Bathampton Down
Bathampton Down | |
---|---|
Somerset County, England | |
Coordinates | 51°23′05″N 2°19′34″W / 51.3847°N 2.3262°W |
Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
Built | Bronze Age – Iron Age |
Official name | Bathampton Camp |
Bathampton Down is a flat limestone plateau in
Geography
The plateau is formed from the Greater
The southern area merges with Claverton Down and lies above part of the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines Site of Special Scientific Interest, designated because of the Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bat population.[5] There are small disused quarries which used to obtain Bath stone between the Roman era and the 18th century.[6] Several of these can be seen on the golf course and other have left workings which run under the fairways. The entrance to the Seven Sisters' Quarry was blown up in the 1960s, although the remains of the tramway used to carry stone down to the Canal can still be seen.[7]
At the highest point is a Triangulation station at a height of 204 metres (669 ft) above sea level,[8][9] which provides views over the city and surrounding countryside.
The northern slopes between Bathampton Down and the River Avon have been built on and are traversed by the
History
Prehistoric
The first evidence of human activity is from the Mesolithic period and consists of a dispersed collection of flint finds,[3] including hammerstones, cores, fragments of axes and arrowheads.[11] The remains of a stone circle were described in the 19th century; however no evidence remains.[12]
Four Bronze Age round barrows (tumuli) have been reported. There are also tentative findings of a probable bowl barrow and a possible confluent barrow. In one round barrow a small burial urn was recovered.[3] Many of the barrows were opened by John Skinner in the 18th century.[13]
Bathampton Camp may have been a
The site was excavated in 1904-5 and in 1952–4. Human and animal remains were found, also pottery and flint flakes. Small fragments of pottery were found during excavations in the 1960s which have been dated to the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age.[14] The area is a Scheduled monument.[15]
During the
Roman
There is some evidence of a small Roman villa, although the area is more noted for funerary activity with two Romano-British stone coffins being found in 1794 and 1824, both containing inhumation remains.[3]
Medieval
For many years it was thought that the earthworks were a part of the
Bathampton Down is one of the sites considered as a possible location for the Battle of Mons Badonicus, the traditional site of legendary King Arthur's decisive victory over the Saxons.[22]
Modern
There is a telecommunications mast across the far side of the golf course from Sham Castle.
Around 1730, at the North-East corner of Bathampton Camp, a new limestone quarry was opened by Ralph Allen, to provide local cut Bath stone for buildings in Bath. Its use declined by the end of the 18th century; however between around 1800 and 1895 it reopened to supply stone for the Kennet and Avon Canal,[26] with the stone being lowered down an inclined plane gravity tramway to the water.[27]
On the southern slopes sits the
A drinking water reservoir was constructed on the down in 1955,[2] although the land had originally been purchased by the City Council of Bath in 1928.[6]
The area is now part of a golf course behind the University of Bath. Construction of the campus began in 1964, with the first building, now known as "4 South", completed in 1965, and an artificial lake was constructed. Over the subsequent decade, new buildings were added as the campus took shape. The eastern part of the campus is dominated by the "Sports Training Village", built in 1992 and enhanced in 2003 with an extension. A proposal to move the boundary of the "Green Belt" surrounding the town from where it crosses the campus to its edge, to facilitate further development area for the university, was agreed in October 2007, by the local council for Bath and North East Somerset following a public inquiry. Over several years, the Bath University grounds have received recognition for their outstanding beauty with awards from groups like "Bath in Bloom".[30]
See also
- List of hill forts and ancient settlements in Somerset
References
- ^ "Area 19: Bathampton Down and Claverton Down". Bath city wide character appriasal. Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ a b Donovan, D.T. (1995). "High levels drift deposits east of Bath" (PDF). Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelæological Society. 20 (2): 109–126. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f Wessex Archaeology. "Archaeological Desk- based Assessment" (PDF). University of Bath, Masterplan Development Proposal 2008. Bath University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2011.
- ^ "7.18 Area 18: Entry Hill, Perrymead and Prior Park". Bath city wide character appriasal. Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines" (PDF). SSSI Citation Sheet. English Nature. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ a b "History". Bath Golf Club. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- ^ "Quarry locations". A concise history of Bath stone quarrying. D. Hawkins. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Area 16 Cotswolds Plateaux and Valleys". Rural Landscapes. Bath and North East Somerset Council. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-319-22914-9. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
- ^ "Bathampton Patrol". Retrieved 21 November 2007.
- ^ "Monument No. 204162". Pastscape National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ^ "Bathampton Camp". Pastscape National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ^ Archaeological Properties in the County of Somerset. National Trust. 1971.
- ^ "Directions to West Wansdyke, Section 4". Wansdyke. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ^ "MONUMENT NO. 203247". Pastscape National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ISBN 978-0-948975-86-8.
- ISBN 1-902007-01-8.
- ISBN 0-86183-278-7.
- ^ "Sham Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
- ^ ISBN 1-902007-01-8.
- ^ "Bathampton Down Limestone Quarry". Pastscape National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Monument No. 203359". Pastscape National Monuments Record. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ American Museum in Britain website
- ^ "Claverton Manor Garden". Garden Visit website. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ "Bath in Bloom Competition". BANES Council. Archived from the original on 3 May 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2008.