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August 2010 (issue number 121) - The Sussex Archaeological Society

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ResearchHISTORY ROUND UPMARGARY GRANTSResearchHistory Notes & QueriesThoughts & suggestions on local research<strong>The</strong> ruins of Lewes Priory arebeing stabilised and made readywith interpretation boards beforebeing opened to the public. Thisadds to the many free sites in thecounty. Churches are also free butmany now face vital maintenanceso please help by popping somechange in the fabric fund. Seeminglysimple <strong>issue</strong>s such as the needto repair the stone slab allowingaccess into the Pelham Vault inLaughton church requires theservices of a specialist architect andstonemasons. <strong>The</strong> vault containsthe coffins of several well knownmembers of this influential <strong>Sussex</strong>family whose early eighteenthcentury members included ThomasPelham-Holles (Duke of Newcastle)and his able brother Henry. <strong>The</strong>family owned both Laughton Place(the remains of which are owned bythe Landmark Trust) and HallandHouse (demolished) both not farfrom this church, which has aGeorgian Gothic chancel.Patcham PlaceFor many years Patcham Placewas leased for use as a youth hostelby the Youth Hostels Association. Ithas now been returned to BrightonCity Council which owns it and whoare soon to undertake restorationwork on it. Many members willknow where it is for it looks upthe London Road where it passesthrough the north end of Patchamand meets the roundabout at thefoot of of the dualled part of theA23. It is faced on its east and northsides with black mathematicaltiles. <strong>The</strong> date of these facadeshas long been a puzzle. For a longperiod, this house was owned bythe Stapley family but by 1700 thefamily was in debt. On the death ofJohn Stapley in 1701, the estatewas sold to John Lilley. In his will,dated 1717, Lilley left the estate tohis nephew, John Allen. Allen soldit to George, Lord Abergavenny andPatcham Place. This print is inscribed “scuplt by T. Rickard and dedicated to J. Paine by J. Baker”.<strong>The</strong> dress of the ladies suggests very early nineteenth century. If anyone can date it more preciselyplease let me know. Note the west walled garden. Maps suggest that the large barn north of thehouse in 1782 had gone. A charming coach house south of the house was built c.1800, which stillstands.<strong>The</strong> estate was over 1000 acres. Modest by the downland standards of 1800 when therewere farms of that scale.(Private collection)his wife Anne who had a life interestin it. Anne outlived George andremarried in 1744. Her prenuptialsettlement with John, Lord de laWarr, continued her life interest.In 1745 he settled the estate onhimself with remainder to his sonsJohn and George in that order. Hesold it to John Paine in 1764. Thatfamily kept the estate until 1812.<strong>The</strong> Paines probably extended thehouse northwards and gave it thedistinctive northern and easternfacades covered in mathematicaltiles we see today. <strong>The</strong>se hide theolder building, dated between 1764and 1782, when a watercolour byGrimm shows the present northfront as well as Patcham churchbefore the broach spire wasadded. That image can be seenon the British Library On Linewhich has the Grimms for <strong>Sussex</strong>on it. This house is one of severalcountry houses on the downs withinteresting histories which wouldreward more study. I would love toknow more about the work on thehouse during the period when thePaine family owned it and later, andwould like to hear from anyone whocan assist. <strong>The</strong>re are some helpfulmaps in the East <strong>Sussex</strong> RecordOffice but no accounts. I have thesources for the information aboveas part of the research for the VCHCity of Brighton and Hove.Castles<strong>Sussex</strong> has a large <strong>number</strong> ofcastles. Casper Johnson and MarkTaylor, the senior archaeologistsof East and West <strong>Sussex</strong> CountyCouncils, are trying to combine theircastle databases. If successful, the<strong>Society</strong> hopes to host it togetherwith images. More well-researcheddatabases hosted by our websitefor public use could help generalinterest enquirers and research.VCR for <strong>Sussex</strong><strong>The</strong> Victoria County History for<strong>Sussex</strong> is now looking at how toraise the funds for further work. <strong>The</strong>City of Brighton and Hove volume isscheduled to come out in 2012. Noother volume is planned at present.We will keep readers posted.