Glorious Gayles Festival
16 July 2023
11am to 4pm
Join us for a day of activities, games, walks and talks learning about local nature and the Chalk Grassland habitat. Help the Archaeologist with a test pit dig, learn how to knap a flint, search for interesting insects, meet the sheep with the farmer and tractor and experience the old WW2 vehicles. Refreshments available. During WW2, the skies around RAF Friston at Gayles Farm rang with the sound of Spitfires and Hurricane aircraft. In the lead up to D Day, 1400 airmen and WAAFs were stationed here. In 1944 over 300 planes landed – many of them on the emergency landing strip. Imagine heading back after a raid, low on fuel, maybe damaged – you see the chalk cliffs, then Friston airfield and safety. Now it’s a farm again with just the sound of skylarks, lambs and the occasional tractor. This part of the South Downs is famous for rare chalk grassland habitat – the grassland near the cliffs and surrounding the farm supports orchids, special chalk grassland plants and downland butterflies such as the blues and dark green fritillaries.
For many years Gayles Farm has been an arable farm but, as part of the Changing Chalk project, we’ve been changing its use, so it provides a biodiverse stepping stone for the chalkland wildlife. We have planted the old runways with a meadow grassland mix full of wildflowers. This will help wildlife move across the landscape while the farm provides good food for its animals that maintain the chalk grassland. Changing Chalk is a multi-partner, multi-project initiative led by the National Trust. Its aim is to restore lost habitats, bring histories to life, and provide new experiences in the outdoors. By connecting nature, people and heritage across the eastern South Downs, this internationally-significant landscape can be restored and protected for today and all our tomorrows. Join Changing Chalk for the Glorious Gayles Festival to celebrate thousands of years of history and experience nature and farming in this area. This is a free event, suitable for adults and children. Rough ground will make wheelchair use difficult but there are no stiles or hills. It’s outdoors, so wear suitable clothing. The event is weather dependent, so please check on the day that the festival is going ahead. Part of Changing Chalk, a multi-partner, multi-project initiative led by the National Trust. Its aim is to restore lost habitats, bring histories to life, and provide new experiences in the outdoors. By connecting nature, people and heritage across a 458 sqkm area of the eastern South Downs, this internationally-significant landscape can be restored and protected for today and all our tomorrows.
