West Dean, West Sussex
Encyclopedia
West Dean is a village and civil parish
in the District of Chichester
in West Sussex
, England
located 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) north of Chichester
on the A286 road just west of Singleton
. The parish includes the hamlets
of Binderton and Chilgrove.
Binderton is mentioned in the Domesday Book
under Sussex in the lands belonging to Earl Roger
. The book which was written in 1086 said:
West Dean is set in the valley of the River Lavant
in the South Downs
has an Anglican parish church dedicated to Saint Andrew. The church and most of the houses are built of flint
, usually with brick quoins
and window dressings. There is one pub, the Selsey Arms.
, a large mansion built of flint which now houses West Dean College
, an arts and crafts school. The house, built by the Peachey family in 1804, was later bought by the James family and was the home of Edward James
, who donated it to a charitable trust in 1964. The gardens around the house are open to the public and have well preserved Victorian walled gardens and glasshouses. There is also a park and arboretum
.
The parish has a land area of 2484 hectares (6136 acres) . In the 2001 census 425 people lived in 177 households, of whom 248 were economically active. The village is on the route of the Monarch's Way
long distance footpath.
and a National Nature Reserve
. It is noted for its Yew woodlands. The site is also known for its archaeological interest including Bronze Age and Roman earthworks, cross dykes, a camp and a field system.
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 District of Chichester
Chichester (district)
Chichester is a largely rural local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in the city of Chichester.-History:The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Chichester and the Rural Districts of...
in 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...
located 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) north of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
on the A286 road just west of Singleton
Singleton, West Sussex
Singleton is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It lies in the Lavant valley, north of Chichester on the A286 road to Midhurst.The village name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'sengel', which means "burnt clearing"....
. The parish includes the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Binderton and Chilgrove.
Binderton is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
under Sussex in the lands belonging to Earl Roger
Roger de Montgomerie, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
Roger de Montgomerie , also known as Roger the Great de Montgomery, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury. His father was also Roger de Montgomerie, and was a relative, probably a grandnephew, of the Duchess Gunnor, wife of Duke Richard I of Normandy...
. The book which was written in 1086 said:
West Dean is set in the valley of the River Lavant
River Lavant, West Sussex
The River Lavant is a winterbourne that rises at East Dean and flows west to Singleton, then south past West Dean and Lavant to Chichester. From east of Chichester its natural course was south to the sea at Pagham, but the Romans diverted it to flow around the southern walls of Chichester and then...
in 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...
has an Anglican parish church dedicated to Saint Andrew. The church and most of the houses are built of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
, usually with brick quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
and window dressings. There is one pub, the Selsey Arms.
West Dean House
The village is dominated by West Dean HouseWest Dean House
West Dean House is a large flint-faced manor house situated in West Dean, West Sussex, near the historic City of Chichester. This country estate has approximately of land and dates back to 1086, with various royal connections throughout the years...
, a large mansion built of flint which now houses West Dean College
West Dean College
West Dean College is situated in the West Dean Estate, of West Dean near Chichester. The Estate was formerly the home of the poet and patron of the arts, Edward James. He was an avid admirer of the Surrealist movement, and formed one of the largest collections of their works during his lifetime...
, an arts and crafts school. The house, built by the Peachey family in 1804, was later bought by the James family and was the home of Edward James
Edward James
Edward William Frank James was a British poet known for his patronage of the surrealist art movement.-Early life and marriage:...
, who donated it to a charitable trust in 1964. The gardens around the house are open to the public and have well preserved Victorian walled gardens and glasshouses. There is also a park and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
.
The parish has a land area of 2484 hectares (6136 acres) . In the 2001 census 425 people lived in 177 households, of whom 248 were economically active. The village is on the route of the Monarch's Way
Monarch's Way
The Monarch's Way is a long-distance footpath in England that approximates the escape route taken by King Charles II in 1651 after being defeated in the Battle of Worcester.Most of the footpath is waymarked...
long distance footpath.
Landmarks
Kingley Vale lies on the border of the parish which is a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
. It is noted for its Yew woodlands. The site is also known for its archaeological interest including Bronze Age and Roman earthworks, cross dykes, a camp and a field system.