Eight spooky places and legends to discover across the South Downs
From haunted ruins to legendary giants, explore eight eerie tales across the South Downs.
Cowdray Ruins, West Sussex
This Tudor home was consumed by fire during restoration work in 1793.
Some people attribute the blaze to a curse, which expired when the 8th Viscount Montague died two weeks later and the inheriting descendant died childless.
The Grey Lady is the ruins’ most frequently seen ghost. She is said to appear so often that her usual route has been named the “Lady’s Walk”.
Kingley Vale, West Sussex
Kingley Vale is home to Bronze Age burial mounds, Iron Age camps and a silent grove of ancient yews.
Local stories describe the Kings’ Graves, or Devil’s Humps, as tombs belonging to Viking leaders buried in 894. The yew trees are said to mark a battlefield stained red with the blood of dead warriors.
Legend says the woods are haunted by Vikings, while one story claims the gnarled trees transform into human forms in moonlight.
Racton Ruin, West Sussex
Completed in the 1770s, Racton Ruin is regarded as one of the “spookiest” places in Sussex.
There have been reports of paranormal activity at the isolated folly, including bricks being thrown from the top of the tower.
Local legend also tells of a “ghost tractor” in the fields which approaches people before disappearing.
Racton Monument is privately owned, and visitors should remain on the public bridleway.
Chanctonbury Ring, West Sussex
Chanctonbury Ring is reputed to be one of the most haunted locations on the South Downs.
The beech trees surrounding the ring were first planted in 1760. Before then, the site was associated with Bronze Age burials, Iron Age forts and a Roman temple.
According to local stories, walking anti-clockwise around the ring seven times will summon the Devil, who offers a bowl of milk, soup or porridge in exchange for a person’s soul.
Upwaltham, West Sussex
Ol’ Sary Weaver lived at Upwaltham and was described in local lore as a village wise woman during the 1800s.
Stories claim she was a witch who could turn herself into a hare.
Two country workers were reportedly resting under a hedge when they saw a hare and suspected it was actually an old woman from the village. A stone was thrown at the hare’s leg, causing it to screech.
That night, Ol’ Sary Weaver was seen hobbling towards her cottage with an injured leg.
Devil’s Dyke, near Brighton
Local legend says the Devil tried to stop the Christian conversion of Sussex by digging through the Downs, allowing the sea to flood the land.
The earth thrown up during his work formed Chanctonbury, Cissbury, Rackham Hill and Mount Caburn.
An old woman supposedly saw him, lit a candle behind a sieve and woke her rooster. The Devil believed the sun was rising and fled, throwing the Goldstone into Hove.
One more clod fell from his hoof and became the Isle of Wight, or perhaps he landed so hard in Surrey he formed the Devil’s Punch Bowl.
Mount Caburn, East Sussex
A giant named Gil is said to have walked across Mount Caburn’s slopes, throwing his hammer from the summit.
A nearby barrow, once located where the chalk quarry stands near Glynde railway crossing, was known as “Gil’s Grave”.
Other locations linked to the giant include Gil’s Ridge near Crowborough and Gil’s Lap in Ashdown Forest.
Further stories at Mount Caburn involve a silver coffin and a knight wearing golden armour.
The Long Man of Wilmington, East Sussex
There are several theories about the age and history of the Long Man, including that he was a prehistoric fertility symbol or a fourth-century Roman emperor.
One local legend says the figure commemorates a giant from Windover Hill who fell and broke his neck.
Another tells of a battle between the Long Man of Wilmington and a giant from Firle Beacon, ending with the death of the tallest man ever to live in England.
These South Downs stories continue to combine ancient sites, local legends and supernatural tales, and are well worth a visit this Halloween.
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