by stone<br />

carver Eric Gill, artist David Jones,<br />

calligrapher Edward Johnston and<br />

weaver Ethel Mairet; two studio<br />

spaces would show commitment<br />

to contemporary practitioners and<br />

honour the legacy of 20th century<br />

artists and craftspeople who made<br />

Ditchling their home. The result<br />

of the application is expected by<br />

<strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong>/January 2009 and,<br />

if successful, a period of research<br />

and development will follow to<br />

enable submission of an application<br />

for Stage Two funding. Update on<br />

progress can be found at www.<br />

ditchlingmuseum.com.<br />

Next Issue<br />

THE next <strong>issue</strong> of <strong>Sussex</strong> Past &<br />

Present will be published in April<br />

<strong>2008</strong>. Copy deadline is January 29.<br />

Letters and ‘snippets’ are welcome;<br />

longer items should be kept to a<br />

maximum of 500 words unless prior<br />

arrangements have been made with<br />

the editor, Sarah Hanna, at spp@<br />

sussexpast.co.uk, or John Manley<br />

on 01273 486260. Please note<br />

that we require images with most<br />

contributions, preferably in high<br />

quality colour format. To submit<br />

digitally, please use MS Word for<br />

text and send images in JPEG or<br />

TIF formats, at minimum resolution<br />

of 600dpi. Correspondence and<br />

details of events should be sent to<br />

Sarah Hanna, Editor, <strong>Sussex</strong> Past &<br />

Present, Bull House, 92 High Street,<br />

Lewes BN7 1XH, or emailed to the<br />

above address.<br />

Rates for insertions into the<br />

newsletter, which goes out to over<br />

2500 members, start at £100 (plus<br />

minimum handling charge of £20).<br />

Contact Lorna Gartside on 01273<br />

405737 for details.<br />

<strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>December</strong> <strong>2008</strong> www.sussexpast.co.uk

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!