Thoughts from a walk to Thundersbarrow
A three mile walk from Shoreham town centre will take you one of the best views on the South Downs.
Thundersbarrow, high above the town, is an archaeological site rich in history. The hill features an Iron Age fort, a Bronze Age bowl barrow, and traces of a Romano-British farming village.
On a brilliant spring-like and sunny day in late March, conservation volunteers and heritage researchers from Friends of Old Shoreham took a learning, listening, and looking walk to Thundersbarrow. Guided by Gary Webster of the National Trust and some of his volunteer colleagues, we climbed up Thundersbarrow Hill past dew ponds and on droving paths, to where we could see parts of Old Shoreham and beyond. We heard pheasants, saw a silent skylark, and a soaring buzzard. This walk gave those of us a little overwhelmed by the pre-walk online briefing, the chance to see and experience at first hand what needs doing, and how we might help.
Gary’s job is to enthuse members of the public about local monuments that are part of our heritage and encourage us to identify, map, record, and thereby conserve these assets. We had been briefed by Gary beforehand via a Zoom call that allowed us access to a mapping tool. This allowed us to identify ancient dew ponds, burial chambers, and hill forts, and other monuments of significance. With many opportunities to stop, look, and point (this was slow and mindful travel), we learned to read clues for heritage. This was an introduction, and a hope that our interest will continue.
After the walk, those of us that could stay enjoyed drinks and homemade cakes in the cafe, grateful for the sun and the opportunities provided. There were other groups of National Trust volunteers working, and a group of young school students, as well as leisure walkers, cyclists, and horse riders the sun had brought out. The National Trust has really opened up the Downs as a place of welcome for all, and there is a good sense of availability and community ownership permeating through all it does.
Banner photo © Simon Carey (cc-by-sa/2.0)
