Withdean is a former village, now part of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex.

Overview

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 Lewes Priory is a part-demolished medieval Cluniac priory in Lewes, East Sussex in the United Kingdom. The ruins have been designated a Grade I listed building. History The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had ...

Lewes Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. It is the police and judicial centre for all of Sussex and is home to Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, Lewes Crown Court and HMP Lewes. The civil parish is the centre ...

, until 1537. This was then given to

Anne of Cleves Anne of Cleves (german: Anna von Kleve; 1515 – 16 July 1557) was Queen of England from 6 January to 12 July 1540 as the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Not much is known about Anne before 1527, when she became betrothed to Francis, Duke of ...

in 1541 by

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

. 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. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...

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 2.47 acres (1 ha) 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.The Lilac Collection at Brighton by Phil Williamson
/ref> Collections of berberis, cotoneaster and viburnum can also be found here. Withdean is referenced in the chapter "The Wiseman of Withdean" of the fantasy novel '' The Brightonomicon''.

References

Areas of Brighton and Hove Conservation areas in England {{EastSussex-geo-stub