Alciston is a village andcivil parish in theWealden district ofEast Sussex, England. It is inland, just off theA27 road, about ten miles (16 km) north-west ofEastbourne and seven miles (11 km) east ofLewes. The ecclesiastical parish is linked with that ofSelmeston andBerwick.

Alciston
Alciston from Bostal Hill
Alciston Location withinEast Sussex
Area	7.0 km2 (2.7 sq mi) [1]
Population	146 (2007-Parish)[1]
• Density	44/sq mi (17/km2)
OS grid reference	TQ506055
• London	48 miles (77 km)NNW
District	Wealden
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	POLEGATE
Postcode district	BN26
Dialling code	01323
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Lewes
List of places UK England East Sussex 50°50′N0°08′E / 50.83°N 00.14°E /50.83; 00.14

Saxon in origin, its name was thenAelfsige.

The village (Alcistone) is mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086, when it was a significant settlement with 70 villagers, 8 smallholders, 12 slaves and 7 burgesses; there were 50 acres of meadows, six of pasture and four of woodland for pigs.^[2]

The present 14th-century church, of unknown dedication, is built ofchalk from the nearbySouth Downs.^[3]

There is a large medievaltithe barn in the village which is 170 feet (52 m) long and is the largest in Sussex. There is also the ruin of a square shapeddovecote built by monks in the 14th century, who used Alciston as agrange ofBattle Abbey.

EveryGood Friday, the road outside the Rose Cottage Inn is closed for the villagers to take part in a traditionalskipping contest.^[4]

The historianC.V. Wedgwood is buried in the church graveyard.

The lowest tier of government for Alciston is aparish meeting.^[5] Instead of voting for representatives, a small parish may hold a community meeting twice a year to which all the electors may attend and vote on issues.

Wealden District Council is the next tier of government, for which Alciston is part of theAlfriston ward,^[6] along with Alfriston, Berwick, Chalvington & Ripe and Selmeston. The ward returns one councillor, who was David Watts in the 2019 election.^[6]

Alciston is represented at theEast SussexCounty Council as part of the East Hoathly & Hellingly Division. The May 2017 election returned the Conservative councillor Nick Bennett.^[7]

The parliamentary constituency for Alciston isLewes. The general election in July 2024 returned Liberal DemocratJames McCleary as MP.

Prior toBrexit in 2020, Alciston was part of theSouth East England constituency in theEuropean Parliament.

•   Media related toAlciston at Wikimedia Commons

• Alciston in theDomesday Book