Newmarket Hill, Sussex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newmarket Hill |
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Newmarket Hill
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 200 metres (656 ft) |
| Prominence | 107 m (351 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | East Sussex, England |
| OS grid | TQ362067 |
| Topo map | OS Explorers: 122 – Brighton & Hove |
Newmarket Hill is a hill found in the area of Kingston near Lewes. It's located right between two important towns in East Sussex: Brighton and Lewes. You can easily walk to it from both places.
Contents
Exploring Newmarket Hill's Geography
Newmarket Hill stands 200 meters (about 656 feet) tall. It's the highest hill in its local area. The very top of the hill is in Kingston near Lewes. However, its northern side reaches into the area of Falmer. The southern side goes down into the area of Rottingdean.
This hill has a "prominence" of 105 meters. Prominence means how much a peak stands out from the land around it. Because of this, Newmarket Hill is known as a "Hump." A Hump is a hill in the British Isles that rises at least 100 meters above the land around it.
The hills here, including Newmarket Hill, are very open. This is because strong, salty winds blow in from the sea. These winds keep trees from growing tall. This open land is perfect for sheep to graze.
Discovering Newmarket Hill's Geology
The ground of Newmarket Hill is mostly made of a type of rock called upper chalk. On top of this chalk, you can find some clay-with-flints. This is a mix of clay and small pieces of flint rock.
Newmarket Hill Through Time
Ancient Times on the Hill
People have been on Newmarket Hill for a very long time. In 1976, half of a special stone axe head was found here. This axe was used in the Neolithic period, which was the New Stone Age.
An old path, called Juggs Road, crosses over the hill. This path was likely used during Roman times. A small collection of Roman coins was found near the top of the hill. Juggs Road is an example of an ancient ridgeway, which is a path that follows the top of a ridge.
The road got its name from the fishwives (women who sold fish) from Brighton. They used to carry their fish to the market in Lewes. They would use donkeys to carry the fish in baskets or special clay pots called jugs. The word "Jug" or "Jugg" was also a nickname for fishermen from Brighton.
John Dudeney: The Shepherd Scholar
John Dudeney was a very famous shepherd from Sussex. He looked after 1,400 sheep on Newmarket Hill from 1799 to 1802. While he was there, he dug a small library out of the chalk. He used money he earned from catching wheatear birds and moles to buy books.
By reading these books, he taught himself many subjects. He learned about astronomy, French, Latin, Hebrew, mathematics, and European history. Because of all his learning, he soon became a school teacher in Lewes.
Newmarket Farm's Story
Around 1830, a farm worker's cottage and a barn were built on Newmarket Hill. The cottage was described as a strong and comfortable house made of flint stone. It had a small garden. This farm was located at the northern top of the hill.
The farm was used for just over 100 years. In 1942, during World War II, the military took over the farm. All the land around it was used for military training. The farm buildings were destroyed and then taken down by the end of the war.
In 1925, Brighton Corporation bought Newmarket Farm. They also bought the nearby Balsdean and Norton farms. They did this to stop the owner, Oscar Selbach, from building houses there. Brighton wanted to protect the Balsdean Valley. This valley provided drinking water for Brighton. They also wanted to keep the area as a natural space for people to enjoy.
Walks Around Newmarket Hill
Many walking paths cross Newmarket Hill. One famous path is the South Downs Way. This long trail stretches for 160 kilometers (about 99 miles). It goes from Eastbourne through Newmarket Hill all the way to Winchester.
