Pyecombe

PYECOMBE has been famous for some 200 years for its shepherd's crooks. Wrought at one time by the village blacksmiths from gun barrels and also more conventional materials, they are particularly noted for their curly pattern.

The 12th century flint-walled Pilgrim Church was re-dedicated in 1973 to the Transfiguration of Our Lord. It appears that the original dedication was lost, the villagers having fled from the plague. The lead font is one of only five remaining in Sussex.

Tunnel House, a folly in the shape of a Tudor fortress, was built in 1841 by the London, Brighton and South-Coast Railway Company as a home for the keeper of Clayton Tunnel. The cottage is set 50 feet above the main line between two castellated turrets on either side of the tunnel arch, and can best be seen from the road bridge by the Jack and Jill pub.

The Plough Inn, once an old coaching house, can be reached by a short diversion from the South Downs Way, which can be joined at Pyecombe. Wolstonbury Hill, crowned by an Iron-Age camp, rises to some 677 feet and offers splendid views to those who enjoy walking.