Hive Local News

Dolphins spotted off Hive Beach 29/6/09

A small pod of bottlenose dolphins have been seen swimming in the waters off Hive Beach heading down towards Portland Bill. It’s a little early in the season, but there have been many sightings across Dorset of pods of Dolphins, so we expect to see them again. Other sightings have been in Poole, off the pier in Bournemouth and many around Durlaston Head and the Purbecks.

National Trust uncovers a Bronze Age settlement on the Golden Cap Estate 27/5/09

Here are some notes kindly provided to The Hive by Martin Papworth himself regarding the find:

• National Trust archaeologists Martin Papworth and Nancy Grace have been working with volunteer archaeologists
• 11th-22nd May 2009
• We excavated evaluation trenches to try to better understand a prehistoric site threatened by coastal erosion and discovered by Mr Waterfall a walker who found flint and pottery along this section of coast as it eroded from the cliff 1940s-1990s.

• The archaeologists excavated erosion scars on the hill top west hill slope and along the valley bottom and have found pits and ditches containing flint tools and pieces of fragile pottery mixed with charcoal.
• At this stage we think they represent a settlement site dating from the Early Bronze Age 2400-1500 BC. Charcoal from the settlement will provide radiocarbon dates and pollen preserved in the soil will provide the information of past plant communities in the area.
• 3500 years ago this site would have been over a kilometre inland but coastal erosion over the millennia has now exposed the remains to the sea.
• The Bronze Age settlement in the valley is deeply buried under hill wash 0.8m deep and below this there is over 0.5m depth of occupation deposits. It is extremely well protected apart from the fact that it is gradually falling off the cliff.
• At 0.8m deep it is very difficult to survey with geophysical survey equipment but it is just within the limits of the fluxgate gradiometer and this showed that the features continued at least 40m inland. An extensive site.
• Lots of charcoal and therefore good samples for radiocarbon dating and this can be cross-referenced with the types of pottery which have been dated to the Early Bronze Age in east Dorset. One shred was found to have been decorated with a corded pattern or perhaps with fingernail impressions before it was fired.
• People from this settlement may be buried in the round barrows which survive on Thorncombe Beacon to the east or Golden Cap along the coast to the west.
• People were living on top of Doghouse Hill before the Bronze Age as Mesolithic and Neolithic flints were excavated there. These include distinctive micro-liths or tiny flint chippings which are typical of the period 8,000-4,000 BC and a ‘leaf-shaped’ arrowhead which is a typical Early Neolithic find c. 4,000-3,000 BC.
• With finds we recovered from Thorncombe Beacon in 2003 and the samples recently excavated from the Doghouse Hill and the west slope of the hill it is clear that this area was extensively used and valued as place to visit and occupy in the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age. A good range of typical flint and chert technology from these periods ranges in date from c.8,000-1,800 BC.
• Flint is not a local material and needed to be brought into this area by the people who wanted to use it.
• Leatherwork, bone, baskets, shellfish, cloth, woodwork and other items these people would have used has rotted away over thousands of years in the acid soils of west Dorset.
• Mesolithic people had seasonal occupation sites and moved from place to place hunting and gathering food.
• Neolithic people were the first settled farmers and made the first pottery found in Britain.

More information from The Bridport News... (PDF opens in new window)

Fiat 500c Launch at the Hive 25/6/09

The award winning Hive Beach Café at Burton Bradstock, West Dorset, has been chosen by one of the world’s biggest car makers to help drive home the important launch of a new vehicle. View photographs...

The Hive was specially selected by Italian car giant Fiat to host the launch of the new 500 C, the convertible version of the firm’s popular supermini.  From 25th June more than 120 motoring and lifestyle journalists from around the UK, and a team of Fiat executives, will be arriving at the Hive as part of a phased test drive. 

Owner Steve Attrill says, “We’re delighted to be involved.  It’s a great chance not only to have our wonderful scenery used as a backdrop for photo shoots but also to show off our fabulous quality West Country food.”   The planned menu includes crab pasties, traditional afternoon tea sandwiches and Hive home-made scones with Dorset clotted cream.

“The UK is the first market in Europe to receive the Fiat 500 C, so we were looking for a location on the South Coast, which afforded views for filming and good driving opportunities,” adds Peter Newton, public relations director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.  “As local people know, the B3157 coast route ranks as one of the most scenic roads in the country and features highlights such as the Fleet Lagoon and Jurassic cliffs. The Hive was a great find for our refreshments stop and echoes what this car is about: relaxed, reliable and fun.”

NT Car Park finished 27/5/09

The newly refurbished National Trust car park is now finished, with its new land drains and newly laid surface, its providing a welcome and usable parking area at Hive Beach. With the introduction of pay & display charging, including a low cost 1 or 2 hour stopover, it will mean its even better to come over for coffee or lunch. It is still a National Trust car park, so if youre a member, parking remains free.

NT Takes Control of CP 9/10/08

After nearly 20 years the National Trust has taken back managment of the Hive Beach car park from Burton Bradstock Parish Council.

The Trust plans to improve visitor facilities and drainage in the car park. During this time all existing car parking charges will be dropped for all visitors.

Have Your say

A series of drop in surgeries will be held on the first Tuesday of each month between 10am and noon at the Hive Beach Cafe to discuss the long term future of the site.
9/10/08

Eye in the Sky

The Hive Cafe raised £2,194.20 for the Eye in the Sky appeal to buy a high-tech sat-nav for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.
25/9/08

Money for WAS

The Hive Cafe raised £2,194.20 for the Wessex Autistic Society
25/9/08

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