Pyecombe is a 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 authority ...
in the
Mid Sussex District
Mid Sussex is a local government district in the English non-metropolitan county of West Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex. It contains the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill.
The district was created on 1 April ...
of
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in South East England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the shire districts of Adur, Arun, Chichester, Horsham, and Mid Sussex, and the boroughs of Crawley and Worthing. Covering an ar ...
, England. The name 'Pyecombe' may derive from the
Saxon
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
"pic" meaning point or pike, in which case it may mean "valley marked by a projecting hill".
Pyecombe is located 7 miles (11 km) to the north of
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 ...
. The civil parish covers an area of and has a population of 200 (2001 census), increasing at the 2011 Census to a population of 237.
[
The parish lies wholly with the South Downs National Park. The planning authority for Pyecombe is the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), the statutory planning authority for the National Park area.
]
History
The parish of Pyecombe comprises two settlements, one called 'Pyecombe' and the other 'Pyecombe Street'. These are about a quarter of a mile apart. The reason for the gap between the two parts of the village is unclear but it is generally thought to be a consequence of plague in the 17th century which necessitated the temporary abandonment of the main settlement and its church.
Pyecombe village lies on the London to Brighton Way Roman road, as well as on 18th and 19th century turnpike roads over Clayton Hill.
The Crown Estate owned the c. 4000 acre Poynings Estate between the Norman Conquest and 1980s. The estate covered many farms in the Weald and on the Downs at Fulking
Fulking is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The parish lies wholly with the South Downs National Park.
The parish is located on the north slopes of the South Downs, five miles (8 km) to the north- ...
, Poynings
Poynings ( or ) is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The parish lies wholly with the South Downs National Park. To its south is Brighton and Hove, to its west is the Fulking parish, to its east is t ...
and Pyecombe. In 1984 it went up for sale. Some have noted that if the estate had entered public ownership it would have been at the heart of the South Downs National Park and could have been driving forward sustainable farming and landscape restoration. Instead tenant farmers bought it and one of the purchasers now farms 1,500 acres.
Parts of the Estate, including Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
, were common land, Pycombe Common, right up until 1872 when the area was victim to one of the very last usages of the Enclosure Act
The Inclosure Acts, which use an archaic spelling of the word now usually spelt "enclosure", cover enclosure of open fields and common land in England and Wales, creating legal property rights to land previously held in common. Between 1604 and 1 ...
in Sussex.
Notable buildings and areas
The parish lies wholly with the South Downs National Park and is the site of rich biodiversity. Opposite the church is the old forge where the Pyecombe hook was first made in the 19th century by Mr Berry, the blacksmith. The village inn is ''the Plough''; and there is ''The Three Greys'' riding school and ''Brendon Stud'' in the locality.
The Church of the Transfiguration
The Church of the Transfiguration is the Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within each Church of England parish (the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative unit; since the 19th century sometimes ca ...
of Pyecombe. The chancel and nave are 12th century; the tower was built in the 13th century. A small kitchen / toilet extension was built on the south side of the church in 2014, finished in flint to match the rest of the church. The extension won the Sussex Heritage Trust ecclesiastical award in 2015. The church is a Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, described in the National Heritage List for England as an ‘Attractive small medieval building’.
Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
is a chalk prominence located within the parish, owned and maintained by 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 ...
. It is the location of four scheduled monuments and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
. It is perhaps one of the most spectacular looking Downs in the area. To the south is Pycombe and Pycombe Street, to the east is Crabtree Shaw and a big chalk pit, to the north is the Ashen Plantation and to the east is Wellcombe Bottom. There are a number of tracks up to the summit including paths from Crabtree Bottom, Danny House
Danny is a Grade I listed Elizabethan red brick mansion near Hurstpierpoint in West Sussex, England. It lies at the northern foot of Wolstonbury Hill and may be regarded as one of the finest stately houses in Sussex, with 56 bedrooms and 28 a ...
, Clayton and Pycombe. At least twelve native orchid species have been found in the area.
Wellcombe Bottom
Wellcombe Bottom () like the rest of Wolstonbury Hill is owned by 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 ...
. At the Trust's request, Friends of Wolstonbury, between 2007 and 2010, cleared scrub in the valley. The area is now rich in meadow flowers and the insects and butterflies that thrive on them. Seven native orchids can be found at Wellcombe Bottom in an area locally known as the "Orchid Bank".
The Cow Down
The Cow Down () is east of Newtimber Hill and south west of the A23 and Wostonbury Hill. Until 1872 it was one of the three commons of Pyecombe and the public dimension is once again recognized by its designation as Access Land
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 wilderness ...
. There are old anthills, wild marjoram, knapweed
''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...
