Sussex swoops

Artists such as Ravilious have been inspired by the gentle curves of the South Downs.

Treeless chalk hills and valleys have distinctive contours, stark in winter under heavy rain-laden skies or enriched by the crops of the coming harvest in late summer. Interestingly the local flint brick and stone Waller’s have also developed a way of reflecting these distinctively shaped hills in their work.

Many flint walls have a very particular local feature, namely ‘The Sussex Swoop’, changing heights along their length with soft curves to mirror the contours of The South Downs. Photographed are some examples of The Sussex Swoop, all laid in lime mortar.