East Dean, West Sussex

East Dean

East Dean pond
East Dean
East Dean shown within West Sussex
Area 16.64 km2 (6.42 sq mi) [1]
Population 206. 2011 Census[2]
• Density 13/km2 (34/sq mi)
OS grid reference SU903129
• London 48 miles (77 km) NNE
Civil parish
  • East Dean
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CHICHESTER
Postcode district PO18
Dialling code 01243
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
EU Parliament South East England
UK Parliament

East Dean is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located nine kilometres (6 miles) north east of Chichester on a narrow road between Singleton on the A286 and Upwaltham on the A285 road.

The village set in a valley in the South Downs has an Anglican parish church dedicated to All Saints, and a Nonconformist chapel. The village hall was formerly the school and bears the date 1782. There is one pub, The Star and Garter.

The church, the pub and most of the houses are built of flint, usually with brick quoins and window dressings. A fire in 1852 destroyed eight houses and several barns, leaving others damaged. Slate roofs replaced the thatch on some of these.

The pond is considered to be the source of the River Lavant. The Monarch's Way long-distance footpath crosses the parish on the downs to the south of the village.

The parish has a land area of 1663.5 hectares (4109 acres). In the 2001 census 217 people lived in 102 households, of whom 107 were economically active.

Notable residents

East Dean church

The playwright Christopher Fry lived in the village[3] in later life and died in Chichester on 30 June 2005 from natural causes.

History

Flint tools from the stone age can often be found on the downs and there are a number of British Bronze Age round barrows in the parish. The outline of Celtic field systems can still be seen on Court Hill north of the village. Roman pottery and coins have been found near the village.

In his will of 899 King Alfred the Great left East Dean to his youngest son Aethelweard (c.880-922).

Sports

East Dean have a football team, founded in 1880, that plays in the West Sussex Football League.

References

  1. ↑ "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  2. ↑ "Civil Parish 2011". Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Interview with Christopher Fry
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