Abstract
REMAINS OF AN 11th–13th-century farmstead were revealed during excavations within part of ‘The Hayworth’, an early enclosure on the ‘lost’ manor of Trubwick, (West Sussex).Footnote2Historical, landscape and toponymic evidence has been utilised to set the archaeological activity in context. It seems probable that the excavated site, and the Hayworth enclosure more broadly, relate to a specialised cattle rearing or vaccary farm. The site represents the most completely excavated vaccary complex yet known, and is the first recognisable example from the Wealden region in south-east England. The discovery has important implications for our current understanding of medieval Wealden economy and environment, as well as patterns of settlement evolution. Evidence suggests this site can be linked with the traditions of Anglo-Saxon outpasture and transhumance. This article explores the evidence from this site for the transition from a seasonal pasture to a permanent 12th-century manorial establishment held in severalty. The likely form of a vaccary complex is established and the potential for the existence of these specialised cattle ‘ranches’ and dairies is explored.
Résumé
Le « Hayworth » : un site d’exploitation du bétail en plaine dans le sud-est de l’Angleterre par Andrew Margetts
Les vestiges d’une ferme des 11ème – 13ème siècles ont été mis à jour lors de fouilles réalisées à l’intérieur du « Hayworth », une première enceinte du manoir « perdu » de Trubwick (West Sussex). Les éléments historiques, paysagers et toponymiques ont été mis à contribution pour remettre l’activité archéologique dans son contexte. Il semble probable que le site fouillé et, plus généralement, l’enceinte de Hayworth soient liés à une ferme spécialisée dans l’élevage de bovins. C’est le complexe d’élevage bovin le plus complètement fouillé à ce jour et le premier exemple reconnaissable dans la région du Weald, au sud-est de l’Angleterre.
Cette découverte a d’importantes répercussions sur ce que nous savons actuellement de l’économie et de l’environnement de la région du Weald au Moyen-Âge, et de l’évolution des schémas de peuplement. Les éléments suggèrent un lien entre ce site et les traditions anglo-saxonnes de mise à l’herbe et de transhumance. Cet article explore les données fournies par ce site en rapport avec la transition d’un pâturage saisonnier vers un établissement seigneurial permanent du 12ème siècle, réparti en parts individuelles. La forme probable d’un complexe d’élevage bovin est établie et l’existence possible de ces exploitations spécialisées dans l’élevage bovin et laitier est explorée.
Zusammenfassung
The Hayworth: Eine Melkerei im südostenglischen Tiefland von Andrew Margetts
Bei Ausgrabungen innerhalb von ‘The Hayworth’, einer frühen Einfriedung des ‘verlorenen’ Landguts von Trubwick (West Sussex), fand man Überreste eines Gehöfts aus dem 11.-13. Jahrhundert. Historische, landschaftliche und toponymische Belege lieferten den Kontext zu diesem archäologischen Fund. Es ist anzunehmen, dass das Gehöft wie auch Hayworth selbst einst Teile eines spezialisierten Viehzucht- oder Melkereibetriebes bildeten. Diese Stätte ist der umfassendste Melkereikomplex, der jemals bei Ausgrabungen freigelegt wurde, und der erste Beleg für eine solche Anlage in der Wealden-Region in Südostengland.
Die Entdeckung hat erheblichen Einfluss auf unser aktuelles Verständnis der Ökonomie und Umwelt in der Wealden-Region des Mittelalters sowie auch der Siedlungsstrukturen. Es gibt Belege dafür, dass Verbindungen von dieser Stätte zu den Traditionen der angelsächsischen Weidewirtschaft und Transhumanz bestehen. Ausgehend von diesem Fund beleuchtet der Artikel den Übergang von einem saisonalen Weideland zu einem dauerhaft als Sondereigentum bewirtschafteten Landgut des 12. Jahrhunderts. Es wird ebenfalls eingegangen auf die wahrscheinliche Beschaffenheit des Melkereikomplexes sowie das Potenzial für den Bestand solcher spezialisierten Viehzucht- und Milchbetriebe.
Riassunto
The Hayworth: il sito di un allevamento bovino di pianura nell’Inghilterra sudorientale di Andrew Margetts
Durante gli scavi in una parte di un antico terreno cintato, ‘The Hayworth’, appartenente al maniero ‘perduto’ di Trubwick, nel West Sussex, vennero alla luce i resti di una fattoria dell’XI-XIII secolo. Allo scopo di contestualizzare l’attività archeologica si sono utilizzate testimonianze storiche, paesaggistiche e toponomastiche. Sembra probabile che il sito emerso dagli scavi e il terreno cintato di Hayworth si riferiscano più generalmente a un allevamento specializzato in bovini. Il sito rappresenta il più ampio allevamento bovino finora conosciuto venuto interamente alla luce nel corso di scavi, e il primo esempio riconoscibile proveniente dal distretto del Wealden nell’Inghilterra sudorientale.
La scoperta ha importanti implicazioni per quanto riguarda la nostra comprensione dell’economia e dell’ambiente del Wealden medievale, oltre che per gli schemi evolutivi degli stanziamenti. Dalla documentazione emerge che questo sito può essere collegato alle tradizioni anglosassoni dei pascoli aperti e della transumanza. In questo articolo si esamina la documentazione emergente da questo sito riguardo alla transizione da un pascolo stagionale a un allevamento permanente nel XII secolo nei terreni di una tenuta di proprietà individuale. Viene stabilita la probabile forma di un complesso destinato all’allevamento bovino e si esplora il potenziale per l’esistenza di questi ranch e fattorie per la produzione del latte.
Acknowledgements
Archaeology South-East would like to thank Crest Nicholson South Limited who commissioned the work, Luke Barber and Dr Rob Scaife for their help with specialist assessment, John Mills (West Sussex County Council) for his guidance throughout the project and Heather Warne for supplying a copy of the history of ‘Hayworth and Trobewyk’. The Archaeology South-East excavations were directed by Andrew Margetts, the fieldwork was managed by Neil Griffin, with editing and post-excavation work managed by Louise Rayner and Dan Swift. The publication figures were created by Fiona Griffin and the reconstruction drawings are by the author. Thanks are due to David Martin for his comments on the reconstructions and to Professor Stephen Rippon (University of Exeter) for his comments on an early draft of this paper. The author would also like to thank the anonymous referees whose observations he has sought to address, as well as all the archaeologists who worked on the excavations (especially Liz Chambers and Cameron Ross). The archive is currently housed with Archaeology South-East awaiting deposition at a suitable local repository. This work was supported by University College London [grant number 4695].
Notes
2 This work was undertaken by Archaeology South-East (UCL Institute of Archaeology), on behalf of their client Crest Nicholson (South) Ltd, as a condition of planning in advance of a residential development linked to the new ‘Bolnore Village’ close to Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
3 Taken from a dispute with the Barony of Lewes over common rights: BL ADD.MS.5684.
6 This article draws together the combined findings of a desk-based assessment (Worrall and Griffin Citation2004), an evaluation, watching brief and targeted excavation (Margetts Citation2010), and a post-excavation assessment (Margetts Citation2011). Archaeology South-East undertook the fieldwork between October and November 2010 (evaluation), and between January and March 2011 (excavation).
53 BGS Sheet 302: Horsham.
74 WSRO LYTTON/MSS/472; ESRO SAS-N/217.
138 CCA-DCc-ChAnt/M/244A.
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