Tag: South Downs National Park

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South Downs for All Project Launched in Hampshire

Having concluded our South Downs for All project with Sussex schools last year, we are now delighted to bring the same heritage learning opportunities to seven partner schools in Hampshire.

These schools struggle financially and have many pupils with special learning needs or from homes classed as being low income or with issues of family stress. With a grant of £70,700 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £15,000 contribution from Friends of the South Downs, the aim of the two-year South Downs for All (Hampshire) is to engage with these children and introduce them to the wonderful heritage of the South Downs.

To do this, we have also partnered with three living heritage museums, all situated in the South Downs, either in Hampshire or close to the Hampshire border. Butser Ancient Farm, Gilbert White’s House, and the Weald and Downland Museum are all outstanding centres of heritage conservation and heritage learning, celebrated for their achievements in the UK and internationally. All three have dedicated education officers and run learning programmes tailored for children and the requirements of the National Curriculum, particularly Key Stage 2.

The funding we have secured means we are able to offer our partner schools the opportunity to send their pupils to each one of these centres of heritage excellence. Not only does the funding allow us to cover entry costs and hands-on workshops, it also covers the cost of transport, which will generally mean the cost of coach hire (an ever increasing cost for schools). Without this funding, most of our partner schools would never be able to offer their pupils such wonderful learning opportunities.

Wildlife expert leading a presentation on otters to a class of children.
Michael Blencowe, Sussex wildlife expert leading a presentation. https://michaelblencowe.com/
                                                                                                   

Children will be able to visit Butser and see recreated homes from the Neolithic to the Saxon period in which our ancient ancestors lived. They will learn how these people lived, worked, and socialised. Weald and Downland at Singleton, takes up where Butser leaves off, offering children unique learning experiences from Saxon to Victorian times, in real period buildings, rescued from redevelopment and rebuilt at the Museum. To complement these historical experiences, Gilbert White’s House, the home and now museum of the great eighteenth century naturalist in Selborne, will introduce children to the exceptional flora and fauna of the South Downs.

Our Chairman, David Green, said, “The Friends of the South Downs are delighted that this generous funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will afford more children the opportunity to experience and learn about the wonderful South Downs. The Friends believe that such opportunities are vitally important to instil in children an appreciation of the natural world and an interest in this nationally important countryside on their doorstep.”

We are delighted that we have again been fortunate in securing the services of Chris Hare of History People UK to manage this project, with his deep experience of researching local and regional history and teaching both children and adults. Chris feels there is something rather special about this project, saying, “The feeling of anticipation and enthusiasm, both from the schools and the museums is palpable and bodes very well for the progress of our work over the next two years.”

In addition to the visits to each of the external learning centres, the partner schools will benefit from in-school workshops as part of the project. As well coordinating all the activities, Chris will also be delivering heritage workshops tailored to the needs of each school e.g. an overview of South Downs heritage, from the earliest times to the present day, or specific presentations on the Romans or Saxons. Michael Blencowe, formerly of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, will be delivering workshops on South Downs flora and fauna and taking the children on field trips in the summer and autumn terms.

Hundreds of children will now be able to visit and enjoy learning about the heritage of the South Downs in outstanding learning environments, all situated within the heart of the South Downs. We will be updating our South Downs for All website, which will record all our activities with our partner schools. The website also records our previous work with schools in Sussex, and is well worth a look,  www.southdownsforall.org.uk. We will keep members updated on the project’s progress as it develops this year and next.

Martin Small, Trustee    Chris Hare, Project Manager

 

Chris Hare, Project Manager leading a school trip on the Downs

 

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Storrington and Knepp Wildland: The UK’s only European Stork Village

In 2024 Knepp Wildland applied to have the Knepp Estate and Storrington jointly designated as a ‘European Stork Village’

This was in recognition of Knepp’s reintroduction and breeding success of the white stork.  The application to Euronatur was accepted and announced in mid-March 2025.  Only one area per country may be granted this status.  Euronatur is a charitable foundation who run the ‘European Stork Villages Network’ initiative.  Their aim is the protection of wildlife and its habitats in Europe. 


