| South Downs | |
|---|---|
.jpg) TheSeven Sisters, nearEastbourne, viewed from Seaford Head | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Butser Hill |
| Elevation | 271 m (889 ft) |
| Coordinates | 50°58′40″N0°58′49″W / 50.97778°N 0.98028°W /50.97778; -0.98028 |
| Dimensions | |
| Area | 670 km2 (260 sq mi) |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | Old English dūn, meaning 'hill' |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | England (United Kingdom) |
| Region(s) | Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex |
| Range coordinates | 50°54′N0°30′W / 50.9°N 0.5°W /50.9; -0.5 |
| Parent range | Southern England Chalk Formation |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Alpine orogeny |
| Rock age | Cretaceous |
| Rock type | Chalk |
TheSouth Downs are a range ofchalk hills in the south-eastern coastal counties of England that extends for about 260 sq mi (670 km2)[1] across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from theItchen valley ofHampshire in the west toBeachy Head, in theEastbourne Downland Estate, East Sussex, in the east. The Downs are bounded on the northern side by a steepescarpment, from whose crest there are extensive views northwards across theWeald. TheSouth Downs National Park forms a much larger area than the chalk range of the South Downs, and includes large parts of the Weald.
The South Downs are characterised by rolling chalk downland with close-cropped turf anddry valleys, and are recognised as one of the most important chalklandscapes in England.[2] The range is one of the four main areas of chalkdownland in southernEngland.[3]
The South Downs are relatively less populated compared toSouth East England as a whole, although there has been large-scale urban encroachment onto the chalk downland by major seaside resorts, including most notablyBrighton and Hove. The South Downs have been inhabited since ancient times and at periods the area has supported a large population, particularly during Romano-British times. There is a rich heritage of historical features and archaeological remains, including defensive sites, burial mounds and field boundaries. Within the South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area there are thirty-sevenSites of Special Scientific Interest, including large areas of chalk grassland.[4]
The grazing of sheep on the thin, well-drained chalk soils of the Downs over many centuries, and browsing by rabbits, resulted in the fine, short, springy turf, known asold chalk grassland, that has come to epitomise the South Downs today. Until the middle of the 20th century, an agricultural system operated by downland farmers known as 'sheep-and-corn farming' underpinned this: the sheep (most famously theSouthdown breed) of villagers would be systematically confined to certain corn fields to improve their fertility with their droppings and then they would be let out onto the downland to graze. However, starting in 1940 with government measures during theSecond World War to increase domestic food production – which continued into the 1950s - much grassland was ploughed up for arable farming, fundamentally changing the landscape and ecology, with the loss of much biodiversity. As a result, while old chalk grassland accounted for 40-50% of the eastern Downs before the war, only 3-4% survives.[5] This and development pressures from the surrounding population centres ultimately led to the decision to create theSouth Downs National Park, which came into full operation on 1 April 2011, to protect and restore the Downs.
The South Downs have also been designated as aNational Character Area (NCA 125) byNatural England. It is bordered by theHampshire Downs, theWealden Greensand, theLow Weald and thePevensey Levels to the north and theSouth Hampshire Lowlands andSouth Coast Plain to the south.[6]
The downland is a highly popular recreational destination, particularly for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers. Along distance footpath andbridleway, theSouth Downs Way, follows the entire length of the chalk ridge from Winchester to Eastbourne, complemented by many interconnecting public footpaths and bridleways.
The term 'downs' is fromOld Englishdūn, meaning 'hill'. The word acquired the sense of 'elevated rolling grassland' around the 14th century.[7] These hills are prefixed 'south' to distinguish them from another chalkescarpment, theNorth Downs, which runs roughly parallel to them about 30 mi (48 km) away on the northern edge of the Weald.
The South Downs are formed from a thick band of chalk which was deposited during theCretaceous Period between 100 and 66 million years ago within ashallow sea which extended across much of northwest Europe. Therock is composed of the microscopic skeletons ofplankton which lived in the sea, hence its colour. The chalk has manyfossils, and bands offlint occur throughout the formation.[8] The Chalk is divided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk, a thin band of cream-coloured nodular chalk known as the Melbourn Rock marking the boundary between the Lower and Middle units.