<strong>Sussex</strong> Record <strong>Society</strong><strong>The</strong> <strong>Sussex</strong> Record <strong>Society</strong> issoon to produce three importantvolumes, one of which is ProfessorLlewellyn’s East <strong>Sussex</strong> ChurchMonuments 1530-1820. Suchsystematic study of topics isessential for it enables us to seehow unique a specific example is.See the <strong>Society</strong>’s excellent websitewww.sussexrecordsociety.org.uk maintained by a volunteer, Mr.MacLeod, on which digitised copiesof back volumes are being added.Other examples of invaluablesurveys are Nigel Saul’s MedievalChurch Monuments (OxfordUniversity Press, 2009) which putsmonuments in <strong>Sussex</strong> in theirnational context. Andrew Saint’swell illustrated revision of his bookon Richard Norman Show (Yale<strong>2010</strong>) includes houses he designedin <strong>Sussex</strong> such as FramfieldPlace, Gore Hill, Leyswood andGlen Andred and sets them in thecontext of architectural taste at thetime. His other work in the countyincluded restoring the chancel ofTarring Neville church.Local Research Groups<strong>The</strong> <strong>Society</strong> would love to reportin this newsletter the individualand group research projects about<strong>Sussex</strong> as comprehensively aspossible (not family history pleasefor that is well provided for). Pleaseget in touch with me or with theeditor, Wendy Muriel. If you do notwant to write a whole article thensend a line or two for this columnand we’ll add it in. We may alsobe able to help by hosting eventswhere researchers can meet andtest out ideas, as this can be alonely role. But to do so, we needto know who you all are and whatyou are doing.Margary Grants<strong>2010</strong><strong>The</strong> awards for this year are listed below. If you would like to contactany of the grant holders, please ask Luke Barber our Research Officerfor information. His details are in the contacts list in the centre pagesof SP&P. <strong>The</strong> guidelines and application form for Margary Grants aregiven on our website or can be posted to you by Luke if you do nothave internet access.<strong>The</strong> Research Committee awards the grants and monitors theirprogress. <strong>The</strong> grants are carefully supervised and receipts areexpected for all claims.• Richard BurrowsGrant towards the cost of a Stage 2 Building interpretivesurvey of Danny House by David & Barbara Martin: £2000.• <strong>The</strong> Independent Historical Research GroupGrant towards the cost of a report by Malcolm Lyne onRoman pottery from the Bardown Romano-British ironworking site: £960.• David DunkinGrant to assist with radio carbon dating of a burnt moundat Piglegged Row near Walderton, West <strong>Sussex</strong>: £341.• Jeffery LeighGrant to assist with the cost of scientific examinationof Romano-British gilt glass tesserae from SouthwickRoman villa: £400.• David ButcherAn award towards the costs of illustration and artefactanalysis for publication of the report on a post-medievalcottage at Eartham: £360.• Simon StevensGrant towards the Newick Archaeology Project: £140.• Lisa FisherAn award towards the costs of excavation and geoarchaeologicalwork at the Varley Halls Bronze Agesettlement site: £450.• Pari WhiteAn award towards the cost of geological provenancingof the Fishbourne Palace mosaics: £250.• David RudlingAn award towards the cost of second stage geoarchaeologicalwork by Mike Allen at Barcombe Romanvilla: £1100.Total awarded: £6001 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong> Sue Berry


ExcavationsCOLDEAN VALLEY 2008PRINTERS’ SCRAPBOOKSFeatureColdean Valley ExcavationsExtensive Bronze Age settlement revealedIn the summer of 2008 a smalltrench was excavated acrossa lynchet (field bank) next to theUniversity of Brighton’s halls ofresidence, Varley Halls, off ColdeanLane in Brighton. This was a smalltraining excavation which I directedas part of my MA in field archaeologyat the University of <strong>Sussex</strong>, withexpert support in the field from JohnFunnell of the Brighton and Hove<strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong> (BHAS)alongside several BHAS diggers.<strong>The</strong> trench was targeted across alynchet to establish a date and seehow it related chronologically to thenearby Middle Bronze Age (MBA)settlement, which was excavatedas part of the Brighton-by-passproject by Ian Grieg in 1992.BHAS digging at Varley Halls 2008Photo: L. Fisher.What is beginning to emerge is afascinating picture of contemporaryBronze Age communities in thispart of Brighton, which includeseveral burial sites and three small,contemporary family farmsteads, allcentred around Hollingbury hillfort.<strong>The</strong> history of the hillfort pre-datesthe Iron Age when a Bronze Ageenclosure existed. It may be possibleto link this whole landscape but moreresearch and excavation is needed.<strong>The</strong> archaeological potential for thisarea is enormous and with this inmind it was our intention to continuedigging this year.Artistic impression of the Coldean Valley in the Bronze AgeLast spring we conductedthree geophysical surveys in thefields surrounding the Varley Hallscomplex with some interestingresults. It would appear thatthere are potentially two more hutplatforms and a possible barrow,although this could turn out to be amore modern marling pit which willalso be sampled.Resistivity survey of potential hut platformsDr.Mike Allen, from the Universityof Bournemouth, will return toconduct further soil and molluscanalysis, building up a localisedpicture of the prehistoric soils.In 2008 this evidence painted animportant environmental story,alongside the artefactual evidence.Although not much was recovered,a handful of pottery sherds as wellas worked flint and a wonderfulbronze needle were recovered fromthe very base of the lynchet whichDrawing: Mary Funnellenabled us to date it. This spannedthe MBA – Later Bronze Age (LBA).This fits in nicely with the storyfrom the nearby Varley Hallssettlement which gave plenty ofevidence from the MBA with atantalizing glimpse of LBA activityin the pottery assemblage fromhillwash