BURNT ROW COPSE: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION:

M Lyons Head of History Weald School Billingshurst.

INTRODUCTION

Burnt row copse is a spear-head shaped stand of trees to the west of Billingshurst and abutting the new by-pass that encircles the village. To the north new playing pitches and car parking have been developed and to the south-east, a recycling and refuse scheme is now in operation.

The copse is bordered to the north by a ditch and path and entry can be made to the site by a style at the north west tip. The land stretching away to the west is arable and currently large fields to the south are under the plough. Fields to the north-west are given over to grassland and there is some suggestion of medieval field terracing although the evidence is not completely clear.

The geology of the area varies a little but is mostly natural clay and fine, dark, fertile top-soil. This type of land is excellent for a variety of farming needs and clearly agriculture has taken place around the site from the most ancient of times.

The great Roman Road of Stane Street lies approximately half a mile to the east of the copse but new and less new housing developments have obliterated any details that may have shown a relationship between site and road.

The site was extremely overgrown on our early visits although experts from Brinsbury College and in particular Mr Paul Foskett have been tirelessly working to clear the site of ivy and brambles and restore the wild flora that given the chance would quickly return. Much of the hard labour needed to bring this initiative to fruition has come from The Weald School at which I am Head of History

The site is devoid of buildings although early visits suggested that one or more may have been present in the past