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NB: typical illustrated examples are described, NOT ALL examples.
absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
A number of beacons are indicated on hills, by little spikes, perhaps representing the beacon posts?
This map is made 13 years before the Armada in a period when sea invasion was not quite so threatening? Beacons, while they were in place were perhaps not specially regarded; they are not all noticed by the map maker.
Beacons are shown as a hillock with spikes, which we are describing as 'posts' out of the top. The number of posts may be significant. This map has more of the known beacons than the 1607 version. Few are named, but all can be identified with known beacons.
Bitterne Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, WNW of Botley
Burghclere Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, with old fort between large and r small, SW of Burghclere
Butser Beacon:- hillock, 2 posts, large small, hillock to E with old fort, N of Coombe
Crondall Beacons:- 2 hillocks, each with 1 post, ENE of Ewshott
Dibden Beacon:- hillock, post, possible small posts to l and r, W of Hythe
Exton Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, hillock to W with an unclear symbol labelled 'Lomer ashe', NW of Exton
Farleigh Wallop Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, NW of Farleigh
Farley Mount Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, NW of Pytt
Malwood Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, castle on hill slope to right
Popham Beacons:- hillock, 2 posts, large small, SW of Popham, NW of West Stratton
Portsdown Beacons:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small,
Sarisbury Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, E of Swanwick
Selborne Beacon:- hillock, single post
Selthornbea:Toothill Beacon:- hillock, 3 posts, small large small, S of Baddesley, N of Chilworth
Beacons are drawn by posts, generally three - small large small, on a hillock. A few are labelled; all can be recognised:-
Burghclere, S of village
Popham, SW of village, labelled:-
3 patow beacons
Farleigh, SW of village
Farley, W of Pitt
Toothill, N of Chilworth, labelled:-
toothill Beacon
Botley, W of village
Titchfield, W of village
Selborne, SW of Brockenhurst, labelled:-
Selborn bea[c]
Hyth, W of village
Malwood, perhaps
Exton, NW of village
Crondall, S of Cove. 2 hillocks each with 3 posts
Portsdown, N of Cosham
Beacons are shown as a hill with posts or ?flames on top. Three of the beacons are named on the map:-
Selborne beak [SU2500]
Toothillbeac [SU3818]
3 Parow beacons [SU5044 = Three Barrows]
The other beacons shown are:-
W of Hythe [SU3703]
W of Pitt [SU4230]
WNW of Boteley [SU4712]
SW of Burghclere [SU4758]
NW of Extone [SU5723]
W of Farlington [SU6504]
SE of Bramshott [SU8754]
This map was drafted in 1595, only a few years after the Armada, whose presence off our shores was signalled by beacons. Norden must have been aware how important beacons were for defensive communication. The number of posts is always three; though on other maps the number varies and is thought to show how many beacons there were in a sophisticated system.
North of Exton is a shaded hillock, on the west flank a tree, on top a drawing of a beacon, labelled:-
LomerashThe beacon is a post, with a ladder, and a cross bar from which dangles a fire basket.
A few beacons are shown. Eg:-
Selborne Beaconmarked with a large crude pillar atop the hill. At:-
Patow Beaconsthere are three posts on the hill, small large small. There are other little spikes on some hills which are mostly 'vegetation' making the landscapes.
The map marks beacons by a post or posts on a hillock, perhaps labelled, eg:-
Selborne Beacon [1 large post]
Patow Beacons [3 small posts]
BeaconThe last naming a hamlet symbol by the river Itchen east of Toothill.
At Popham the:-
Parrow Beaconsare labelled, and the lumpy hill has three posts on top, as shown on earlier maps. Also labelled is:-
Toothill Beaconwith neither hill nor symbol.
On a prominence overlooking the sea is a beacon. This appears to be a post, supported by braces, with a suspended fire basket or cresset.
[ ]eaconis engraved south of Bistoke; it is not clear what the label attaches to. It could be part of a longer label for Toothill Beacon?
A small hillock with what looks like a gibbet, is added WSW of Brokenhurst, labelled:-
Selbone BeaconOn a hillock N of Micheldever a couple of posts are added to a hillock, labelled:-
Patowe beaconsAlthough Speed has the places he does not spell their names quite the same way.
Clearly drawn on Portsdown is a post with a smoking cresset, and a ladder to give access for maintaining the fire. Labelled:-
Becon
A beacon is drawn on Portsdown.
Beacons are not shown on the map. but there is a hamlet labelled:-
Beaconeast of Romsey; where Toothill Beacon might be.
Morden does not show many beacons (compared to Norden's map of 1595-1607 for instance). Three instances have been noticed, the grid references are approximate:-
Selborn Beaconprobably towards the east end of Set Thorn Enclosure; about SZ2799, above the 60m contour;
Barrow Beaconsthe beacon was probably on the hill top near Beacons Farm; SU528440, 167m; Steventon, Hampshire
BUT also see Popham Beacons now used as the name for a group of tumuli, not on a hill top, SU525439; Overton, Hampshire
OR Three Barrows, not on a hill top; SU507444; Laverstoke, Hampshire
And an unnamed beacon WNW of Boteley
by Beacon Road and Telegraph Road, West End; approximately SU470138, above 80m contour; West End, Hampshire
Although nameless there is a symbol for this beacon, clearly a post with a ladder leading to a cresset at the top.
Not many beacons are marked. To the north of Exton is a larger hillock on which there is a post with a cresset on a bracket:-
Lomer Beaconand the same at:-
Selbone Beacon
Only one beacon is noticed, labelled:-
Selbone Fanaldrawn as a tower with a flag.
