<< Our Photo Pages >> North Park Farm - Ancient Village or Settlement in England in Surrey

Submitted by Andy B on Tuesday, 06 August 2019  Page Views: 14928

Mesolithic, Palaeolithic and EarlierSite Name: North Park Farm
Country: England County: Surrey Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Redhill  Nearest Village: Bletchingley
Map Ref: TQ329520
Latitude: 51.251690N  Longitude: 0.09706W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 2 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 1 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 3

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North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Our guide (must find out his name) describes how the excavation was carried out. The entire sandy surface you can see here is a mesolithic land surface, originally covered by many feet of topsoil (Vote or comment on this photo)
In 2005 the Megalithic Portal visited one of the most important mesolithic excavations in the UK North Park Farm, Bletchingley is a sand quarry located on the Folkestone Beds sand, just to the south of the North Downs, in East Surrey.

Evaluation indicated a general background of archaeological activity. This was followed by topsoil stripping, under archaeological supervision. Five hectares of the area revealed a scattering of features and artefacts, including material of all periods from the Neolithic to the early-medieval.

The most exciting evidence to emerge was, however, of Mesolithic date. This included the unusual and important discovery of a series of pits, some in clusters, but an even more significant, and entirely unexpected, finding was a buried soil containing only material of Mesolithic date. This soil lay within a topographic hollow (technically, a valley head depression) occupying an area of around 1ha. English Heritage agreed to fund an evaluation of the hollow through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund so as to establish the significance of the site.

The evaluation revealed that the buried soil had a complex formation process both during, and perhaps prior to, Mesolithic activity. In-situ evidence was revealed for flint working at several of the sampled locations, and there was also evidence of fires and/or cooking activities. Repeated visits were evidently paid to the area from around 8000BC to around 4300BC. The evaluation demonstrated that the hollow is unusual and important, and it is difficult to find any comparable sites.

Despite their activities extending over 4000 years, Mesolithic people have left no visible trace on the landscape. Their camps, whether for the summer or a few days, rarely seem to have involved activities that had substantial below ground impact. The result is that the vast majority of evidence for Mesolithic society consists of isolated scatters of flint artefacts. Set against this background, the discoveries at North Park Farm provide a remarkable contrast. They reveal a single site that was visited repeatedly by these communities for millennia, showing the development and maintenance of tradition over a length of time that is hard to comprehend. The preservation of this evidence within and beneath a buried soil means that North Park Farm has a sequence and variety of evidence that is unique.

Grid Ref is approximate only


Note: Publication of A Mesolithic 'Persistent Place', Prehistoric and early medieval landscapes at North Park Farm, Bletchingley, more in the comments. Also a look at a decorated Neolithic bowl recovered during excavations at Hengrove Farm, near Staines
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North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Sand Quarry at North Park Farm, this is what the archaeological site will eventually become once work is complete. Such is the value of this fine silver sand that the contractors agreed to stump up a 'six figure sum' to investigating the archaeology, over a ten year period! (Vote or comment on this photo)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Open Day at the North Park Farm Mesolithic Excavation. A view across the site (Vote or comment on this photo)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : The long trench (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : A wider view of the dig site (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Open Day at the North Park Farm Mesolithic Excavation. The dark parts in the middle are another hearth, one of the oldest features on the site, dated to 10000BC. (1 comment)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Open Day at the North Park Farm Mesolithic Excavation - you can see how the 'trenches' have been arranged, as a patchwork of squares. The one in the front with the pipes has been dated, see the next image for a close-up

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Open Day at the North Park Farm Mesolithic Excavation - our guide points out one of the mesolithic hearths. It's the small dark semicircular feature just to the left of the pit. (1 comment)

North Park Farm
North Park Farm submitted by Andy B : Archeologists at work on the North Park Farm Mesolithic Excavation

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A Mesolithic 'Persistent Place' at North Park Farm, Bletchingley, Surrey by Andy B on Tuesday, 06 August 2019
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A Mesolithic 'Persistent Place' at North Park Farm, Bletchingley, Surrey By Phil Jones

This volume reports on a near-continuous mantle of struck Mesolithic flints, extending over more than a hectare, found at the North Park Farm quarry in Bletchingley, Surrey. Selective excavation demonstrated that they were the debris from repeated visits, and it can be estimated that in excess of a million struck flints were present, with at least 17,000 microliths. The locations of up to twelve formal hearths were identified, with a few retaining some of their original hearth stones, and two providing reasonably secure radiocarbon dates. A 'fire pit' was the only such feature, but the multiple series of later Mesolithic dates from its burnt fills, and its primary purpose, proved enigmatic.

Mesolithic activity was found to have spanned the entire period. The early period was better represented towards the western end of the valley, and discrete activities, such as axe/adze preparation and the manufacture of microliths, could be identified at other localities along its flanks. More commonly, multiple visits and subsequent movement made it impossible to distinguish the unique assemblages of discrete events. Despite this, the work has demonstrated that the valley, and its immediate hinterland, was one of five 'persistent places' within Surrey that were chosen at similar watershed positions that commanded at least two river systems.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/archaeology/archaeological-unit/spoilheap-publications/a-mesolithic-persistent-place-at-north-park-farm-bletchingley-surrey
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Prehistoric and early medieval landscapes at North Park Farm, Bletchingley by Andy B on Tuesday, 06 August 2019
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Publication of Prehistoric and early medieval landscapes at North Park Farm, Bletchingley

Excavations at North Park Farm Quarry, Bletchingley took place between 1997 and 2014, and revealed the development of a landscape through ten millennia.

