Sussex Archaeological Collections 120

Pipe laying on Ashdown Forest revealed an iron-working site dated by associated pottery to the Saxon period and by archaeomagnetism and radiocarbon dating to the ninth century. A bowl furnace, hearths and slag heap were excavated as a rescue operation. Materials from the site were examined metallurgically. The significance of the site in the context of Saxon ironworking technology, pottery, and penetration fo the Weald is discussed.

The village of Walderton lies on the southern slopes of the South Downs at the south end of Stoughton parish, at a point where a tributary joins the River Ems (Fig. 1). The descent of Walderton Manor is known from at least 1244 but it was divided before the seventeenth century, two manors being referred to in 1623. 1 There are no early detailed maps of the area and the original layout of the village can only be deduced from its form on a survey of 1818; 2 the Stoughton Tithe Map of 1849; surviving buildings; and earthworks indicating the former sites of houses and field boundaries (Fig. 2). Only two timber-framed medieval houses appear to survive today in the village, Downland Cottage and Mount Pleasant Cottage, and in both cases little more than the original roof timbers are present since both have been underpinned in brick and flint, probably in the first half of the seventeenth century. A third timber-framed building, henceforth in this report referred to as Walderton Cottage (Site 1), had also been underpinned in brick and flint and this was dismantled in 1980 for re-erection at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, at Singleton. During and immediately after the dismantling an archaeological excavation was undertaken to determine the extent and period of occupation on the site. Whilst this was in progress a field survey of the village was undertaken and several house sites were recorded as earthworks, both in the field to the east of Walderton Cottage and in the field, referred to on the Stoughton Tithe Map as 'Pi/dare', to the south of Manor Farm (Fig. 2). The latter example was surrounded by a bank and a ditch and lay close to the top of the hill. In 1981 an excavation was undertaken on this house site (Site 2) prior to destruction by ploughing, in an attempt to determine the nature of occupation on it. This report concerns the investigations on the two sites and includes a brief account of the history of the ownership of Walder/on Cottage based on documents retained with the deeds of the property.

In the mid-l 530s Rye came to the attention of the authorities because of the controversy surrounding the activities of the traditionalist curate, William Inold. The existence of lists of his local supporters and opponents enables the identification of the religious and factional affiliations of almost all of the leading members of Rye corporation in the ensuing period. This article traces the changing fortunes of the supporters and opponents of reform within Rye in the often turbulent years up to 1559 during which the English Reformation was carried through, providing insights into the local progress of reform.

This paper evaluates the strength of Dissent in Sussex in terms of the number and geographical distribution of places of worship and their denominational ties. It discusses the likely numerical strength of Dissent and considers the particular case of the Downland region in which Protestant Dissent failed to make a lasting impression.