Led by the National Trust, Changing Chalk is a landscape-scale partnership connecting nature, people and heritage on and around the South Downs.
From Shoreham to Eastbourne, the ambition is to create a more sustainable future for the Downs’ rare and fragile chalk grassland, its unique cultural heritage and its richly-diverse urban fringe.
By connecting nature, people and heritage across this 458 sqkm area of the eastern South Downs, we can help to restore and protect this internationally-significant landscape.
Four years, ten partners, and 18 projects will see us create multiple connections across the urban fringes and rural areas of the Downs, restoring and reconnecting the fragmented areas of chalk grassland.
Supported by a £2.23m National Lottery Heritage Fund grant and funding from People's Postcode Lottery and The Linbury Trust, Changing Chalk will:
support nature’s recovery and climate resilience in the area
create opportunities for work, learning and leisure time for people in the area
provide engaging activities for people to enjoy, enhancing health and wellbeing.
The themes around connecting nature, people and heritage have never felt more important or relevant.
A quote by Richard HendersonNational Trust Chair of the Project Board
Why is Changing Chalk important?
The Changing Chalk project area - much of which falls within the South Downs National Park - is home to rare and protected wildlife and plantlife, and important archaeological sites. But this area is also special because of the rare chalk grassland which has its origins 6,000 years ago when people first began clearing forests to settle and farm.
The chalk grassland supports such a rich and diverse range of plants and insects that it’s sometimes referred to as ‘Europe’s tropical rainforest’. Around 40 species of flowering plant can be found in just one square metre of chalk grassland, with many of these species growing nowhere else, including rare orchids and wildflowers. It is also home to rare insects including the Wart-biter Bush-cricket.
However, over the past 80 years unimproved chalk grassland has suffered badly from loss and fragmentation. Since the national call to "plough up" in the 1940s, there has been a decline in traditional ways of looking after the landscape. It now makes up just 4% of the land in the South Downs National Park and many of the sites that remain are small and isolated, with the chalk grassland wildlife threatened by encroaching scrub as well as climate change.
Neighbouring the Downs is one of the most densely-populated coastal regions of northern Europe. Around 750,00 people live here, in multi-cultural towns like bustling Brighton and Hove, charming Lewes, and historic Eastbourne.
But the Changing Chalk project area has some of the most economically-deprived wards in the UK, with high unemployment, and poor physical and mental health. The stresses of today’s world have created new challenges and the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of access to nature and open space for people’s well-being.
The Sussex Downs and towns have a rich shared heritage but both are facing unprecedented threats.
More than 80% of its rare chalk grassland has been lost.
12% of its archaeological sites are under threat.
55% of its schools have pupils living in socio-economic deprivation.
Working at landscape scale, with a wide range of partners and communities, is our best chance to better understand this ever-changing landscape and find solutions to conserve heritage for future generations.
A quote by Jane CecilNational Trust General Manager, South Downs portfolio
Themes and Projects
Changing Chalk is delivering 18 inter-connected projects and activities to address these challenges which, together, unite nature, people and heritage and create a more sustainable future for the Downs and their towns.
In addition, a series of apprenticeships and training opportunities are being created, giving young people across Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne and Lewes the chance to learn the skills needed by rangers and archaeologists.
The projects can be summarised under three themes:
1
Restoring chalkland biodiversity
Over 800ha of land will be newly managed to benefit nature, including 90ha of golf course returned to species-rich chalk downland and 40 sites returned to active grazing. Five historic dew ponds will be restored, and the long-term future of one of Britain’s most endangered insects, the Wart-biter Bush-cricket, will be secured. We will also be researching new, more sustainable methods of managing the fragile chalk grassland. Discover more about these projects
2
Connecting downs and towns
Therapeutic activities and new ‘Things to do and see’ maps will help local communities access green space and the Downs will come to the towns with new chalk grassland planting on 12 city sites. A ‘Find your Future’ programme will support young people gain vital skills, whilst 2,250 primary pupils will have the chance to experience Farm School. More than 40 volunteer Dog Ambassadors will raise awareness of why we need grazing on the Downs and encourage dog owners to help us in our mission.Learn more about these projects
3
Hearts and histories of the Downs
Residents of Eastbourne have been invited to join a community excavation project to uncover the archaeological history under their feet. Annual celebrations for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month will explore the cultural links of this community to the Downs, while seasonal programmes, micro bursaries and writing workshops will engage people of colour and the wider public to respond creatively to their experience and connection with the Downs.Read more about these projects
Community Grants Scheme
Changing Chalk is managing a Community Grants Scheme on behalf of the National Lottery Heritage Fund and have awarded grants totalling almost £150,000. You can read more about these successful projects here
Across the South Downs, people are connecting with nature and heritage in powerful and personal ways.
