Site Code.

PEPPERPOT17
Site identification
Pepperpot, Tower Road, Brighton
and address
County, district
East Sussex
and / or borough
O.S. grid ref. TQ32160475
Geology. Newhaven Chalk
Project number. SNUFFLER1703
Fieldwork type. Geophysics
Site type.
Date of fieldwork. 18/03/17
Sponsor/client. Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society / Friends of the Pepperpot
Project manager. David Staveley
Project

supervisor.
Period summary Modern

Project summary.
A geophysics survey around the base of the Pepperpot, Brighton
(100 word max)

A Geophysics Survey Around the Base of the Pepperpot,

Brighton

by David Staveley
Introduction

The author was asked to find a series of buried features around the base of a monument by the name
of The Pepperpot, in Tower Road, Brighton. The tower was supposed to have housed a generator
used to pump water from a well, with a water tank, underground tunnel and entry way down to the
tunnel. The area in question is now a residential road, so a GPR survey was carried out to see if
anything survived below the modern metalled surface. The water was used to supply Duddells
Villa, to the south-east.
Map

The above map is an overlay of an old estate map on a modern ordnance survey map. The water
tank is supposed to have been placed to the west of the Pepperpot, with the tunnel leading from the
southern edge, south-east, towards the villa to the south-east. The estate map shows the tunnel
stopping at the wall of a courtyard next to the villa, so the tunnel possible rises to ground level
within the earth bank to the south-east of the Pepperpot. The supposed access way in what is now
the middle of the road doesnt seem to connect to the tunnel on the plan, so its exact function is a
mystery.

Methodology

The area was surveyed to a depth of 100ns using an Utsi Groundvue 3A GPR with a 400MHz
antenna, walking north-south with lines spaced 25cm apart. The data was processed in ReflexW
using dynamic correction, background removal, gain and bandpass filters applied, with the data
resampled to 8 readings per metre along the line. Representative time slices are shown to display
the most interesting features. Approximate wave velocity was calculated at 0.09m/s based on curve
fitting of metal hyperbolae.
Results

Time slice at 0.8ns (~3cm)

Time slice at 3.9ns (~17cm)
Time slice at 6.2ns (~28cm)
Time slice at 8.6ns (~38cm)
Time slice at 18.75ns (~84cm)
Time slice at 22.3ns (~100cm)
Time slice at 46.9ns (~211cm)
Time slice at 60.9ns (~274cm)
Interpretation
A) A modern manhole cover is visible on the surface, though no obvious utilities are linked to it on
the radar results

B) These are modern utilities crossing the area

C) This pair of linear features may be utilities or may be a wall feature. The latter interpretation of
bolstered by the fact that the north-south part is parallel to, but 80cm to the west of a wall feature
marked on the map. The east-west feature is not shown on the map. Against that, the north-south
feature is visible at 0cm of the radar results, suggesting a recent cut for a utility. The bulk of the
north-south feature is at 20cm and shows best on the 2.9ns timeslice while the east-west feature is at
35cm and shows best on the 8.6ns timeslice.

D) This rectangular feature is visible from 85cm to 120cm, best shown on the 22.3ns timeslice, with
a possible but vague linear extending from its eastern edge towards the Pepperpot at 80cm, shown
best on the 18.75ns timeslice. The rectangle itself measures roughly 1m x 1.5m and is hollow,
though not void, in the middle.

E) This rectangular area visible from near the surface to about 40cm down seems to have a different
construction than the rest of the road. Whether it is just a different area of road construction or an
area of hard-standing that pre-dates the road ins unclear.

F) This semi-solid area of material is visible from about 75cm to 110cm and is shown above on the
18.75ns and 22.5ns timeslices. It seems to be an area of rubble.
G) Visible on the 46.9ns timeslice above, this rubble area is similar to area F, but not as dense. It
extends from 130cm to 240cm.

H) This area of rubble, similar to the two mentioned above, is visible from around 15cm to around
50cm, seemingly moving to the north and east as it progresses downwards.

I) Features at this depth are barely visible. This one starts at around 260cm and is amorphous in
shape and its interpretation is unclear

J) Similar to feature I, these two features appear together from around 190cm down and are visible
to about 300cm. Again, their form is unclear due to the depth.

Discussion

Of the underground features shown on the estate map, something may be said based on the above
results. The water tank to the west of the Pepperpot is clearly no longer there, though some of the
rubble layers in the area, features F, G and H, may be involved in its construction or destruction.
There is no sign of the large access way shown on the map, but feature D may be related, as it does
seem to be roughly in the right place to access the tunnel, unlike the access way shown on the map.
Of the walls shown on the map around the area of the Pepperpot, the western one may be visible as
the north-south part of feature C, but that too may be a utility. The eastern and southern walls are
not visible. Regarding the tunnel, feature J may represent the remains of that. It is certainly deep
enough, is on the right orientation, and is displaced horizontally on the map by about 1.3m.
Scanning on the earth embankment to the south-east of feature J showed some solid material
underneath, but it is unclear without further work whether that is the remains of the tunnel or just
rubble used in the construction of that earthwork.