The formal conferment of European Stork Village will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May 2025.  This honour will be celebrated by a “White Stork and Nature Revival” Festival organised by Storrington and Sullington Parish Council.  Representatives from Euronatur will come to Storrington to formally award the certificate jointly to the owners of the Knepp Estate and the Chair of the Parish Council on behalf of the Storrington community.  There will be a variety of family-friendly activities, stalls and talks in and around the Chanctonbury Leisure Centre between 10:00 and 16:30, with the naming ceremony at 10:30am.  Parking will be at Hormare Field, just off the A283 and only a short walk away. 

It is worth reading on to learn about the background to these festivities.

The association of Storrington with storks is clear, although there are alternative interpretations.  It is often stated that the Saxon name for Storrington – ‘Estorchestone’, means ‘the village of the storks’.  In the 12th century it was known as ‘Storketon’, or ‘Storcatun’ in old English, meaning ‘homestead with storks’.  Others claim that Estorch may have been the name of the local chieftain, and that Estorchestone meant Estorch’s village or homestead.  Another theory is that the area may have supported a significant population of stork-like birds such as herons and egrets and that these were referred to as storks.  Though it’s doubtful our ancestors, with a much closer connection to nature, couldn’t tell the difference!  Whichever way, Storrington celebrates its storks and the village sign, unveiled in 2002 at Place Villerest in the heart of the village, has two storks as its emblem.

Around Storrington, particularly north and east of the village, there are a number of wet and marshy areas around the Arun Valley, which could have supported large numbers of wetland birds.   Before storks became extinct in the UK, about six hundred years ago, there may well have been a population of storks in the area.  There is strong evidence that white storks are native to the British Isles and were once widely distributed.  Habitat loss e.g. due to draining of wetlands, hunting and persecution led to their decline so that they became extinct in the British Isles, at least as a breeding species, in the early 15th century.  After that date, they remained irregular visitors to Britain, flying over but no longer settling to form colonies.

L. Kadava

In recent years storks have again become associated with the area through the reintroduction of storks at Knepp Wildland.  Its ‘White Stork Project’ seeks to re-establish a wild, breeding population of white storks in the UK.  Knepp’s new generation of storks now once again migrate to Southern Europe and Africa in the late summer and early autumn and return in the spring.  Storks are increasingly seen foraging on sites such as the RSPB reserve at Pulborough Brooks and around Amberley.  As the Knepp population of storks increases, it is likely they will seek new nesting sites outside of the Knepp Estate. 

Habitats that support white storks also support other species.  Also, their nests can provide:

  • a habitat for other species, including invertebrates that are a food source for other species, and
  • nesting sites for other birds, such as sparrows and starlings which will inhabit the stork nests while the storks are using them, but also other birds.

Keep an eye on the live 24/7 stork’s nest webcam at Knepp.

 

A recent initiative by the South Downs Trust is to raise funds to support the restoration of dew ponds across the South Downs.  This ‘Pounds for Ponds’ initiative has enabled the South Downs National Park Authority to restore a number of dew ponds in the South Downs landscape to help nature thrive, and it aims to restore many more. Dew ponds support amphibians like frogs, toads, and newts, as well as insects, birds, and small mammals, all of which are a food source for foraging white storks.  Locally, one such restored dew pond is at Chantry Hill, just above Storrington.  We could be seeing white storks on this site and a number of other sites on the South Downs in future years.

Storks and wetlands belong together and thus the white stork is the European ambassador for the protection and restoration of wetlands, wet meadows and pastures.  A nature festival will be held in Storrington each year from now on in celebration of the white stork as a symbol for nature recovery and to inspire people to take further action to restore the natural environment. 

Written by Joan Grech, Storrington resident and conservation volunteer,

Horsham District Councillor for the Storrington & Washington Ward,

HDC’s representative on the South Downs National Park Authority

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The South Downs Local Plan Review

Our formal comments on the South Downs Local Plan Review

The first public consultation on the Review of the South Downs Local Plan ended on 17th March. The Local Plan is a very important document for the South Downs National Park as it sets out both the policies against which planning applications will be assessed and which sites are allocated for development. 

The FSD therefore took an active interest in the preparation of the original Plan in 2017 and we have carefully scrutinised the Review. In particular, our District Officers, who keep an eye on planning applications in the National Park, have assessed each of the 48 proposed new housing allocations. 

We have submitted over 100 comments of varying detail. We have agreed with many of the policies, including those on landscape character, design, tranquillity and biodiversity. However, we feel that the Vision for the National Park should be more robust and that the Plan should refer to the strengthened duty of relevant authorities to seek to further National Park purposes. We also consider that the Plan fails to set out an adequate strategy for the undeveloped coastline within the Park.