upslope of the MBAsettlement. This could mean thatwe may have important evidencefor continuity from the MBA into theLBA on one domestic site.This summer we will return,under the joint banner of BHASand the University of <strong>Sussex</strong><strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong> (USAS), toexcavate a probable hut platformto help build the bigger picture andform an archaeological strategy forthe future in this important area ofBrighton. <strong>The</strong> excavation report forthe 2008 dig, as well as this year’sdig, will hopefully be published ina future edition of SAC and wasmade possible by a generousMargary Grant from the <strong>Sussex</strong><strong>Archaeological</strong> <strong>Society</strong> and USAS.Lisa Jayne FisherUnique Resource CataloguedValuable local history archive now on-linefine collection of LewesA handbills dating from 1768-1777 was the subject of a detailedarticle by Stanley Godman in<strong>Sussex</strong> <strong>Archaeological</strong> Collections97 (1959). However, six additionalscrapbooks contain over a thousandposters, broadsheets, billheads andother printed ephemera. Each itemhas recently been catalogued byLibrary volunteers and entered ona database which can be searchedby person, place and subject.Receipt for printing work by John Baxter.Two volumes are devoted entirelyto election material – Lewes Borough1816-31 (ACC 29236) and Countyelections (Western division) andChichester Borough 1830-43 (ACC29238); and two volumes to a mixtureof election broadsheets, playbills,lecture notices etc 1806-1860s (ACC29237) and 1821-32 (ACC 29319).<strong>The</strong>se items were produced by up to20 different printers working mainlyin Lewes, Brighton and Chichester.Of specialist interest are two furtherscrapbooks devoted to proofs ofitems supplied to customers ofJohn Baxter of Lewes, covering theperiod 1813-16 (ACC 29235) and1817-18 (ACC 489), these beingsometimes annotated with thename of the client and the <strong>number</strong>of copies ordered.Many of the election items maybe duplicated in the two <strong>Sussex</strong>Record Offices, but the two Baxterbooks contain much materialprobably not to be found elsewhere.<strong>The</strong>y are important for showing therange of work undertaken by thisLewes firm: the variety of clients(auctioneers, parish and countyofficials, clergy, manufacturers,shopkeepers, societies, privateschool teachers etc) and the verylarge catchment area. Althoughclients are predominantly fromLewes and its immediate hinterland,some 30 towns and villagesstretching from Alfriston to the HighWeald are represented.Printer’s proof of poster for farm stock sale.<strong>The</strong> scope of the postersadvertising forthcoming events is verywide: auctions of household furniture,shop goods and farming stock,sometimes belonging to bankrupts;stallions available to ‘cover’ mares;cricket matches and theatre plays,firework displays, conjuring tricksand performing goldfinches; talksand demonstrations at LewesMechanics Institute; sermons andreligious lectures; a meeting of LewesLibrary <strong>Society</strong>.Other advertisements includerewards offered by ProsecutingSocieties for the return of stolengoods, rules for the Lewes DestituteStranger and Sickman’s Friend<strong>Society</strong> and prospectuses forprivate schools. <strong>The</strong> trade cardsand bill heads illustrate the variedcommercial activity in and aroundLewes. In 1816 Ann Bray of theCliffe advertises her cook shop andeating house where hot dinners canbe eaten in her rooms or be sentout (ACC 29235/287), perhaps theearliest Lewes take-away?Poster advertising auction of linen.Hopefully these itemisedcatalogues will be of interest tomembers researching the history oftheir locality, their family or a particularsubject and since the names ofthe printers have been included, tohistorians of the printing industry andtypology. <strong>The</strong>se catalogues will beplaced on the <strong>Society</strong>’s website andit may be possible to produce digitalcopies for members for a fee.Judy BrentVolunteerBarbican House Library <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>


FeatureHISTORIC ENVIRONMENTLIDARFeature<strong>The</strong> Weald Revealed<strong>The</strong> Historic Environment Awareness ProjectYou may have noticed a smallplane buzzing systematicallyfrom east to west and back againconceals features well, and muchof the archaeology within theRidge’s woodland has not yet beenEnvironment Record, makingthe data accessible to futureresearchers and ensuring protectionof recorded features.Toolkit testers and HEA volunteersare working closely with the newSouth East Woodland ArchaeologyForum (http://sewaf.org.uk/)which holds regular meetings foranyone with an interest. Contactdavid@sewaf.org.uk for moredetails.Recent developments of airbornedigital survey for environmentalmapping are opening a new chapterin the discovery and recordingof archaeological sites from theair using LiDAR surveys. LiDARhas the potential to show manyarchaeological features previouslyhidden from aerial reconnaissanceby woodland cover.LiDAR SurveyingPowerful imaging tool exposes hidden featuresdetail otherwise time may be spentin the field validating ‘found’ featureswhich are already previously knownabout or are non-archaeological. <strong>The</strong>level of detail seen on screen (imagesviewed in