Popham Beacon is labelled, as on Kitchin's map, but the symbol is changed from hamlet to village.
A hamlet or house symbol is labelled:-
Popham Beacon
The only beacon suggested is by a label:-
Popham Beaconattached to a circle symbol for a village by the road between Popham and Bullington.
There is a village symbol labelled:-
Beaconsomewhere near Popham Beacons?
At least on beacon is marked and labelled:-
Sway Beaconwhich has a tower symbol. Another beacon is implied by a label:-
Beacon Hillnear Farley. And there is a beacon near Burley.
A beacon? or something, is drawn at Farley Mount west of Winchester.
Beacons are long past their primacy as part of the country's defence system but can be spotted from hill names, eg:-
Beacon Hill [by Dibden]
Beacon Camp [by Burghclere]
Popham Beacons
Beacon Hill [on Farley Mount]The last has a curious symbol which might be the monument?
Beacons are not marked by any symbol, but some of the old beacon sites are suggested by hill names, eg:-
Beacon Hill [Burghclere]
Beacon Hill [N of Exton]
Beacon Hill [NW of Dibden]and at least one is named:-
Bushy Beacon [ESE of Sarisbury Green]
Beacons are not noticed. But notice:-
Beacon Hillby Farley Chamberlayne. The tower on the hill is not a symbol for the beacon, but for the monument here.
Beacons are long forgotten. But some of the old beacons are still remembered by hill names, eg:-
Beacon Hill [E of St Catherine's Hill, Winchester]
Beacon Hill Fm. [alongside the hill N of Exton]
Beacon Hill [W of Burghclere]
Popham Beacon
Although there is no symbol for a beacon there might be a relevant name, eg:-
Beacon Hillat Farley Mount. Toothill doesn't even get a hill!
The only beacon noticed is:-
Beaconto the north of Exton, ie Exton Beacon.
No beacons are shown.
At Burley there is a label:-
Beaconnot clearly attached to any mark.
Beacon Hnorth of Exton could be labelling the settlement, but reminds us of the beacon. Otherwise beacons are not much noticed; they are not important in the early 19th century.
I have found none of the Hampshire beacons, but to the north of Farnham, Surrey, is labelled:-
Farnham Beacon
Beacons are little noticed at this late date. There is no symbol, but two labels mark beacons:-
Popham Beacon
Beacon Hill F.the second is a farm north of Exton.
None of the old beacon system are on this chart, but between Portsmouth and Southsea are two posts with a rectangular tops labelled:-
BeaconsThese may not be warning beacons at all but just sea marks to aid navigation.
Some relief is indicated by hill hachuring, but this is easily lost in the busy detail of the map, and gives no overall idea of the shape of the land. Some hills are named, eg:-
Old Winchester Hill
Honour Hill [by Upper Wallop]
Tatchbury Mt.
Beacon Hill [Farley Chamberlayne]Beacons are hardly noticed except as an accident of the hill name.
Beacons are no longer an important feature of the landscape, but some of the old beacon locations are remembered in hill names, eg:-
Beacon Hill [by Dibden, the Hythe Beacon]
Beacon Hill [N of Farley]
A hill is labelled:-
Burley Beacon
A few beacons are noticed incidentally by hill names:-
Beacon Hill [Burghclere Beacon]
Beacon Hill [Lomer Beacon]and:-
Popham Beaconlabelled without any hill.
Beacons might be suggested by a hill name, eg:-
Beacon Hillnorth west of Crondall.
Popham Beacon
Burley Beaconare labelled, but by this date could just be hill names. This raises another twist to whether labels on maps are names or descriptions, nominative or descriptive, which is not a clear distinction. Here the name of a beacon 'the beacon at [place]' has become the name of a hill.
There is no symbol for beacons, which are long out of use by the time of this map. But past beacon sites might be implied by a hill name, eg:-
Beacon Hill [W of Burghclere]
Beacon Hill [N of Exton]
Beacons are only suggested by hill names, eg:-
Inkpen Beacon
Beacon Hill [Burghclere Beacon]
Beacon Hill [Exton Beacon]
Beacons are not much noticed on this map, but might be implied by a hill (or farm) name, as:-
Beacon Hill [Fm]north of Exton. And just to the west of Burley is labelled:-
Beacon
beacons are an irrelevance to the period of this map. But references remain in placenames, eg:-
Beacon Lodge [W of Hordle]
Popham beacon
Beacon Hill [N of Exton]
Beacons are hardly important by this late date, but some are indicated by labelling:-
Highclere Beacon [Burghclere]
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: 1898: Alarm Beacons of Hampshire: Hampshire Notes and Queries: vol.9: pp.107-108
Hill, David: 1981: Atlas of Anglo Saxon England: Blackwell (Oxford, Oxfordshire):: ISBN 0 631 13684 3 (pbk)
Jones, J D: 1968: Hampshire Beacon Plot of 1586: ProcHFC: vol.25: pp.105-118
Martin, Colin & Parker, Geoffrey: 1988: Spanish Armada, The: Hamish Hamilton (London):: ISBN 0 241 12125 6
White, H T: 1931: Beacon System in Hampshire: ProcHFC: vol.10: pp.252-278
White, H T: 1934: Hampshire Plot: ProcHFC: vol.12: pp.54-60
White, T H: 1947: Beacon System in Hampshire: ProcHFC: vol.16: pp.19-22
Williams-Freeman, J P: 1934: Coast of Hampshire: ProcHFC: vol.12: pp.218-220
