The original medieval settlement and manor of Albury, in Albury Park, is well-known for its displacement by the local lord(s) of the manor in the late 18th and early 19th century and re-location a kilometre away, to the present-day village, formerly the manor of Weston.
Between 1995 and 1997 Surrey Archaeological Society carried out excavations under the direction of Steve Dyer to investigate archaeological evidence revealed when a tree blew over at Cocks Farm, Abinger. The presence of a villa had been known since the 1870s when Roman walls were found during the expansion of a kitchen garden . When well-preserved remains of an east-west range of a Roman building were discovered, the fieldwork was targeted to provide information for the future management of the site and to indicate a suitable area for scheduling as an ancient monument.
A community test-pitting program took place in 2019 at Rowhurst near Leatherhead in Surrey. The site has a Grade II* listed building on the site dating back to 1346 and surface finds on the site included Bronze Age and Roman pottery and an Iron Age gold stater. The public were given experience in both test-pitting and finds processing.
In March 2022, a small team of volunteers from Surrey Archaeological Society carried out a geophysical magnetometry survey and fieldwalking exercise on Neale’s Field, Chipstead as part of a small community project. This work was undertaken in order to investigate an unusual concentration of early metal-detecting finds, most notably a number of rare 15th century coins, which led to speculation of the site being the possible location of a medieval fair which was recorded at Chipstead from the 13th century, and to define, date and characterise the site.
This note covers the results of archaeological monitoring of a pipeline trench excavated between the Hawthorne Pavilion in Farnham Park and the northern end of Upper South Park View in Farnham (centred SU 840 474). A few finds of possible Civil War date were recorded.
A new report on the prehistoric pottery from rescue excavations carried out between 1961 and 1968, at Weston Wood, Surrey, ahead of sand extraction, has just been published online.
Seven archaeological test pits were excavated in Old Stable Field, Nonsuch Park, Ewell (centred NGR TQ 2318 6370) during an Open Weekend on 21st –22nd September 2019. This work was carried out in accordance with a Project Design as part of the Surrey Archaeological Society (SyAS) Test Pitting Programme (funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant) in partnership with Epsom & Ewell History & Archaeology Society.
In November 2019 the final season at this muddy site took place. The intention was only to complete excavating a few features which had been left unfinished in 2018 when the team had to leave the site due to the deeply unpleasant conditions caused by the ‘Beast from the East’. Fortunately November 2019 was rather kinder and in spite of some rainy days there were enough dry ones for the work to take place within few days. In November 2019 the final season at this muddy site took place.
A survey of 51 churches and their medieval graffiti was undertaken by Abigail Coskun as part of her Durham University undergraduate dissertation, entitled 'Life and Death, Demons and Devotion: the Medieval Graffiti of Surrey’s Parish Churches'.
In March 2018, a trench was opened to investigate a pit and ditch formation found in 2017 to the east of the known site. However, due to the weather and soil conditions it was not possible to undertake much work safely for either the archaeology or the volunteers (who were remarkably determined in spite of the challenging conditions). We now hope to return to deal with unfinished business in the autumn.
Watching brief by D&A Graham of SyAS. The footing trenches for an extension were examined. No finds or features of archaeological interest were revealed, with the site having apparently been horizontally truncated during the construction of a previous extension in the 20th century.
For more information please view the attached report
The annual excavation took place at Cocks Farm Abinger in June-July 2017 under the direction of Emma Corke. Volunteers excavated two trenches in an area of high agricultural activity on the hill adjacent to the known Roman villa site. This area was identified during a magnetometry survey looking at the environs of the villa which uncovered a Roman field system, a Roman lime kiln and a concentration of pits.
A fourth season of excavation at Bookham Courte, a medieval manor house near the centre of Great Bookham. Of the four new trenches, one was an extension of trench 7 in 2016. All the trenches contained medieval pottery suggesting the site went back to the 11th century. The remains of flint and mortar walls were found, but the archaeology showed that there had been various buildings or structures in the area over a long period.
The West Lodge building(s) is to the east side of Blacksmith Lane at the west (main) entrance to the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills Middle Works site originally serving as an entry control point.
