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How and why the ancients enchanted Great Britain and Brittany

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Babylon Down Tumuli - Barrow Cemetery in England in East Sussex

Submitted by coldrum on Tuesday, 26 July 2022  Page Views: 5611

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Babylon Down Tumuli Alternative Name: Butts Brow
Country: England County: East Sussex Type: Barrow Cemetery
Nearest Town: Willingdon
Map Ref: TQ582015
Latitude: 50.791484N  Longitude: 0.243174E
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
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 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.
4 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
4

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jonm visited on 20th Sep 2012 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4 There are two of tumuli in this area: One north, one south. Both are at about the same height above sea level. Each has a view of the other. Babylon South is a small tumulus approx 1 metre high with clear sea views over Eastboune and towards Hastings. It is a highpoint having high views looking immediately south. Babylon North is in the high point of a wooded area. Now less than 0.5 metres high, it is highly damaged: A footpath runs through the centre of it. Were in not for the woods, it would also have clear sea views. It is also a highpoint overlooking the immediate north.

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by dodomad : The excavation team have been working incredibly at the very windy Butts Brow investigating the possible terminus of the enclosure, which lead to an unexpected extension of the trench. Hopefully that might solve more of the mystery! Caption and Photo Credit: Heritage Eastbourne (Vote or comment on this photo)
Barrow Cemetery and Neolithic Causewayed enclosure in East Sussex. Very little of the causewayed enclosure has been excavated so between 16th and 31st July 2022, a team of archaeologists are uncovering more of this rare monument using the latest scientific and technological techniques to tell the stories of people on the Downland, hidden for 5000 years. There are daily tours of the site at 11am until the 31st July.

Daily YouTube Updates and follow the excavation on Twitter.

Note: Butts Brow excavation near Eastbourne with daily tours of the site at 11am until the 31st July
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Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : Babylon South: Along top path of the Wealdway and located at 50.79095, 0.24038 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : pathway between Babylon Down North and Babylon Down South. Note that this is the peak of this ridge and that both Tumuli are slightly lower than the peak of the ridge. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : A view from Babylon Down South tumulus towards Wilmington Hill. Note that this photo is taken at 180 degrees to the view to sea and that the sun rises over the sea on this alignment (seen from Wilmington) during the winter months. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : Ongoing excavation of the mound at the centre of the ring. Initial results suggest that this was used by the military as a dump point (whatever existed as recorded by Ordnance Survey prior to the Great War may have no trace) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : Ongoing excavation of ring at South of Babylon Down North (aka Beehive Plantation). This is the high point of the ring around the North Mound. Some particular notes: This ring is not constructed around the high point of this particular ridge: The high point is actually half way between the mounds of Babylon Down North and Babylon Down South. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : Ongoing excavation of ring at east scarp of Babylon Down North: also known as "Beehive Plantation" (probably single ditch and bank: appearance of double ditch on photo but this probably just geology)

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by dodomad : Prehistoric food (well reconstructions) on display at the Butts Brow open day last weekend. Photo Credit: Heritage Eastbourne

Babylon Down Tumuli
Babylon Down Tumuli submitted by jonm : Babylon North: in woods very near top car park & located at 50.79250, 0.24121