, betony Betony is a common name for a plant which may refer to:
*''Stachys'', a genus of plants containing several species commonly known as betony in Europe
**'' Stachys officinalis'', a historically important medicinal plant
*''Pedicularis
''Pedicular ...
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 ...
and the blue butterflies that thrive on them. The rare snail, Monacha cartusiana, has been recorded on the Down.
Pyecombe Golf Course
Pyecombe Golf Course () was built on an exhilarating area of ancient Down pasture and chalk heath in 1894. The area includes Rag Bottom, which was remote enough to be a cockfighting venue before the golf course's construction and the windy Middle Brow. The South Downs Way passes through its northern side.
Golfers and nature conservationists are not always good bed fellows, but in this case, the golf course saved the Downs' archaic chalk grassland from being ploughed out as most of it has. After more than one hundred years of benign neglect, some of the chalk grassland and small areas of very rare chalk heath survive. On such areas alkaline chalk loving and acidic heathland plants go hand-in-hand.
On Middle Brow one can find heath bedstraw, heath speedwell
''Veronica officinalis'', the heath speedwell, common gypsyweed, common speedwell, or Paul's betony, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia. It has been introduced to Nort ...
, slender St John's-wort, 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 ...
, dyers greenweed and even ling heather a and other calcifuge plants, alongside fragrant orchis, rockrose, 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 ...
, betony Betony is a common name for a plant which may refer to:
*''Stachys'', a genus of plants containing several species commonly known as betony in Europe
**'' Stachys officinalis'', a historically important medicinal plant
*''Pedicularis
''Pedicular ...
, eyebright and yellow rattle. In the past though, there was the rare dwarf gorse
''Ulex minor'', the dwarf furze or dwarf gorse is an evergreen dwarf shrub in the family Fabaceae, native to eastern England, France, Spain and Portugal. It is restricted to lowland heathland habitats.
It normally grows about tall, although i ...
, which is remarkably rare on the chalk. In autumn there may be as many as ten old meadow fungi including colourful waxcaps
''Hygrocybe'' is a genus of agarics (gilled fungi) in the family Hygrophoraceae. Called waxcaps in English (sometimes waxy caps in North America), basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are often brightly coloured and have dry to waxy caps, white spores, an ...
.
Pangdean
Pangdean farm () is likely to be older than Pycombe itself as it features in 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 ...
, whilst Pyecombe does not. Glover suggests the name might come from the Old English term ''pinca denu'' meaning, "Valley frequented by finches". In the past there was no fast road through the valley as the roads went over the hilltops. Now the A23 lies right next to the farmhouse. The deep coombes to the west and east of Pangdean Farm have rich biodiversity and the din of the road quietens.
The steeper slopes of Holt Hill, just south east of the farmstead, have chalk grassland. The west slope () has lots of rockrose, pride of Sussex, orchids, 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 autumn gentian
''Gentianella amarella'', the autumn gentian, autumn dwarf gentian, or autumn felwort, is a short biennial plant flowering plant in the gentian family, Gentianaceae. It is found throughout Northern Europe, the western and northern United States ...
. The north slope () as lots of cowslips and yellow rattle and spring sedge.
Pangdean Holt
Pangdean Holt (), north west of the Chattri
''Chhatri'' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they serve as decorative elements. The earliest example of chhatri being used in the ...
, up and east from the farmstead and south of the golf club is an ancient woodland. It was a woodland seven hundred years ago, which means there's a fair chance it's been woodland for millennia. The Saxon's called woods dominated by a single species ‘holts’ and hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
is the main woody species at Pangdean Holt. There are ten plant species indicative of the Holt's antiquity which given the steep slope is a good total. There's redcurrant
The redcurrant or red currant (''Ribes rubrum'') is a member of the genus ''Ribes'' in the gooseberry family. It is native to western Europe. The species is widely cultivated and has escaped into the wild in many regions.
Description
''Ribes r ...
, pignut Hognut or pignut can mean any of a number of unrelated plants:
* ''Bunium bulbocastanum'' (black cumin) or ''Conopodium majus'' (kippernut) of the Apiaceae
* rushpeas, particularly ''Hoffmannseggia glauca'' (Indian rushpea) and ''Hoffmannseggia den ...
, early purple orchis, sanicle
''Sanicula'' is a genus of plants in Family (biology), family Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae), the same family to which the carrot and parsnip belong. This genus has about 45 species worldwide, with at least 22 in North America.Focus on Rarities (fro ...
and early dog-violet. The richest area of the wood is at the slope top, where there can be wild strawberries, raspberry
The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...
and gooseberry
Gooseberry ( or (American and northern British) or (southern British)) is a common name for many species of ''Ribes'' (which also includes currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in the genu ...
