Coordinates: 50°46′N 0°12′E / 50.76°N 0.20°E
| East Dean and Friston | |
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  East Dean and Friston
East Dean and Friston shown within East Sussex |
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| Area | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2) [1] |
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| Population | 1,577 (2007) [1] |
| - Density | 478 /sq mi (185 /km2) |
| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 53 miles (85 km) NNW |
| District | Wealden |
| Shire county | East Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EASTBOURNE |
| Postcode district | BN20 |
| Dialling code | 01323 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Eastbourne |
| Website: http://eastdeanvillage.org.uk/ | |
| List of places: UK • England • East Sussex | |
East Dean and Friston is a civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England.The two villages in the parish are in a dry valley on the South Downs - between Eastbourne three miles (4.8 km) to the east and Seaford an equal distance to the west. The main A259 road goes through both village centres. The coast and much of the land between it and the A259 from the east edge of Seaford to the west edge of Eastbourne is owned by the National Trust, and this has luckily prevented further development to the area.
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The villages
East Dean lies in the valley bottom: Friston is at the top of the hill to the west. Within both villages are a large number of buildings of historic interest.[2]
The church in East Dean, dedicated to St Simon and St Jude, has a Saxon tower and an unusual Tapsel gate (preventing cattle from entering the churchyard); that at Friston is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.[3] The churches have formed a united benefice since 1688. The latter contains Tudor monuments to the local family Selwyn.
Birling Gap
Jul2001.jpg)
Birling Gap is a coastal hamlet within the parish. It is situated on the Seven Sisters not far from Beachy Head and is owned by the National Trust. Coastal erosion has already removed some of the row of fishing cottages built in 1878, and those that remain are derelict and mostly uninhabited. Bits of pipes and other building pieces stick out of the cliffs.[4] Today there is a hotel with a café/tea room, and a large metal staircase leading down to the enclosed pebble beach and the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs. It is likely that soon it will no longer exist because the amount of erosion is so large that all the houses will fall into the sea, and because the houses are not worth enough, the Government will not place a sea defence in the way. If walkers are cut off at high tide, they can climb the ladder, which is replaced often, to Birling Gap.
The beach, which was awarded the Blue flag rural beach award in 2005, is advertised by Naturist UK.[5] It has a large number of rockpools.
Geography
The main rock type at Birling gap is chalk. Other rock types outcropping here include flint, loess and soil. The coastline is part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest Seaford to Beachy Head, which falls within the parish. The site is of biological and geological interest.[6]
References
- ^ a b "East Sussex in Figures". East Sussex County Council. http://www.eastsussexinfigures.org.uk/webview/. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ Buildings of local importance
- ^ The United churches
- ^ BBC News article
- ^ "Birling Gap - Eastbourne - East Sussex". Nuff. http://nuff.org.uk/factfile/content/view/69/48/. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ "Natural England - SSSI". English Nature. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1002008. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
External links
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