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Falmer is a small village and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in the
Lewes District Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of , with of coastline. It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, Seaford and Tel ...
of East Sussex, England, lying between
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and Lewes, approximately five miles (8 km) north-east of the former. It is also the site of
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
's
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31, ...
. Falmer village is divided by the A27 road. North of the dual carriageway are a few houses and a pub, with a footbridge linking to the southern part of the village, where a large pond is encircled by cottages and the parish church, dedicated to St. Laurence. The two halves of the village are also linked by a road bridge just outside this circle of houses. The village pond is home to a population of ducks and geese, and is very likely to account for the name of the village. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Falemere' which is likely to be Saxon for "fallow mere" and mean a dark pool. The campuses of the
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
and the
University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based on four campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achiev ...
are nearby, as is The Keep—East Sussex County Council's new
archive An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or ...
and record office, which opened in 2013.


History

Before the Norman conquest of England, the manor of Falmer was held by
Wilton Abbey Wilton Abbey was a Benedictine convent in Wiltshire, England, three miles from Salisbury, probably on the site now occupied by Wilton House. It was active from the early tenth century until 1539. History Foundation Wilton Abbey is first reco ...
. After the conquest most of it appears to have been given to
Gundred Gundred or Gundreda (Latin: Gundrada) (died 27 May 1085)G. E. Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage'', vol. xii/1 (The St. Catherine Press, London, 1953), p. 494 was the Flemish-born wife of an early Norman baron, William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surr ...
, wife of
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Lord of Lewes, Seigneur de Varennes (died 1088), was a Norman nobleman created Earl of Surrey under William II Rufus. He is among the few known from documents to have fought under William the Conqueror ...
. In the 11th century the village name was variously spelled Falemela, Falemere or Felesmere. There is 13th century thatched barn, hidden from view behind the church, which was used by the monks of
Lewes Priory Lewes Priory is a part-demolished medieval Cluniac priory in Lewes, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The ruins have been designated a Grade I listed building. History The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and h ...
for storing corn. Edward II visited Falmer in 1324.A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7
edd. L.F. Salzman
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
granted the manor to Edward Ditchfield in 1628 or 1629 and he sold it to William Craven. At this time its manor extended over . The Craven's lost it because of their support of the King during the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. Due to the proximity of Falmer to the city of
Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
, the parish has been substantially affected by the twentieth-century development of its large neighbour. Since the 1960s it has been home to the
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
campus, and in the 1990s, the former Brighton Polytechnic Falmer campus became a principal base of the
University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based on four campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achiev ...
. The village lends its name to the University of Sussex's alumni magazine.


Notable buildings and areas

The Falmer parish when viewed from above has the shape of the African continent (see link to the parish map in the External links section below). However, the parish, like the village, has been divided by the fast A27, breaking the cohesiveness. On both sides of the road, the contours of the Downland are impressive to behold and, for the most part, even the noise of the road is contained within the A27 valley. The landscape has many visible layers of history. In the slanting light of late afternoon prehistoric and medieval
lynchet A lynchet or linchet is an Terrace (earthworks), earth terrace found on the side of a hill. Lynchets are a feature of ancient field systems of the British Isles. They are commonly found in vertical rows and more commonly referred to as "strip lyn ...
s show up on the slopes of High Park, St Mary's Farm and Green Broom. Sadly despite its long history and its beauty, only a few fragments of ancient Down pasture survive. The minutes of the old Brighton Council Farmlands Committee show that time after time they consented to the ploughing and ultimate wasting of the ancient landscape. The chalk grasslands that the
National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
describe as Europe's tropical rainforests, and which are known to support up-to 40 species of flowering plants in one square metre, have largely been destroyed since the
second world war World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by the modern agricultural methods. The
South Downs Way The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Susse ...
passes through the parish from the south east to the north west and crosses the A27 at Housedean Farm. Falmer parish sits between
Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
to its west, St Ann Without parish (and then Lewes) to its east, Kingston parish to its south and the long thin parishes running down the scarp slopes to its north, which include
Ditchling Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling. ...
,
Westmeston Westmeston is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England heavily dependent in amenities on larger Ditchling to the near-immediate northwest. It is four miles (6 km) south-southeast of Burgess Hill and (10  ...
,
Streat Streat is a village and parish in the Lewes district of East Sussex, England, south-east of Burgess Hill and west of Lewes, within the South Downs National Park. The 11th-century parish church has no dedication; the ecclesiastical parish ...
, Plumpton,
East Chiltington East Chiltington is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is centred four miles (5.9 km) south-east of Burgess Hill and five miles (8 km) north-west of Lewes. It is a strip parish of , stretchin ...
,
St John Without St John Without is a small civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, covering an area to the north-west of the town of Lewes. Much like its sister parish, St Ann Without, the parish was formed in 1894 as Lewes St John With ...
and
Hamsey Hamsey is a civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The parish covers a large area () and consists of the villages of Hamsey, Offham and Cooksbridge. The main centres of population in the parish are now Offham and Cooksbridge. ...
from northwest to northeast.