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 609m NNW 339° Cold Crouch Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TQ5796602062)
 620m N 360° Butts Lane Hollows* Misc. Earthwork (TQ58180212)
 700m SW 224° Borne Hill secondary tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TQ57730098)
 735m SW 224° Bourne Hill Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TQ57700096)
 822m SSW 195° Bourne to Foxholes Tumuli group* Artificial Mound (TQ58010070)
 941m SW 223° Bourne South West (Possible Tumulus)* Misc. Earthwork (TQ57580079)
 942m NNW 330° The Combe Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (TQ577023)
 985m S 188° Fox Holes Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (TQ58100052)
 998m NW 309° Combe Hill Enclosure* Causewayed Enclosure (TQ574021)
 1.1km S 188° Foxholes-Beachy intermediate tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TQ58090042)
 1.1km NW 313° Combe West (Tumulus B)* Artificial Mound (TQ5736502230)
 1.2km SW 223° Willingdon Hill Upper Tumuli Group* Artificial Mound (TQ57390058)
 1.3km W 263° Willingdon Bottom Field System Misc. Earthwork (TQ569013)
 1.4km SW 226° Willingdon Hill Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (TQ57210050)
 1.5km S 181° Foxholes-Beachy Brow Tumuli* Round Barrow(s) (TQ58210003)
 1.8km S 179° Beachy Brow Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TV5830099690)
 2.1km SW 232° Willingdon Hill Cross Dyke* Misc. Earthwork (TQ56600017)
 2.4km S 179° Crunden's Bottom Summit* Artificial Mound (TV58329907)
 2.6km S 175° Eastbourne Downs Staging Tumuli Artificial Mound (TV5851698886)
 2.7km S 175° Eastbourne Downs Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (TV585988)
 2.8km WNW 299° Folkington Hill Round Barrow(s) (TQ55720279)
 2.9km S 176° Eastbourne Downs Upper Tumuli group* Artificial Mound (TV585986)
 3.1km WNW 299° Hill Barn Tumuli* Barrow Cemetery (TQ55390293)
 3.1km WNW 282° Holt Brow South Tumulus* Artificial Mound (TQ55090205)
 3.2km WNW 286° Holt Brow Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (TQ5506802270)
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"Babylon Down Tumuli" | Login/Create an Account | 6 News and Comments
  
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Re: Heritage Eastbourne Archaeology Community Excavation 2016 by jonm on Wednesday, 27 July 2022
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There's a few alternative names for this:

Butts Brow is commonly used. However, "Butts Brow" is actually the adjacent ridge (on which there are other Neolithic remains).
Another name is "Beehive Plantation" (or Woods). However, this only describes the area around the mound and ring structures described as "Babylon Down North"
"Babylon Down" used on the Portal site because it's the nearest name found on OS Maps.

To get to this area, find "Butts Lane" and drive to the car park at the top
[ Reply to This ]

Butts Brow Causewayed Enclosure Daily Video updates by Andy B on Sunday, 24 July 2022
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Very little of the Neolithic Causewayed enclosure at Butts Brow has been excavated so between 16th and 31st July 2022, a team of Archaeologists are uncovering more of this rare monument using the latest scientific and technological techniques to tell the stories of people on the Downland, hidden for 5000 years. There are daily tours of the site at 11am until the 31st July.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Butts+Brow&sp=EiG4AQHCARtDaElKVzk5ZW1nNXgzMGNSdEQ2TEU0dmRNMjg%253D
[ Reply to This ]

Butts Brow Community Excavation - Changing Chalk 23rd/24th and other dates by Andy B on Sunday, 10 July 2022
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Butts Brow Community Excavation - Changing Chalk
16th - 31st July 2022 / 23rd and 24th July

The Big Dig starts this Summer with Heritage Eastbourne solving Eastbourne’s Stone Age secrets at Butts Brow

Very little of the Neolithic Causewayed enclosure at Butts Brow has been excavated so between 16th and 31st July, a team of Archaeologists will be uncovering more of this rare monument using the latest scientific and technological techniques to tell the stories of people on the Downland, hidden for 5000 years.

Visitors are welcome throughout the excavation and we will be posting regular updates and live streaming from the site to our social media channels.

We’ll be running daily tours of the site at 11am, and on 23rd and 24th July, visitors will be able to find out more about prehistoric life with craft activities, prehistoric food and flint knapping – all potential activities that took place on the site.

This excavation is the first event in the Big Dig Project, as part of Changing Chalk, a partnership of organisations supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund working together for the future of the South Downs.

In 2016, we started investigating an intriguing earthwork that appears to surround the hilltop above the Butts Brow car park near Willingdon.

A ditch was found to run around the hilltop with an associated bank made up of chalk, dug out of the ditch, but whether this barrier was complete or broken by openings is still unclear.

