Summary
Site of a hunting lodge associated with Duke of Norfolk's medieval and later deerpark. Excavations have confirmed that remains of the hunting lodge survive.
Identification Images (0)
Monument Types
- HUNTING LODGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Description
A plan of ca. 1630 - 1670 (WSRO Add Ms 18014) shows a deer park with a large house at this point. It is probably a hunting lodge. It is on the north slope of the hill overlooking Charlton and Singleton Forests. The site of the lodge now lies in arable fields where there are many sherds of pottery etc visible on the surface (ie the site is being actively eroded by cultivation). Medieval tiles and other building materials have been found.
There also appears to have been a recording session done here as part of an (?evening) class run by A. Down (of the old Chichester Unit, now deceased) as there is a record of a sketch plan with grid co-ordinates on this site. The plan shows a brick and tile culvert and alleged sites of brick wall and tiled floor. It is called on this plan 'Symond's Town' - unknown derivation of this name.
Papers found at Southern Archaeology indicate that the student was called Patricia Lee. A Mr and Mrs Nichol also worked on the site. They researched it but do not seem to have come up with any specific information about its origins, date or function. We have a copy of this archive.
This site is important as it was owned by the Earls of Arundel and mentioned in the 14th century. We do not know if this building dates from then but two of the Earls died here in the 16th century and the site was visited by Henry VIII. This implies that by at least this time this was a large, comfortable and important residence.
The lodge sits within the Downley deer park, demarcated by a park pale consisting of an internal ditch and external bank, upon which the paling fencing would have been set. The park has a circumference of 6.622 km and an area of 261.7 ha.
Since 2014 Mark Roberts has been running the UCL Archaeology field school on the site revealing more about the lodge and earlier activity including Roman and Iron Age.
The site at Downley contains evidence for multi-period occupation of this area of the Downs for almost three millennia. The nature of the evidence in terms of its preservation, rarity, and ability to answer period specific research questions means that the site is of national importance, further excavation and historical research might elevate this status to international importance.
References
- SNA68872 - Article in serial: UCL Institute of Archaeology. 2018. The Institute of Archaeology Field Course at Downley Park, Singleton, West Sussex, UK. Multi Period Excavations Around the Hunting Lodge of the Earls of Arundel.
- SNA69731 - Report: National Trust. 1997. Drovers Estate Archaeological and Land Use History Survey, 1997.
- SZL10167 - Map: Anon. 1630-1670. Plan showing deer park and site of possible lodge with park pale shown as a ?fence..
- SZL628 - Map: Anon. 1731. Map of the manor of Singleton. 3000.
Designations
None Recorded
Other Statuses and References
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- Environmentally Sensitive Area
- HER/SMR Reference (External): 1024
- National Monuments Record Reference: SU81SE29
Associated Events
- ENA2072 - Field Survey, Field Walking on site of hunting lodge, Drovers Estate,1997
- ENA2073 - Field Survey, Contour survey of hunting lodge, Drovers Estate,1997
- ENA2074 - Field Survey, Geophysical survey of hunting lodge, Drovers Estate,1997
- ENA2075 - Heritage Assessment, AP interpretation of hunting lodge, Drovers Estate,1997
- ENA2076 - Archaeological Intervention, Excavation to ascertain remains of hunting lodge, Drovers Estate,1997
- ENA2077 - Heritage Assessment, Documentary research to understand hunting lodge, Drovers Estate, 1997
- ENA7114 - Remote Sensing, Geophysical Survey, Cucumber Farm, Drovers Estate
- ENA9061 - Heritage Assessment, 'Secrets of the High Woods' Lidar Survey and National Mapping
- ENA9892 - Archaeological Intervention, UCL Field School at Downley
- ENA10672 - Heritage Assessment, Drovers Estate Archaeological and Land Use History Survey, 1997
Associated Finds
None Recorded
Related Records
None Recorded