Harting
Encyclopedia
Harting is a civil parish
in the Chichester District of West Sussex
, England
, situated on northern flank of the South Downs
. It comprises four settlements namely Nyewood
plus South
, East
and West Harting
.
In the 2001 census the parish covered 3,216 hectares (7,944 acres) and had 616 households with a total population of 1,407. 646 residents were economically active.
The village of South Harting is the largest settlement having two churches, one Anglican
and one Congregational
. The village also has a school, Harting Church of England Primary School, which takes children from four to eleven years old. Alongside the school is the village hall from which a pre-school group operates.
, and part of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. Rising to 229 metres (751.3 ft), it offers panoramic views over the Weald
to the north, to the English Channel
and the Isle of Wight
to the south.
Because of its elevation Beacon Hill, just to the east of Harting Down, hosted a station in the shutter telegraph chain, from 1796 to 1816, which connected the Admiralty in London
to its naval ships in Portsmouth
and Plymouth
. This was replaced in 1822 by a semaphore station which operated on a slightly different route until 1847. Bertrand Russell
and his wife Dora founded the experimental Beacon Hill School at Telegraph House, which was their residence in 1927.
Across from Becon Hill is Tower hill, on top is Vandalian tower - a folly that was built in 1774 and is still owned by Uppark. The tower is in complete ruins and is fenced off, but it is possible to get close to the tower.
Archaeological evidence has suggested that Harting Down was first occupied around 5000 years ago. Neighbouring Beacon Hill is home to a hillfort from the Iron Age
, built around 500 BC as an animal enclosure and refuge. In addition Cross Ridge Dyke, built around the same time, may have been used to control movement of people and animals along the ridgeway.
A large portion of the down has never been used for modern intensive farming, and is thus an important site representing the chalk
grassland that once covered the downs. Plants found on the site include quaking grass and the common spotted orchid
, and the down supports animals such as adder
s, skylark
s and several species of butterfly
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Chichester District of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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...
, situated on northern flank 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...
. It comprises four settlements namely Nyewood
Nyewood
Nyewood is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England situated in the Western Rother valley. The village is on an unclassified road between Rogate and South Harting, the hub of the Harting civil parish that also includes the smaller settlements at West and East Harting...
plus South
South Harting
South Harting is a village in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies within the civil parish of Harting. The village sits on the B2146 Road four miles southeast of Petersfield, Hampshire....
, East
East Harting
East Harting is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies on the South Harting to Elsted road 4 miles southeast of Petersfield....
and West Harting
West Harting
West Harting is a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the B2146 road 2.4 miles southeast of Petersfield. It encompasses three additional houses which come under their own hamlet name of Quebec, named after Canadian soldiers from Quebec that were based there...
.
In the 2001 census the parish covered 3,216 hectares (7,944 acres) and had 616 households with a total population of 1,407. 646 residents were economically active.
The village of South Harting is the largest settlement having two churches, one Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
and one Congregational
Congregational Federation
The Congregational Federation is a Federation of independent Congregational churches in England, Scotland and Wales....
. The village also has a school, Harting Church of England Primary School, which takes children from four to eleven years old. Alongside the school is the village hall from which a pre-school group operates.
Harting Down
The villages are overlooked by Harting Down, a 550 acres (2.2 km²) common owned by 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...
, and part of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. Rising to 229 metres (751.3 ft), it offers panoramic views over the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
to the north, to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
to the south.
Because of its elevation Beacon Hill, just to the east of Harting Down, hosted a station in the shutter telegraph chain, from 1796 to 1816, which connected the Admiralty in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to its naval ships in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
. This was replaced in 1822 by a semaphore station which operated on a slightly different route until 1847. Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
and his wife Dora founded the experimental Beacon Hill School at Telegraph House, which was their residence in 1927.
Across from Becon Hill is Tower hill, on top is Vandalian tower - a folly that was built in 1774 and is still owned by Uppark. The tower is in complete ruins and is fenced off, but it is possible to get close to the tower.
Archaeological evidence has suggested that Harting Down was first occupied around 5000 years ago. Neighbouring Beacon Hill is home to a hillfort from the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, built around 500 BC as an animal enclosure and refuge. In addition Cross Ridge Dyke, built around the same time, may have been used to control movement of people and animals along the ridgeway.
A large portion of the down has never been used for modern intensive farming, and is thus an important site representing the chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
grassland that once covered the downs. Plants found on the site include quaking grass and the common spotted orchid
Common spotted orchid
The Common Spotted-orchid is acommonly occurring species of European orchid. It is widely variable in colour and height, ranging from 15 to 60 cm in height. The flower colour can vary from white to pale purple with purple spots. The lip has three lobes...
, and the down supports animals such as adder
Vipera berus
Vipera berus, the common European adder or common European viper, is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Common adder and Common viper, adders have been...
s, skylark
Skylark
The Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
s and several species of butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
.