St John Without

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St John Without
Ashcombe Bottom, East Sussex (geograph 201482).jpg
Ashcombe Bottom
East Sussex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St John Without
Location within East Sussex
Area3.84 km2 (1.48 sq mi)  [1]
Population54 (Electors-2004) [2]
•  Density 36/sq mi (14/km2)
OS grid reference TQ387138
•  London 41 miles (66 km) North
Civil parish
  • St John Without
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LEWES
Postcode district BN7
Dialling code 01273
Police Sussex
Fire East Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
East Sussex
50°55′N0°02′W / 50.91°N 0.03°W / 50.91; -0.03

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.

Contents

Much like its sister parish, St Ann Without, the parish was formed in 1894 as Lewes St John Without from the part of the ancient parish of Lewes St John outside (that is, 'without', as opposed to 'within') the borough of Lewes. From 1894 to 1974 it was in the rural district of Chailey. The shape of the parish, like many of the parishes north of the Sussex Downs in this area is long and thin (see link to the parish map in the External links section below).

The parish includes the small hamlet of Chiltington and a few dispersed farms and houses along Allington Road to the foot of the South Downs.

Landmarks

Beacon on Mount Harry Beacon on Mount Harry - geograph.org.uk - 2045198.jpg
Beacon on Mount Harry

Clayton to Offham Escarpment is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which stretches from Hassocks in the west and passes through many parishes including St John Without, to Lewes in the east. The site is of biological importance due to its rare chalk grassland habitat along with its woodland and scrub. [3]

Ashcombe Bottom is a wooded area in the south of the parish, which forms part of the National Trust Blackcap reserve. [4] The reserve makes up a section of the Clayton to Offham Escarpment SSSI.

Notable areas

St John Without
Notable areas around St John Without

St John without is a parish squashed between East Chiltington to its east and Hamsey to its west. To its north is the Chailey parish and to the south, Falmer. Within its boundary is the ancient woodland of Warningore, the scarp top between Mount Harry and Blackcap, East Sussex and the valley of Ashcombe Bottom . The largest settlement is Chiltington. The Bevern streams runs along the northern boundary of the parish. On Allington Lane, there was the 150 acre Beechwood Common, which was enclosed by 1584. [5] The Sussex Greensand Way, a Roman road, runs through the top of the parish.

Wickham Wood

Wickham Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1562196 Wickham Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1562196.jpg
Wickham Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1562196

Wickham Wood ( TQ 390 156 ) lies to the south of the Bevern stream at the northern most point of the parish and just north of the Roman Greensand Way road. Its name is likely to derive from Latin. Wickham (as in vicus) indicates a small Roman settlement and the woodland. [6]

The woodland is carpeted with wild garlic and occasionally frequented by beautiful lime longhorn beetle that come from the line of lime trees at Hurst Barns in the neighbouring East Chiltington parish.

Warningore Wood

Pond, Warningore Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1563080 Pond, Warningore Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1563080.jpg
Pond, Warningore Wood - geograph.org.uk - 1563080

Warningore Wood ( TQ 382 140 ) spans the East Chiltington and St John Without parish. It is a big wood that stands on sticky Gault Clay. It has up to 25 ancient woodland indicator species, including early purple and butterfly orchids. It mainly consists of hornbeam trees, but there is also wych elm, wild service, crab apple, spindle, guelder rose and aspen.

Ashcombe Bottom

Blackcap's meadow above Ashcombe Bottom East.jpg Blackcap's meadow above Ashcombe Bottom East.jpg
Blackcap's meadow above Ashcombe Bottom East.jpg

Ashcombe Bottom ( TQ 373 118 ) is a woodland valley that runs south from Blackcap that has been owned by the National Trust since 1993 with Blackcap, Mount Harry and most of the scarp. It is rich in scrubland species and has bryony, rosebay willowherb, spindle, honeysuckle and occasional wood sage. [7] The ash which is being managed for ash dieback. It is a biodiverse area with many butterflies and migrant birds in spring.

Governance

St John Without is governed at local level by a parish meeting. A merger with East Chiltington parish council has been suggested, although no formal plans have been made. [8]

The next level of government is Lewes District Council. The District council supplies services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. St John Without is covered by the Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington and St John (Without) ward which returns a single seat. In the May 2007 election, a councillor from the local Liberal Democrat party was elected. [9]

St John Without lies within the Chailey ward for the next tier of government, East Sussex County Council. The ward also includes Chailey, Ditchling, East Chiltington, Newick, Plumpton, Streat, Westmeston and Wivelsfield. The County Council provides services such as roads and transport, social services, libraries and trading standards.