An 8th season of excavation in the current project took place in the field adjacent to the known Roman villa. Two trenches were sited to both pick up and clarify features found in 2015 and to explore magnetic anomalies to the NE of the 2015 trench. The smaller of the trenches to the west of the main trench uncovered just the base of the IA enclosure ditch and the lower 60cm of a storage pit, confirming the loss of archaeological features to erosion on the western slope of the field.
The well-known Roman temples site at Wanborough lies north of the Hog’s Back between Farnham and Guildford. The site was first excavated in 1979, again in 1985/6 following large scale treasure hunting and most recently in 1999 when David Williams directed an excavation that revealed a second earlier circular temple (Surrey Archaeological Collections vols 75, 82 and 93 respectively).
Resistivity survey and trial trenching by D Graham of SyAS in advance of the construction of a new footpath from the postern gate to the buildings of the bailey. Both trenches contained disturbed ground with 19th century and later material. The resistivity survey showed a rectangular anomaly that may be the corner of the medieval gate tower.
Ashtead Roman villa was first discovered in the 1920s and excavated by A. W. G. Lowther and A. R. Cotton, when extensive evidence for a tilery was also noted. Further work was carried out in the 1960s by John Hampton who carried out a site survey; the site had much less vegetation cover than is now the case. Both Lowther’s published reports and Hampton's survey left many unanswered questions aand so a new research programme was initiated in 2006, directed by Dr. David Bird.
A month of excavation took place in June 2015 in the field outside the scheduled villa area. Thanks to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly on the sandy subsoil to uncover evidence for probably two consecutive later Iron Age enclosures on the hilltop, each with large, deep flat-bottomed storage pits surely intended for grain. A number of late Iron Age and Roman ditches were also uncovered and these and the pits validated the findings of the magnetometry surveys undertaken in the field over the last few years.
First of all, a big thank you to everyone who helped to make the latest season at Abinger such a success. It may seem odd to say that in view of our failure to finish the trench, but this was a result of finding that there was more surviving archaeology than anticipated. Much of this must be down to your hard work in tackling the difficulties of finding archaeological features in sand. As a result we have a much better understanding of the site and how to approach it in future.
The Heritage Lottery funded a community project, run by Nigel Randall, investigating Reigate Fort on Colley Hill. Surrey Archaeological Society was asked to survey the bank and ditch feature in Margery Wood, for which there was no funding. A pdf of the full report is attached.
In 2014 land on Gravelly Hill was purchased by Caterham School and they expressed an interest in knowing the archaeological and historical background to their new land. The late Peter Gray had already noted the presence of earthworks within the area but access had previously been limited. As a result of the change of ownership members of the Surrey Archaeological Society undertook aa measured survey of the land within the medieval park and a small area to its immediate north.
Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS on the conversion of a late 18th century barn in 2013. Apart from a possible clay/chalk floor and signs of an episode of burning, there was no evidence for any activity on the site other than the remains of a shallow brick wall running across the centre of the building. The bricks were relatively modern, but underlay the concrete floor and probably represent the line of an earlier partition wall. It seems likely that the area was either open fields or backlands until the barn was constructed in the late 18th century.
Dry Hill Camp is a large enclosure of probable Iron Age date looking across the Eden/Medway Valley to the northern part of the Low Weald and North Downs. It is multi-vallate and lies just within Surrey, close to both Kent and Mid-Sussex. An excavation in 1932 recovered few finds and the site remained enigmatic. From 2011-2013 a level 3 tape and compass survey to check the condition of the earthworks was undertaken and a report is now available in the pdf attached below.
The final main season of excavation on Ashtead Common was undertaken by the Society’s Roman Studies Group in August and September this year. The ground was very dry at first at the end of the long dry spell, making excavation difficult, but it did allow work in places that would usually have been under water (and indeed were at the end of the dig). The excavation was aimed principally at completing work on the area of the newly discovered building, the Lowther villa and the tile kiln(s).
A watchig brief by D Graham of SyAS in advance of the development of the site for car parking and sports facilities found nothing of archaeological interest earlier than the late Victorian period.
For more information please view the attached report
Watching brief by A and D Graham of SyAS revealed evidence of post-medieval pits and a wall that may represent evidence of a cellar that appeared to pre-date the construction of the current 18th century building.
For more information please view the attached report.
The final main season of excavation on Ashtead Common was undertaken by the Society’s Roman Studies Group in August and September this year. The ground was very dry at first at the end of the long dry spell, making excavation difficult, but it did allow work in places that would usually have been under water (and indeed were at the end of the dig). The excavation was aimed principally at completing work on the area of the newly discovered building, the Lowther villa and the tile kiln(s).
