Church Hill, West Sussex

Church Hill is an archaeological site, of the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, in West Sussex, England. It is on the South Downs near the village of Findon and about 3 miles (4.8 km) north-west of Worthing. It is a scheduled monument.[1]

Church Hill
Shown within West Sussex
Locationnear Findon, West Sussex
grid reference TQ 114 083
Coordinates50°51′48″N 0°25′5″W
History
PeriodsNeolithic
Bronze Age
Designated22 January 1935
Reference no.1015238

Description

Flint mine

There is a group of about 36 infilled shafts of a flint mine; the ground has been levelled by modern cultivation, but the shafts are visible on aerial photographs.[1] There was excavation by John Pull during 1932–1939 and 1945–1949; he excavated six shafts. There was further investigation during 1984–1986.[1][2]

The shafts were found to be 0.9–1.8 metres (2 ft 11 in–5 ft 11 in) deep; galleries led from them along seams of flint. There were pottery sherds at the shaft bottoms, from the Late Neolithic period and Early to Middle Bronze Age.[1]

This is one of several flint mines in the area; others known nearby are at Blackpatch and Cissbury (both investigated by John Pull), and on Harrow Hill.[2][3]

Bowl barrow

A bowl barrow, largely levelled by modern ploughing, is situated in the south-east of the area of the mine, partly over an infilled mine shaft. It is known to have once been a circular mound, diameter about 15.5 metres (51 ft).[1] A beaker, with a cremation with two flint-axes, was discovered in the infilled shaft, showing continuation of the site into the Beaker period.[3]

References
  1. Historic England. "Flint mine and a bowl barrow on Church Hill, 400m south west of Findon Place (1015238)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  2. "Neolithic flint mines" Bournemouth University. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. Richard Wainwright. A guide to the Prehistoric Remains in Britain. Volume One: South and East. Constable and Co, 1978. Page 243.
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