Ditchling is an East Sussex village, close to the border with West Sussex located in the South Downs National Park. Better known for it's nearby Beacon, one of the highest points on the South Downs, the village is first documented as 'Dicelinga' in a grant made by King Alduuf in 765 concerning land bordering that of the village. It is later recorded that it's Manor and land were held by King Alfred the Great.

After the Norman Conquest, and in common with much land in Sussex, the area was owned by William de Warenne, one of few men proven to have fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. The Domesday book records Ditchling as having a mill, a church and approximately 150 households. There are many historic buildings extant in modern day Ditchling and I visited 48 of the 53 listed buildings within the parish and look at these in more detail below on a street by street basis.

Starting from the crossroads in the middle of the village and walking along West Street, the first historic building we reach is the imaginatively named 4, 6 & 8 West Street, an early 19th century building now operating as a 1930's/40's style tea room called The Nutmeg Tree (whose omelettes I can highly recommend). Next door is the equally creatively named 10, 12 & 14 West Street; a tidy but nondescript row of three whitewashed 18th century houses and the 19th Century White Horse Hotel, one of two pubs in the village, occupies the next plot of land.

4, 6 & 8 West Street

10,12 & 14 West Street

The White Horse Hotel

Next on West Street is the magnificent Grade 1 listed Wings Place, also known as Anne of Cleves House. Wings Place was originally known as the Manor of Ditchling Garden which dates to 1095. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the manor came into the possession of Henry VIII who subsequently granted it to Anne Of Cleves after the annulment of their marriage in 1540 as a means of support. She never lived in the house.

The house itself is mainly of 16th century appearance and it is not known whether any of the original building from 1095 remains. Local stories suggest that is much older than 16th century and a former vicar of the nearby St Margaret's Church recalled residents telling him that it was built by William de Warrenne's wife Gundrada. Some even stated that it was built by Alfred The Great, which would date it to the 9th century and in 1894 sale documents contained this myth.

Wings Place; Anne Of Cleves House

A few steps further west and we reach The Vicarage. This building was originally a pair of flint cottages, age unknown, but these were converted into a single house and stuccoed early in the 19th century before the house became the vicarage in 1926. Next door to The Vicarage, and the final building of note on the southern side of West Street, is Cotterlings, an old timber framed building (again, age unknown) which was refronted in approximately 1790.

The Vicarage

Cotterlings

Opposite Cotterlings on a small triangle of well kept grass on the junction with Lodge Hill Lane is the Ditchling War Memorial, erected in 1919 to commemorate the men of the village who fell during the First World War, with additions being made following the cessation of World War Two. A little way behind the memorial on the western side of Lodge Hill Lane are Old Manor House and Ditchling Court, parts of which date back to the 17th century. On the eastern side is the village green and it's 18th century Barn which now houses an arts & craft museum.

Ditchling War Memorial

Ditchling Court

Ditchling Arts & Craft Museum

Beyond the village green on the northern side of West Street stands St Margaret's Church The lower walls of the nave are pre-conquest. The remainder of the main building was built in the 12th and 13th century and the porch was added in the 15th century.

St Margaret's Church

We have now come to the end of the West Street and are back at the crossroads in the centre of the village and will turn our attention to the three buildings of note on South Street. On the corner shared with West Street is Crossways, a pretty 16th century timber framed building. To the south is Temple Lodge, an 18th century stuccoed building forming the two northernmost houses in a terrace with The Jointure, another 18th century building which is split into two parts; the northern part being that seen with ivy growing on the walls on the photos below and the southern part being the grander of the pair and of a higher elevation.

Crossways

Temple Lodge (and part of The Jointure)

The Jointure

Back to the crossroads, we now head east into the Lewes Road where, on the northern corner is number 1, a 17th century building that has previously hosted a bank, but now serves as a newsagent. Opposite is Tudor Close, a late 15th century one bay jettied open hall town building. A first floor was inserted into the hall in around 1530 and in the early 1700s the present chimney was inserted into the cross passage. The Jetty has been filled in with brick and most of the timber framing has been covered in hung tiles, but a small part is still visible on the eastern wall. Immediately next door is 4 and 8 Lewes Road (I don't know what happened to number 6!) which probably dates to the 17th century.

1 Lewes Road

Tudor Close

4 and 8 Lewes Road

Turning north in the High Street our first building of note is The Bull Hotel, an early 19th century building on the eastern side of the road. It's interesting to note that the telephone kiosk to the south of the hotel is also listed.


