20th century

1901-2000

Hankley Common

Report by C Shepheard of an ‘Atlantic Wall’ built for military training in World War II. The concrete wall measures 3m in height, by 3.5m width, with a total length of 100m, in the centre of which is a 6m wide gap, to be closed by steel gates. The wall shows the results of two explosions, which left gaps of about 3.5m in width. At one end of the wall were originally several types of tank trap. (285, SIHG 79)

Student Village, Falkner Road, Farnham

Evaluation of the site for the new student village for the West Surrey College of Art and Design was carried out by D Graham and volunteers from the Farnham & District Museum Society. One pit of unknown date was recorded as was chalk and clunch masonry possibly dumped from works at the castle. A silver denarius and a piece of Roman roof tile were recovered and presumed to derive from upslope (later survey work confirmed a concentration of such tile at SU 834 472). A metal detector survey of the site recovered a 17th century trader’s token (John Smallpeece of Guildford).

Downs Farm, Ewell

Evaluation by G Hayman of SCAU for Dwellcourt Ltd. as part of an application for the construction of a golf course. A pit containing Iron Age material was recorded in the 1940s, and presumed to relate to a contemporary settlement, but no evidence for this was located during the evaluation. A few pieces of burnt flint were recovered, but the only feature found was a modern pit.

The White Horse Hotel, Haslemere

Evaluation by R Poulton of SCAU, on behalf of the Strathmoor Group, of a site proposed for residential development. Three trial trenches were excavated and only one feature, which contained 19th/20th century material, was revealed. This shallow ditch is likely to represent a late field boundary, rather than the edge of the town plots. (321)

Box Hill Estate

Historic landscape survey by N Bannister, for the National Trust, of its Box Hill estate. The oldest boundaries on the estate are thought to be those bounding the old trackways, such as along Box Hill Road. The shaws dividing the woodland/downland from the fields are also probably medieval in origin. The present woodland reflects the change from traditional wood pasture mixed with sheep walks to amenity woodland in the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest trees present on the estate are the large leafed limes at the bottom of the Whites, which have been coppiced.

Dapdune Wharf, Guildford

A watching brief was maintained by C Currie on further works at this wharf on the Wey Navigation, for the National Trust. This confirmed the findings of the evaluation carried out in 1995; earlier, but undated, phases of wharf construction are sealed below 19th and 20th century levels.

Farnham Park, Farnham

A landscape survey, including some limited trial trenching, was carried out by D Graham for Waverley Borough Council, as part of a programme designed to assisst with the management of the park. The initial ground survey recorded the remains of open field systems in the form of ridge and furrow strips of probable medieval date, including one apparently overlain by the park’s boundary, established in 1376-77. Evidence for industrial activity was seen in the form of small clay diggings, some of which were close to the site of a previously discovered medieval tile kiln.

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