South of the A27

To the south of the A27 is the south half of the village, which includes the church and the large village pond. The Falmer Road travels south to
Woodingdean Woodingdean is an eastern suburb of the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, separated from the main part of the city by downland and the Brighton Racecourse. The name Woodingdean came from Woodendean (i.e. wooded valley) Farm which was situ ...
and to the sea at
Rottingdean Rottingdean is a village in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. It borders the villages of Saltdean, Ovingdean and Woodingdean, and has a historic centre, often the subject of picture postcards. Name The name Rotting ...
. The downland to the east of the road is part of Falmer parish. To the west are the
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31, ...
and the
University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based on four campuses in Brighton and Eastbourne on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achiev ...
which is in
City of Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and ...
.


Falmer Church

Falmer church is dedicated to St. Laurence. The church was built in 1649. It consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel with a vestry to its north. It has a gallery and organ loft at the west end of the nave. It is particularly special because of the pond just outside it.


Falmer pond

Perhaps what is most special about this village, except that for its misfortune of being cut in half by the fast A27, is its large gravel pond, which is a focal point of the village from where the village and parish got its name. Many people come from
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and Lewes to enjoy the pond and the green beside it, to picnic here and watch the ducks.


Falmer Court Barn

Behind the church is a manorial thatched barn of fourteen embayments which dates back to the 13th century. It is one of the largest medieval barns in Sussex and was used by the monks of
Lewes Priory Lewes Priory is a part-demolished medieval Cluniac priory in Lewes, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The ruins have been designated a Grade I listed building. History The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and h ...
, who owned the manor, for threshing and storing corn. Falmer barn is a grade II* listed building. In 2006 the barn, other vernacular farm buildings and the farmhouse were sold by Brighton and Hove City Council to the tenant farmer, who "promptly sold them on to a property developer."


Cranedean Plantation

By the A27, east of the Falmer village, lies a clump of trees called the Cranedean Plantation (). The name ‘Cranedean’ is a corruption of ‘Crane Down’ although cranes are wetland birds and would not be seen on these hills. It has been suggested that the name relates to
bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustar ...
. ‘Bustard’ is an old French name, whereas ‘crane’ is a Saxon name, so it has been speculated that shepherds and ploughmen may have used the latter term in medieval times. The bustard is likely to have lived in the area. It has some old
beeches Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
, particularly at its north end, though the wood is strewn with tumbled hulks from the 1987 gales.


New Barn valley

New Barn valley () is east of the Cranedean Plantation and west of the Newmarket garage and cottages. The spur behind shelters the valley from the noisy A27 corridor so it is still peaceful. New Barn was built in 1845. It has two yards and a shepherd's room, complete with blackened fireplace, so the shepherd could attend the sheep round-the-clock during lambing. There are several tumps that look like possible barrows at the top of the slope () south of the barn, next to the
South Downs Way The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Susse ...
. The bank behind the barn has the flowers and insects of old Down pasture.


