The village lies at the foot of the South Downs in East Sussex,
between the Downs to the south and Lodge Hill to the north. The area offers excellent walks with stunning views. Ditchling Beacon one of the highest points of the South Downs is near the village.
Ditchling Common, north of the village, is the source of the eastern River Adur which meets with the western River Adur near Henfield and flows in to the English Channel at Shoreham-by-Sea.
History
The history of Ditchling starts in Saxon times, when the people of Dicul settled here and King Alfred the Great held lands as a Royal Manor.
It is unknown exactly when the people of Dicul settled in the village, but Ditchling is first recorded in 765 as Dicelinga in a grant by King Alduuf of land bordering that of Ditchling. Later it is recorded that the Manor and its lands were held by King Alfred. When Alfred died in the year 900 it was given to a kinsmen named Osferth, and then reverted to the Crown under Edward the Confessor. After the Norman conquest, the land was held by William de Warenne. The Domesday book mentions a church and a mill in Ditchling and the population was approx 150 households. The land passed through several hands until in 1435 it was owned by the Marquess of Abergavenny who held it until the 20th century, when it was sold to developers who failed to get planning permission to build.
Source: Wikipedia