We accept that some development should take place in the National Park to meet the needs of the communities within it. However, we have objected strongly to some of the proposed housing allocations, including those west of Liphook, east of the A286 at Cocking and west of the village hall in Rogate, because of the harm we believe that development on these sites would cause to the special qualities of the National Park.

We are now looking to the National Park Authority to take our comments into account in revising the Review.

View the full document with our comments here.

 

James Ratchford Photography

 

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Award Winning Performances at The University of Brighton

An interview with Haari Aswat, who won the Robert Thurston Hopkins Award for 2024.

Two years ago, trustees decided to create links with Brighton University to foster interest in the Downs from high achieving young people who could make a difference during their future careers. As part of this initiative, on 1 August two important prizes were awarded, that we are sponsoring, as part of Brighton University’s main graduation ceremony.The Robert Thurston-Hopkins award, named in honour of our founder, is for the highest-achieving BSc/BA final exam result in the Department of Geography, Earth and Environment.  It was won in 2024 by Haari Aswat.Also awarded was the Richard Reed award, in memory of the thrice Chair and recently departed stalwart of the FSD.  This is for the most improved BSc/BA student in 1st/2nd year in the GEE Department.  This was won by Dom Jarvis.

Our trustee Janet Goody was present at the ceremony, accompanied by both Joanna Thurston Hopkins (granddaughter of RTH) and Julia Reed (Richard Reed’s daughter).

Janet and I caught up later with Haari Aswat, whose BSc was in Environmental Sciences, and he told us about himself. 

Interview with Haari

Q: Where did you grow up?

Haari: In Coleorton, a village in northwest Leicestershire near Loughborough.

Q: Why did you decide to study Environmental Sciences?

Haari: The natural landscape was always important to me – my home was near two amazing places, Coleorton Wood (part of the National Forest) and Charnwood Forest Geopark.  Plus, Coleorton sits in a former coal mining district, and so I became interested in the environmental challenges of all sorts of mining. 

Q: Why pick Brighton University?

Haari: Firstly,I’ve always had a hankering to live near the sea. My Dad comes from Yorkshire, but my Mum is from Devon, and I have very happy memories of family holidays near the Devon coast.  Also, it’s a great city for young people.  And finally, the Geography, Earth and Environmental department at Brighton is, rightly, very highly regarded.

Q: What exposure did you have to the South Downs whilst in Brighton?

Haari: First year has a lot of field trips, and the memory of one visit to the Seven Sisters will stay with me for a long time. My roommate and I also enjoyed doing all-day hikes on the South Downs.

Q: What’s your view on how we should protect such landscapes?

Haari: Well, it’s important we do protect them. And the best way to encourage everyone to value their importance is to experience them directly.  So, anything that can be done to enable people to do that is vital to winning the case.  I’m really into rock climbing, and that has really strengthened my commitment to beautiful natural landscapes.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

Haari: I’m off to St Andrews University in a few weeks to study for an MSc in Geochemistry.  Beyond that, I’m clear we will need increasing amounts of minerals like cobalt, lithium and copper to move to a low carbon world, but the challenge is to do this in a green way.  It would be marvellous to have a career involved in helping to solve that puzzle. 

Paul Wilkinson

Vice Chairman

Haari Aswat

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Special Sanctuary for Nature

Noar Hill

The gentler landscapes of the National Park in Hampshire have their own special beauty. The open western Downs are some of the most tranquil areas in the Park. From the scarp slope north of Petersfield and the internationally important ‘hanger’ woodlands, to the chalk rivers of the Itchen and Meon and the Yew forest of Kingley Vale, the western end of the Park contains a variety of landscapes and important wildlife habitats. Amongst the latter are areas of chalk grassland, including Noar Hill, a special sanctuary for nature, a 63-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of the East Hampshire Hangers Special Area of Conservation, near Selborne.

Noar Hill photo courtesy of Ian Cameron-Reid

A 20-hectare section of Noar Hill is managed by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) which, with the support of thousands of members, supporters and volunteers, has protected and cared for wild spaces and places in Hampshire for more than 60 years. The Trust manages more than 65 nature reserves across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, while also working with partner organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the two counties and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife and take action for nature’s recovery.

