Litlington, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
Litlington is a village in the Cuckmere
valley in East Sussex
, England
, about 7 miles to the south east of Lewes
.
The name is Saxon, and probably indicates Litl's homestead.
Maria Fitzherbert, mistress of George IV
, lived at Clapham house in the village.
During the 19th century, a chalk figure of a horse was cut into the downs to the west of the village. The figure, known as the Litlington White Horse, replaced an earlier one known to have been present from many years before. It is one of the lesser-known of the nine white horse figures located outside Wiltshire
. It likely has been eclipsed by the nearby Long Man of Wilmington
hill figure, famous in part because of its unknown origin.
River Cuckmere
The River Cuckmere rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning fast-flowing, since it descends over 100 m in its initial four miles...
valley in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 7 miles to the south east of Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
.
The name is Saxon, and probably indicates Litl's homestead.
Maria Fitzherbert, mistress of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
, lived at Clapham house in the village.
During the 19th century, a chalk figure of a horse was cut into the downs to the west of the village. The figure, known as the Litlington White Horse, replaced an earlier one known to have been present from many years before. It is one of the lesser-known of the nine white horse figures located outside Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. It likely has been eclipsed by the nearby Long Man of Wilmington
Long Man of Wilmington
The Long Man of Wilmington is a hill figure located in Wilmington, East Sussex, England on the steep slopes of Windover Hill, northwest of Eastbourne. The Long Man is tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below....
hill figure, famous in part because of its unknown origin.