With the help of our project partners and communities we have created three short films to highlight the work of the Changing Chalk project.
This short series of Changing Chalk films brings together voices from across the area, volunteers, communities and creatives – exploring how care, wellbeing and creativity shape people’s connections with the Downs.
It's easy to get involved with all the events and activities run by the Changing Chalk partners.
Find an event
Take a look at some great events to enjoy, ranging from days out and digs to archaeology talks and nature walks. All showcase the amazing chalk grasslands of the eastern South Downs.Discover events
Volunteering with Changing Chalk
As the four-year Changing Chalk programme draws to a close, partners, communities and funders are celebrating its lasting impact across the South Downs – from restoring rare chalk grassland and improving access, to supporting wellbeing, skills, creativity and shared heritage.
Discover your perfect volunteering role
Our volunteers have played a vital role in the success of the project and now continue their work across the South Downs with our partnership organisations.Find volunteering opportunities
News and Blogs
November 2025
To Exist Here: From Collections to Connections – by Pauline Rutter
To exist here and now in this space, this embodied nature writing, environmental care and community nourishing space; to call in others to walk the paths across the South Downs; to turn out of yourself what is there on the inside of your heart, for those who look like you; to offer a fossil’s history or pressed herbarium chalk grassland story for them to plant in their rolling landscapes of imagination, is to live in the fullness of being.
Stepping into the Downs Walk, a blog post by Josie Jeffery
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM) is celebrated in June every year. It aims to tackle prejudice, amplify the voices, and change the narrative of Gypsies Roma and Travellers in wider society, through celebration, education and raising awareness and appreciation of the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
In May we embarked on an unforgettable journey through the South Downs, on a 'Stopping Places' walk guided by Gypsy Historian Janet Keet-Black. You can read a heartfelt account of the walk in this blog by our Volunteering and Community Manager, Josie.
One of the Changing Chalk project's aims is to provide new work and training opportunities for young people. As well as our countryside traineeship, we've created four new apprentice roles so far - in Archaeology, Countryside and Ranger Skills, and Community and Participation. You can read the new blog from Kitty our Community and Particpation apprentice here from our Countryside Ranger apprentices Molly and Rebecca here and from Kayleigh our Archaeology apprentice here
In April 2022, after five years of careful planning and together with a new team, 13 partner organisations, and the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we embarked on a pioneering four-year journey that is the Changing Chalk project. Bringing together 21 different projects, we set out to connect nature, people and heritage and inspire our local communities to ensure the South Downs will be enjoyed for thousands more years to come.
Read the Changing Chalk: From Vision to Fruition Article here
Find Your Future: How is the Countryside Skills Programme benefiting young people?
There are a lot of towns on the edge of the Downs but, despite this beautiful landscape being on the doorstep, many people living here feel the Downs are a remote place, unconnected to their daily lives. One the main aims of Changing Chalk is to build links that help make people feel closer to the countryside. Thanks to our project, Find Your Future, young people are feeling a stronger connection to the chalk grasslands while learning new skills for work and life. Read More
Local groups receive over £90,000 with Changing Chalk Community Grants
The Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme
The Changing Chalk Community Grants Scheme launched in March 2023 and thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Trust, grants totalling £90,000 have been awarded in the first three rounds of applications. These groups have now got the green light to put their plans into practice and we can't wait to see what they achieve.
Learn about the archaeological clues in the landscape
The National Trust looks after thousands of archaeological sites and landscapes, but just because we manage them doesn’t mean we yet know everything about them. Thanks to new technologies and opportunities like the one provided through Changing Chalk we can continue to learn, understand and better care for sites on a larger scale.
As part of Changing Chalk’s Downs from Above project, Historic England has used aerial imagery to map hundreds of archaeological sites dating from the Neolithic to the Second World War across 192 square kilometres of the South Downs on the outskirts of Brighton.
The resulting new report reveals the rich history of the area and the ways in which the activities of our ancestors have shaped the landscape whether by ancient burial, farming, leisure, military activity, and industry. It highlights sites with a tangible link to the past, connecting people to their area and fostering a sense of place.
