Crundale. The Crundale Downs, part of the area surrounding Wye, are a chalk grassland—a hilly area of dense and diverse herbs on thin soil, with a vein of chalk underneath which runs all the way to the cliffs on the English Channel by Dover. They are currently the site of a national nature preserve. The name Crundale comes from the Old English for "chalk valley", and a down is a hill. "Bundel Downs" could also be a pun on "bundle up", i.e. against harsh weather.