The parish of East Chiltington comprises the
South Downs from the top end of
Ashcombe Bottom and the
Blackcap nature reserve, down the
Clayton to Offham Escarpment to the
Sussex Weald stretching north and northeast to the
Chailey parish. To its east is
St John (without), to its south
Falmer and to its west the
Plumpton parish. The area is remarkable for its long stretches of intact flowery lane sides. There are at least five spots along Novington Lane with the rare
meadow cranesbill where it flowers in July. There are also
spotted orchid.
oxeye daisy,
bird's foot trefoil,
hoary ragwort and
meadowsweet. The area also has many small archaic meadows, one of which is of superb quality, and lovingly cared for, with a big display of
southern marsh orchid,
marsh marigold,
ragged robin,
heath spotted orchid, and both
black and
carnation sedges. At Brookhouse, East Chiltington, () there used to be a 2.25 m girth pollarded native
Black Poplar by the former barns, on a site that has been separated for 165 years from the banks of the Bevern Stream by the railway line. This is a tree species with only scattered wild survivors in Sussex, though many have lately been planted.
The Bevern stream The Bevern stream runs through the middle of the parish, flowing eastwards to the
River Ouse. It is fed by the clear chalky waters of Plumpton Mill Stream arising at moated Plumpton Place. It runs over gravelly beds and provides some of the best spawning ground in the area for sea trout. It also supports
mayflies,
caddis flies and
great crested newts, and many birds drink from the waters, including summer visitors like
nightingale. In recent years, however, sea trout have been seen in the Bevern stream at East Chiltington, and the stream is healthy again.
Woodland There is impressive woodland in East Chiltington. Beneath the Downs the large woods sit on Gault Clay. Further north, the land is fertile lower greensand so there is more arable land and less woodland. The remains of Home Wood has now largely been destroyed for farm land.
Home, Great Home and Middle Home Wood Before 1650,
Home Wood was 300 acres and an important demesne wood of the
Priory of St Pancras at Lewes. The majority of it was converted to farmland by the church and the commoners dispossessed. The footprint of the lost medieval Home Wood begins at the north end of Novington Lane.
Hattons Green was once lawns at the edge of medieval Home Wood, but it is just paddocks and cottages now. The green and
Homewoodgate Farm marked its western edge. There is still a small woodland called
Home Wood which has old holly, coppiced beech and old wood pasture feel. Next to it was
Novingdean Common, which was a common of 40 acres lost to the people after 1600. Great and Middle Home Wood are the last remaining large fragments of the wood.
Great Home Wood () spans the East Chiltington and the
Chailey parishes. The northern end had drifts of
wild daffodils.
Long Wood Long Wood () has oak, hazel with bluebells in spring and much birch. It has laurel thickets and 12 ancient woodland indicator species.
Silver-washed fritillary butterflies and
harlequin longhorn beetles can be seen here. At the top of the scarp are two National Trust reserves, Blackcap and Ashcombe Bottom.
Ashcombe Bottom Ashcombe Bottom is a woodland valley that runs south from
Blackcap. One corner is in the East Chiltington parish while the majority is in
St John Without. In 1993 Ashcombe Bottom () was bought by the
National Trust with Blackcap, Mount Harry, Win Green and most of
the scarp. It is rich in scrubland species and has
oak,
ash, silver birch,
hazel,
bryony,
rosebay willowherb,
spindle, honeysuckle and occasional
wood sage. The ash which is being managed for
ash dieback. It is a biodiverse area with many butterflies and migrant birds in spring.
Blackcap Blackcap is a Downland peak which like Ashcombe Bottom has been under the National Trust’s ownership since 1993. It forms part of the
National Trust Blackcap nature reserve. There is a ridgeway that connects Blackcap and Mount Harry. These two peaks are unfenced and open, as the old Downs were, and the Down pasture is recovering from past damage. Cattle and sheep wander freely. The scarp top retains some rich ancient grassland fragments, especially where the slope begins to tip northwards and you can find
frog and
bee orchid and there are tiny fragments of heathy grassland and even ling heather. In autumn the
waxcap fungal flora can be spectacularly colourful. 21 old meadow species have been counted there. Next to the top of the Warningore Bostal, are a cluster of 12 smallish round barrows, each one with a ‘pillage dimple’ in the top, but otherwise well-preserved. == Notable buildings ==