ArcMap software) is oftenfar better than can be visualised onprintouts used in the field but thisproblem can be partly addressed bycareful transcription and awarenessamount of archaeological features‘hidden in woodland’. It is interestingto note that there are a large<strong>number</strong> of quarries, mine pits ormarl pits in many of our woodlands.This reinforces the theory thatthe woodlands were not suitablefor agriculture but neverthelessa valuable resource for mineralexploitation and the woodlandMap showing location of the Weald Forest Ridge (shaded in brown).above the High Weald at the startof this year and last. <strong>The</strong> plane wascollecting information to be used inthe Historic Environment AwarenessProject, through a LiDAR survey.LiDAR (Light Detection & Ranging)‘sees through’ vegetation; moreabout this fascinating techniqueand the survey results follows onthe facing page.<strong>The</strong> Historic EnvironmentAwareness (HEA) Project runs until2012 and is led by the East <strong>Sussex</strong>County Council archaeology team,funded by English Heritage andthe Heritage Lottery Fund. It aimsto explore the landscape of thehighest part of the High Weald– known as the Weald Forest Ridge– which stretches from Horsham inthe west to Tonbridge in the east.Woodland covers 40% of theRidge and a significant proportionof the UK’s ancient woodland (inexistence for at least 400 years)grows there. Woodland canpreserve archaeological featureswell, through lack of ploughdamage or construction. It alsorecorded – or even recognised.<strong>The</strong> HEA project aims to do thisby creating ‘toolkits’ to enableanyone with an interest in thehistory or archaeology of a woodedlandscape to explore further. <strong>The</strong>LiDAR survey is a key element ofthe toolkits.<strong>The</strong> toolkits – for identifying,recording and researching thearchaeology of wooded landscapes– are currently in draft form andbeing tested by various groups inwoodland within the three counties.<strong>The</strong>se groups have includedstudents from agricultural colleges,volunteers with the <strong>Sussex</strong> WildlifeTrust, children from the YoungArchaeologists’ Club and groupsof private woodland owners. Aftersome tweaking to reflect the resultsof these initial tests, further testingwill take place next winter.<strong>The</strong> toolkits will be downloadablefrom the East <strong>Sussex</strong> CountyCouncil website by Spring 2011.Forms are provided in the toolkitsfor submitting information tothe relevant county’s HistoricVolunteers surveying with HEA toolkits.Photo L. PalmerA ‘Wooded Landscapes’conference, held jointly betweenthe HEA project and the SAS, isplanned for Saturday 12 th February2011 in the Meridian Hall, EastGrinstead. Field trips on themorning of Sunday 13th will walkthe landscape of the Ridge, someusing LiDAR data.For HEA information, contact LynPalmer on 07534 436473 or lyn.palmer@eastsussex.gov.uk.Lyn PalmerHEA Project OfficerBroadwater Forest, regular aerial view.<strong>The</strong> survey produces accurate‘maps’ for use in the field and alsoenables archaeological features tobe examined in their wider landscapesetting. Images are produced inwhich most of the vegetation hasbeen digitally removed leavingthe surviving earthworks orarchaeological features more clearlyvisible. Linear features are welldepicted on LiDAR surveys and verysubtle earthworks, that are oftendifficult to see on the ground, can beseen on the print outs. In well-spacedbroadleaved woodland with minimalunder-storey, and depending on howthe data has been modelled, smallerfeatures such as charcoal platformsand saw pits can be detected.<strong>The</strong> value of using LiDAR imagesto enhance existing surveys or to aidnew surveys will depend, to a largeextent, on how much interrogationof the images has been done as adesk based assessment. It is worthcarrying out this exercise in someBroadwater Forest, LiDAR view with modernmapping superimposed.of the type and quality of printoutused in the field.<strong>The</strong> data can be used to enhanceprevious walk-over surveys asplotting the location and extent ofthe features is more accurate thanthe ground survey. Often the entirefeature was not observed and theGPS readings are less accurate thanthe geo referenced LiDAR data.Most of the work in the field to datehas been ground truthing or validatingfeatures that have been noted whentranscribing the data. Not only hasthis been necessary to reconcile whatwas observed on an image with whatwas observed on the ground but ithas also been an invaluable exercisein helping to interpret similar featuresin different areas without the need tophysically visit them, unless absoluteverification of the archaeologicalfeature is required.<strong>The</strong> LiDAR data for the Weald ForestRidge area shows a considerableBroadwater Forest, LiDAR view, with featurestranscribed.for its own intrinsic value. <strong>The</strong>archaeology of, and in, the woodsurvives mainly because theseareas were not subject to ploughingand management features suchas woodbanks, saw pits, charcoalplatforms and notable trees survivetoday as part of the archaeologyand cultural heritage of woodlands.In areas like Broadwater Forestand Ashdown Forest a wealth ofmilitary features which range fromNapoleonic times to WW2 survive.<strong>The</strong> images above show howwell linear archaeological featuresare depicted in Broadwater Forestand also illustrate how the extent ofthe archaeological features can beeasily seen, and thus more easilyrecorded. <strong>The</strong>se include part of the18 th century military camps, a seriesof WW1 trenches and a migrationtrackway.Vivienne Blandford10 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 11


