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South Downs

A dramatic open landscape   The South Downs are a long prominent spine of chalk which stretches from the chalk downland of Hampshire, eastwards across West Sussex until it is sheared off at precipitous coastal cliffs in East Sussex. Read more...

From flint mines to county houses   From the earliest prehistory on the landscape of the South Downs has been domesticated, introducing animals and crops. The area is rich in relics from the past. Read more...

Buildings and Settlement   With the exception of the major north-south routes which cut through the open Downs, there are few roads within the Downs themselves and, where they do occur, they are small and rural. Settlement is sparse, being confined to scattered villages, hamlets and moderately large, isolated farms with traditional barns. Read more...

Land Cover   The land use pattern of the South Downs is predominantly centred on cereals and sheep, and also woodland that has survived on the steeper slopes which were traditionally difficult to clear. However, extensive plantations exist on the enclosed uplands of the dipslope in western Sussex. Cereals are grown predominantly on the deeper soils of the less exposed lower slopes. The vivid colours of the crops and the texture of the chalk fragments in ploughed soils are a particularly noticeable feature on the Downs. Read more...