The strata of southeast England, including the Chalk, were gently folded during a phase of theAlpine Orogeny to produce theWeald-Artois Anticline, a dome-like structure with a long east-west axis.Erosion has removed the central part of the dome, leaving the north-facing escarpment of the South Downs along its southern margin with the south-facing chalk escarpment of theNorth Downs as its counterpart on the northern side, as shown on the diagram. Between these two escarpments the anticline has been subject to differential erosion so that geologically distinct areas of hills and vales lie in roughly concentric circles towards the centre; these comprise theGreensand Ridge, most prominent on the north side of the Weald, where it includesLeith Hill, the highest hill in south-east England, the low-lying clay vales of the Low Weald, formed of less resistantWeald Clay, and finally the more highly resistant sandstones of theHigh Weald at the centre of the anticline, whose elevated forest ridge includes most notablyAshdown Forest.[9]
The chalk, being porous, allows water to soak through; as a result, there are manywinterbournes along the northern edge.
The South Downs are a long chalk escarpment that stretches for over 110 km (68 mi), rising from the valley of theRiver Itchen near Winchester,Hampshire, in the west toBeachy Head nearEastbourne,East Sussex, in the east.[10] Behind the steep north-facing scarp slope, the gently inclineddip slope of undulating chalk downland extends for a distance of up to 7 mi (11 km) southwards. Viewed from high points further north in theHigh Weald and on the North Downs, the scarp of the South Downs presents itself as a steep wall that bounds the horizon, with its grassland heights punctuated with clumps of trees (such asChanctonbury Ring).
In the west, the chalk ridge of the South Downs merges with theNorth Downs to form theHampshire Downs. In the east, the escarpment terminates at theEnglish Channel coast betweenSeaford andEastbourne, where it produces the spectacular white cliffs ofSeaford Head, the cross-section of dry valleys known as theSeven Sisters andBeachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain at 162 m (531 ft) above sea level.
The South Downs may be said to have three main component parts: the East Hampshire Downs, the Western Downs and the Eastern Downs, together with the river valleys that cut across them and the land immediately below them, thescarpfoot.[11] The Western and Eastern Downs are often collectively referred to as theSussex Downs. The Western Downs, lying west of theRiver Arun, are much more wooded, particularly on the scarp face, than the Eastern Downs. The bare Eastern Downs – the only part of the chalk escarpment to which, until the late 19th century, the term "South Downs" was usually applied – have come to epitomise, in literature and art, the South Downs as a whole and which have been the subject matter of such celebrated writers and artists asRudyard Kipling (the "blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs") andEric Ravilious.[12]
Four river valleys cut through the South Downs, namely those of the rivers Arun,Adur,Ouse andCuckmere, providing a contrasting landscape. Chalkaquifers and to a lesser extentwinterbourne streams supply much of the water required by the surrounding settlements.Dew ponds, artificial ponds for watering livestock, are a characteristic feature on the downland.
The highest point on the South Downs isButser Hill, whose summit is 271 m (889 ft) above sea level. The plateau-like top of this irregularly shaped hill, which lies just south ofPetersfield, Hampshire, was in regular use through prehistory. It has been designated as anational nature reserve.
Within the boundary of the South Downs National Park, which includes parts of the western Weald to the north of the South Downs, the highest point isBlackdown, West Sussex, which rises to 280 m (919 ft) above sea level. However, Blackdown geologically is not part of the South Downs but instead forms part of theGreensand Ridge on theWeald's western margins.
A list of those points on the South Downs above 700 ft (210 m), going from west to east, is given below.
| Name of hill | Nearest settlement | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butser Hill | Petersfield | 270 m (886 ft) | Highest point in the South Downs proper. |
| West Harting Down | South Harting | 229 m (751 ft) | |
| Beacon Hill | South Harting | 242 m (793 ft) | |
| Linch Down | Bepton | 248 m (814 ft) | |
| Littleton Down | East Lavington | 255 m (836 ft) | The summit,Crown Teglease, is the highest point on the Sussex Downs. |
| Glatting Beacon | Sutton | 245 m (803 ft) | |
| Chanctonbury Hill | Washington | 238 m (782 ft) | Site ofChanctonbury Ring hill fort |
| Truleigh Hill | Upper Beeding | 216 m (708 ft) | |
| Ditchling Beacon | Ditchling | 248 m (814 ft) | |
| Firle Beacon | Firle | 217 m (713 ft) |
Archaeological evidence has revealed that the Downs have been inhabited and utilised for thousands of years.Neolithic flint mines such asCissbury,burial mounds such as theDevil's Jumps andDevil's Humps, andhill forts likeChanctonbury Ring are strong features in the landscape.[13][14]
It has been estimated that the tree cover of the Downs was cleared over 3000 years ago, and the present closely grazed turf is the result of continualgrazing by sheep.
Proposals to create a national park for the South Downs date back to the 1940s. However, it was not until 1999 that the idea received firm government support. After a public enquiry that took place between 2003 and 2009, the government announced its decision to make the South Downs a national park on 31 March 2009. TheSouth Downs National Park finally came into operation on 1 April 2011. Within its boundary are included not only the South Downs proper but also part of thewestern Weald, a geologically and ecologically quite different district.
