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Walderton Downs

Nearest town: Chichester

Site type: woodland

Access: Public

Church name: No Data

Diocese: No Data

County: Sussex - West

Country: England

Grid ref: SU80371054

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 15-Mar-14

Recorded by: Peter Norton

Protection & responsibility: No data

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 5m-7m, Notable

Notes: Walderton Downs are 1.5 miles southwest of Stoughton Downs and 1 mile west of Kingley Vale. It is a steep hillside covered in yew and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It overlooks the village of Walderton. The downland is comprised of thin calcareous soils overlying chalk, embedded with flint. In many areas the soil and chalk have washed away leaving exposed flint. The younger yew would have colonised the slopes following the decline of extensive downland sheep-farming from around 1880. The vast majority of these yew range around 6' to 9' with a few about 11' in girth, while the two recorded here are exceptional. It is quite possible that further large specimens are still waiting to be discovered amongst this densely packed yew woodland.