Higher Education

Discovering Black Down - The Hill Gardens

Discover how the Hill Gardens on Burrington Ham were once allotments created for local labourers by taking land from the edge of the common land of Burrington Ham.

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Discovering Black Down - geology of Burrington Ham

Discover how Burrington Combe was created during periglacial periods over the past 1.2 million years. Today Burrington Combe provides a well-exposed section through the complete Carboniferous Limestone sequence (359 to 259 million years ago).

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Discovering Black Down - caves of Burrington Ham

Discover how over thousands of years streams flowing over the impermeable sandstone rocks of Black Down onto the permeable limestone rocks of Burrington Combe have worn away cracks in the rocks to produce a series of sink holes known as swallets as well as creating caves. Many of these caves were homes to nomadic humans as well as animals over 10,000 years ago. Caves that are sited on the Ham include Foxes Hole, Lionel’s Hole, Milliar’s Cave, and Plumley’s Hole.

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Discovering Black Down - Burrington Ham Walk

A walk exploring Burrington Ham, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which features specialised limestone grassland and wild flowers, together with dramatic rocky outcrops, the impressive earthworks of Burrington Camp, and evidence of lead and calamine (zinc) extraction.

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Discovering Black Down - Tumps and the Heinkel He 111

Discover how by the summer of 1940 due to the fear of invasion by the German Luftwaffe tumps were built on Black Down to prevent aircraft landing and taking off again.

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