Loose Bottom

Half a mile south east of Falmer village are the scrubby pastures of Loose Bottom (), part ancient and part restored to permanent pasture since 1987. Most of these erstwhile heathy Down pastures were bulldozed for corn after 1948, but the slopes in Loose Bottom were saved by their steepness. The name 'Loose' is derived from a Saxon word for a livestock enclosure (‘hlose’, in Saxon) (), and refers to two ancient earthwork banks that run in the Bottom (both
scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
s). Both were probably Saxon cattle enclosures. One runs alongside the Falmer Road before dropping into the head of the valley. There are scattered clumps of burnet rose along large sections of the earthwork banks of both enclosures. The fragments of surviving Down pasture have now been fenced back into a restored pasture block and the historical chalk grassland flowers are returning. There is now cowslip, wild orchid, devil's-bit, betony,
rampion Rampion is a common name for several plants, including: * ''Campanula rapunculus'', a species of wildflower formerly cultivated as a vegetable * '' Physoplexis comosa'', tufted horned rampion * '' Phyteuma'', a genus of wildflowers * ''Valerianell ...
and
chalk milkwort ''Polygala calcarea'', the chalk milkwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polygalaceae, native to western Europe. It is a delicate mat-forming evergreen perennial growing to tall by broad, with spikes of small, vivid deep blue fl ...
. There are adonis blue butterflies and
emperor moth The Saturniinae or saturniines are a subfamily of the family Saturniidae. They are commonly known as emperor moths or wild silk moths. They are easily spotted by the eyespots on the upper surface of their wings. Some exhibit realistic eye-like m ...
benefiting from the pasture's restoration.


Newmarket Plantation

The Newmarket Plantation () lies on the eastern edge of Loose Bottom and the parish and west of the
South Downs Way The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Susse ...
. It is a small deciduous woodland of with
beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
,
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
and sycamore and new plantings. There are mown paths circle its interior since the storms of 1987 and is a place of big upturned rootplates, which is home to many wren and robin.


North of the A27

To the north of the A27 is the north half of the village, which is like a quadrant around a small grazed field. The pub is one corner of the quadrant. To the west, just outside of the parish, is the
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
. To the north, north west and north east is special downland, with much history.


Farms

In Falmer village, at the T-junction between Mill Road and Ridge Road is Park Wall Farm. Running north from Falmer village, half way along Ridge Road and west of Balmer Farm, is the ruins of Ridge Farm (). Now a good place for birdlife, such as
yellowhammer The yellowhammer (''Emberiza citrinella'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern ...
, it was the start of the route of the biggest of the mass trespasses that marked the Sussex campaign for the
right to roam The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wildernes ...
in 1998–9. Carry on north down Ridge Road and at the end is St Mary's Farm. Housedean Farm () is east along the A27. It manages part of Balmer Down, was one of the last on these Downs to use an ox team for tillage, only giving up in 1914. Balmer Farm () lies on the site of the Saxon hamlet of Bergemere. Its name comes from the Saxon "the pool by the burh". It was sufficiently important at Domesday to have two slaves, a manorial church, swine pastures in the Weald at
Horsted Keynes Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is about north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald. The civil parish is largely rural, covering . At the 2011 census, it had a populat ...
and Birchgrove, and brookland meadow south of Lewes still called ‘Bormer Brook’. The church has long gone but you can still trace the outlines of the hamlet green under the mess of modern farm clutter. Big
blackthorn ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...
hedges mark the bounds of the medieval open fields of the hamlet, which drop away southwards from the farmstead (). They went under the evocative names of Lanthorne Laine, Church Laine and Barren Laine.


Moon's Plantation

Moon's Plantation () is planted woodland of . It is mainly beech and at the southern end are in uniformed lines. Moon's Corner slope (), known locally as Sunny Bank, is a little slope that lies north east of Sussex University and west of Ridge Road. It is flowery meadow with orange tip butterflies in the small woodland glades in the spring and a swathe of
devil's bit scabious ''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field s ...
in late summer. The bank is shadowy until midday when it becomes alive with insects and butterflies, including brimstone, brown argus, marbled white, small and
common blue The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively ...
and clouded yellow. In autumn many migrants stop off in the meadow and
common redstart The common redstart (''Phoenicurus phoenicurus''), or often simply redstart, is a small passerine bird in the genus '' Phoenicurus''. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family, (Turdidae), but is now known to be ...
s and spotted flycatchers are regularly seen on a stop over before their flight over the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
.


