History
Sussex is not well known for standing stones. Aubrey Burl doesn't list any Sussex stone circles in his books, there are no chambered tombs and whatever is left has been taken for building material, as there isn't much in the way of decent building stone in Sussex. But like the downland of Wiltshire, famous for its stone circles, the downland of Sussex also has its share of sarsen stones, some of which have been used in ancient times. While there is no definite proof of the existence of megaliths from the time of the stone circles, it is not unlikely that they existed on the Sussex Downland. Most sarsen stones have been removed from farmland to stop them getting in the way of ploughing. They have found their way into villages and around ponds. The high level of land use in Sussex has destroyed any evidence of what might have been. Nevertheless, there are many modern stones which have attracted folklore of the type normally associated with more ancient standing stones and of course a slew of stones associated with Druids by early antiquarians.
The Goldstone Sarsen stone
Geology
Sarsen stones or Greywethers are sandstone blocks found in quantity in the UK on Salisbury Plaines, the Marlborough Downs, in Kent and in smaller quantities in Berkshire, Essex, Oxfordshire, Dorset and Hampshire. They are the post-glacial remains of a cap of Cenozoic Chilcrete that once covered much of southern England– a dense, hard rock created from sand bound by a silica cement, making it a kind of silicified sandstone. This is thought to have formed during Neogene to Quartenary weathering by the silicification of Upper Paleocene Lambeth Group sediments, resulting from acid leaching. The word "sarsen" (pronunciation ['sa:sǝn]) is a shortening of "Saracen stone" which arose in the Wiltshire dialect. “Saracen” was a common name for Muslims, and came by extension to be used for anything regarded as non-Christian, whether Muslim, pagan Celtic, or other.
In Sussex, many of the stones have an unusual tinge. They are generally found on the tertiary beds above the chalk, so are generally only found on the chalk downs and the coastal plain below. It is still a matter of contention whether the downland stones are glacial erratics or natural deposits as is thought that the glaciers stopped around the area of the South Downs. Some people believe that Devil's Dyke is a glacial valley. Another source of these stones is the Wealden Sandstone spur, where outcroppings were used by ancient people as rock shelters when they hunted in the weald. This sandstone lies under what would have been a huge dome of chalk, which the North and South Downs represent the edges. The center of this dome was eaten away by the sea in previous eras, leaving the South Downs of Sussex with old eroded cliffs facing north into the weald and the more gentle slope of the leading down towards the coastal plain and the sea. Rivers and streams have cut through these last remains of the great dome, leaving the once buried tertiary rocks exposed and weathered in the downland valleys. Though they are to be found all over the South Downs, these stones are most common between the Rivers Ouse and Adur.
I was amazed by the number of Sarsen stones I found in Alfriston, I have probably walked past them all several times without even noticing them! To claim this find please walk to all stages and answer the questions it's well worth the short walk
Stage 1
Q1. Estimate the height of this stone
Q2. Describe the feature that it is part of
Q3. Run your hand over the stone and describe the texture
Stage 3
Q4. The tinge is very clear on this stone – what color is the tinge you can see?
Q5. Describe the feature the stone is part of
Stage 4
Q6. Run your hand over the stone and describe the texture, why is it different from the stone at stage 1
Q7. How many stones at this location
Stage 5 you need to approach this from the path that runs on the outside of graveyard – look across to the wall
Q8 What is the difference between this stone and the stone at stage 4, can you think why this has occurred ?
Q9 What is the Christian name on the gravestone next to the stone?
Stage 6 this stone is often missed as it is hidden by Valerian plant
Q10 Name the structure this is at the entrance of
Q11 From what you can see here, have the stones been formed naturally or been moved here?
Stage 7 A final selection of the magnificent stones
Q12 what is the length of the longest stone here?
Q13 from what you have seen of the “tinge” in the stone what would you say has caused this in the Sarsen stones you have seen today?
Please post pictures of your walk around but do not include the Sarson Stones in them thankyou