Summary

Stock enclosure and ancient trackway at Faulkner's Bottom, 260m north-east of Streathill Farm Cottage.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 5 September 2014. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes a stock enclosure overlying an ancient trackway surviving as earthworks and below-ground remains. It is situated on the northern edge of the South Downs at the head of a hollow known as Faulkner’s Bottom, which comprises south-east and south-west facing slopes. The enclosure is denoted by a bank and ditch. It is rectangular in form and about 160m long and 110m wide. The enclosure is traditionally known as ‘Faulkner’s Bottom entrenchment’. It is orientated NNW to SSE and consists of a bank, about 3m wide and 0.4m high, with an external ditch probably created during construction of the bank. Within the enclosure are two smaller square enclosures formed of slightly raised and ditched platforms without any apparent entrances or causeways. The main enclosure probably functioned as an animal fold of medieval or later origin. The two smaller enclosures possibly acted as places for fodder storage. An ancient trackway, of unknown date, underlies the enclosure and is included within the scheduling.

The enclosure shows similarities in form to another such site at Bible Bottom on the South Downs, which is also a Scheduled Monument (ES57).

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Stock enclosures of medieval and later date provided winter shelter and corralling for beasts ranging over open pasture. In south east England, they are to be found in relatively remote regions located some distance from the farmstead with which they were associated. They vary in size and shape and reflect local building techniques, styles and materials. They usually survive as a level area surrounded by low banks flanked by construction ditches. Some enclosures would have been further protected by timber fences and gates and smaller examples may have been roofed. Surviving largely in downland areas of less intensive modern land use, medieval and post-medieval stock enclosures provide evidence for pastoral practices in south east England which have left few other traces in the landscape. As a relatively rare monument type, those examples which survive well as upstanding monuments and/or which are documented by part excavation or contemporary records, are considered to merit protection.

The stock enclosure and ancient trackway at Faulkner's Bottom survive well and the earthworks will contain archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction, use and landscape context of the monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
East Sussex HER MES1869. NMR TQ31SE5. PastScape 402664.,

Source: Historic England