Noar Hill is one of the Trust’s most important and well-known sites, being one of its ‘Chalk Gem’ nature reserves. The Nature Reserve is nationally renowned for a wonderful array of chalk downland flowers, such as Juniper and Pyramidal Orchid. Every spring and summer, the vibrant flowers and butterflies which nectar on them create a magnificent canvas of colour against the backdrop of surrounding crop fields. Once the site of medieval chalk workings, a walk through this landscape always offers a fascinating experience with its ridges, banks and hollows creating niches for a wide variety of wildlife.

Our Support of this Special Sanctuary for Nature

Friends of the South Downs Council has agreed a donation of up to £20,000 during this year to support the Trust’s vital work at this popular and special sanctuary for nature. This donation will help fund a range of works with benefits to wildlife.  These include surveys that will enable the Trust’s team to record and monitor the rarer species at the site, helping to guide practical habitat management to ensure these species are protected. A programme of scrape creation will prevent scrub from dominating open areas, provide conditions for early, pioneer plant species, and create micro-climates offering warmth, protection and the right conditions for butterflies, an array of orchids and other chalk flora.  Some species require scrub (e.g. Brown Hairstreak, Duke of Burgundy, and rare hybrid roses), so scrapes will be sited away from the most sensitive areas.

The provision of ‘no fence’ cattle collars will optimise conservation grazing efforts for the benefit of wildlife, whilst new and updated signage and interpretation will help to deepen awareness, connection, understanding of, and support for, Noar Hill its wildlife, the HIWWT and the Friends.

These works will directly further the first purpose of National Parks: to increase the enjoyment of the landscape and help preserve the South Downs for future generations.  The project also represents our first truly environmental project and one of our first in Hampshire. We are therefore delighted and excited to be working in partnership with the HIWWT on this important and ground-breaking project.

For further information on Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, visit hiwwt.org.uk

Martin Small

Trustee

Fragrant orchid and Common twayblade photo courtesy of Mike Read
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Stepping Out Smart by Avoiding Ticks

As the weather warms up, many of us look forward to spending more time walking and hiking on trails and in parks. However, a tiny menace awaits—Ixodes Ricinus, the blacklegged tick. Also known as the Deer Tick, these crafty parasites cling to vegetation waiting to latch onto passing animals or people, looking for a meal of blood. While going unnoticed, they can transmit Lyme disease, an illness you’ll want to avoid. Let’s look into stepping out smart by avoiding ticks. Protect yourself with some tick smarts before heading out on your next walk.

stepping out smart by avoiding ticks

Ticks and Lyme Disease

Blacklegged ticks in their nymph stage are most likely to pass on Lyme. These poppy seed-sized insects are efficient transmitters of the corkscrew-shaped Lyme bacterium. Infected ticks secrete the bacteria into the skin when they insert their feeding tube.

What Are the Symptoms?

If a tick infected with the Lyme bacterium has fed on you, a rash might emerge on your skin around the bite within three to 30 days. The infamous ‘bullseye’ circular rash, called erythema migrans, appears in about 70-80% of infected people. Flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, stiff neck, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue often accompany the rash.

Without treatment, more severe joint swelling and pain, heart palpitations, and neurological issues involving numbness, paralysis, and memory problems can occur. See a doctor right away if you experience any of these warning signs of Lyme after spending time outdoors. Prescription antibiotics at an early stage can treat the infection effectively.

When walkers return from wooded areas or fields with tall grass, they must perform thorough tick checks over every inch of exposed skin. Look carefully in warm folds around armpits, the groin, back of knees, scalp, and ears. Tiny young ticks are easy to miss.

Stepping Out Smart by Avoiding Ticks

The best defence to avoid close encounters with these disease-carrying freeloaders is to minimise exposure of unprotected skin by wearing trousers and long-sleeved shirts. Stick to trails and avoid sitting on logs or in tall grass. Apply a DEET repellent on exposed areas of skin. After returning from a walk in an infested area, immediately put clothes in the tumble dryer on high heat to kill stragglers. Check your body closely and document any tick finds. Prompt removal within 24 hours using pointy tweezers can stop disease transmission. If you remove a tick that has bitten you it can also be a good idea to bag in and put it in the freezer for later examination by the NHS if Lyme symptoms appear.

Ticks may be small, but the illnesses they can transmit pack a serious punch. With vigilance, preventative measures, and quick tick removal, walkers can continue to roam the landscapes they enjoy—without unwelcome fellow travellers tagging along.