. There are several big and old ash trees that bear lichens and liverworts.
Pangdean Bottom
Pangdean Bottom () is the west of the A23 and actually sits outside Pyecombe and in the 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 ...
jurisdiction, though long part of Pyecombe's landscape. It is rented by a tenant farmer from Brighton and Hove City Council
Brighton and Hove City Council is the local authority of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is a unitary authority, having the powers of a non-metropolitan county and district council combined. It provides a full range of local government services ...
, who have owned it since 1924. It includes ancient chalk grassland slopes where there are still chalkland flowers and butterflies. In late summer, the valley's north side has one of the largest populations of autumn ladies-tresses orchid has been recorded, on the valley's north side, together with a large population of the white variety of the self heal violet. The scrub at the head of the valley is old and diverse, with wayfaring tree
''Viburnum lantana'', the wayfarer or wayfaring tree, is a species of ''Viburnum'', native to central, southern and western Europe (north to Yorkshire in England), northwest Africa, and southwestern Asia.Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flo ...
, old man's beard Old man's beard may refer to the following:
* ''Chionanthus virginicus'', a tree, which is used like a medicinal plant and ornamental plant.
* ''Clematis aristata'', an Australian climbing plant.
* ''Clematis vitalba'', a climbing plant.
* ''Tillan ...
, honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...
, hazel
The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
, and gorse
''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...
.
In July 2021 the Sussex-based 'Landscapes of Freedom' group, together with Nick Hayes
Nick Hayes is a British writer, illustrator, and campaigner for land access. He has written a number of graphic novels and a non-fiction book, ''The Book of Trespass''.
Life and work
Hayes grew up in Upper Basildon, Berkshire.
He works as an il ...
and Guy Shrubsole
Guy Shrubsole is a British researcher, writer and campaigner. He wrote ''Who Owns England?: How We Lost Our Green and Pleasant Land, and How to Take It Back''.
Life
Shrubsole was born in Newbury, Berkshire and attended St Bartholomew's School.
...
of the 'Right to Roam' network, organised a mass trespass in protest against the lack of public access to this valley and its management for game bird shooting, which has badly affected its chalk grassland wildlife.[Bangs, David (2018). ''Land of the Brighton line : a field guide to the Middle Sussex and South East Surrey Weald''. ]righton Righton is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alan Righton (1905–1982), Australian rugby league footballer
* Caroline Righton (born 1958), English television presenter and author
* Edward Righton (actor) (1838–1899), English ...
. . Over three hundred people walked from Waterhall, Brighton, to Pangdean Bottom in protest. The public are actively discouraged from walking in the area and scrub has been allowed to grow on the pristine downland, whilst other parts have been ploughed out.
Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments
Pyecombe civil parish contains seven listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s. Of these, one is Grade I and the remaining six are Grade II. The parish contains five 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.
Listed buildings
Grade I listed buildings:
* The Parish Church (Church of the Transfiguration
The Church of the Transfiguration ( he, כנסיית ההשתנות) is a Franciscan church located on Mount Tabor in Israel. It is traditionally believed to be the site where the Transfiguration of Jesus took place, an event in the Gospels in ...
) (List Entry Number 1025593). Chancel and nave 12th century, tower 13 century; 'an attractive small medieval building'.
Scheduled monuments
*
Roman road and 18th century coaching road north of Pyecombe church (List Entry Number 1005821). The monument includes a Roman road and a late 18th century coaching road, the Brighton to Lovell Heath Turnpike, with 19th century realignments.
* Cross dyke and bowl barrow 310m south east of Wolstonbury Camp (List Entry Number 1015226), a univallate cross dyke and a bowl barrow situated on a chalk spur which projects to the south east from Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
.
* Platform barrow 300m south of Wolstonbury Camp (List Entry Number 1015227), a roughly circular, flat-topped mound situated on a chalk spur which projects to the south east from Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
.
* Romano-British farmstead, field system and trackway on Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
(List Entry Number 1015228), a farmstead dating to the late Romano-British period and its associated field system and trackway, on the north eastern slope of Wolstonbury Hill.
* Wolstonbury Camp: a Ram's Hill type enclosure on Wolstonbury Hill
Wolstonbury Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of in West Sussex. It is owned by the National Trust and part of it is a Scheduled Monument.
Description
Rising to a maximum height of , Wolstonbury projects into ...
and associated later remains (List Entry Number 1016153), a Late Bronze Age Ram's Hill type enclosure situated on Wolstonbury Hill, a clay-with-flints capped chalk hill.
References
External links
The Downland Benefice: Pyecombe Church
- Photographs of the church, taken on 18 January 2004
{{authority control
Mid Sussex District
Villages in West Sussex
Civil parishes in West Sussex