paul connor Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Hello everyone, sorry it has been a while. I have been very busy with University. I have many updates to post though i'm not sure if all suitable as most are not Military linked. Roman Villa and baths. Roman farm house. Medieval farm system. WW1 Seaplane base. Sussex GHQ stop line survey. A of the few places I have been envolved with excavation and geophysics resistivity. I will be on site with the WW1 dig again next week,so I can update and load a few pictures of finds and progress. I have not forgotten you HMVF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmite!! Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 I'm sure they will all be of interest to the members.. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Definitely Paul. Im a Romanist at heart so post away. www.whitehallvilla.co.uk Is where I work during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 The Roman's had an army and navy didn't they? Which seaplane base, not the one off Joyce Green in Dartford by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pzkpfw-e Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Post away! I'm not far from Lawton & it's field system and even closer to Skinnand, one of the "Plague Villages", Abandonned during the middle ages and never recolonised. (Note to self, get off fat ass, get bike out & go & see the place!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotBed Posted November 8, 2010 Share Posted November 8, 2010 i wondered where you got to, hows the pilbox book going ? regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted November 9, 2010 Author Share Posted November 9, 2010 Hi all. I shall start a small update for you in a while tonight. I have been layed up with a busted foot,just had my nose in books and trying to stay on top of things. My pillbox book has taken a turn really, I was intending to survey Sussex Defences as a whole, this is a huge task, So I have taken to working on the Buxted/Uckfield/Crowborough areas for a full WW2 defences survey and log. Not being able to get on the ground at the minute due to my foot has hindered its progress but maps and much has been written on the subject. As soon as I have snippets available HMVF will be my first port of call. well, Now I shall do as I should! and write a small update of the areas I have been excavating and surveying for you all to have a read through. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted November 9, 2010 Author Share Posted November 9, 2010 Dear HMVF Here is a small update of the various things I have been up to the last few months. As you all know I have been studying at Sussex University trying to change my career path to something I have a passion for, “concrete” as my Lecturer mocks! I'll pick the Pillbox over the Romans any day! I love winding him up. My Archaeology course has provided the channel to join many local groups and partake in ground works. Sussex University Archaeology Society Worthing Archaeology Society Mid-Sussex Archaeology Society as well as Brighton and Hove’s own. It's nice to meet new faces and new friends with similar interests. My first placement was at Parham Place Nr. Storrington. My first chance to dig and get hands on with various finds,be them only 'nails' in my trench. The dig was to locate the lost village of Parham which we now know from various sources did not exist and was mere 'hearsay'. We did locate the parsonage which would have been from the Edwardian Parham house. Long gone but great to get lost in a history of a location. Also a WW2 army base was on the site but we where not allowed to dig or survey there. Shame. Second of my field works was at Beachy Head. Oh! hello to Chris G ! saw him that day in the café at Birling Gap! This was to survey the Medieval farm works and still evident plough marks on the field system, to the untrained eye (me on the day) they look very much like a Iron Age Hill fort ditch system! But seems they were caused by ploughing on slopes creating a ditch system. Few WW2 craters are evident as well in the area,one would expect trying to hit the old Chain low Radar station. Next I was at a Roman Villa in Barcombe Sussex. My task for the day was resistivity survey of the area for a future dig in July 2011. Geophysics does fascinate me and was nice to spend a day gridding the area into 20mx20m sections and completing the survey before the rain came in hard! Still waiting for the results to be Emailed. I shall post the results. I have been also training with level and Total station survey techniques,all very new but fascinating and providing me a new way to perceive a site to which one normally would. Tide Mills in Newhaven has been the latest of my field works. Tide mills was as the title hints a tide mill in the 1700's with a village built by the owner to control and house his staff. This was functioning till the 1900's. Then in early 1930's the village was deemed unfit for habitation. In 1939 the British and Canadians took charge of the site for defence and practice of town combat fighting. There is evidence of 'loop holes' added to existing 18th century walls. Also blast holes added for the realism of the combat village area. A tank road has been added and bridges to the coast was strengthened and extra walkway added to aid troops and tank to deploy to the coast. Evidence of trainings of demolitions are evident with anti-tank cubes having charge holes drilled,one cut in half with a charge. We excavated a ditch exposing corrugated shuttering and concrete plinth, we can only put down to a mortar position due to the location. No advantage or line of sight is possible for anything else. 303 rounds have been found, as well as UX mortar rounds. Most of the team have been excavating a green house with underfloor heating bringing many sherds of pottery from 1800's out. I have been focusing on the WW2 aspect,Nissan huts and ablutions for the barracked troops still mark the ground. This is reinforced with the WW2 aerial reconnaissance photos of the time. Well, that's a few of the things I have been up to, I don't want to ramble on too much. I have been in the field loads with my Pillbox defence survey, now being aided by Sussex Uni students. When I get more to enlighten you all on, I shall post. Hope this of interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Yes Paul , very interesting ,thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisg Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Sorry to hear about the foot. Good to see you at Birling Gap. Very interesting about the tide mills at Newhaven. Got a book about them somewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted November 9, 2010 Share Posted November 9, 2010 Interesting stuff Paul, those plough markings, do they look a bit like gentle terracing? We find walking the downs endlessly fascinating as there is so much ancient info clearly on show to think about, but most people seem to miss it all. We once saw six Kingfishers catching tiny crabs in one the tunnels at the tide mills, you don't see that every day! Great career move, hope it goes well for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted November 10, 2010 Share Posted November 10, 2010 Thanks for the update Paul, hope you get back on your feet soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul connor Posted November 10, 2010 Author Share Posted November 10, 2010 Gitineye: The earth works are a mild terrace yes, it's location is on Bullock Down farm,not far,just behind the Beachy head Countryside centre to the north. Field system on OS maps. It has remains of a small barn and wall sections. To the south of these the terraces are visible. Caused by ploughing, you can see on the ends how the plough would have been lifted and turned,causing this effect. Also 2 circular pits on for the removal of Chalk one for Flint, used in the construction of the walls and other structures in the area. The lower part of the valley is a dried up river bed from pre Ice age. If you follow this valley down to Birling gap you can see on the eroded cliff face the flint layers and the river bed (now underground I expect) which has a very distinct colour change. This can also be seen by Asda in Brighton marina. The differences in soil are due to the river cutting its way down the valley pulling various soils/rocks with it. But leaving the original geology intact. Geology is not my strong point! hope that makes sense! Also worth a note! how did I forget this! A Beaker (2000Bc) settlement on the Birling Gap higher cliffs s/east to the cafe and hotel. This is the largest Beaker settlement in the Uk, but alas is falling off the cliffs at a startling speed each year. Even on a walk over we found flint tools and napping shards. Shame no one wants to fund a dig here! It seems that the reason is the wind and the close proximity to the cliff face. A few small trenches have been cut into the earth work ditches and banks a few years back. It was not so much a defensive position,more status due to the bank being on the outside the ditch on the inner. The trenches were taken I think to show the stratigraphic of the sites bank construction. Post holes were located on the higher showing that it was indeed walled. walking up there its not that visible, the first bank you can see the second is very hard to locate. For Tunnellad *** There was a shaft (now fallen into the sea) from the cliff top to far below sea level, its reasoning could not be worked out. It was just big enough to fit one person down? they are still baffled on that. Ideas thrown out are an elaborate burial chamber.. If it doubt, just say its "ritual" haha Startling that they could dig that distance down in those days with very little in the way of tools.. Ok, must dash, hope that makes sense, not read through it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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