Ian Lancaster, Walks & Strolls Coordinator

Follow this link to learn about tick removal

Follow this link to the NHS Lyme Disease information page

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Responsible Dog Walking

The South Downs National Park encourages responsible dog walking to help farmers and wildlife. Take the lead and keep those paws on the path! That’s the call to action to dogwalkers from the South Downs National Park Authority as ground-nesting bird and lambing season starts this March.

With dog ownership at an all-time high post-pandemic, the National Park is re-energising its “Take The Lead” campaign, which encourages responsible dog walking with simple actions, such as keeping canines on leads around livestock and bagging and binning dog poo. Since the National Park Authority came into being in 2011, the number of dogs in the UK has significantly increased – from around 8m in 2011 to around 13m today – meaning it’s more important than ever to follow some simple guidelines when walking your dog in the countryside.

Responsible Dog Walking

The four messages for Take The Lead are:

  • Keep dogs on a lead near livestock
  • Bag and bin your poo, any public bin will do
  • Stick to the path. Protect ground-nesting birds by sticking to the paths, especially between 1 March and 15 September during the breeding season.
  • Do not enter military training areas when the red flags are flying

To mark the campaign, the National Park is inviting dogwalkers to enjoy the stunning views and snap a picture of their pooch on the lead and sticking to the path in the South Downs. The competition starts on 15 March and runs through the Easter Holidays and Discover National Parks Fortnight, finishing on 14 April. The prize for the best image will be an amazing dog hamper full of tasty treats for your four-legged friend and a “poop scoop” Dicky Bag – an award-winning neoprene bag that’s lightweight, airtight, washable and leak proof to store your dog poo bags until you find a suitable bin.

To enter simply post a picture with #PawsOnThePath and #TaketheLead on Instagram or facebook. Dr Marc Abraham OBE, or ‘Marc the Vet’ as he’s usually known, a multi-award-winning veterinary surgeon, author, broadcaster, and animal welfare campaigner, will be judging the entries.

Unfortunately there have been several reported incidents of sheep worrying in the South Downs over the past couple of years and statistics from the National Sheep Association show that 70% of UK sheep farmers have experienced a sheep worrying attack in the past 12 months. It’s not only young lambs that are are risk from being chased by dogs, pregnant ewes can abort their unborn lambs if scared by dogs. For any farmer it’s devastating emotionally and financially to discover any of their flock has been injured, or worse, killed, in a dog attack.

Sticking to the paths is particularly important at this time of year as many birds, such as nightjar and curlew, lay their eggs directly on the ground and can easily be disturbed by a curious canine. Mothers will often abandon a nest and her eggs if disturbed.

Photo courtesy of Jamie Fielding

Andy Gattiker, who leads on access for the National Park Authority, said: “Our focus at the National Park is on education and engagement when it comes to dogwalking.

“Responsible dog walking is a great way for people to get out, get fit and experience the National Park. However, we also understand that having dogs off leads can potentially have a devastating impact on farmers, as well as fragile wildlife-rich habitats.

“The aim of our ‘Take The Lead’ campaign is to help everyone, including dog walkers, to have an enjoyable and safe experience in the National Park.”

One of the “myths” that often arises at the National Park’s engagement events is that dog poo enriches the soil and helps plants and animals.

Andy said: “Many of the habitats in the National Park, such as chalk grassland and heathland, have actually developed over thousands of years because of soil that is low in nutrients. This gives the amazing array of specialist species that we see today. Introducing dog poo can change this soil profile and interrupt these fragile ecosystems. It’s also very unsightly when you’re trying to enjoy this beautiful landscape and carries the risk of serious bacterial infection to humans.”

Sussex-based vet, animal welfare campaigner, and South Downs enthusiast Dr Marc Abraham OBE said: “Once again it’s a huge honour to judge the South Downs National Park’s #TakeTheLead and #PawsOnThePath photo competition. Dog ownership is at an all-time high post-Covid, so it’s never been more important to make sure our four-legged friends are kept under control at all times, which means sticking to the paths during ground-nesting bird and lambing season, as well as picking up their poop and disposing of it safely and responsibly, plus highlighting a new online ‘toolkit’ for communities looking to set up their own dog ambassador schemes.”

