⇐ W.I.R.G.: 1st Series Bulletin No. 14, 1978W.I.R.G.: 1st Series Bulletin No. 16, 1979 ⇒
Wealden Iron Research Group: First Series Bulletin No. 15, 1979, edited by D. W. Crossley, published 1979 (Wealden Iron Research Group) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Report of the Field Group, by C. F. Tebbutt, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, report, p.2) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Excavations and Explorations, by C. F. Tebbutt, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, report, pp.2-10) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Waldron and Pippingford Furnaces, by C. F. Tebbutt, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, report, pp.10-11) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Bloomery Furnace Experiments, by R. J. Adams, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, article, p.11) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Excavations in the Iron-Age Hill Fort and Romano-British Iron-Working Settlement at Garden Hill, Hartfield, East Sussex (1968-1978), by J. H. Money and A. D. F. Streeten, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, article, pp.16-26) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Abstract:Garden Hill, part of an area known as 'The Park', is a NE-pointing spur of high ground 1½ miles (2.4km.) east of Wych Cross and 3½ miles (5.6km.) SW of Hartfield (in which parish of East Sussex it lies), between 500 and 550 feet above sea level. The nearest towns are Tunbridge Wells, 10 miles (16km.) north-east, and East Grinstead, 5 miles (8km.) north-west. The ground falls away fairly steeply on the north, south and east sides of the hill, but there is a level approach from the west. The subsoil is Ashdown Sand. The top of the hill is mainly flat, growing luxuriant bracken, with a sprinkling of trees, chiefly sweet chestnut and birch, but including a few very old yews.
Garden Hill lies near a minor Roman road (Margary 148), which in turn connects with the main London-Lewes road (Margary 14) at Gallypot Street. If, as is likely, a road linked the Romano-British settlement to Route 148, it would probably have been on the NW side, where the intervening ground is flat.
It is clear from the archaeological excavation that sometime in the past the hill-top was lightly ploughed and, as part of The Park, it may have been under grass. At present, Garden Hill lies within the Army Training Area of Pippingford Park and is owned by the Ministry of Defence.
In 1968 our Chairman, Mr C.F. Tebbutt, discovered the earthwork, which encloses an oblong area of about 6.8 acres (2.7 hectares) on the hill and has been proved to be a late Iron Age hill-fort with a typical inturned entrance at the NE corner there is possibly another entrance at the NW corner.
After promising trial excavations in the SE corner by Mr Tebbutt, in which first-century AD Romano-British material was found, the earthwork and the area which it enclosed were scheduled as an Ancient Monument by the then Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, fenced off from the rest of the Training Area and placed out of bounds to troops. The earthwork was surveyed and a plan drawn by Mr E.W. Holden.
In 1972, a small group, directed by Mr J.H. Money and Mr Tebbutt, investigated an area where buried structures were evident and excavated what turned out to be a small but complete 2nd-century AD Romano-British bath-building.
Following these encouraging results the Garden Hill Excavation Group was formed with the support of the Sussex Archaeological Society, and excavation on a much larger scale has taken place annually since 1973. These excavations have produced evidence of Neolithic/Bronze Age/Early pre-Roman Iron Age occupation of the hill-top and uncovered remains of the late pre-Roman Iron Age and a Romano-British iron-working settlement of the first, second and early third centuries AD.
Garden Hill lies near a minor Roman road (Margary 148), which in turn connects with the main London-Lewes road (Margary 14) at Gallypot Street. If, as is likely, a road linked the Romano-British settlement to Route 148, it would probably have been on the NW side, where the intervening ground is flat.
It is clear from the archaeological excavation that sometime in the past the hill-top was lightly ploughed and, as part of The Park, it may have been under grass. At present, Garden Hill lies within the Army Training Area of Pippingford Park and is owned by the Ministry of Defence.
In 1968 our Chairman, Mr C.F. Tebbutt, discovered the earthwork, which encloses an oblong area of about 6.8 acres (2.7 hectares) on the hill and has been proved to be a late Iron Age hill-fort with a typical inturned entrance at the NE corner there is possibly another entrance at the NW corner.
After promising trial excavations in the SE corner by Mr Tebbutt, in which first-century AD Romano-British material was found, the earthwork and the area which it enclosed were scheduled as an Ancient Monument by the then Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, fenced off from the rest of the Training Area and placed out of bounds to troops. The earthwork was surveyed and a plan drawn by Mr E.W. Holden.
In 1972, a small group, directed by Mr J.H. Money and Mr Tebbutt, investigated an area where buried structures were evident and excavated what turned out to be a small but complete 2nd-century AD Romano-British bath-building.
Following these encouraging results the Garden Hill Excavation Group was formed with the support of the Sussex Archaeological Society, and excavation on a much larger scale has taken place annually since 1973. These excavations have produced evidence of Neolithic/Bronze Age/Early pre-Roman Iron Age occupation of the hill-top and uncovered remains of the late pre-Roman Iron Age and a Romano-British iron-working settlement of the first, second and early third centuries AD.
Batsford Furnace, 1978, by D. R. Bedwin, published 1979 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 15, report, pp.27-31) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Batsford Furnace is one of those mentioned in the 1574 list of Wealden Ironworks. The site lies in a narrow valley between the villages of Cowbeech and Rushlake Green. The bay still exists to a height of about 3m; there is no pond, however, and the stream, known as Furnace Brook, has broken through the south-western end of the bay. Considerable blast furnace slag was present in the area behind the bay, and three 'bears' were visible here, one of them embedded in the bank of the stream.
During the summer of 1978, work began in the valley on the construction of a fish farm. The tree cover was first removed, and large-scale earthmoving undertaken to form a series of dams across the valley. It became clear that any archaeological site in the vicinity was threatened with destruction. This was brought to the notice of the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit by Mr C.F. Tebbutt, and it was decided to excavate the furnace in October and November, 1978.
During the summer of 1978, work began in the valley on the construction of a fish farm. The tree cover was first removed, and large-scale earthmoving undertaken to form a series of dams across the valley. It became clear that any archaeological site in the vicinity was threatened with destruction. This was brought to the notice of the Sussex Archaeological Field Unit by Mr C.F. Tebbutt, and it was decided to excavate the furnace in October and November, 1978.
⇐ W.I.R.G.: 1st Series Bulletin No. 14, 1978W.I.R.G.: 1st Series Bulletin No. 16, 1979 ⇒