Membership MattersMEMBERSHIPOPENING LINESOpening LinesLorna’s NotebookA round-up of all that’s new in the membership departmentWelcome to the <strong>August</strong> editionof <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present.Autumn Conference: <strong>The</strong>South Downs – the shaping ofa landscapeSaturday 17 SeptemberIn the year in which the SouthDowns National Park becameofficial, it seemed only right thatit should be the theme of thisyear’s autumn conference. <strong>The</strong>day promises a broad look at themany factors that have shaped theDowns as we see them now, fromprehistoric times to the present, andwe have many notable speakers. Ifyou have misplaced the leaflet andbooking form included with theApril newsletter, you can still bookthrough the Noticeboard of thisedition of <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present,online via our website or by phone(01273 405737, Tuesday – Friday10am – 3pm).Visiting the LibraryOne of the benefits that membershave is the right to visit the Libraryin Barbican House whenever theMuseum is open – non-members areonly given access from Monday toFriday, when the Library volunteersare in. However, there have beena couple of occasions recentlywhere newer members, unfamiliarwith the Library, have visited at theweekend and requested assistancefrom the custodial staff. Sadly,much as they are willing to help,their duties make it hard for themto leave the admissions desk andthey are not, in any case, able toassist with finding resources in theLibrary. We do advise you to comein on a weekday for your first visit,before you are let loose on yourown at the weekend! It will makeyour journey much more profitable.We do organise a special tour ofthe Library for members who areunfamiliar with it, and the next onewill be in November. It’s free, andmore details are in the Noticeboard(centre pages). Space is limited, sowe do ask you to book in advance.Membership Office closure inSeptemberImmediately after the Septemberconference, the MembershipDepartment will be closed for twoweeks for me to go somewherewarm to recover! You may leavemessages on the answerphone, butthe best way to get in touch will beby email (members@sussexpast.co.uk ) or by post. <strong>The</strong>re will beno cover in my absence, whichmeans there will be some delaysin handling everything when I getback, but I will do my best to keepeverything running smoothly.Battle of Lewes ConferenceSaturday 14 April 2012As part of the three year Battle ofLewes project, supported by theHeritage Lottery Fund, we will beholding a one day conference inApril next year. Further details areincluded with the booking form,and we do expect this to be a verypopular event, with a fascinatingvariety of talks looking at a broadspectrum of topics related to theBattle of Lewes, which will becelebrating its 750 th anniversary in2014.Will For FreeEach <strong>August</strong> we distribute a copy ofthis leaflet to encourage those of youwho might be prepared to considerleaving the <strong>Society</strong> a donation, ofwhatever size, in your will. A smalllegacy can make a great differenceto the <strong>Society</strong>, and we would urgeyou to give this some thought. <strong>The</strong>contents of your will remain entirelyconfidential between you and thesolicitor.Wooded LandscapesConference – transcripts &LiDARI am delighted to say that transcriptsof the talks given at this conferenceare now being posted online atthe High Weald AONB websitewww.highweald.org. It is a timeconsumingprocess preparingand checking these, so we areuploading them as they are ready.If a particular talk is not there whenyou look do check back later.<strong>The</strong>y will be also uploaded to the<strong>Society</strong>’s website when the newsite is launched later this summer.In addition, the Weald Forest RidgeLiDAR is now available online inthe downloads section of the HighWeald website. Currently they areonly available by grid references,but this is likely to change in thefuture.Lorna GartsideMembership SecretaryFor all membership enquiriesand to apply, please contactMEMBERSHIPDEPARTMENTBull House,92 High StreetLewes, <strong>Sussex</strong> BN7 1XHTues-Fri 10.00am-3.00pmAnswering machineoutside these hours01273 405737Email:members@sussexpast.co.ukSUSSEXPast &Present<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong><strong>Society</strong> NewsletterN u m b e r 1 2 4A U G U S T 2 0 1 1Contents2 Membership matters3 Opening lines4 Anne of Cleves re-opens5 John Magilton6 Steyning Bench7 Margary Grants8 Battle of Lewes project9 Fishbourne news10 Tidemills excavation11 Landscapes of Governance12 Library & Bookshop13 Lewes Town Insignia14 Book reviews15 Book reviews16 SnippetsPublished by the <strong>Sussex</strong><strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong>, BullHouse, Lewes, E <strong>Sussex</strong>, BN71XHTel: 01273 486260Fax: 01273 486990Email: lamo@sussexpast.co.ukEditor: Wendy MurielEmail: spp@sussexpast.co.ukResearch Editor: Luke BarberISSN 1357-7417Cover: Anne of Cleves House Museumofficial reopening on 7th May <strong>2011</strong>.Photo: Wendy MurielYour <strong>Society</strong>What you can do to help!Dear MembersI would like to share with you some of the significant current business<strong>issue</strong>s we face and the plans which are being put in place to take theorganisation forwards. I would encourage you to read the MembersReport from the <strong>2011</strong> AGM – this can be found on the website, in themembers section. This will give you a very clear idea of the work of theTrustee led committees as well as giving you an overview of the <strong>Society</strong>’sactivities during the last year.One key area which I would like to draw your attention to is the verychallenging financial situation we face. We anticipate that the <strong>Society</strong>will post a deficit in the region of £170,000 for this financial year. <strong>The</strong>Trustees and I have put in place a business development plan for thenext year and this does give us a framework for positively developing ourbusiness. We are currently working on the key priority areas, for examplethe development of better marketing (a new website is currently beingdeveloped) and new interpretation on our sites. However, these activitiescannot produce instant results and it is likely that the next two years willbe difficult ones for the <strong>Society</strong> from a financial perspective. One of thekey messages I want to share with you is that there is no cavalry riding toour rescue and there are no magic solutions possessed by one individualor group within the <strong>Society</strong>. It is down to us now collectively to ensurethat this wonderful entity thrives and prospers well into the future. <strong>The</strong><strong>Society</strong> is rich in people and if we all take some action then the collectiveimpact will be very significant.<strong>The</strong>re are some simple, practical things you can do. Help us promoteour membership - ask Lorna, our Membership Secretary, for somemembership leaflets and hand these out to friends and groups you know,give membership to the <strong>Society</strong> as a present to friends or relatives.Consider making a donation in your will to the <strong>Society</strong>. I am planningto do this myself. If you have not already made a will or would like tochange your current one free of charge, please do use the Will For Freeleaflet enclosed. This is a long term way in which help can be providedand which many years from now I hope provides my successor with aregular source of income to support our activities. Consider volunteering– we have many activities and events where extra pairs of hands arevery helpful. If you have professional skills and knowledge which youthink may be of help then please contact myself or Jane Vokins, Chair ofCouncil. Do you work for or know any organisations who may sponsor orsupport our activities? <strong>The</strong>se are just some suggestions, we welcome allideas and ways in which you think you may be able to help.<strong>The</strong> staff, Trustees, volunteers and Friends groups are working veryhard to take the <strong>Society</strong> forwards. We have excellent sites, collections,resources and people. Come and work with us to make the future as richand interesting as our past.Tristan BarehamChief Executive <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2011</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
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