LibraryLIBRARY & BOOKSHOP NEWSFISHBOURNE: HEAD TO HEAD DEBATELettersLibrary NewsLibrary praised at AGM!It was pleasing to hear at the AGM the praise for the Library asan important aspect of the <strong>Society</strong>’s services and facilities. Pleasecome and use it - it is your library.<strong>The</strong> special nature of the Library’s collection has been borne outseveral times recently. We had two group visits from Cardinal NewmanSchool students in May working with our education staff using ourElection Poster volumes to complete their studies on Campaigns aspart of a national scheme led by the British Library. We have also hadmuch interest in our early music collection from the organisers of theforthcoming Folk Music Convention in Lewes, and also from localGallery quire ‘<strong>Sussex</strong> Harmony’.We offer our congratulations to regular researcher Malcolm Pratt,the author of two books on Winchelsea which he donated to theLibrary, who was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honourslist for “services to the community in Winchelsea and to heritage inEast <strong>Sussex</strong>”.I list below some recent additions to the Library (all 2009):DRAPER, Gillian Rye: a History of a Cinque Port to 1660.DRAPER, Gillian &MEDDINS, FrankHAYWARD, Kevin MJLEE, RichardPOTTER, John F<strong>The</strong> Sea & the Marsh: the MedievalCinque Port of New Romney.Roman quarrying and stone supply onthe periphery - Southern England.(BAR British Series 500)<strong>The</strong> production, use & disposal ofRomano British tableware.(BAR British Series 478)Patterns in stonework: the early churchin Britain and Ireland.(BAR British Series 496)We are grateful to the following for their donations to the Library:P. Combes [Barcombe & Hamsey Project]; J Compton; Dom. ICondon, OSB; J Crane; J Davies; GM Draper; J Funnell [BHAS Fieldnotebook]; H Naish; M&A Whitington.Esme EvansHon. LibrarianBook Shop NewsMany SAS members will be familiar;I’m sure, with Snake River Pressbooks. <strong>The</strong> press was founded in2006 with the intent of producingwell-designed and thoughtful booksabout <strong>Sussex</strong> at an affordable price(£8.99). <strong>The</strong>re is little doubt that thepress has succeeded admirablyin all three intents, and it currentlyhas nigh on 30 <strong>Sussex</strong> titles inits list. Two of these are availableto members at £7.50 each (pluspostage – or collect from BarbicanHouse):Peter Brandon, <strong>The</strong> shaping ofthe <strong>Sussex</strong> landscape.Published in late 2009 thisis a superb distillation of PeterBrandon’s interpretation of thechanges in and development ofthe <strong>Sussex</strong> landscape from theprehistoric to the present.Rev. W. D Parish, A dictionaryof the <strong>Sussex</strong> dialect.Published in 2008, this is afacsimile of the edition publishedby Farncombe of Lewes in 1875.This dialect dictionary has thedistinction of being one of the firstto be offered to members of theshort-lived but influential EnglishDialect <strong>Society</strong> (1873-1896).John BleachManagerBarbican House BookshopNero’s Head?I don’t think so!IT was good to see the scans of theFishbourne marble head, publishedas the result of work under theauspices of Dr Rob Symmons, DrMiles Russell and Harry Manley(<strong>Sussex</strong> Past and Present 120, April<strong>2010</strong>). <strong>The</strong>se certainly confirm (if anyconfirmation were needed) that it isthe head of a teenager, and dates toaround the middle of the 1st centuryAD.<strong>The</strong>y cite the complete statuesof the boy Nero from Gabii now inParis (see E.R. Varner, Mutilation andTransformation. Damnatio Memoriaeand Roman Imperial Portraiture,Leiden 2004, p.67 and fig.80) and fromVelleia now in Parma (ibid.,p.7 n.43,fig.96) but these are characterised bya rather round head with ample lipsand hair set in a fringe but slightlyparted in the middle, falling welldown the forehead. I am familiar withthis from the very beautiful cameonow in the Content collection (M.Henig, <strong>The</strong> Content Family Collectionof Ancient Cameos, Oxford andHoulton, Maine 1990, p.34 no.59). Iam more amenable to the possibilityto the conclusion, as others havedone, that the bronze head from theRiver Alde, Suffolk may be Nero ( seeVarner, pp.72-3 and see fig.90) ratherthan Claudius, though even this isuncertain as in this case the featuresdo seem to belong to an older manand it is prudent to keep the optionsopen.By contrast the Fishbourne childhas rather a long head, small pursedlips and hair swept back. <strong>The</strong> onlyfeature, apart from its age, that itshares with the Nero figures is itslarge ears. Of course we cannot beabsolutely certain of its identity, butit still seems to me more likely thatit is the head of the dynast (?) thatlived at Fishbourne in its early yearsthan his son. This was the originalconclusion of the Late ProfessorJocelyn Toynbee, in her time theleading authority on Roman art with,incidentally, a particular interestin portraiture (see her report in B.Cunliffe, Excavations at Fishbourne1961-1969, Leeds 1971, pp.156-7,pl.xiii). I further expanded anddeveloped her conclusions in anote in the Journal of the British<strong>Archaeological</strong> Association (M. Henig,‘A Royal Portrait from Fishbourne,West <strong>Sussex</strong>’, JBAA 149, 1996,pp.83-86 pl.ixa), suggesting it mighthave been a portrait of Togidubnushimself during his minority, carved(in Rome?) just before the eventsof AD 43. How it eventually cameto be broken is open to questionbut it should be pointed out that itdid not come from the foundationsof the main palace (amongst debrisfrom the Neronian protopalace) butrather from a late robber trench inthe North Wing, and was presumably(accidentally) discarded from limeburning in the later Roman period.