Time Team - Blackpatch, Worthing, West Sussex - Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results

Wessex Archaeology

An archaeological evaluation conducted for Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ in Blackpatch, an area known to be rich in prehistoric archaeology. The site is located on Blackpatch Hill, to the west of Findon Village. The evaluation aimed to characterise the date and nature of previous archaeological findings in the area of Blackpatch, particularly those undertaken by John Pull between 1922 and 1932.

A total of eight trenches were excavated during this evaluation, and all were opened by machine (either tracked mini-excavator or JCB). Seven of these trenches were opened in the main field at Longfurlong Farm, and one at Myrtle Grove Farm. Most of the trenches (with the exception of Trenches 6 & 7) were targeted on the results of the geophysical survey. In the field at Longfurlong Farm, one large trench was opened over a barrow (Barrow 9 of Pull’s excavations) and the other six were targeted over possible settlement hollows.

The excavations revealed a substantial barrow c. 12 m in diameter in Trench 1, thus confirming the original excavations of Pull. It was realised that Pull did not completely excavate the ditch fills of this barrow but the lower fills still remained intact and undisturbed. Some of the other trenches revealed features, but all of these turned out to be treethrows. Other geophysical anomalies identified were verified as periglacial striations on excavation. A single trench was opened across a geophysical anomaly thought to represent another settlement hollow, in the field at Myrtle Grove Farm. In this case, a definite feature was identified that may represent a working hollow or else a shallow quarry pit.