Waterpit Hill

A short walk past Ridge Farm ruins is Waterpit Hill (). The south facing slope is intensively farmed, although in the field there is the song of
skylarks ''Skylarks'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Thornton Freeland and starring Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox and Nancy Burne.Low p.386 Nervo and Knox were a comic team, who became associated with the larger Crazy Gang grouping with whom they s ...
and along the path hedges there are nesting
yellowhammer The yellowhammer (''Emberiza citrinella'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family that is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. Most European birds remain in the breeding range year-round, but the eastern ...
.
David Bangs David Bangs is a field naturalist, social historian, public artist, author and conservationist. He has written extensively on the countryside management, both historically and present day in the English county of Sussex. Biography Bangs wor ...
, a Sussex field naturalists, says, "The north-facing slope of Waterpit Hill is one of the most attractive old Down pasture slopes on the Brighton Downs plateau". Given its richness as pristine Downland character, it was a good candidate to become Access land after the
right to roam The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wildernes ...
act in 2000. There is little scrub, except at its eastern end, and a lot of colour including cowslips,
orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
,
harebell ''Campanula rotundifolia'', the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemi ...
,
yellow rattle ''Rhinanthus minor'', known as yellow rattle, is a herbaceous wildflower in the genus '' Rhinanthus'' in the family Orobanchaceae (the broomrapes). It has circumpolar distribution in Europe, Russia, western Asia, and northern North America. An a ...
,
devil's bit The Devil's Bit or Devil's Bit Mountain (, historically anglicized as 'Barnane Ely') is a large hill in County Tipperary, Ireland, which rises to . It lies north-west of the town of Templemore. The mountain is usually climbed through the townla ...
,
wild carrot ''Daucus carota'', whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Old World ...
and picnicker's
thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves ...
. The northerly aspect brings
Neckera crispa ''Neckera crispa'' is a species of moss belonging to the family Neckeraceae. It is native to Europe and China. In Iceland, it is found at only two locations, growing on palagonite cliffs, and has the conservation status of a vulnerable species ...
moss and the scarce scree Snail, Abida secale, in places.


Balmer Down

On Balmer Down are two
scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
s, Buckland Hole and Balmer Huff. The two
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
and Romano-British villages lay opposite one another. One village was on the spur of the Huff and the other was across Buckland Hole on the ridge where the
South Downs Way The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales. The trail runs for from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Susse ...
now runs. At the head of Buckland Hole lay their cemetery, a circular platform of flints and soil some across. Before it was ploughed out, one could make out a banked roadway, a strange enclosure that has been called their circus or moot, and many pits and platforms that used to be found in their field scape, The cemetery yielded up more than twenty funerary urns when it was excavated in 1849. Still now, when one looks down from the Balmer Huff into Buckland Hole one sees a whole valley filled with a pattern of rectangular banks, often topped with gorse or thorn. These are the fossilized fields of the villages. The lineaments are signs of a farmed landscape from two thousand years ago and more and are comparable to the tiny fields in the west of
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
or
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Unfortunately, before the area was scheduled, it was intensively farmed and much of the historical evidence has been destroyed. Also special in areas like this is archaic vegetation, but here, even in the steeper parts of the valley that were not ploughed, modern agribusiness sprays have meant the Down pasture vegetation has been lost and now only the occasional steep
lynchet A lynchet or linchet is an Terrace (earthworks), earth terrace found on the side of a hill. Lynchets are a feature of ancient field systems of the British Isles. They are commonly found in vertical rows and more commonly referred to as "strip lyn ...
retains a smidgeon of that old flora. Nevertheless, there are still great views of vale of the
Lewes Brooks Lewes Brooks is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Lewes in East Sussex. The Falmer-Glynde and the River Ouse, Sussex, Ouse valleys meet in Lewes Brooks, and the Upper and Lower Rises are the remains of the chalk uplands er ...
, Kingston Hill and a sliver of
Seaford Head Seaford Head is a Local Nature Reserve east of Seaford in East Sussex. It is part of Seaford to Beachy Head Site of Special Scientific Interest An area of is owned by Seaford Town Council and managed by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. The rest ...
cliffs. There are still a scatter of
sarsen Sarsen stones are silicified sandstone blocks found in quantity in Southern England on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire; in Kent; and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset, and Hampshire. Geology ...
debris, fossils, yellowed flints that are characteristic of hilltop clay-with-flint, as well as Romano-British pottery to be found in the area and cornfield flowers growing amongst the stones, including common field speedwell, green field speedwell,
scarlet pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...
,
knotgrass Knotgrass or knot grass is the common name for several plants and a moth and may refer to: *''Paspalum distichum'', a species of grass *''Polygonum'', a genus of plants in the buckwheat family, more often known as knot weed *''Acronicta rumicis ...
,
field madder ''Sherardia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the ...
and common orache.