The site of The Old Forge (SU 83924 46729) lies adjacent to the corner of Upper and Middle Church Lanes in Farnham. The site is archaeologically sensitive, being close to the Parish Church and in the likely area of any Saxon settlement. The planning application for the site (WA/2011/0037) refers to ‘internal and external alterations…’ - in fact the building was demolished.
Mounds on Reigate Heath scheduled as prehistoric burial mounds, and one other potential barrow, have been subjected to analytical survey and their landscape context examined.
The attached pdf is the full report of this work of which a paper is published in the Surrey Archaeological Society Collections.
During the summer of 2011, an archaeological investigation of the garden to the rear of no 45 (SU 83894 47104) was carried out prior to the construction of an extension to the house and subsequently to monitor the footing trenches during building works.
Watching brief by A Graham of SyAS. Two possible quarry pits of likely 18th/19th century date were revealed.
For more information please view the attached report
Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS in advance of building work. Evidence was found that the southern brick boundary wall had been built on top of and on the same alignment as a medieval ditch, which probably marked the line of the original 12th century burgage plot. The ditch had been cut by a later building, possibly 15th/16th century in date, which appeared to extend across width of the garden, and was probably contained within the curtilage of the plot.
In 1996 the three barrows and the one immediately to the north were surveyed by the RCHME in advance of work to repair damage caused by horses and walkers eroding the mounds. This work involved capping the mounds, though not the southernmost one, with sand and laying gravel along the line of the paths that cross the crests of the barrows. By 2010 the gravel paths were again eroding away and the mounds being damaged by the pressure of public use of the Common.
This barrow was surveyed by the RCHME in 1996 in advance of repair work, which involved raising the mound by about 60cm and laying gravel along the line of the footpath which crosses the barrow. By 2010 this gravel had worn away and this mound together with the group of three to the south, was re-surveyed by D and A Graham of SyAS at the request of English Heritage, to record the state of the monument.
The Lithics Working Group has reassessed a collection of palaeolithic artefacts assembled by Henry Bury, a member of the Surrey Archaeological Society during the early 20th century, as well as the Geological Society and the Hampshire Field Club in which he was active into his 90’s. He published extensively on geology and palaeolithic artefacts in academic journals.
Survey of and test pitting between the bell and disc barrows on Horsell Common, Woking (TQ 01446 59817) in 2009.
For more information plese view the attached report.
An analytical survey of Hascombe Hillfort (TQ 005 386) was carried out by members of the Surrey Archaeological Society over the winter of 2008-09, and a magnetometry survey of part of the interior took place in the spring of 2009. A full report of these activities (of which this is a summary) has been lodged in the Surrey Archaeological Society library.
Setting:
Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS in advance of development (SU 85507 46888) revealed a single possible ditch, of probably recent origin. No other finds or features of interest were revealed.
For more information please view the attached report.
For some years now David and Audrey Graham have been undertaking fieldwork on the site of the building complex at Whitebeech, Chiddingfold in order to gain a better understanding of this enigmatic site. What follows is the text of a recent report to English Heritage dealing with the outcome of a geophysical survey. The report contains a useful summary of what has been achieved to date.
Summary
Watching brief and resistivity survey by D Graham of SyAS during topsoil removal to create additional car parking spaces. The site lies outside the area of the former (now filled in) inner bailey ditch, and no features were detected. A number of finds were recovered during the topsoil removal, however, including a number of musket and pistol balls, and three powder caps from gunpowder flasks. An incursion of parliamentary forces into the castle courtyard occurred on 26 November 1642, with the royalist garrison surrendering as a result.
In 2005 Listed Building Consent was granted for works in Gardiner’s Wing, Farnham Castle. The Wing was divided into several small rooms and the proposal was to remove a
number of internal partition walls dating from the 1930s and later to create an open plan office space. The consent required an archaeological/historic buildings survey to be carried out during the course of the building works and this report is the result of that requirement.
For more information please view the attached report.
Excavation of a section across the Frensham and Tilford parish boundary at SU 8540 4340.
For more information please view the attached report.