The UK Parliament constituency for St John Without is Lewes.

Prior to Brexit in 2020, the village was represented by the South-East England constituency in the European Parliament.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamsey</span> Village in East Sussex, England

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. Around the main settlements are enlarged fields, isolated old cottages and farms. The winding and undulating parish lanes between banks, old hedge rows, trees, flowery verges and ditches are popular with cyclists and give good views of the Downs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston near Lewes</span> Village in East Sussex, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plumpton, East Sussex</span> Village in East Sussex, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ann Without</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wivelsfield</span> Village in East Sussex, England

Wivelsfield village and the larger adjacent village of Wivelsfield Green are the core of the civil parish of Wivelsfield in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The villages are 9.3 miles (15.0 km) north of the city of Brighton and Hove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westmeston</span> Village in East Sussex, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streat</span> Village in East Sussex, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton, West Sussex</span> Village in West Sussex, England

Clayton is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Hassocks, in the Mid Sussex district, in the county of West Sussex, England. It lies at the foot of the South Downs, 41 miles (66 km) south of London, 6 miles (10 km) north of Brighton, and 28 miles (45 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the north and Lewes, the county town of East Sussex east southeast. The Clayton Windmills, known as "Jack and Jill", sit on the hill above the village. In 1961 the parish had a population of 1548. On 1 April 2000 the parish was abolished and merged with Hassocks, Burgess Hill and Pyecombe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton to Offham Escarpment</span> Landform in Sussex, England

Clayton to Offham Escarpment is a 422.5-hectare (1,044-acre) linear biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which runs from Clayton in West Sussex to Lewes in East Sussex. Its ownership and management is divided between over fifteen landowners and farmers. Parts of Ditchling's Downs, e.g. TQ 323 133, and the scarp between Blackcap and Mount Harry, e.g. TQ 378 124, are owned by the National Trust. What remains of Ditchling Tenantry Down common at Ditchling Beacon is leased to the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackcap, East Sussex</span> Hill in East Sussex, England

Blackcap is a hill and nature reserve in East Sussex, England. It is on a peak of the South Downs, just south east of Plumpton and west of Lewes. The flatter landscape is made up of open ground with chalk paths, surrounded by thickets. The steeper ground leading up to the ridge is low-density woodland. The top is more open, with patches of pine woodland and gorse bushes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashcombe Bottom</span> English valley

Ashcombe Bottom is a 66 hectares woodland valley owned by the National Trust that runs south from Blackcap, East Sussex, England. The area is nested in the South Downs and can only be reached by walking or cycling from Lewes, Falmer, Ditchling Beacon or up the Clayton to Offham escarpment from Plumpton. It sits in the parish of St John Without and East Chiltington. The name Ashcombe refers to a Saxon named Aecci, not ash trees as might be assumed. It is part of the Clayton to Offham Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest.

References

  1. ↑ "A vision of Britain through time". University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  2. ↑ "Town/Parish Councils - Ratio of Electors to Councillors". Lewes District Council. 11 August 2004. p. 5. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "Natural England - SSSI (Clayton to Offham Escarpment)". English Nature. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
  4. ↑ "Blackcap". Countryside Sites. Brighton & Hove City Council. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  5. ↑ Bangs, David (2018). Land of the Brighton line : a field guide to the Middle Sussex and South East Surrey Weald. [Brighton]. ISBN   978-0-9548638-2-1. OCLC   1247849975.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Gelling, Margaret (2010). Signposts to the past. Chichester [England]: Phillimore. ISBN   978-0-7524-9132-5. OCLC   824359876.
  7. ↑ Bangs, Dave (2008). A freedom to roam Guide to the Brighton Downs : from Shoreham to Newhaven and Beeding to Lewes. Brighton: David Bangs. ISBN   978-0-9548638-1-4. OCLC   701098669.
  8. ↑ "ECPC Minutes". East Chiltington Parish Council. 11 July 2005. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  9. ↑ "Election Results: 4 May 2007". Lewes District Council. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2009.

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