THE
HAMPSHIRE
SUNDAY DECEMBER 20TH
W
elcome to the Weekend Wanderers Xmas Special dig!
We are sure that this Xmas dig will be as good as or even better than our previous fantastic festive meetings! Yes and a special dig we are sure it will be as we have laid on over 90-acres of undetected land in the heart of Hampshire�s richest historical region between Broughton and Nether Wallop!
If you were present two years ago at the Broughton Christmas dig you will not have forgotten the amount and quality of finds from the fields behind the farm. You will have seen coins such as Iron Age gold 1/4 staters through to coinage of the Roman Empire plus many early medieval coinage. People stayed out in the field digging until late and finds recording continued throughout a very successful day.
The new fields are adjacent to those mentioned above but situated more towards Nether Wallop so quite a bit closer to the famous Iron Age Hill Fort and Long Barrows at Danebury Hill. Broughton village is in the south of the parish near Wallop Brook and is the supposed site of the Roman station of Brigae
Arrive in plenty of time so that we can park you properly in the secure dry farmyard but on the way in we will give you a free raffle ticket. Check if yours matches one of the numbers on one of the many �Instant win� prizes in the main barn but before you park make sure that you buy strips of raffle tickets for our superb 1st prize, a White�s Prism 5 detector donated by Whites Electronics. We would like to see more raffle winners so this year�s other great prizes will be food hampers, not quite as massive as last year�s, but more of them as we want to see more winners!
Farm owner Dagan�s herd of water buffalo
FOOD & DRINK
Burgers will be on sale on the day using the finest organic lean meat produced at the farm by owner Dagan from his renowned home reared herd of water buffalo. Get your orders in first thing and yours will be cooked and served up at the barn. Hot crepes will be on sale and free hot mulled wine and free mince or apple pies will be handed out at midday in the barn. The raffle prizes will be drawn at 12.30pm so eat, drink & get merry whilst you wait! There is an outdoor toilet in the farmyard. Parking in farm yard where space allows but 4x4s will be on grass. No tag on detector = no entry. Tags will be handed out on arrival.
AT THE BARN
Finds recording throughout the day
Water Buffalo burgers breakfast & lunch whilst stocks last
Hot crepes
Hot mulled wine & mince/apple pies all free!
50 instant win prize table, collect at midday if your ticket matches one on a prize
The main raffle draw at 12.30pm, Whites Prism & Xmas food hampers!
Dei Gratia antiquities. Dave and Jan�s fine selection for your Xmas shopping
THE DETECTING DAY
Do not arrive before 8am as the gate will be locked. Detecting starts at 9.30 am and it�s a five minute walk to the first field for a prompt start and you can continue detecting until dusk but the gate will be locked after 6pm. We are on new undetected fields adjacent to the ones we did two years ago & there will be about 90-acres of sheep grazed pasture on chalk soil. Detecting will be on a lawn like surface and very easy to dig but it is very important that everyone fills & treads firmly in all divots grass side up & leave the land in perfect condition. The water buffalo will be out again once we have gone so we don�t want broken legs on these lovely animals. Thank you all for making such a great and tidy job! As a member of the Weekend Wanderers, the cost of taking part in our superb Xmas Special prize dig is still only �10! Non-members may attend and join on the day otherwise its �15. Please wear latex gloves.
As a member of the Weekend Wanderers, the cost of taking part in our superb Xmas Special prize dig is still only �10! Non-members may attend and join on the day and still pay the �10 but for non-members it will be �15 for the day.
DIRECTIONS
M25, J12 join the M3 (signposted Southampton) Exit the M3 at J8 & merge onto the A303 (signposted A303, Andover) Leave the A303 and join the A30 at Upper Bullington (Bullington Lane) and head towards Sutton Scotney. Keep bearing right at the roundabout and keep following the A30 towards Stockbridge. Drive through Stockbridge high street and stay on the A30. Ignore the first sign on the left to Broughton but take the next, just past Darfield Farm and this is where you will see the first dig sign. The signs will be out all around Broughton village no earlier than 8.00am. POST CODE SO20 8AN
LOCAL HISTORY ON THE WEB
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Houghton Down. Excavated 1895 when skeletons and a cremation were found. Barrow almost ploughed out, but visible on air photographs. |
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Houghton Down. Under rough pasture and cut off from surrounding ploughed field by fence.. |
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Iron Age |
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Houghton Down. Recognisable on air photographs but virtually destroyed by the plough and other agencies. |
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North of the village. Extensive system occupying a plateau bisected by an east-west valley. Entire area under cultivation and field system is visible only as soil marks.. |
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Roman |
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East of Whiteshoot plantation and 3/4 mile north of the Roman road. Pits dug in 1972 revealed short lengths of collapsed walling, pottery, fragments of tiles, brick, animal bones etc. |
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Anglo/Saxon |
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Broughton Hill. Grave, 2 ft. deep, found 1875. By the side of the skeleton was a spearhead, a knife blade and an iron shield boss bordered by copper studs or rivets. Last two items now in Salisbury Museum. |
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Bronze Age |
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Barrows (3) |
Whiteshoot Hill. In area of natural downland. Bell barrow with large crater at centre and two saucer barrows, apparently intact. |
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Barrows (12) (Site) |
West of Chattis Hill House in area occupied by the training track of Danebury Stables. A bronze age cup found in one of the barrows is now in the British Museum. |
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Barrows (3) (Site) |
Chattis Hill. No visible trace remains. Group centred on grid reference. |
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Barrow (Site) |
South of Chattis Hill. Ground ploughed out, but visible as crop-mark on air photographs. |
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I would like to thank Sarah, Alan, Brigitte, Mike, Paul, Georgina, Shaun & Carol, Andy, Frank and everyone who helps run the digs and wish them and all our wonderful members,
A Very Happy Christmas & successful New Year!