It was most likely created in the distant Neolithic era, around 5,000-6,000 years ago, when our ancestors were slowly starting to adopt a more settled lifestyle, beginning to farm and also clearing the Downs of trees.

It wouldn’t appear that this enclosure was defensive or that it contained settlement (the lack of many finds from daily life would support the latter) but perhaps it was built for more esoteric reasons. The Neolithic was an era of monument building with the first major flourishing of organised, large scale ritualistic and religious behaviour.

It is very possible that what we have at Butts Brow is connected in some way to the nearby Neolithic Causewayed Enclosure at Combe Hill....time will tell.

The Changing Chalk project are reversing the decline of the fragile chalk grassland, and connecting local communities to the nationally significant landscape on their doorstep. Led by the National Trust, the partnership connects nature, people and heritage. It is restoring lost landscapes and habitats, bringing history to life and offering new experiences in the outdoors.

Location: Butts Brow, Butts Lane, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN20 9EP, United Kingdom

#FestivalofArchaeology 2022
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Butts Brow prehistoric enclosure excavation, 17th - 30th Jul 2017 by Andy B on Saturday, 24 June 2017
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Butts Brow excavation - solving the mystery of splodgy banks and wobbly ditches
South East | East Sussex
Mon 17th Jul 2017 - Sun 30th Jul 2017
Periods: Prehistory
Guided walk or tourExcavation visitRe-enactment or demonstrationFamily fun

Heritage Eastbourne and their team of volunteers will be excavating the potentially nationally significant prehistoric enclosure of Butts Brow, Willingdon. Discover the latest dig news in daily guided tours of the site at 11:30am and 2:30pm. Find out how the flint tools found on site were made 1000s of years ago and have a go at making prehistoric pottery on the top of the hill used by Eastbourne's Neolithic ancestors.
https://www.facebook.com/HeritageEastbourne
https://twitter.com/eb_heritage
Website: http://www.eastbournemuseum.co.uk

Organiser: Heritage Eastbourne

Free

Butts Brow, Butts Lane, Eastbourne, BN20 9EP

http://www.archaeologyfestival.org.uk/events/2723
[ Reply to This ]

Heritage Eastbourne Archaeology Community Excavation 2016 by Anonymous on Sunday, 10 July 2016
Heritage Eastbourne Archaeology
Beehive Plantation 2016 Heritage Eastbourne Community Excavation

We are really excited to announce that our community excavation this summer will be focussed on evaluating some earthworks on the beautiful South Downs just above Willingdon. The site comprises at least one earthwork enclosure of unknown date that has never been archaeologically investigated before and is thus of prime significance. Although badly damaged in the past through landscaping and erosion, the earthworks are still visible and our evaluation will help to inform the future management of the site. We do not know how old the earthworks are, but the location and shape do indicate either a prehistoric or medieval origin, although there is also the outside chance that it could form part of the C18th landscaping of the Ratton Estate.

Part of the project will also involve the careful examination of a tumulus or cairn that forms part of the site in an attempt to determine whether this is actually a burial mound or landscape feature and again, our information will help to ensure that this monument has a sustainable future.

The site is very handily located right by the Eastbourne Borough Council Car Park at Butts Brow and we will be providing a site hut for storage and toilet facilities. Parking is free for those with an Eastbourne Residents Card and for anyone from outside the area we will try to arrange a limited number of permits, though car sharing will be appreciated as it is a busy enough spot as it is!

The fieldwork project will run between the 27th July and 9th August inclusive and we will be looking for volunteers to take part in excavations, find processing and interpreting the site to the public.

Experience of archaeological excavation is useful as the site is likely to be quite complex but not necessary as training will be given. All participants will need to sign up as Heritage Eastbourne volunteers in order to take part and under 16’s will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. We will be on site between 9am and 5.00pm each day.

To take part or for further details please email us via the link below or call 01323 415641
http://www.eastbournemuseums.co.uk/Archaeology.aspx
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