A farm of Sir Charles Goring of Highdown in the county of Sussex, lying in Barcombe in the said county, called Nowlands als Knowlands and part of the Balneath 1737 (detail)
6. Old House Plat
9. Field against Baldy (Balneath) House
ESRO AMS 6575/1

BALNEATH MANOR TEST PITS TA 303 & 275

All test pits were 1m x .5m or 1m x 1m. All test pitting took place August and September 2005

The location of the test pits was random, but located in the area to the north and east of the kitchen garden wall of the present manor house, responding to a field-name recorded 1737 'Old House Platt'.

1840 SE corner of the field TA 275 nearest the house

No

 Orientation Location Depth Finds Comments
1 N-S (1m x .5m) In cultivated bed in kitchen garden

35cm

 Modern material Cultivation layers only
2 N-S (1m x 1m)

15cm

 none Modern boiler slag over chalk lump, used to create a trackway running from west to east across field, lined at edge with flint pebbles
3

N-S (1m x .5m)

10cm

 Boiler waste and burnt material – fused pottery, metal, glass and slag Test pit encountered a field drain and rabbit burrow. Compacted chalk and boiler waste trackway.
4

N-S (1m x .5m)

30cm

 Victorian domestic pottery, misc. brick and tile, plastic, nails, 2 x worked flint (not retained) Cultivated soil to depth of 30cm, onto disturbed clay, containing charcoal, cinder, metal ceramic.
5

N-S (1m x .5m)

25cm

No finds

Charcoal, bone, pottery

Nails, clay pipe stem, medieval potsherds x 4

To 10cm deep cultivation and topsoil

10cm to 20cm soil and clay

20cm to 25cm disturbed clay
6 N-S (1m x .5m)

10cm

 No finds 3cm topsoil, then natural clay with root disturbance. In-situ flints suggest no plough wear
7 N-S

30cm

brick, tile, chalk lump

charcoal, brick, Victorian pottery

topsoil

clay layer disturbed
8

N-S (1m x .5m)

43cm

 Chalk lump, charcoal, post Medieval brick, but very few finds Appears to be a filled in pond

All test pits were 1m x .5m or 1m x 1m. All test pitting took place August and September 2005

The location of the test pits was random, but located in the area to the north and east of the kitchen garden wall of the present manor house, responding to a field-name recorded 1737 'Old House Platt'.

1840 SE corner of the field TA 275 nearest the house

Discussion

This area of land appears to have been acquired as a garden by the manor house after 1737. The late medieval potsherds were in one of the test pits furthest from the manor and comprised green glazed body sherds. No trace could be found of any earlier building that might relate to the 'Old House', although the actual position of the Platt has been difficult to establish on the ground due to later landscaping and re-positioning of field boundaries.





Tithe Data

Balneath House
& Garden (Balneath Manor)
Ref: B0303
Landowner: Charles Forster Goring Bt.
Occupier: Charles Forster Goring Bt.
Cultivation: (no data)
A.R.P. 00.1.20

1841 Census
Yes

Tenement Analysis
Yes

Buildings
Yes

Archaeology
Yes

Old Maps
No

Further Information
Yes