Dr Marc Abraham OBE

If you’re looking to raise awareness in your local area about responsible dog ownership you may want to think about setting up a dog ambassador scheme. Having regular dog walkers in your area talking to other dog walkers can be a great way of helping educate people about how they can ensure they have a fun and safe visit to the countryside with their pooch. The National Park has created an online toolkit, full of useful information on setting up a dog ambassador scheme, and it can be seen here www.southdowns.gov.uk/take-the-lead/dog-ambassadors-set-up-your-own-scheme.

For more information on Take The Lead visit www.southdowns.gov.uk/take-the-lead/

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Rother Valley Railway

Between Petersfield and Midhurst there is only one section of public footpath along the former track bed of the Rother Valley Railway, but there are several places where paths cross it.

The Friends of Rother Valley Way (FoRVW) is a community group of local individuals and organisations who have come together to work alongside Shortcut (Sussex Hampshire Off-Road Track – reg. charity established 2012) to establish a multi-user pathway between Petersfield and Midhurst, following, as much as possible, the route of the former railway. The FoRVW Steering Committee was formed in 2017, bringing together statutory authorities such as South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Hampshire County Council (HCC) together with groups including Sustrans & Midhurst Area Cycling (MAC).

History of the Rother Valley Way

The Downs are an imposing natural barrier to the south of our area, so it is no surprise that for centuries local people preferred to travel and trade along the flat, sandy soils of the Rother, between Petersfield and Pulborough rather than up and over the steep, scarp slope.

If you know where to look, the history of this vital communications corridor is still visible today, providing a vivid picture of centuries gone by. There are the pubs that were once coaching inns; the remains of toll houses and turnpike gates, constructed to gather revenue; a plaque on a river bridge warning drivers of steam engines against seeking water; as well as the many bridges and cuttings of the former railway that once ran through the valley.

Between Petersfield and Midhurst there is only one section of public footpath along the former track bed of the Rother Valley Railway, but there are several places where paths cross it. Despite having walked these routes many times, on each occasion I find myself wondering what could have been. You only need look as far as the Meon Valley Trail or Centurion Way between Midhurst and Chichester to see what a wonderful active travel and leisure facility former railway lines can provide.  Back in the 1960s a local paper headline read, ‘Branch Rail Line to Be Torn Up – No future plans, says Railway Authority, but open to “bright ideas”’. Clearly everyone was out of bright ideas back then.

Disappointed by what could have been, I have been busying myself of late researching what was. I have discovered that the Rother Valley Railway was described as ‘among the most beautiful lines in England’. Opening in 1864, this beauty, however, didn’t prove a big enough pull, and the line was eventually closed to passengers in the 1950s long before Beeching’s axe fell a decade later. Leading up to the war, the line appears to have been quite well used and even profitable, but it unfortunately never recovered from the arrival of buses and lorries afterwards. Paradoxically, in the weeks leading up to the line’s closure to passengers in 1955 thousands of people turned up to ride the 9 ¼ mile journey. Perhaps you were one of them.

Petersfield resident, Gordon Churchill, has vivid memories of these last days as his father was a signalman at the station. It appears it was an almost party-like atmosphere along the line with everyone desperate to have a ride, and well-wishers waving as the trains went by. Knowing many of the engine drivers through his father, Gordon was lucky enough to get rides on the engine footplate to Midhurst and sometimes as far as Pulborough.

Listening to stories about the railway from different local people, it seems the local area might have been quite different without the Rother Valley Railway. On the line, Nyewood station was known as ‘Rogate for South Harting’ as the tiny hamlet barely existed on the map. The reason we know of Nyewood today is largely due to an old brick works. This existed long before the arrival of the railway, but it had been losing money. In the late 1800s a new owner saw the opportunity the railway provided to turn the business around. He moved the yard alongside the line, where it had its own siding, and installed more modern facilities. By the early 1900s the works was producing 100,000 bricks a day, employed 60 men, had acquired an international reputation, and given rise to two pubs in the village. If only we could find similar stimuli for economic growth (read ‘to keep pubs going’) in our rural communities today.

Effects of the Rother Valley Railway on Farming Communities

At first glance it would seem the railway had little effect on farming communities, simply steaming on past, but there you would be wrong. Not only did it provide jobs for lengthsmen, who were as vital then as today’s countryside rangers when it came to managing the flora and fauna along the line, but the railway was also the ‘common carrier’. This meant it was obliged to transport anything and everything. This included whole farms. The mind boggles at this concept today, but believe it or not, some of our local farming families moved to this area from further afield by putting their livestock on the train and then driving the animals the final few miles from the station.