Moustone

Along the downland path north east of Falmer, past Waterpit Hill, north of Balmer Farm and southeast of
Blackcap The Eurasian blackcap (''Sylvia atricapilla''), usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are sm ...
is Moustone (). It is a slope west of the footpath and was an independent farm when the
Domesday book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
was written, but is now part of Balmer Farm. It is now a lonely place of
roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
, hare and
kestrel The term kestrel (from french: crécerelle, derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviou ...
. The slope's turf is more acidic than Waterpit, with more
tormentil ''Potentilla'' is a genus containing over 300Guillén, A., et al. (2005)Reproductive biology of the Iberian species of ''Potentilla'' L. (Rosaceae).''Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid'' 1(62) 9–21. species of annual, biennial and perenni ...
and wild strawberry, and most of the old Down pasture herbs are there such as spring sedge, cowslip, rockrose, wild basil,
hairy violet ''Viola hirta'' is a species of the plant genus ''Viola''. It is also called the hairy violet. As with the sweet violet, no fossil seeds of this species have been found. It is confined to the cold temperate zone, in Europe, north and west Asia, ...
and
devil's bit scabious ''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field s ...
.


Four Lord's Burgh

The Four Lord's Burgh () is at the point where the South Down Way turns south-easterly. The area is so named because this point was the point where four manorial boundaries came together and each manor had a ‘lord’. The manorial boundaries are now parishes and include Falmer,
St John Without St John Without is a small civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, covering an area to the north-west of the town of Lewes. Much like its sister parish, St Ann Without, the parish was formed in 1894 as Lewes St John With ...
,
East Chiltington East Chiltington is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is centred four miles (5.9 km) south-east of Burgess Hill and five miles (8 km) north-west of Lewes. It is a strip parish of , stretchin ...
and Plumpton. The boundaries were often aligned on prehistoric features and in the past there were about five round barrows here. Only the two barrows over the fence on the western side of the north–south track still exist as slight tumps, while the rest have been ploughed out. Due west of Four Lord's Burgh lies a triangle of wood pasture () with the pleasing character of a park, now grazed by Sussex cattle. It lies over the boney
Lynchet A lynchet or linchet is an Terrace (earthworks), earth terrace found on the side of a hill. Lynchets are a feature of ancient field systems of the British Isles. They are commonly found in vertical rows and more commonly referred to as "strip lyn ...
s of the field system of the
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
and
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
people that farmed this landscape. In August it is rich downland meadow flowers including harebells, rockrose,
red clover ''Trifolium pratense'', the red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae, native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but planted and naturalized in many other regions. Description Red clove ...
, eggs and bacon, and
scabious ''Scabiosa'' is a genus in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word scabious, but some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in r ...
. There is much Bracken on the western side, and shady sycamore and oak and occasional gorse.


North west of the parish

The north west of the parish is to the west of St Mary's Farm. These areas are north of the
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
and Stanmer Park and used for extensively by walkers and mountain bikers. Millbank Wood, Highpark Wood, Green Broom, Flint Heap and Granny's Belt are all woodlands in the area.


