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Surrey: Latest Posts |
Previous 10 | Showing 21-30 of 278 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Crooksbury Common (Round Barrow(s)) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
 
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Posted by GLADMAN21st April 2023ce |
Turners Hill (Round Barrow(s)) — Images |
 
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Posted by GLADMAN 21st April 2023ce |
Frensham Common (Round Barrow(s)) — Links |
Surrey Archaeological SocietyThere are - at least - some people in Surrey who give a damn. |
Posted by GLADMAN 9th April 2023ce |
Frensham Common (Round Barrow(s)) — Miscellaneous |
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Four bowl barrows crest King's Ridge upon Frensham Common: a large, solitary monument to the north (SU85329 40783) with a trio to its immediate south (SU85340 40644). Much to my chagrin, the common proved to be an overwhelmingly popular haunt for dog walkers, equestrians, mountain bikers and moronic motorbikers during Easter 2023... none of which, as you would no doubt expect in the Surrey Stockbroker Belt, appeared to have the slightest interest in visiting ancient heritage. Ironically, however - and for all the wrong reasons - it would appear this was not always the case, a perusal of The Surrey Archaeological Society's website revealing the extent of serious past erosion by ignorant common users - damn them all to blazes! Sadly, this has necessitated the isolation of the monuments within fencelines, something I abhor, but understand in this instance... although a kissing gate would've been a welcome - and rather obvious - amenity to placate those venturing upon the common to use their brain. As it is I was able to access the triple alignment owing to damage to said fence... the latter something a pedestrian gate may well have prevented. But there you are - please bear this in mind should you choose to come. Historic England has the following to note: Northern: "... a bowl barrow situated on the crest of a ridge in the Lower Greensand. The barrow mound has dimensions of 20m north-south by 23m east-west by 1.8m high. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This is no longer visible, having become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.3m wide." Triple alignment: "... three bowl barrows aligned north-south and situated on the crest of a ridge in the Lower Greensand. The northern and largest of the three barrows has a mound 30m in diameter and 2m high with a slight dip in the centre suggesting that it was once partially excavated. This mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. Visible remains of this survive to the north and west of the mound as an earthwork 3m wide and 0.5m deep; elsewhere it survives as a buried feature. The central barrow has a mound 15m in diameter and 1.1m high. This too shows evidence of probable partial excavation and is also surrounded by a ditch still visible as a slight depression to the east and west of the mound. The southern barrow comprises a mound 18m in diameter and 1.2m high with a surrounding ditch 3m wide and 0.5m deep visible to the east and south." |
Posted by GLADMAN 9th April 2023ce |
Godstone (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) — Links |
Hilly Fields Barrows, Godstone |
Posted by GLADMAN 1st January 2023ce |
Castlehill Wood, Godstone (Promontory Fort) — Miscellaneous |
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Located within 'private woodland' to the approx southeast of Godstone, near Leigh Place, this represents the substantial remains of an inland Iron Age promontory fort, the curving defensive cross bank still apparently in excess of 8ft high - to be honest, it looked taller. Although there is no public access - arguably society should review the community obligations of any landowner in such a position? - a public footpath to the immediate east of the site does nonetheless allow a pretty good impression of what is clearly an impressive addition to Surrey's prehistoric story. OK, the noisy A22 does run immediately below, but there you are. Combine a visit with a viewing of Godstone's Bronze Age round barrows just over a mile distant and your time will surely be well spent. The site is a scheduled ancient monument: "The monument includes a promontory fort situated on a spur which projects to the west from a sandstone hill around 1.4km to the south east of Godstone. The promontory fort's defences were constructed across the neck of the spur and survive as a NNE-SSW aligned, approximately 110m long, curving bank around 15m wide and 2.6m high, flanked to the east by an outer ditch up to 15m wide and 1.4m deep. The eastern edge of the ditch has been destroyed by the construction of the modern A22 Godstone bypass during the mid-1980s, and this area is therefore not included in the scheduling. Access to the interior of the fort was provided by a simple gap at the south western end of the ramparts. Contemporary buildings, storage pits and associated structures and features will have covered much of the steeply-sided spur top, and traces of these can be expected to survive in the form of below ground archaeological features. During World War II, the monument was used as an aircraft observation post, represented by a small trench dug into the southern sector of the monument." Refer: O'Connell, M, Poulton, R, 'Surrey Archaeological Collections' in An Excavation at Castle Hill, Godstone, , Vol. 74, (1983), 213-215 |
Posted by GLADMAN 1st January 2023ce |
Castlehill Wood, Godstone (Promontory Fort) — Links |
Castlehill Wood Promontory Fort, GodstoneSadly the landowner would appear not to believe Surrey's heritage should be shared and celebrated. Whatever. |
Posted by GLADMAN 1st January 2023ce |
Castlehill Wood, Godstone (Promontory Fort) — Images |
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Posted by GLADMAN 12th December 2022ce |
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