At the request of Mrs Anne Jones, Keeper of the Museum, a small team from Surrey Archaeological Society and the Farnham & District Museum Society excavated an evaluation
trench to the south of the Garden Gallery on 9 July 2006. The aim of the excavation was to test for the presence of archaeological material prior to the construction of a replacement building for the existing Gallery. Previous excavations in the garden, closer to the Museum, had revealed extensive archaeological deposits dating from the 12th century onwards (Surrey
Archaeological Collections, 84, 169-180).
Evaluation by D Graham of SyAS to examine the condition of the southern curtain wall and inform remedial works. The remains of an earlier, possibly 17th century, retaining wall was revealed.
For more information please view the attached report.
Watching brief by D Graham of SyAS during the excavation of a pipeline trench at Wayneflete’s Tower (SU 83753 47254). Little of archaeological interest was revealed in an investigation that was too limited to intrude into archaeologically significant levels. It was apparent that the ground around the tower had been raised by around 0.5m, suggesting that any subsequent intrusions below this depth will damage archaeological remains.
For more information please view the attached report.
Topographic survey of the eastern barrow of the pair (SU 9107 4093) on Thursley Common by D & A Graham of SyAS.
Repair works to the dam at South Park moat (SU 9160 3555; Scheduled Monument Surrey Nat No 12756) were carried out in July 2004 and involved cutting a 40cm-wide, 4m long and 2m deep slit trench roughly centrally from the south edge of the sluice. The work was supervised by D Graham of SyAS. No finds of archaeological material were made, but the west section of the trench was recorded.
For more information please view the attached report.
A project consisting of an initial test geophysical survey in February 2004 followed in April 2004 by a larger survey linked to an archaeological test trench. The hilltop appears to have been levelled before the church was built and, possibly in the Victorian period, raised again around the church with a mix of sand, mortar, tile sherds.. Little prehistoriv material was found, despite being reported from elsewhere in the vicinity. TQ 0275 4826.
For more information please view the attached report.
Trial trenching in fields at Frensham Manor in 2001 located a Roman occupation site which survives below plough soil level and would appear to represent the remains of a small farmstead dating from the late 1st to the 3rd centuries AD.
Following on from the successful gridded field survey at Chiddingfold a similar exercise wascarried out in the field adjacent to the Roman bath house at Chatley Farm. The building was first noticed in 1942 exposed in a river bluff formed by the Mole, which flows just to the east of Chatley Farm. The site was subsequently excavated by Sheppard Frere (1949) and turned out to be a bath house of 4th century date.
The Roman religious site at Wanborough (SU 9204 4958) has a long history of being damaged by treasure hunters and in many ways is the most notorious example of such activity in the country. Following the discovery of the site in the late 1970s a number of raids took place, leading to the mounting of a rescue excavation in 1985-6 (O’Connell & Bird 1994).
A small-scale archaeological investigation at the mouth of the cave was carried out on 18 May 2002 by a team from Surrey Archaeological Society. The work was requested by Waverley Borough Council’s Heritage Officer in advance of the installation of new wrought iron gates. The landowners kindly gave permission for the work.
For more information please view the attached report
An archaeological fieldwalking exercise was undertaken on the site of the large comples of Roman buildings at Chiddinfold. The project was led by T Howe of SCC and D Graham of SyAS.
For more information please view the attached report.
Hillbury Camp, on Puttenham Common, is a univallate earthwork, listed, on no clear grounds, as Iron Age in the county Historic Environment Record and by English Heritage. The camp (SU 9115 4680) is sited at the extreme west end of an east/west sandstone ridge, covers about 2ha (5 acres) and has a defensive circuit consisting of a single bank and ditch earthwork that runs on the fort’s north, east and south sides.
For more information please view the attached report.
Trial trenching in fields at Frensham Manor (centred SU 8396 4045) in 2001 located a Roman occupation site which survives below plough soil level and would appear to represent the remains of a small farmstead dating from the late 1st to the 3rd centuries AD. Finds of redeposited fragments of highly fired clay flooring point to the presence of a kiln in the immediate vicinity and metal detector finds from adjacent fields are indicative of further Roman activity in the area.
In 1997 Waverley Borough Council, the landowner, commissioned a preliminary survey into the historical and archaeological background of the land that forms the New or Little Park (now Farnham Park), just to the north east of the town of Farnham, in Surrey. The Park, which is a public open space, has been the site of a number of finds of important antiquities in recent years.