<strong>The</strong>re is thus no conclusive evidenceof ‘damnatio memoriae’. While it mayindeed belong to the earliest phaseof the palace, very probably it lastedfar longer. I gather, incidentally, froman eye-witness at the time that it wasyanked from a baulk in contraventionto then archaeological practiceby a young and over-enthusiasticvolunteer on the site.That is not to denigrate Dr Russell’ssearch for Nero in Britain - for there iscertainly evidence in Britain, thoughnot in <strong>Sussex</strong> as far as I know, bothfor contemporary sculpture (and ofits destruction in the Boudican revoltor after the fall of the Julio-ClaudianDynasty) - but simply to suggest thatthe Fishbourne head/bust/statue hasno connection with these events. It isnot the portrait of a member of theImperial dynasty but of someoneelse, perhaps someone we mightregard as even more interesting!King Togidubnus still lives andreigns at Fishbourne Roman palace!Martin HenigMA, DPhil, DLitt, FSAWolfson CollegeUniversity of OxfordNero’s Head?I still think so!ISSUES surrounding theinterpretation of the ‘FishbourneBoy’ have always been complex.<strong>The</strong> portrait is well executed andmade from expensive Italian marbleand must therefore be of someoneimportant. Identity, however, hasalways been far from certain, givenhow little of the portrait survives.<strong>The</strong>re is an understandabletemptation to link the piece tothe owner of the palace (or itsimmediate predecessor) although,of course, we don’t know exactlywho that was. It would be great ifthe piece was indeed a depictionof the palace owner or his son but,whilst I can see a lot going for thisargument, I prefer to adhere to theprinciple of Occam’s Razor, whichmay be summarised as: “why gofor a complicated answer when asimple one will do?”. Here we havea portrait made (almost certainly) inItaly of a young teenage boy wearing(it would appear) a laurel wreathand found within the remains of aNeronian phase building in Britain.Is it therefore: a) an unknownson of an unknown owner of theproto-palace who may have beenBritish and may further have beenTogidubnus, a Celtic king cited inan inscription from the nearby townof Chichester; or b) a depictionof the teenage Nero, of whomwe have portraits against whichthe Fishbourne image comparesextremely favourably? Yes, it couldstill be a portrait of King Togidubnus(or a close relative) but, if this isthe case, it would appear thatthe sitter possessed an uncannyresemblance to the young emperorNero.Hic Togidubnus Rex interfectusest...?Dr Miles RussellSenior Lecturer in Prehistoricand Roman ArchaeologySchool of Conservation SciencesBournemouth University12 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 13


BooksBOOK REVIEWSBOOK REVIEWSBooksWorthingThrough TimeTHIS is another one of the series ofbooks taking towns “Through Time”,which not only provide a ‘then andnow’ comparison, but have the extradimension that in a few years timethe ‘now’ photographs, which Sallyhas done very well, will themselvesbe of interest, and not necessarilyrecorded elsewhere. One day TevilleGate will be demolished, and whoknows what will happen to the HalfBrick?All the early photographs areavailable to view on the West<strong>Sussex</strong> Past Pictures website(www.westsussexpast.org.uk),but even in <strong>2010</strong> not everyone usesa website, and a publication suchas this brings the material, includingmuch from the Gardiner collection,to a wider audience. Although I amfairly familiar with the collectionsheld by Worthing Library, therewere some which were new to meand well selected.I would make the same complaintthat Geoffrey Mead made in hisreviews of earlier volumes in thisseries, that it would be greatlyenhanced with even a simplemap. Sally starts logically with theseafront and then moves inlandfrom the east to the hospital andthe station, then Chapel Road &Richmond Road, but then movesinto businesses, hotels etc., withthe villages, as expected, at theend. I would also make the usuallibrarian’s complaint that no serieslike this ever has an index, and thisone doesn’t even have a contents/topics list.A couple of other points: onpage 77, Ham Bridge Halt is nowEast Worthing Station, not WestWorthing as the caption says; andon page 30, whereas all the othermodern photographs are takenfrom as near as possible the sameangle, the northern end of Chapelroad in the old photograph is theeast side looking south towards theRivoli, in the modern photographit is the west side looking northtowards Teville Gate.Esme EvansBy Sally White.Amberley Publishing, 2009.ISBN: 978-1-84868-124-8.Price £12.99.