The Whitehawk Enclosure (Archaeology)
Brighton & Hove, East Sussex
Fed up with Regency architecture? Come along and explore the first visible enclosing of a large communal space in our region. Situated in a commanding position above East Brighton, close to the Race Course, lays one of Britain's earliest Stone Age monuments. The hill top here was chosen some 5,000 years ago as the site for a ceremonial enclosure, an area for undertaking feasting, burials and activities of a ritual nature. Up to five circular ditches have been traced on the hill and these have been shown to have regular interruptions in their courses.
Similar arrangements are known from other sites within Britain, all dating to the late Stone Age. This curious and obviously non-defensive arrangement gives these sites their name: causewayed enclosures. Dating to 3,500 B.C, they represent the earliest ritual circles in northern Europe and predate later Neolithic enclosures like Stonehenge and Avebury by up to 1,000 years. They also represent the first visible enclosing of large communal spaces in the archaeological record of the region and therefore mark the step-change in the development of Stone Age monumentality and architecture. A 90-120 minute guided tour of this unique part of Brighton & Hove's heritage will be given by Dr Matt Pope from UCL's Institute of Archaeology. The tour will provide an introduction to the layout and significance of the Whitehawk enclosure.
Directions
Meet at Corner of Manor Hill and Queensway (the roundabout at this point also connecting with Firle Road and Freshfield Road).
Public Transport Details
BUS - Area accessible by bus routes: 2, 2A, 21, 21B, 37, 37B.
Opening Times
Saturday 10th September: Tour 1400
Pre-Booking Required. Max 30 people. No children under 16 years. Please wear stout shoes, some uneven terrain. For up to the minute information about this event visit:
http://www.rth.org.uk/opendoor11/details.php?id=1958183981.
Organised By
Dr Matt Pope, UCL and The Regency Town House
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road