Ditchling

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Ditchling

Coordinates: 50.924188° N 0.115435° W
Population	1,802 (2001 Census) [1]
OS grid reference	TQ325155
District	Lewes
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Hassocks
Postcode district	BN6
Dial code	01273
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Lewes
European Parliament	South East England
List of places: UK • England • East Sussex

Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is known for its association with the artist Eric Gill. He with others founded an artistic community there, during World War I. The small and picturesque village of Ditchling lies at the foot of the South Downs in East Sussex, but very close to the border with West Sussex. The settlement stands around a crossroads with Brighton to the south, Haywards Heath to the north, Keymer and Hassocks to the west, and Lewes to the east, and is built on a slight spur of land between the Downs to the south and Lodge Hill to the north. Though it probably goes back further, the history of Ditchling starts properly in Saxon times when the people of Dicul settled here and King Alfred the Great held lands as a Royal Manor, but is most remembered today as an artistic commune where several famous artists lived and worked. Though its history and importance can be traced far back in time, the village it still quite small and unspoilt, partly due to the holding of much of the land by the Manor and partly due to being missed by the railway but also due to the actions of its residents.

[edit] The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic

Eric Gill, the sculptor and letter cutter, came to Ditchling in 1907 with his apprentice Joseph Cribb and was soon followed by other craftsmen. In 1921 they founded the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, a Roman Catholic community of artists and craftsmen, inspired by ideas of the medieval guilds and the Arts and Crafts movement. The community had its own workshops and chapel, and thrived for many years. Its affairs were finally wound up in 1989, and the workshops demolished.