Gordon also remembers seeing wagons full of antlers in the Petersfield goods yard, possibly from the annual cull at Petworth. One other big plus of the railway was that it transported polo ponies across to Cowdray. Just imagine, no enormous horse lorries navigating the bends and narrow bridge around Trotton. It’s almost worth turning back the clock for that.

One of the most endearing tales I heard about the Rother Valley Way was its contribution to local weather forecasting. It was said that if you were in Elsted and heard the whistle on steam trains at Buriton tunnel on the main line, rain was imminent but hearing the whistle on branch line trains was a harbinger of the weather set fair. At first, I thought this an apocryphal tale, but when you consider the role wind plays in carrying sound it could be as accurate a forecaster of the weather as any of the tech we use today. Perhaps, when Petersfield recruits its new town crier their audition should include whistle blowing from various parts of the town, so they can provide an up-to-date weather forecast as well as the news!

Malinka van der Gaauw

Walks Leader

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Your Opinion Matters

Friends of the South Downs was established 100 years ago by ordinary people taking action to protect our precious Downland landscape. Over the past 100 years, our charity’s growth and the achievement of National Park status has been down to the continued involvement of people who care. Now, as we make plans for the next 100 years, we are keen to discover your views on our charity and the issues that you feel most deserve our attention going forward. Your opinion matters to us.  We value your contribution to our future planning and look forward to sharing the results with you in future.

The Friends of the South Downs is owned and run by its members and there are many ways in which you can help. We have many volunteering opportunities for people of all ages, abilities, skills and fitness levels. If you are able to give up some of your time to help us, you’ll meet many interesting and sociable people who really care and work hard to help protect the landscape and heritage of the South Downs.

We are almost totally reliant on our volunteers in helping us achieve our aims and objectives so anyone offering to become a volunteer is always made very welcome.

Here is an example of some of the typical activities you can help us with:

Walks & Strolls Leaders

If you have local knowledge of the South Downs and are good at organising events you can help research our annual programme and lead one or a few of our over 200 walks and strolls.

Trustees / Council Members

If you want to be part of setting the strategic direction of the Society and making sure that its aims are achieved then you would be welcome as a Council member. Your opinion matters. Council meets four times a year but in addition, most members are active in other areas of the Society’s work.

District Officers

Help us keep an eye on and comment on planning applications in your own locality.

Get in touch today!

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The Pump Barn

Seven Sisters Country Park was transferred from East Sussex County Council to the stewardship of the SDNPA in 2020 and remains in public ownership. Since then, several improvements have been made including a visitors centre at Exceat, a food outlet, offices and toilets. But the authority, due to financial constraints, was unable to fund the refurbishment of the largest structure on the site of the visitors centre, the Pump Barn, a magnificent 18th century building.

Seven Sister Pump Barn
Photo by Ian Lancaster

Friends of the South Downs Trustees agreed at the end of 2022 to provide £60,000 to refurbish the Pump Barn. The centre has up to 750,000 visitors each year who visit the Seven Sisters Country Park and walk the South Downs Way. The Pump Barn is structurally sound, has facilities for local businesses, meetings, presentations and other activities. These are the facilities that we are funding, and will include a section dedicated to the Friends of the South Downs.

Trevor Beattie, Chief Executive of the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “Seven Sisters Country Park offers some of the most stunning views in the world but it could be so much more.

“We would like to make it a national centre for biodiversity, conservation and climate change, telling the story of this extraordinary landscape to a wide audience and using it to test out new approaches to the national challenge of climate change.”

Friends of the South Downs dedicated the newly refurbished Pump Barn on Monday 25 September 2023 with Alistair Appleton, who held an inspirational talk at the facility.

Generous legacies have enabled the Society over the years to provide financial support to projects it feels worthwhile. To the National Trust for Harting Downs and Devils Dyke, as well as to helping provide a bunkhouse at Gumber Farm, Slindon. Supporting East Sussex County Council towards converting the barn at Foxhole Farm to a Bunkhouse and improving the car park at High and Over, with Disabled access to the nearest viewing point. Small donations have also been made to projects such as the Jack and Jill Mills at Clayton, St Mary’s Church, Stoughton, the Sussex Rights of Way Group and others.

If you would like to consider remembering us in your Will, please see our Legacy Giving page.

Pump Barn photos by Graham Stockley