Withdean
Encyclopedia
Withdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove
, East Sussex
. The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise flats.
The Withdean manor was originally the property of the great Cluniac Priory of St. Pancras at Lewes
, until 1537. This was then given to Anne of Cleves
in 1541 by Henry VIII
. The manor was demolished in 1936.
This is where Withdean Stadium
is located, which was the temporary home of Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. between 1999 and 2011. The stadium site was formerly Brighton Zoo built in 1920.
Withdean Woods, next to the stadium, is a wooded hillside nature reserve approximately 1 hectare
in size. This is the home of several woodland birds including the great spotted woodpecker
, tawny owl
and goldcrest
.
Withdean Park is also located in this area, and is home to the national collection of lilacs with over 320 varieties. Collections of berberis
, cotoneaster
and viburnum
can also be found here.
.
Brighton & Hove
Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort.In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium...
, 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:...
. The area was originally named in the 12th century, when it was called Wictedene. The area was historically farm land but has been developed, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of detached, semi-detached and mid-rise flats.
The Withdean manor was originally the property of the great Cluniac Priory of St. Pancras at 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...
, until 1537. This was then given to Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...
in 1541 by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. The manor was demolished in 1936.
This is where Withdean Stadium
Withdean Stadium
Withdean Stadium is an athletics stadium in Withdean, a suburb of Brighton. Between 1999 and 2011 it was the home ground of football team Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.....
is located, which was the temporary home of Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. between 1999 and 2011. The stadium site was formerly Brighton Zoo built in 1920.
Withdean Woods, next to the stadium, is a wooded hillside nature reserve approximately 1 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
in size. This is the home of several woodland birds including the great spotted woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
The Great Spotted Woodpecker , Dendrocopos major, is a bird species of the woodpecker family . It is distributed throughout Europe and northern Asia, and usually resident year-round except in the colder parts of its range...
, tawny owl
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
and goldcrest
Goldcrest
The Goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Several subspecies are recognised across the very...
.
Withdean Park is also located in this area, and is home to the national collection of lilacs with over 320 varieties. Collections of berberis
Berberis
Berberis , the barberries or pepperidge bushes, is a genus of about 450-500 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from 1-5 m tall with thorny shoots, native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America and South America. They are closely related to the genus...
, cotoneaster
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster is a genus of woody plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to the Palaearctic region , with a strong concentration of diversity in the genus in the mountains of southwestern China and the Himalayas...
and viburnum
Viburnum
Viburnum is a genus of about 150–175 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny...
can also be found here.
Cultural references
Withdean is referenced in the chapter "The Wiseman of Withdean" of the fantasy novel The BrightonomiconThe Brightonomicon
The Brightonomicon is a novel by British Fantasy author Robert Rankin, the title parodying that of the fictional grimoire the Necronomicon from the Cthulhu Mythos. The author lives in Brighton and the book is set in an accurate depiction of the city...
.