Fulking Hill
| Fulking Hill | |||
| Sussex | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Range: | South Downs | ||
| Summit: | 676 feet TQ25161073 50°52’57"N, 0°13’20"W | ||
Fulking Hill is on the South Downs in Sussex, being the peak on the ridge immediately west of Devil's Dyke. Immediately to the west is Perching Hill. At the foot of the escarpment here is the little village of Fulking.
The hill also known as Fulking Tenantry Down as it is one of the three surviving downland pasture commons on the Brighton Downs.
The hill had at least four prehistoric barrows, but only two are now visible above ground. One of them marks the southern end of the eastern boundary of the common and the other sits by the South Downs Way above the Fulking Hill western bostal.
On the western side of its dip slope, there was a working mediæval strip cultivated open field until late 19th century. There were twenty-three strips of around an acre each in size. The very tall old lynchets on the dip slope of these strips (TQ246103) are where the old Down pasture wildlife survives. There are bits of betony, rockrose and rampion, and in autumn there is scarlet hood, golden, and other waxcaps making splashes of colour.
Nature
The scarp slope grasslands and bostal have their aboriginal turf intact and full of interest. Some years there are fly, spotted and twayblade orchids. The short turf where the two bostals cross near the bottom of the slope is very rich with herbs and chalk loving butterflies. Cowslips thrive.
Almost as interesting, though, is the way the common's dip slope has recovered under management by the National Trust since it was put back down to grass after half a century of tillage. As soon as the pasture returned the gorse reappeared miraculously from the long-dormant seed bank. After a few years snowy waxcap and witches hat also reappeared.
Hidden up the combe above the Shepherd and Dog is the springhead (TQ247111). It is a cool spot with pretty monkeyflower matting the gill floor. There is fool's water cress and the stream bed has hundreds of tiny caddis cases, just like the Edburton springhead.
Walking
The Sussex Border Path runs up the dip slop of the hill from the south, and at the ridge it meets the Monarch's Way long-distance walking route, which runs along the ridge of the South Downs here.