| BURNT ROW COPSE: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL
INVESTIGATION:
EXCAVATION
My earliest visits to the Burnt Row site were in the company
of Ms Sarah Welsh, Head of the Mathematics Faculty at the Weald
School and an enthusiastic and able archaeologist. These visits
were rather dominated by the thickness of the undergrowth which
proliferated on the site and by the thick glutinous mud that resulted
from the continual outpourings of the well/spring (see picture
1).
An early and obvious find on our first visit was a large flat
stone that still sits near and to the south of the path. It is
still unclear whether this is a naturally or human shaped stone
or whether its position is deliberate or by chance.
After clambering through brambles and over fallen trees we were
able to discover some signs of human habitation. The roots of
the fallen trees gave a useful ‘key hole’ into the
ground beneath and very evident were fragments of mortar, brick
and tile (see picture 2)
Mr Pete Stockwood, the Premises Officer at the Weald also accompanied
us on that first visit and was able to give useful information
about the site from his own childhood stretching back to the 1950’s.
Pete explained that the well at that time had been housed inside
a small brick building which may have accounted for the fragments
we had discovered.
After more searching we found some more obviously domestic detritus
some distance and to the north west from the well. These appeared
to be the remains of an early/mid twentieth century cooking range
or oven (see picture 3)and when we left we able to tentatively
conclude that the remains of a building may well be hidden somewhere
on the site.
The next visits before actual excavation took place were wholly
given over with locating likely positions for test trenches. Paul
Foskett’s ongoing work began to pay increasing dividends
and a surface drag of the site turned up an increasing number
of finds and allowed us to concentrate our endeavours where the
proportion of finds was the heaviest.
We eventually planned to open two trenches (see fig 3) and opened
a third soon after digging began. We have since spent three Saturdays
on the excavation working for approximately five hours on each
day. The digging team has been of varied age and experience (see
picture 4) but rigorous protocols have been applied throughout
the excavation.
The number of finds has been prodigious and cataloguing is still
underway. The general interpretation of the excavation thus far
is overwhelming and supportive of the site survey results.
The majority of finds have been either fragments of domestic
objects or building materials. Dateable finds have been in short
supply but two coins have been discovered, a sixpenny piece dated
1914 and a halfpenny piece from 1934. All the other domestic fragments
appear to be from around the same dates but not much later.
The building materials vary from mortar, brick and tile that
are unmarked, to bricks which are clearly marked with manufacturer’s
names. Research to find out more about their origins is underway.
The domestic finds are fascinating and include many pieces of
heavy glass bottles of far thicker construction than is the norm
today (see picture 5).
The many pieces of ceramic ware vary considerably in type and
range from ‘Woolworths’ ‘Ming Range’ (see
picture 6) to heavy, unmarked earthenware.
Many finds offer a keyhole glimpse into the domestic arrangements
of the occupants. A Women’s Institute badge, ‘Yeastvite’
bottles, children’s toys, and a gin trap that may have been
used to provide food for the table! (See pictures 7 and 8)
Fragments of a clay pipe, a ‘Bakelite’ pen handle
and a domino were also found quite close together in trench three.
(See picture 9)
Despite the time spent on the excavation we have hardly scraped
the surface. Most finds have been found in the top four inches
of the soil suggesting that the building and at least some of
its contents may have been bulldozed and levelled.
The process is labour-intensive and time consuming but must be
so if an accurate and permanent record of the excavation is to
be compiled.
During the final three excavation days which concluded in the
early autumn of 2005 we were able to uncover a significant section
of concrete foundation (see picture ten)
Despite the profusion of roots that seemed to deliberately want
to thwart our efforts we were able to follow this section of foundation
for approximately two metres. Large surrounding trees halted us
from going further but we were able conclude that this was the
foundation for the south-western wall of Weavers Cottage. The
line of the foundation runs parallel to the brick feature that
must represent the line of the north eastern wall of the same
cottage.
During the last two excavation days yet more domestic evidence
from the site was discovered and has been sorted, cleaned and
stored.
By the late autumn of 2005 further excavation had to be halted
to allow the seeding of the site to take place. Further excavations
on the rest of the site may well take place in the future but
the results so far can be judged to be an overwhelming success.
Upward of fifty volunteers have taken part in the various excavation
days over the two years that the project has run. Most of these
have been students at the Weald School who have been able to develop
their archaeological skills in a practical fashion.
With the help of John Hurd’s brilliant desk top research
and the fascinating memories of Mrs Haywire’s the excavation
has been able to complete the enquiry and physically support the
evidence so far collected.
Information boards will be erected on the site not only informing
the public about the buildings which once stood there and the
people who inhabited them but also about the many people who were
involved in digging up the past and putting together the fascinating
history of this small plot of land on the edge of the village
of Billingshurst!
|