Stanmer Down

North west of St Mary's Farm, and east of Millbank Wood and Highpark Wood, is Shambledean Bottom, Bow Hill and Stanmer Down. The whole of Stanmer Down () used to be covered with prehistoric field systems, and on the top of Bow Hill there may have been as many as nine barrows in two clusters. It survived unploughed until the second world war, but it was left derelict and large areas of it turned to scrub. Since then it has been cleared and cultivated except for islands of scrub kept for pheasant cover. Now the visible signs of the ancient peoples have gone, except when the shadows are long and sharp. The steep slopes of the bridlepath (), west of Bow Hill, have kept the chalk grassland meadows through cattle grazing and mowing. There is a scatter of thorn, gorse, wild strawberries, harebells and cowslips that help support a healthy butterfly population which includes
small copper ''Lycaena phlaeas'', the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name ''phlaeas'' is said to be derived either ...
,
small heath Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre. History Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. ...
and
common blue The common blue butterfly or European common blue (''Polyommatus icarus'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae. The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively ...
. At its northern end, over the fence-line, there is a tiny fragment of Down pasture on the downslope edge of the thicket (). It has survived in isolation, surrounded by arable, for as much as 150 years, perhaps by rabbit grazing.


Moon's Bottom

At the bottom of Stanmer Down, Moon's Bottom () was intensively farmed, but has been transformed from its derelict state by good scrub control and cattle grazing. It has a cool and mossy slope lying under the shade of Millbank Wood () to the southwest. There are cowslips in spring and in late summer it has a sky-blue dusting of small scabious. Some parts of it have a slightly acidic soil chemistry, with
tormentil ''Potentilla'' is a genus containing over 300Guillén, A., et al. (2005)Reproductive biology of the Iberian species of ''Potentilla'' L. (Rosaceae).''Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid'' 1(62) 9–21. species of annual, biennial and perenni ...
,
sweet vernal-grass ''Anthoxanthum odoratum'', known as sweet vernal grass, is a short-lived perennial grass that is native to acidic grassland in Eurasia and northern Africa. It is grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be f ...
and field wood-rush. On the flat ground above the eastern end of this slope is a scrub-covered round barrow ().


Green Broom, Flint Heap and Granny's Belt

Green Broom and Flint Heap () have large, old beeches and fallen giants, but only Green Broom is used extensively as mountain bike track and has some large jumps for those brave enough. The fallen trees have great fungal assemblages. The very rare lion's mane or bearded tooth fungus,
Hericium ''Hericium'' is a genus of edible mushrooms in the family Hericiaceae. Species in this genus are white and fleshy and grow on dead or dying wood; fruiting bodies resemble a mass of fragile icicle-like spines that are suspended from either a bra ...
erineus, has been found in at least two places as well as dog stinkhorn, Mutinus caninus, bird's nest fungus,
Cyathus striatus ''Cyathus striatus'', commonly known as the fluted bird's nest, is a common saprobic bird's nest fungus with a widespread distribution throughout temperate regions of the world. This fungus resembles a miniature bird's nest with numerous tiny ...
, yellow stainer,
Agaricus xanthodermus ''Agaricus xanthodermus'', commonly known as the yellow-staining mushroom or simply the yellow-stainer, is a mushroom of the genus ''Agaricus'', which displays a strong yellow colouration at the base of the stem when cut. It is poisonous for mos ...
, lots of turkey tail,
Trametes versicolor ''Trametes versicolor''also known as ''Coriolus versicolor'' and ''Polyporus versicolor''is a common polypore mushroom found throughout the world. Meaning 'of several colors', ''versicolor'' reliably describes this fungus that displays a varie ...
, and many others. If one is lucky (or unlucky depending on your disposition) one might even smell the distinctive aroma of the ordinary stinkhorn,
Phallus impudicus ''Phallus impudicus'', known colloquially as the common stinkhorn, is a widespread fungus in the Phallaceae (stinkhorn) family. It is recognizable for its foul odor and its phallic shape when mature, the latter feature giving rise to several ...
, Near to Granny's Belt () there are reports that a
sarsen Sarsen stones are silicified sandstone blocks found in quantity in Southern England on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire; in Kent; and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset, and Hampshire. Geology ...
stone circle existed till the 19th century. Although this may not be an authentic stone circle, there must still be many sarsens in situ, perhaps like the one exposed by excavations at Rocky Clump.