<strong>The</strong> diaries of SarahHurst 1759-1762:Life and love inC18th HorshamDIARIES can tell us much about howa person sees his or her world andwhen they can be linked with othersof the same period or close to,even better - for one person’s viewof a time, person and place may bevery different from another’s. SarahHurst’s diary predates that of JohnBaker of Horsham but they knewthe same people and this SusanDjabri uses well to show how thetwo writers had very different viewsof the same people. Sarah’s diaryis of the same date as ThomasTurner of East Hoathly who, likeSarah, went sea-bathing along ourcoastline. <strong>The</strong> difference in theirapproach to going bathing is acomment on the difference betweenthe lifestyle of the affluent Hurstand the struggling Turner as well astheir personalities. Both diarists arefrom businesses. Sarah expectsto help in her family’s shop butalso writes poetry and has a livelysocial life as many urban Georgianwomen did. One would like to knowwhy she was so secretive about hermarriage, not telling her family untilafterwards. <strong>The</strong> diary ends beforethat story unfolds.Many women like Sarah workedin businesses in Georgian Englandand a considerable <strong>number</strong> rantheir own. <strong>The</strong> formidable MrsDring of Brighton ran a shop and alodging house, Isabella Pullen builther own. <strong>The</strong>ir role is understatedin most Georgian studies but a starthas been made in Hannah Barker’s<strong>The</strong> Business of Women – femaleenterprise and urban developmentin Northern England 1760-1830,Oxford University Press, 2006.Diaries such as this with theexcellent background researchby the editor, street directories,inventories, wills and other sourcesshould help us to understand therole of women in Georgian <strong>Sussex</strong>.Sue BerryTranscribed by Barbara Hurst,edited by Susan C Djabri.Horsham Museum <strong>Society</strong>, 2003.This edition published byAmberley Publishing, 2009.ISBN: 978-1-84868-353-2.Paperback, 319pp. £15.99.Through the HardTimes and the GoodTHIS beautifully produced book isthe culmination of a two year project,‘Time For History’ which set out toresearch and record the history ofthe Guild Care organisation andsituate it within the broader contextof Worthing’s social history . A teamof volunteers conducted researchin the Guild Care archive, and overeighty oral history interviews withsixty three residents. <strong>The</strong> author andmanager of the project ably bringsthe two together in this impressivebook which is well illustrated withphotographs.Guild Care is a pioneeringorganisation founded in 1933 asthe Worthing Council of SocialService. It was a local welfare stateproviding numerous services for thetown, and has continued to evolveto meet the needs of Worthing’sresidents.<strong>The</strong> book is arranged in broadthemes, and covers <strong>The</strong> GreatDepression, Wartime, OlderPeople, Youth, and Health, Homesand Community. I was repeatedlystruck by how relevant severalof these themes are in today’sBritain, and the author providesmany illuminating insights into thesocial history of the period. Duringthe Great Depression, for example,refugees came to Worthing fromWales, Gateshead and even theBasque region of Spain fleeing thecivil war and the oral histories areused to show the complexity of theattitudes towards them.Throughout the book there is afocus on individuals, both within theorganisation and the oral histories.This brings the history to life veryeffectively and also honourspeople like Effie Methold, whonever courted any publicity for hertireless efforts to help the people ofWorthing. <strong>The</strong> interviews will alsobe a wonderful resource for futureresearchers.<strong>The</strong> book is enhanced by a DVDwhich provides a short introductionto Guild Care and allows us to meetsome of the engaging individualswho were interviewed.Sarah HitchingsBy Chris Hare.Published by Guild Care, 2009.ISBN: 978-0-9563171-0-0Hardback, 160pp, price £10from Guild Care, Methold House,North Street, Worthing BN11 1DU.RottingdeanThrough TimeIT has been said that <strong>Sussex</strong> hasmore books written on it than anyother county, and within the countyRottingdean must be up in thetop-ten of village histories. DouglasD’Enno has added to the total withthis latest addition to the Amberleyseries of ‘then and now’ images.In a much larger format andlength than previously, D’Ennohas given us the definitive workon the neighbouring suburb ofSaltdean, but this is aimed ata different audience and fulfilsdifferent criteria. <strong>The</strong> quality of thisseries’ images is stunning and thelocal input that he provides givessome interesting insights to whatare standard postcard views. <strong>The</strong>volume is, however, patchy with awhole section on vintage vehiclesthat sits somewhat uneasily withthe ‘then and now’ view. <strong>The</strong> mostinteresting aspect of the book is theimpact of interwar development onthe village with the road wideningalong the coast, undercliff walk,and replacement or remodelling fora string of pubs, blocks of flats andthe addition of domestic suburbanhousing. <strong>The</strong> interwar predilectionof postcard publishers to showdomestic housing is one that has(sadly) gone missing from thepresent day equivalents!Geoffrey MeadBy Douglas d’Enno.Amberley Publishing, 2009.ISBN: 978-1-84868-197-2. £12.99.Sheds on theSeashoreThis chatty little book about thehistory of beach huts describestheir development in England andsubsequent spread to Europe. <strong>The</strong>research is gently fed to the readerin a story of some of the author’sown experiences researching thebook. <strong>The</strong> personalized approachmakes the book a pleasant andinformative read.Sue BerryBy Kathryn Ferry.Brighton, Pen Press, 2009.ISBN: 978-1-906710-97-2.354pp, £12.99.14 <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk www.romansinsussex.co.uk <strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong> 15


