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The term 'downs' is from Old English dūn, meaning 'hill'.The word acquired the sense of 'elevated rolling grassland' around the 14th century. [7] These hills are prefixed 'south' to distinguish them from another chalk escarpment, the North Downs, which runs roughly parallel to them about 30 mi (48 km) away on the northern edge of the Weald.
The South Downs National Park is England's newest national park, designated on 31 March 2010. [1] The park, covering an area of 1,627 square kilometres (628 sq mi) in southern England, stretches for 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex.
The South Downs, of which Hindover Hill is a part, hosts a unique chalk grassland ecosystem. [28] The maintenance of the horse indirectly supports the preservation of this habitat, as regular clearing of the figure helps prevent the spread of invasive species and promotes the growth of native chalk grassland flora.
The South Downs are the eroded remnant of the southern limb of this regional-scale fold, paired with the North Downs which represent the opposing limb of this 'unroofed' elongate dome. The southerly dipping chalk beds of the South Downs present one of the major escarpments to be found in Britain. [7]
Devil's Dyke is a 100 metre (300') deep V-shaped dry valley on the South Downs in Sussex in southern England, 5 miles (8.0 km) north-west of Brighton.It is managed by the National Trust, and is also part of the Beeding Hill to Newtimber Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest. [1]
The South Downs Way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in southern England. It is one of 16 National Trails in England and Wales . The trail runs for 160 km (100 mi) from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex , with about 4,150 m (13,620 ft) of ascent and descent.
The Devil's Humps (also known as the Kings' Graves) are four Bronze Age barrows situated on Bow Hill on the South Downs near Stoughton, West Sussex. They are situated on a downland ridgeway crossed by an ancient trackway, above Kingley Vale. [1] The Devil's Humps are counted among the most impressive round barrows surviving on the South Downs. [2]
To the east downlands are found north of the Weald in Surrey, Kent and part of Greater London, forming the North Downs. To the southeast the downlands continue into West Sussex and East Sussex as the South Downs. [1] Similar chalk hills are also found further north in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire where they are known as the Wolds.