An illustrated article on the archaeology and history in and around Beauchamps Wood in Nonington. Please use the link below to view.
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There used to be some really good stuff dumped in the chalk hole in Dump Wood. I can remember taking stuff home from there and some of it actually turned out to be useful. The same with the one in Lime Kiln Wood near Frogham, but that used to be full of rats where Harvey’s used to dump grain chaff in there.
Interesting to read about Beauchamps. Its a pity the Ruins area was destroyed back in the early 1980’s, for no real purpose or gain. Its also sad that public access to Beauchamps has gone. The wood nearby, the one with the Mobile Phone mast, used to have the remains of a farm horse drawn cart next to it, rotting away, at least until late 1970’s. Plus it had bee hives next to it, for many years. Further up the hill, was the “Dump Wood” near to Pinners Farm, again removed early 1980’s. The track used to connect to the track that takes you to Pinners Farm. Everything was dumped in there, from cars to washing machines etc etc. There was another dump wood at Goodnestone which was still in use until early 1990’s and another between Ratling and Adisham, filled in 1980’s.
Thanks for the comments and information, Paul. They are always much appreciated. I can use some of the above info to update a couple of older items. The article was written by Peter Hobbs of Old St. Alban’s Court who owns Beauchamps Wood. I’ll pass your comments on to him for future reference.
Excellent article on Nonington’s woodlands. Cultivation of woodland was also a feature of the Fredville estate – my father John Plumptre employed a full-time estate woodman until the 1960s. A large proportion of income came from the preparation and sale of chestnut coppicing for fence posts.
I can confirm the grubbing up of the majority of Tye Wood near Kittington in the late 1950s. I remember that I spotted c.1968 that our 1964 Ordnance Survey map still erroneously showed Tye Wood (OS revisions did not then have the advantage of software to update from aerial photographs !).)
Among Nonington woodlands, I would include mention of Lime Kiln wood (fairly small), on the south-east border of Fredville Park. A lime kiln operated in a large chalk pit in the middle of the wood, for a number of decades up until 1960. The process heats limestone or chalk at high temperate to produce quick-lime (calcium oxide). Anecdotally, it was a known risk that a tramp would fall asleep by the heat of the kiln of a winter evening, and be dead of carbon monoxide poisoning by the morning. I can confirm that my father did a deal with Dover County Council in 1961, that they would fill the whole pit (over 30 foot deep) with municipal rubbish, and my father then replaced topsoil and replanted the site.