The White Way, Alfriston

The White Way is a road running between Alfriston and Seaford, which according to local legend has a reputation for being haunted. According to tradition, one Midsummers Eve, a young man, who was the heir to the Chowne* estate was killed with his dog (possibly a white terrier) near Dean’s Place and quickly buried in a shallow grave.

Seven years after the killing, the ghostly apparition of the dog is said to have been seen on The White Way. This ghostly hound, (sometimes seen with its master) was said to appear every seven years on the anniversary of the murder and was considered an ill omen for whoever saw it.

When the road was widened in the 1800’s the grave was said to have been discovered and the young man received a proper burial.

When evening closes in with shadows grey,
and ghostly vapours overhang White Way,
and the crescent moon hangs gloomy in the west,
’tis then the spirit of young Chowne can’t rest,
but walks abroad with melancholy stride,
adown the path that skirts the chalk hill-side.

*The Chowne family settled in Alfriston in the early 17th century