Cuckmere Valley
Encyclopedia
Cuckmere Valley is a civil parish in the Wealden
District of East Sussex
, England
. As its name suggests, the parish consists of a number of small settlements in the lower reaches of the River Cuckmere
.
the Archangel.
Maria Fitzherbert (1756–1837), mistress of George IV
, lived at Clapham House in the village.
In 1924 a chalk figure of a horse was cut into the downs to the west of the village, replacing one cut in the 19th century.
The village inn is the Plough and Harrow.
. It lies on a shoulder of the South Downs
at the point where the River Cuckmere
cuts through the downs, on the opposite bank of the river to Alfriston
. A medieval village, Lullington Court, was abandoned after the Black Death
in the 14th century; its site was to the east of the present Lullington. The church
, dedicated to the Good Shepherd, is believed to be the smallest in England, having been rebuilt using only the original chancel after a fire had destroyed the remainder of the building. Services are held only in the summer months, as the building has no electricity.
goes by it just east of the River Cuckmere. The name may have come from the Old English
for "the place of the Aese", early kings of Kent
. After the Norman conquest
, the village was given to Robert, Count of Mortain
, half brother of William the Conqueror
. Both Exceat and the land were given later to Grestein Priory in Wilmington.
Until the 14th century, Exceat was an important village with its own church. The village suffered French raids; it suffered many fatalities during the Black Death
, as was effectively abandoned
by the 15th century.
The main features are the Visitors Centre for the nearby Seven Sisters
and the Golden Galleon Public House
across Exceat Bridge over the Cuckmere.
owns land on the western side of the river south of the A259.
In addition, there are three Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the parish; Seaford to Beachy Head
, Wilmington Downs
and Lullington Heath
. Seaford to Beachy Head is a large site of biological and geological importance. The area contains a wide variety of habitats based on the chalk bedrock, which hosts a wide range of flora and fauna, including some nationally rare species. Wilmington Downs is another area of biological interest; its chalk grassland is habitat for several rare species. Lullington Heath is also of biological interest due to its chalk heath
and grassland habitats.
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
District of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As its name suggests, the parish consists of a number of small settlements in the lower reaches of the River Cuckmere
River Cuckmere
The River Cuckmere rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning fast-flowing, since it descends over 100 m in its initial four miles...
.
The settlements
There are four settlements within the Cuckmere Valley: Alfriston, Litlington, Lullington and West Dean. Archaeological remains nearer the coast at Exceat suggest a further settlement there in former times.Alfriston
A significant settlement from early Saxon times, Alfriston is now the largest village in the valley. St. Andrews, Alfriston's fourteenth century church, is sometimes referred to as the Cathedral of the South Downs. It is built on the remains of a large Saxon burial mound said to be the site of the last resting place of St. Lewinna the seventh century Saxon princess and Christian martyr.Litlington
The name is Saxon, and probably indicates Litl's homestead. The twelfth- century church is dedicated to St MichaelSt Michael
St Michael was a brand that was owned and used by Marks & Spencer from 1928 until 2000.-History:The brand was introduced by Simon Marks in 1928, after his father and co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks. By 1950, virtually all goods were sold under the St Michael brand...
the Archangel.
Maria Fitzherbert (1756–1837), mistress of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, lived at Clapham House in the village.
In 1924 a chalk figure of a horse was cut into the downs to the west of the village, replacing one cut in the 19th century.
The village inn is the Plough and Harrow.
Lullington
Lullington is the most northerly of the three, about 10 miles (16.1 km) southeast of LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
. It lies on a shoulder of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
at the point where the River Cuckmere
River Cuckmere
The River Cuckmere rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning fast-flowing, since it descends over 100 m in its initial four miles...
cuts through the downs, on the opposite bank of the river to Alfriston
Alfriston
Alfriston is a village and civil parish in the East Sussex district of Wealden, England. The village lies in the valley of the River Cuckmere, about four miles north-east of Seaford and south of the main A27 trunk road and part of the large area of Polegate...
. A medieval village, Lullington Court, was abandoned after the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in the 14th century; its site was to the east of the present Lullington. The church
Lullington Church
Lullington Church, also known as the Church of the Good Shepherd, on the South Downs at Lullington in East Sussex is claimed to be the smallest church in England. It was built from the remains of the chancel of an earlier church that was destroyed by fire, generally believed to have occurred at the...
, dedicated to the Good Shepherd, is believed to be the smallest in England, having been rebuilt using only the original chancel after a fire had destroyed the remainder of the building. Services are held only in the summer months, as the building has no electricity.
Exceat
Exceat was an ancient village. The A259A259 road
The A259 is a busy road on the south coast of England passing through Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex and part of Kent. Part of the road was named "the most dangerous road in South East England" in 2008.-Description:...
goes by it just east of the River Cuckmere. The name may have come from the Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
for "the place of the Aese", early kings of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. After the Norman conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, the village was given to Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain
Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st Earl of Cornwall was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother of William I of England. Robert was the son of Herluin de Conteville and Herleva of Falaise and was full brother to Odo of Bayeux. The exact year of Robert's birth is unknown Robert, Count of Mortain, 1st...
, half brother of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. Both Exceat and the land were given later to Grestein Priory in Wilmington.
Until the 14th century, Exceat was an important village with its own church. The village suffered French raids; it suffered many fatalities during the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
, as was effectively abandoned
Abandoned village
An abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
by the 15th century.
The main features are the Visitors Centre for the nearby Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters, Sussex
The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel. They form part of the South Downs in East Sussex, between the towns of Seaford and Eastbourne in southern England. They are within the Seven Sisters Country Park...
and the Golden Galleon Public House
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
across Exceat Bridge over the Cuckmere.
West Dean
West Dean is located on the edge of Friston Forest. Its church is dedicated to All Saints.Landmarks
The National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
owns land on the western side of the river south of the A259.
In addition, there are three Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the parish; Seaford to Beachy Head
Seaford to Beachy Head
Seaford to Beachy Head is a Site of Special Scientific Interest situated in East Sussex, England. It is of biological and geological interest, with varied habitats of chalk grassland and cliffs....
, Wilmington Downs
Wilmington Downs
Wilmington Downs is a Site of Special Scientific Interest which is part of the South Downs in East Sussex, England. The area is of biological interest due to its rare chalk grassland habitat....
and Lullington Heath
Lullington Heath
Lullington Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserve within the South Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the county of East Sussex, England. It is of interest because of its uncommon habitat of chalk grassland and chalk heath....
. Seaford to Beachy Head is a large site of biological and geological importance. The area contains a wide variety of habitats based on the chalk bedrock, which hosts a wide range of flora and fauna, including some nationally rare species. Wilmington Downs is another area of biological interest; its chalk grassland is habitat for several rare species. Lullington Heath is also of biological interest due to its chalk heath
Chalk heath
Chalk heath is a rare habitat, in the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, formed of a paradoxical mixture of shallow-rooted calcifuge and deeper-rooted calcicole plants, growing on a thin layer of acidic soil over an alkaline substrate...
and grassland habitats.