The Bull Hotel and telephone kiosk (and a wider view of 1 Lewes Road).

Opposite The Bull is 7 & 8 High street, formerly known as Bank House. Dated to 1573, Bank House is an archetypal tudor building. Interestingly, and somewhat confusingly, number 5 High Street to the south (left) is not a listed building!



North of Bank House is Chichester House, a whitewashed brick 18th century house and opposite is 8-20 High Street, an 18th Century terrace standing next to the early 19th century 22 & 24 High Street.


Chichester House


8-20 High Street


22 & 24 High Street

Moving back to the western side of the road, 17 & 19 High Street is a three storey refronted timber framed house from the 17th century and it's northern neighbour, 21-23 High Street, which also includes 2, 4 & 6 Church Lane to the rear, is a large 18th century L shaped building.


17 & 19 High Street


21-23 High Street

On the other side of Church Lane is 25 High Street, an 18th century brick building painted in a garish pink! Moving back across the road we find Sopers a substantial, but nondescript 18th century house adjoined to the north by Conds Cottage which has the appearance of being, perhaps, a 16th century cottage, but its lack of a statutory listing suggests that is a more modern mock tudor property. The final building of note on the High street, on the corner of East End Lane, is The Limes, another fairly substantial nondescript 18th century house.


25 High Street


Sopers


Conds Cottage


The Limes

Continuing north as we leave the village centre and the road ceases to be the High Street and becomes North End, we first come to Vine Cottage, occupying the opposite corner of East End Lane to The Limes. Opposite are the semi detached Colstock Cottage to the south and Woodbine Cottage to the North which jointly form a refronted 16th century timber framed building.


Vine Cottage


Colstock Cottage


Woodbine Cottage

A little way up North End are Little Rowles Croft, on the east of the road, and Rowles Croft to the west. Little Rowles Croft is an early 19th century stuccoed house whilst it's significantly larger big brother is a grand mid 18th century brick built structure.


Little Rowles Croft


Rowles Croft

The Chestnuts and White Lodge form a grand looking early 19th century pair of semi detached houses, whilst their neighbour, Forge House, is a 16th century four bay cottage. It is possible that this was originally a hall house, with the central two bays open to the roof. Opposite is the jettied 16th century Forge Cottage, whose front jetty is infilled with Georgian bricks, but that on the northern side remains. Next door is Bowries, an early 17th century Jacobean timber frame building hidden behind brick and tiles. The part of the house to the right of the chimney is a modern extension.


The Chestnuts & White Lodge


Forge House


Forge Cottage


Bowries

As we near the end of our walk along North End, we have ust two more structures of note. Northgate is a 2 part early 19th century painted brick house and the well hidden North Cottage is a large 17th century house.


Northgate


North Cottage

We now turn around and make our way back to East End Lane, the first building being the old Post Office, a bland 19th century building diagonally opposite Brewers, a 17th century cottage with a 19th century addition at the front.


Post Office


Brewers

A little way along the road is The Old Meeting House, built in 1740 onto the side of a an older house, dated to 1672, and now used by the Unitarian Church. Opposite, on the other side of The Twitten, a footpath linking East End Lane with Lewes Road, is Forge Cottage and Twitten Cottage which, like Bowries, is a 17th century timber framed house with the timbers hidden from view by hung tiles, bricks and rendering.


The Old Meeting House


Forge Cottage and Twitten Cottage

Further down the lane is a small 17th century cottage with an 18th century extension, seen to the left, called Eastways Old Cottage and almost opposite are the Georgian fronted, but 17th century Mulberry Cottage and it's neighbour Cherry Tree Cottage, dated to 1579


Eastways Old Cottage


Mulberry Cottage


Cherry Tree Cottage

After a gap of a couple of hundred yards, we come to a final cluster of buildings as the lane turns south to join the Lewes Road. First up is Walnut Tree Cottage, a 16th century timber framed building that was refronted with brick and flint in the 18th century. Due south is the strangley named 17th century Pardons and due south again is the 18th century East End House. The final building to be looked at on our walk is The Old Cottage, another well hidden 17th century house, viewed below from the side, outside of East End House.


Walnut Tree Cottage


Pardons


East End House


The Old Cottage


Bibliography:
http://www.pastscape.org.uk
https://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
https://www.ditchling.com
https://www.british-history.ac.uk
http://www.sussexarch.org.uk/saaf

Text & photographs © Ian Mulcahy. Contact photos@iansapps.co.uk or visit my 'Use of my photographs' page for licensing queries.