The Speckled claims to be the original Sussex, according to Edward Brown, when the Sussex Poultry Club was formed in 1903 the variety was regarded as the most typical and more numerous than others.  Unfortunately they varied a great deal in colour and in producing exhibition birds the utility quality was lost.

Each feather on a speckled male should have a white spot at the tip then a broad bar of glossy black, the rest of the feathers being rich dark mahogany. The under colour should be slate and red with minimum of white and the flights in both male and female, white brown and black. The tail of the hen should be black and brown with white tip whilst in the cock the main tail feathers should be black and white and the sickle feathers with white tips