Lion Heart Spring, Near Brighton, East Sussex, England

2 people follow this spring.
Category: England, Europe, View All
Directions:

Video

Description

A great little spring coming out of a pipe and leading into a shallow stream which then runs next to the road. Flow is good and continuous. Excellent quality water. On public land, surrounded on all 3 sides by pasture land and fencing indicating that considerable lengths have been gone to, to keep it accessible to the public.

Nearest Address

Clappers Lane near Fulking

Directions from Nearest Address

Driving down clappers lane from Fulking, go past Brook Cottage, past a double bend in the road, where the lane starts to go uphill slightly, and there’s an area on the right where there’s space to park a car. Walk up from there about 50yard, until you see the stream that runs along the road veers right. Follow that right to the end. See youtube video and you can contact Elwin at www.lionheartherbs.com

Vital Information

  • Fee: None
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: 93
  • Temp: 5° C
  • pH: 6.45

Hours Spring is Open:

24/7/365

GPS: N/A

Submitted by: Elwin Robinson

Responses

  1. Hi Guys,
    I farm and own the land to the east of Clappers Lane. There are many springs on the
    farm which we think are artesian  – apart from some ‘greensand’ much of the land is
    a heavy clay  where this is punctured there will be a spring – or at least a persistant
    wet patch. The farm buildings and house used to have its own spring water system
    but in the 1930’s the local water company started sinking bore holes at the foot of the
    Downs which lowered the water table to the point when the spring water largely dried
    up. All the existing springs are intermitent depending on how much water has soaked into the chalk hills there is a kind of time delay from periods of heavy rain to when the
    springs become active. We dont interfere with them or the  farm drainage system which was installed in 1893 – and as we are virtually organic ( no chemical sprays or fertilizer ) the water should be good – happy slurping!     

  2. If someone could post next time they are there if they find it is flowing again asap after then I’d appreciate it. Takes a 5 hour round trip from where I live and last time I went a few weeks ago it was just a trickle. Thanks 🙂

    1. Hi Hadley, we went a week ago and it was flowing. However i would recommend you visit the Fulking spring, it is alway flowing. My partner and I both found the water from fulking to be of a much higher standard than the lion heart spring. Fulking’s water is crystal clear whereas lion heart’s was slightly murky in comparison. 🙂

      1. Thanks for taking the time to post Jess 🙂 Do you have any tips for finding the source of the Fulking spring? I went there last time and couldnt find it (to anyone reading who doesnt know the roadside outlet at the pub is undrinkable). How far is it from the pub? Do you have to go right up over the large hill? Thanks again, Hadley

    2. Visited spring for first time with family yesterday 5th Jan 2013 and positively gushing out and flowing down middle of road! Fulking village spring like a small fountain! Can anyone reassure me that the water is totally safe to drink. Only just come across the idea of drinking from a spring but as I’ve got young children just wanted to be extra sure. Just realising probably far better than my tap water though!!

      1. Thanks for the update Eleanore. I went to the lionheart spring yesterday, good flow….. I tested the water and got 75 TDS and PH of around about 6.75, which all indicates that it is PROBABLY good, but I guess we can never be totally sure. One thing I noticed with bad quality water from elsewhere (actually it was a while ago from the Fulking fountain by the road) was that after a couple of days sediment built up in the bottom of the container – so to my (admittedly amateurish) mind it might be a good idea to leave water from any source that you’re not completely sure of for a couple of days to see if it stays totally clear.

        Would be interesting to hear of any experiences of people using this source long term……

        Btw anyone thinking of going to this spring – if the ground is wet or muddy then you’ll certainly need wellies or some sort of protective footwear to be able to reach the spring and get the water back. I had normal type boots on when I went and it was very muddy and wet and was almost impossible to avoid falling down several times as you’re basically squirrelling your way along the side of a very muddy and slippery ‘riverbank’ trying to avoid the water, all the more harder on the way back carrying water! If you’ve got wellies and don’t mind walking through the water flowing then that’s probably the best option for most people, so it’s worth being prepared. With dry ground for a lot of people it probably wouldn’t be an issue, though there is a little climbing involved

  3. Hardly continuous: not a drop on 5 visits during the summer. Lovely water when it does flow but Fulking is a sure bet. (Elwin’s not sure about the purity – do you really think a thousand years of local habitation backs up your opinion?) And finally, since when have the South Downs been ‘mountains’?

  4. today is April 15th 2012.   We were  at Lion Heart Spring, on Clappers lane.
    the bad is news is the pipe has dried up.   not a drop of spring water to be had.
    Have you been there lately to see for yourself.   We wondered if the farmer on the adjacent land might have cut of supply to conserve for his own use.  As there is a current water hose pipe ban in this area.   Anyway, please let us know if there is a change or if you have discovered any other source.   We did go to Fulking spring and it collect some water after testing, and the readings were 250.ppm TDS.
    Ph.  about 7.8.  with good flow.

  5. I went to Faulking a couple of months ago….it’s really hard to get at and several fallen trees in the stream now….would anyone be interested in making access easier by making some steps down as it’s such a steep climb especially with glass bottles…I’ve always put the wster through a funnel and some very fine netting so as not to get any bits…

  6. Hi everyone, I have been looking for this clappers lane spring but I am struggling. We have been drinking the water from the Sheppard and Dog pub but we are not convinced is great as TDS reaches around 300. Can anyone show us where to collect best wather around clappers lane please. Thank you

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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