A watching brief by K D Graham of SyAS on the works for a rear extension revealed no features or finds of archaeological interest apart from a carved stone block with the initials of James Newland Baker who was responsible for constructing the walls in the 19th century.
A watching brief by K D Graham of SyAS on the construction of a house on this site revealed no features or finds of archaeological interest. A metal detector survey also produced no material earlier than the 19th century.
Building works within the standing building, which dates to the late 16th century, revealed a number of features subsequently recorded by D Graham. A small mortar-lined conical pit containing solidified lead was identified, presumably the remains of a furnace associated with lead working. No dating evidence was recovered, but the furnace must pre-date the standing building and appeared to be later than a stone floor, apparently of 13th century date, which was also recorded. From evidence elsewhere in the town, it is thought likely that the furnace dates to the early 16th century.
A watching brief by K D Graham of SyAS on works for a rear extension confirmed that the site had previously been extensively disturbed and no trace survived of the 13th century pottery kiln identified in 1991.
For more information please view the attached report
Building works were carried out during 1994/1995, the main element of which was to add an extension to the west end of the house and to lay a new floor in the 'Well room'. Since the latter operation involved lifting the existing concrete floor and removing 50-60 cm of underlying deposits, the authors were asked by Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council to undertake an archaeological watching brief on the works.
Report by A and D Graham of a sheep wash set into the dam at the outflow of Frensham Great Pond, probably constructed shortly after the commons were enclosed in 1851. (286)
As a result of this work, 1 Roman coin and 1 piece of RB roof tile was found with a very light scatter of medieval and post-medieval pottery and modern building debris. Apart from the pit and redeposited material in trench 25, no archaeological features were found.
A metal detector survey was carried out by members of a local club, who recovered a 17th century trader's token, but otherwise only found post-medieval (mostly 19th and 20th
century) material.
Recording by D Graham of SyAS of a fireplace of probable 16th century exposed during building works.
A programme of fieldwalking and woodland inspection carried out between 1985 and 1989 shed light on the changing pattern of settlement and land-use within the Tillingbourne valley.
The attached pdf is a full report of this work of which a paper is published in Vol 101 of the Surrey Archaeological Society Collections.
A 19th century burial vault was discovered in the churchyard in August 1987 when a section of pathway collapsed leaving a 1m-wide circular hole. Members of the local archaeological group, led by D Graham of SyAS, were allowed to record the vault before it was backfilled with sand to render it safe.
Archaeological investigations carried out at the moated site of the Royal Manor House of Guildford Park (SU 9691 4931) from1972 to 1975 are described. The site, which has no significant standing buildings, forms part of the garden of Manor Farm and is owned by the University of Surrey. Geophysical surveys, other surveys, historical records and discussions with the tenant farmer were used to decide on the relatively small parts of the site that would be most convenient and valuable to investigate.
During October 1971, a limited excavation was carried out beneath the floor of one of the rooms of this old timber frame house in an effort to establish the date of its construction. In this some success was met with, but an added bonus was the discovery of the kitchen area of an earlier, more substantial medieval house. No 12 is the building at the rear of Tanyard House.
For more information please view the attached report.
Trial trenching inside 17 Red Lion Lane (Brudge Square), Farnham (SU 8411 4652) showed two earlier phases of building: one earlier medieval, one 15th century, underlying the existing cottage.
For more information please view the attached report.
No evidence was found of any occupation earlier than 19th century in date and the lack of finds would seem to indicate that there was no settlement in the immediate area.
For more information please view the attached report
Excavation by the late Dennis Turner prior to a development close to the parish church in Carshalton recovered worked flint, including an important collection of microliths from the Mesolithic period, and pottery dating from Early Neolithic to the medieval period.
The attached pdf is the full report from which a paper is published in Vol 101 of the Surrey Archaeological Society Collections.
Between 1995 and 1997 Surrey Archaeological Society carried out excavations under the direction of Steve Dyer to investigate archaeological evidence revealed when a tree blew over at Cocks Farm, Abinger. The presence of a villa had been known since the 1870s when Roman walls were found during the expansion of a kitchen garden . When well-preserved remains of an east-west range of a Roman building were discovered, the fieldwork was targeted to provide information for the future management of the site and to indicate a suitable area for scheduling as an ancient monument.