Rocky Clump

Rocky Clump (), east of Upper Lodge Wood, was a late
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
/
Romano-British The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, ...
site. There is a huge
sarsen Sarsen stones are silicified sandstone blocks found in quantity in Southern England on Salisbury Plain and the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire; in Kent; and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset, and Hampshire. Geology ...
stone in the trees as well as evidence for a Roman grain storage building and pit almost 2 metres deep. After the Romans left, it is thought to have been used as a pagan Saxon temple known as ‘Paeccel's Weoh’. ‘Weoh’ is Saxon for ‘sacred place’, or even ‘temple’. The name was corrupted to Patchway, which became the modern name until recently for the whole Ditchling Road ridge between Upper Lodge Wood and Hollingbury Hill. The area was named in the Saxon charter of 765 AD and the parish boundary is aligned through it.


Governance

At a local level Falmer is governed by Falmer Parish Council. Its responsibilities include footpaths, street lighting, playgrounds and minor planning applications. The parish council has five seats. The next level of government is the district council. The parish of Falmer lies within the Kingston ward of
Lewes District Council Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of the ...
, which returns a single seat to the council. The election on 7 May 2015 elected a Liberal Democrat. East Sussex County Council is the next tier of government, for which Falmer is within the Newhaven and Ouse Valley West division, with responsibility for Education, Libraries, Social Services, Civil Registration, Trading Standards and Transport. Elections for the County Council are held every four years. The
Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...
Carla Butler was elected in the 2013 election. The UK Parliament constituency for Falmer is Lewes. The
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
Maria Caulfield Maria Colette Caulfield (born 6 August 1973) is a British politician and nurse serving as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health and Women’s Health Strategy and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women since Octobe ...
, a local nurse, was elected in 2015 defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat
Norman Baker Norman John Baker (born 26 July 1957) is a Liberal Democrat politician in the United Kingdom who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lewes in East Sussex from the 1997 general election until his defeat in 2015. In May 2010 he was appointed ...
who was the constituency MP from 1997. Prior to
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
in 2020, the village was part of the
South East England South East England is one of the nine official regions of England at the ITL 1 statistical regions of England, first level of International Territorial Level, ITL for Statistics, statistical purposes. It consists of the counties of england, ...
constituency in the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
.


Sport

Lewes Priory Cricket Club Lewes Priory is a cricket club based in Lewes, England. The club is based at the Stanley Turner Ground, Kingston road, Lewes. The Saturday 1st XI plays in the 2nd division of the Sussex Cricket League. The Saturday 2nd XI plays in the 2nd XI Div ...
play some home games in Falmer and have Sussex and Brighton universities students and staff as members.


Stadium

To the west of the parish is the site of
Falmer Stadium The Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium and also referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in the village of Falmer, in the City of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31, ...
, home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Despite its name and proximity to Falmer, it is actually inside the
City of Brighton and Hove Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages. Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and ...
boundary. After a lengthy process including a
public enquiry A tribunal of inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body. In many common law countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Canada, such a public inquiry differs from a royal commission in that ...
, it was approved by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005, but
Lewes District Council Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre of the ...
subsequently mounted a legal challenge and overturned the decision on a technicality. The stadium was reapproved by Secretary of State
Hazel Blears Hazel Anne Blears (born 14 May 1956) is a former British Labour Party politician, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Salford and Eccles, previously Salford, from 1997 to 2015. One of 101 female Labour MPs elected at the 1997 g ...
on 24 July 2007. The 30,500-seater stadium opened in July 2011.


Falmer station

Falmer is served by
Falmer railway station Falmer railway station is in East Sussex, south-east England, from on the East Coastway line. It is operated by Southern. The station serves the village of Falmer as well as the University of Sussex campus and the University of Brighton Fa ...
which lies on the East Coastway line.


References


External links


Parish layout in MagicMap
{{Authority control Civil parishes in East Sussex Villages in East Sussex