The South Downs National Park has replaced twoAreas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)s:East Hampshire AONB andSussex Downs AONB. During the enquiry process a number of boundary questions were considered, so that the National Park contains areas not in the former AONBs, and vice versa.
The South Downs contain a number ofnational nature reserves (NNRs).[15]
The NNRs on the Sussex Downs compriseKingley Vale, nearChichester, said byNatural England to contain one of the finest yew forests in Europe, including a grove of ancient trees which are among the oldest living things in Britain (the reserve is also one of the most important archaeological sites in southern England, with 14scheduled monuments);Castle Hill, between Brighton and Lewes, an important example of ancient, traditionally managed grassland; Lewes Downs (Mount Caburn), a traditionally managed chalk downland (and also an important archaeological site); andLullington Heath, on the northern fringe of Friston Forest north-west of Eastbourne, one of the largest areas of chalk heath in Britain.
The NNRs on the East Hampshire Downs compriseButser Hill, near Petersfield, a large area of chalk grassland on the highest point in the South Downs (a large area is also designated as a scheduled monument reflecting its historical significance, particularly in the Bronze and Iron Ages);Old Winchester Hill, a lowland grassland on the west and south facing scarp slopes of the Meon valley; and Beacon Hill, a high quality chalk grassland 5 km west of Old Winchester Hill.
In 1923 the Society of Sussex Downsmen (now the South Downs Society) was formed with the aim of protecting the area's unique landscape.[16]
The South Downs are a popular area for ramblers with a network of over 2,000 mi (3,200 km) of well-managed, well-signed and easily accessible trails. The principal bridleway, and longest of them, is theSouth Downs Way.[17] TheMonarch's Way, having originated atWorcester, crosses the South Downs and ends atShoreham-by-Sea.[18]
Sports undertaken on the Downs includeparagliding,mountain-biking,horse riding andwalking.[19] The popularBeachy Head Marathon (formerlySeven Sisters Marathon), a hilly cross-country marathon, takes place each autumn on the eastern Downs, starting and finishing in Eastbourne. The South Downs Trail Marathon starts in the village of Slindon (near Arundel) and ends at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park (to the south of Petersfield.)
Longer events that take place in the South Downs Way include a 100-mile running 'ultramarathon' and a 75-mile mountain biking night time race from Beachy Head to Queen Elizabeth Country Park.
Three of the landmarks on the Downs are theLong Man of Wilmington and theLitlington White Horse being chalk carvedhill figures, andClayton Windmills. There is also awar memorial,The Chattri, dedicated toIndian soldiers who died in theBrighton area, having been brought there for treatment after being injured fighting on theWestern Front in theFirst World War.
Rudyard Kipling who lived inRottingdean described the South Downs as "Our blunt, bow-headed whale-backed Downs".[20] Writing in 1920 in his poemThe South Country, poetHilaire Belloc describes the South Downs as "the great hills of the South Country".[21] InOn The South Coast, poetAlgernon Charles Swinburne describes the South Downs as "the green smooth-swelling unending downs".[22]
The naturalist-writerWilliam Henry Hudson wrote that "during the whole fifty-three mile length from Beachy Head to Harting the ground never rises above a height of 850 feet, but we feel on top of the world".[23]
PoetFrancis William Bourdillon also wrote a poem "On the South Downs".[24] The South Downs have been home to several writers, includingJane Austen who lived atChawton on the edge of the Downs in Hampshire. TheBloomsbury Group often visitedMonk's House inRodmell, the home ofVirginia Woolf in the Ouse valley. Alfred,Lord Tennyson, had a second home at Aldworth, onBlackdown; geologically part of theWeald, Blackdown lies north of the South Downs but is included in the South Downs National Park.
In the introduction toArthur Conan Doyle's short story collectionHis Last Bow, Dr. Watson states thatSherlock Holmes has retired to a small farm upon the Downs near Eastbourne. In the story "His Last Bow" itself, Holmes states that he "lives and keeps bees upon the South Downs". Furthermore, the short story "The Lion's Mane" is about a case that Holmes solves whilst living there.
The authorGraham Greene's first published novel,The Man Within (1929), is set largely on and around the South Downs. The book's principal character, Andrews, travels by foot across the Downs to reachLewes and attend the Assizes. Greene provides a detailed description of both the landscape and its 'feel'.
The authorH. G. Wells published a book calledThe Invisible Man in 1898, and in it says "He fled to South Down".
