More information : [Centred at TV 4950 9784] Earthwork [O.E.] (1)
Camp. Considered by General Pitt Rivers to be a British promontory fort of which at least half had been destroyed by cliff erosion. Excavated in 1876 by Pitt Rivers and Park Harrison. They cut two broad trenches, one through the ditch and one through the rampart; in the former they found RB pottery sherds and other evidence of RB occupation 4' above the undisturbed chalk, but nothing below this level; in the latter nothing was found except two flakes. (Plan). (2)
Seaford Camp. The NW side contains two entrances.. the eastern side has an entrance in the middle. Water may have been procured from a natural spring at the bottom of the slope to the north. (3)
Seaford Head earthwork is not a promontory fort but the remains of a univallate IA hill-fort. It is shown as complete in 1587(a)when, as Burdyck Hill, it was the site of 2 Armada beacons, but it has suffered coastal erosion resulting in the collapse of the whole of the SW portion of the fort into the sea. The remaining portion of the work is in fair condition although it has been mutilated in parts by wartime activities and the construction of fairways & tees &c. (for details see 25" TV 4997) for the Seaford Head golf links. There are a number of gaps in the rampart, one of which, in the E. side of the fort at TV 4962 9788, is possibly an original entrance
but it has been badly mutilated.
Antiquity model revised. (4)
An IA fort on the crest of Seaford Head. There is no conclusive
evidence that the single rampart and ditch formed a complete
enclosure as the fort is only shown conventionally on the 1587 map.
Cliff erosion has encroached from the S where a ditch section is visible in the cliff face and the present entrances have been
mutilated by the construction of golf tees and fairways. There is
no ground evidence of habitation within, but RAF photos show
possible hut circles at TV 49489785 and TV 49539784.
Published 1:2500 survey revised. (5)
Aerial photography examined during the South Downs NMP produced conclusive evidence that the hut circles seen within Seaford Camp are fungal rings. The cirlces are observed to grow year on year throughout the mid 1940s. Seaford Head appears to be a prolific site for such formations as many rings can be observed, the chalk cliff top grass lands and golf course providing an ideal habitat for these funguses. A World War II military camp was situated over the eastern parts of the fort - see NMR 1523052 for details.
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