Prehistoric Group

Abinger Pit Dwelling Museum

Early in 2010 English Heritage approached  Surrey Archaeological Society. They had been asked to assess the Abinger Pit Dwelling museum, owned by Cherry Clarke, as the passage of time had left the premises in a state of disrepair. For those of you not familiar with the site it was discovered in 1948 and excavated in 1950 under the direction of L S B Leakey, who was staying in the area. Owned by Major E Beddington-Behrens, living in Abinger Manor, it was regarded of importance and a museum was established, in the field, by the erection of an agricultural build

Chaldon Report 2012 and 2020

Transcription of aerial photographs by Simon Crutchley (English Heritage) led Mike Russell (2002) to suggest the presence of a prehistoric field system at land on Willey Farm, Chaldon, and that it might be associated with the nearby hillfort known as either War Coppice or Cardinal’s Cap. A visit to the area showed that some of the field boundaries appeared as above ground earthworks and it was decided that an analytical survey would be undertaken by members of the Prehistoric Group. An interim report was published in 2012 below. A report on the completed work has been published in 2020 and is available as a pdf attachment to this page.

Charlwood Project

In 2012 David Williams reported in Bulletin 431 on a Late Iron Age and Early Roman site at Charlwood where a group of coins and other objects had been found by members of the Weald and Downland metal detector club. A magnetometry survey in May 2011 confirmed the possibility of buried archaeological features.

PG Survey work

The Prehistoric Group has arranged for two landscape surveys to take place during autumn 2015 to spring 2016, commencing in October. As usual they will be on Sundays (weather permitting). One is to continue work on what may be the remnants of a prehistoric field system on the North Downs near Chaldon; the other is the project in woods recently purchased by Caterham School where the late Peter Gray and Gwyneth Fookes suggested that a number of earthworks exist (Bull 268, 1992). The aim of this project is to assist Caterham School to develop a woodland management plan.

News

Arrangements are also in hand for a visit to Down Farm on Cranborne Chase. Martin Green enabled an extensive research project to take place on his land. There is now a trail which includes burial mounds, henges, parts of the Dorset Cursus and Ackling Dyke Roman road. Martin also has a small private museum packed with interesting items. He has indicated that he will be happy to guide a group around Down Farm and we are looking at a date in June 2016. Register your interest now. Details will be confirmed late in 2015.

 

Charlwood Project

In 2012 David Williams reported in Bulletin 431 on a Late Iron Age and Early Roman site at Charlwood where a group of coins and other objects had been found by members of the Weald and Downland metal detector club. A magnetometry survey in May 2011 confirmed the possibility of buried archaeological features. The coins and associated objects were declared Treasure in 2012 and subsequently acquired by the Society. In November 2013 further magnetometry took place, after which plans were made to evaluate the results of these surveys.

Fieldwalking in Chilworth

                                                                      

Members of the Prehistoric Group undertook a fieldwalking exercise in Chilworth in June 2014. The group had been alerted by Andrew Norris that a field on the southern slopes of St. Martha’s Hill and belonging to Chilworth Manor had recently been ploughed. This field had been pasture for many years and was being prepared to plant a vineyard so this was a limited opportunity to walk over land on the hill which is mostly mixed woodland and open grassland.

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