The doughnut

[Brian Drury]

I am researching a feature on the South Downs that is I believe possibly iron age. There is nearby another feature which I also believed was ancient but a local National trust expert advised was a WW2 gun emplacement. OS mark the feature as Tumuli – there is a mound nearby. I call the feature the doughnut.

Not being an expert my request here is for advice as to what gun emplacement the feature may be.

The location is North hill near Saddlescombe in Sussex.

saddlescombe - Google Maps


Digging a small hole would probably be the answer but this is National Trust land.

There is no entry for the site in the Defence of Britain database.

A 1946 AP of the site is here:

http://www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/grc/inf...40/13-5161.jpg


Thanks

Brian

[Paul Reed]

Looking the the 1946 photo, even if this was something that had only been used in 1939-40 I would have expected to see more trace of movement on the site, the remains of whatever else was there etc. Also, it's pretty rare to have just one gun, and there doesn't appear to any more positions.

[Paul Reed]

If you look at the bottom right hand corner of the photo below, which is a neighbouring shot, then you will see definite remains of gun positions or defences. This is the sort of thing I would have expected to see on your site.

http://www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/grc/inf...40/13-5162.jpg

[Brian Drury]

Thanks Paul

The lack of track marks is very obvious now that you mention it!

In contrast, the site where I now live had a classic AA gun emplacement and the track marks stand out very well.

http://www.geog.sussex.ac.uk/grc/inf...40/17-5072.jpg

My guess is that the National Trust chap is wrong about the mound. Back to digging around then.

Thanks again for your input

Brian

[Paul Reed]

Glad it was of help - keep us posted on your discoveries!

[Capt.Sensible]

Brian,

The feature you are looking at is a Scheduled Monument, a tumulus or probable Bronze Age burial mound. Such mounds were often cut into by early antiquarians in search of treasue or bodies etc, resulting in hollows in the top of the mound. Others were re-used as the locations for military facilities from 16th century beacon sites to ROC observations bunkers form the Cold War. Have a look at the details here, using the interactive map option:
MAGIC

Note that digging into the constraint area of a Scheduled Monumentis is very, very illegal...

CS

[von Poop]

Originally Posted by Capt.Sensible

MAGIC

Once you've fought your way in and worked it out that's a remarkable site.

GE coords for 'Brian's Doughnut': 50°53'37.14"N 0°11'44.63"W
Seems quite a gap in that area of the Defence of Britain overlay doesn't it? I can see why your interest may have been aroused.

[Brian Drury]

Digging was probably not the best term to use

It is only the records I intend to dig, not the ground.

Thanks to CS for the Magic reference. I think it is even more convincing that this was not a WW2 gun emplacement.

The thing that originally aroused my interest was a linear feature slightly to the North of the doughnut. The feature can be seen in GE but not clearly. An image I took at the site is attached. The direction of view is roughly SW. It appears that a large section of the hill top is elevated by about 100mm along the line of the linear. Mr National Trust says it may be something to do with the "gun emplacement"

It could be a lynchet (man made terrace) but there are a number of these on the site (see 1946 image) and they are perpendicular to this one.

The really odd thing about the tumulus is that it does not appear on any old maps:
Map Page
Location 526900 111900

Thanks for your help

Brian