SnippetsNew DiningExperience atFishbourneTHE café at Fishbourne RomanPalace has been completelyrefurbished and the new caterers‘Lime Food Design’ pride themselveson offering delicious hot lunchesand speciality afternoon teas madewith locally-sourced ingredients.This year is the 50th anniversary ofthe discovery of the largest Romanresidence north of Rome, so whynot visit Britain’s most extensivecollection of in-situ mosaics, plusbeautiful gardens planted to anoriginal Roman plan, absorbingthe atmosphere of a once-thrivingcentre of Roman culture, with theprospect of a jolly good lunch ortea afterwards!Anne of Cleves HouseUpdateTHE west wing of Anne of ClevesHouse in High Street, Southover,Lewes, is currently encased inscaffolding. This is all part of ascheme of maintenance fundedpartly by English Heritage to repairthe structure and elevations of thebuilding.In the last few years it had becomeapparent that major maintenancewas required to bring the buildingup to a reasonable standard ofrepair. <strong>The</strong> gutters and downpipeswere leaking, the render on theelevations was badly cracked, rooftiles were slipping, the structure wasin places rotten and windows hadbecome ill-fitting and draughty.In 2007 tenders were receivedfor the replacement of gutters anddownpipes, repairs to elevationsand external redecorations. Asthis was proceeding, a grant wasobtained from English Heritage tocontinue the work to replace theroof tiling and repair the windowsand render. This grant together witha further grant from the MonumentTrust has provided the main part ofthe cost of the works. Without thegrants the <strong>Society</strong> could not affordthe repairs.This second phase, supervised bythe Conservation Architect RichardAndrews, commenced this year. Adecision was made to encase thebuilding with a scaffolding coverto protect the building from thevagaries of the weather whilst theroof was uncovered.<strong>The</strong> second phase initiallyinvolves removal of the roof tilingand stone and replacement withsuitable sound tiles and stone.<strong>The</strong>roof will be replaced to the sameproportion of Horsham stone andClay tiles as beforeWork has also commenced onrepair of windows with removal andtempoary boarding up whilst thewindows are repaired or replaced.<strong>The</strong> Oak windows will be repairedwith new oak to show honestrepairs and not seek to disguise thework carried out.Also commenced is the strippingof the cracked cement render andreplacement with lime mortar, moresensitive to the timber structureof the building. <strong>The</strong> timbers atthe north west corner of the westwing are being repaired andstrengthened whilst the render hasbeen removed.Works will continue until the endof September <strong>2010</strong>Richard Akhurst F.R.I.C.S.Chairman, Properties & Tourism BoardSAC in Full Colour -at LastJUST a reminder that after 147<strong>issue</strong>s appearing in black and white,the long awaited full colour <strong>Sussex</strong><strong>Archaeological</strong> Collections is nearlyupon us! Volume 148, due out thisDecember, will be published in fullcolour through out.CongratulationsCONGRATULATIONS to GordonHayden, who works at FishbourneRoman Palace as the CataloguingCo-ordinator and also as aMuseum Guide. He achieveda 1st Class Honours Degree inArchaeology in 2007, and has nowgained a Distinction for his MAin Ceramics and Lithic Analysisfor Archaeologists. A copy ofhis dissertation on this subjecthas been donated by him to the<strong>Society</strong>’s Library in Lewes.Well done Gordon!Next IssueTHE next <strong>issue</strong> of <strong>Sussex</strong> Past& Present will be published inDecember <strong>2010</strong>. Copy deadline isOctober 8th. Letters and ‘snippets’are welcome; longer items shouldbe kept to a maximum of 500 wordsunless prior arrangements havebeen made with the editor, WendyMuriel, at spp@sussexpast.co.uk,or Luke Barber on 01273 405733.Please note that we require imageswith most contributions, preferablyin high quality colour format. Tosubmit digitally, please use MSWord (97-2003 format) for textand send images in JPEG or TIFformats, at a minimum resolutionof 600dpi. Correspondence anddetails of events should be sentto Wendy Muriel, Editor, <strong>Sussex</strong>Past & Present, Bull House, 92High Street, Lewes, East <strong>Sussex</strong>,BN7 1XH, or emailed to the aboveaddress.Rates for insertions into thenewsletter, which goes out to over2000 members, start at £100 (plusminimum handling charge of £20).Contact Lorna Gartside on 01273405737 for details.16<strong>Sussex</strong> Past & Present <strong>August</strong> <strong>2010</strong>www.sussexpast.co.uk

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