You can read all about the project and how to get involved here
Bringing History Alive for the Residents of Eastbourne
The Big Dig took place from 9 to 11 June 2023. Over 50 Eastbourne residents took this opportunity to dig archaeological test pits in their garden to help discover more about the history of Eastbourne and its inhabitant. Many people also came to see public test pits that were dug in various parks around the town.
The dig headquarters were in Motcombe Gardens, where people brought their finds for archaeologists to assess and where there were plenty of historical activities to join. The dig was a great success with Medieval pottery, and neolithic tools being unearthed to name just a few of the finds. These will now be analysed and displayed later in the year.
June 2023
Cultural Heritage
Cultural Heritage
Meet Prissy. This magnificent iron horse is part of the Changing Chalk Cultural Heritage project. We aim for Prissy to stand proud on the South Downs to reflect the rich cultural heritage of the Downs. For hundreds of years, the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities have lived and worked here, working the land or working at the funfair that used to run at Devil’s Dyke in Victorian times.
As part of Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month, Prissy’s creator, Jake Bowers brought the sculpture and his travelling forge to Devil’s Dyke to give people the opportunity to forge part of her mane. We also were joined by cultural auditor, Kate Richardson and Janet Keet-Black, a member of the community, Gypsy historian and author of ‘Gypsies of Britain’. They explained more about the intimate links between the community and the Downs and how to search the records to trace where they travelled over the years. And to join Prissy the Gypsy Cob sculpture, came some real-life Gypsy Cobs, Sapphire and Cherokee to meet the people at the event.
We’re finding the perfect spot for Prissy now, but we already think she is looking magnificent.
Creating Connections - the latest news from our Chalk Life Rangers
Southwick Hill was long regarded as one of the best chalk grassland sites on the Brighton Downs with just the right level of grazing to allow the flora and fauna that makes this habitat so special to thrive. However, the last ten years has seen an increase in issues such as cut fences and worrying of livestock meaning the tenant farmer is no longer able to graze livestock on the majority of the hill. As a result, the herb-rich biodiverse chalk grassland is being rapidly lost to encroaching scrub. Pathways are closing over and many in the local community report feeling that they are losing sight of the Downs and the hill that they have long known and loved. Read More.
A typical summer's day volunteering with Changing Chalk
Changing Chalk volunteers play a vital role in protecting the chalk grassland and heritage of the South Downs. When it comes to volunteering with us, every day is different. Many of our Changing Chalk projects are supported by volunteers who cover tasks ranging from conservation, to archaeology to scientific surveying. Here is what two of our teams did this May on our regular Changing Chalk volunteer days.
Kayleigh is our first archaeology apprentice at Changing Chalk. She has been working with the National Trust as the Archaeological Apprentice of the Changing Chalk partneship since January 2023.
2025 update: We are delighted to share that Kayleigh has been nominated as a finalist in the 2025 Archaeological Achievement Awards celebrating outstandig contributions to archaeology across the UK and Ireland.
The awards organised by Archaeology UK shine a spotlight on the people, projects and organisations using archaeology to enrich society, support wellbeing and strengthen connections to place.
Kayleigh has been shortlisted in the Early Career Archaeologist category, which is sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute.
The winners will be revealed at a special ceremonyon Friday 28 November 2025, held in the historic Great Hall at Queen's University Belfast.
Changing Chalk is supported by a £2.23m Heritage Fund grant, made possible thanks to National Lottery players; by players of People's Postcode Lottery; and The Linbury Trust. Thank you.
Many thanks also, to our generous supporters who wish to remain anonymous.
Buglife is the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates. We’re actively working to save our rarest little animals, everything from bees to beetles, worms to woodlice and jumping spiders to jellyfish
The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) is responsible for keeping the South Downs a special place. The SDNPA is also the planning authority for the National Park.
The Living Coast is a UNESCO World Biosphere Region. It embraces a wonderfully biodiverse stretch of the chalky South Downs and Sussex coast between the River Adur at Shoreham-by-Sea and the River Ouse at Newhaven.
Writing Our Legacy CIC is an arts and heritage organisation that enables Black, Asian and ethnically diverse/BPOC* people to tell their story through writing and the creative arts.
Download your Changing Chalk leaflet 'Discover the Downs on your Doorstep' with its specially-commissioned illustrative map with artwork by Elaine Gill and start to explore this wonderful area.
Discover the Downs from Above and see how human activity has shaped the history and heritage of the Downs with a new report and interactive archaeology tool.