An array of Mesolithic tree-throws and purposefully dug pits was identified in the areas surrounding the enormous flint scatter that lay within a valley hollow. It is unclear whether intensive usage ceased with the last of the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, but much flintwork of Neolithic date, deriving from once intact surface scatters, was recovered, as well as an important feature with placed deposits of Peterborough Ware vessels. Such ritual activity may be continued by Bronze Age cremations and a probable ring-ditch, but the evidence of scattered features and flintwork also points to more regular agricultural activity and settlement at that period.

Important and rare evidence of Early Iron Age ironworking was identified but there was little later Iron Age or Roman usage of the locale. There was a greater amount of earlier Saxon occupation, indicated by a well and a number of pits.

In the early medieval period, trackways and a field system, integrated with discrete areas of industrial and domestic activity, were developed. The eastern side of this regularly divided landscape was marked by a green lane. Several roadside ditches for the green lane were identified during the excavations. It seems likely that this route had been used from the Bronze Age onwards (perhaps even as far back as the Mesolithic period), as part of the seasonal relocation of livestock and settlement, linking the North Downs and the Weald. The fields and settlements were obliterated with the creation of the North (deer) Park, probably in the later 12th century.

The archaeological work took place intermittently over a 17 year period and some of the interim reports have been attached as PDFs to provide supplementary detail to the published report. The PDFs are available below and the published report can be purchased from the Surrey Heritage Shop.

Files available to download

Prehistoric archaeology found at area A at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (1.5 MB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the later prehistoric archaeological finds in area A
Medieval archaeology found at area A at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (1.4 MB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the medieval archaeological finds in area A
Archaeology found at area B at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (1.8 MB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area B
Prehistoric archaeology found at area C at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (1.3 MB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area C
Prehistoric archaeology found at area E at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (987.6 KB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area E
Prehistoric archaeology found at area H at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (628.1 KB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area H
Prehistoric archaeology found at area J at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (743.2 KB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area J
Archaeology found at area K at North Park Farm, Bletchingley (1.4 MB)
Report on the excavations at North Park detailing the archaeological finds in area K
A catalogue and figures of the archaeological flint for North Park Farm (652.5 KB)
Archaeological flint catalogue and figures for North Park Farm, Bletchingley
Tables on the archaeological flint from North Park Farm, Bletchingley (664.4 KB)
Tables detailing the archaeological flint found at North Park Farm, Bletc

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Re: North Park Farm by davidmorgan on Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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This link works.
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Re: North Park Farm by Anonymous on Tuesday, 27 February 2007
Hi there, Andy B -

Who are u? I am a local journalist and have appreciated your website. Wd you be available for interview?

Kind regards

Mary
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    Re: North Park Farm by Andy B on Tuesday, 27 February 2007
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    Hello, thanks, my e-mail address is in the 'Contact Editor' link in the left-hand menu.
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Re: North Park Farm by Thorgrim on Sunday, 16 October 2005
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Excellent coverage in best photo-journalism style. We could do with more cover of digs and open days.
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Re: North Park Farm by Andy B on Sunday, 16 October 2005
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Pictures of some of the flint finds from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/4264902.stm
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Public Open Days at the North Park Farm Quarry Archaeological Excavation Bletchingley by Andy B on Saturday, 15 October 2005
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Public Open Days were heldf on Saturday 24 September and Saturday 15 October, with guided tours every hour, on the hour.

Professional and volunteer archaeologists, under the guidance of the Surrey Archaeological Unit and ArchaeoScape of Royal Holloway College, are working together on one of the most significant Mesolithic excavations in the UK. The work is jointly funded by WBB Minerals and English Heritage, who are using funds allocated to them through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

North Park Farm, off Place Farm Road in Bletchingley, is a sand quarry just to the south of the North Downs, in east Surrey. Three years ago an extraordinary discovery was made here when a buried land surface, littered with evidence of flint working, fires and/or cooking activities, was found. This proved that the area had been repeatedly visited by Mesolithic people between 8000BC and 4300BC.

On the 24th September 2005 a team of archaeologists from Surrey County Archaeological Unit and Royal Holloway College (University of London) ran an open day for members of the public and interested professionals.

The site has been widely publicised, with stories both in the Local and National press, and attracted a good deal of interest on the day. It was extremely pleasing that around 250 people came along to the site, and took part in the tours. The large number of visitors included a people of all ages, including families with young children.

The tours covered an inspection of the ongoing excavation, in particular the areas of Mesolithic deposits, a look at the environmental processing that is being undertaken on site, and what we're hoping to gain from it, and a talk on the finds to date, and what happens next.

The day was held to be a great success. The enthusiastic interest of the visiting public was met with an educational, yet accessible, exploration of this important archaeological site.

Particular thanks go to Jane Robertson, Rebecca Lambert and Andrew Margetts (Surrey County Archaeological Unit) and Lucy Farr (Royal Holloway College, University of London) who conducted the tours, and managed admirably despite the unexpectedly large public response.
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Re: North Park Farm Mesolithic Hollow by Andy B on Wednesday, 31 August 2005
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There is a training dig on there at the moment. More details at http://www.surreyarchaeology.org.uk/npf2005.htm
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Re: North Park Farm Mesolithic Hollow by Andy B on Tuesday, 30 August 2005
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2002, 2003 summaries: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.5246
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