The present Hangleton Lane is an ancient trackway used since prehistoric times. It was also used by the Romans as part of their route from London to their port at the River Adur in present-day Southwick. A small village gradually developed around a bend on this trackway, close to the church and original manor house. The rest of the parish—rectangular in size, longer from north to south and covering —was downland forming part of the South Downs; Round Hill, around which the track ran and which has traces of ancient field systems, rises to . The parish of Portslade is to the west; West Blatchington is to the east; the parishes of Hove and Aldrington lie to the south and southeast; and Brighton is further to the southeast beyond Hove. The English Channel is to the south, and Lewes (the county town of East Sussex) lies to the east.