Symbols of Sussex are the objects, images or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Sussex or Sussex culture. As a rule, these symbols are cultural icons that have emerged from Sussex folklore and tradition, meaning few have any official status. However, most if not all maintain recognition at a county or national level, and some, such as the emblem of Sussex, have been codified in heraldry, and are established, official and recognised symbols of Sussex.
| Symbol | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Flag of Sussex |  | The flag of Sussex, sometimes known as St. Richard's Flag, has been Sussex's county flag since it was registered with the Flag Institute on 20 May 2011. [1] A banner of arms, the flag is based on the traditional emblem of Sussex. |
| Cross of Saint Richard of Chichester |  | The flag of St. Richard of Chichester, the patron saint of Sussex, is sometimes used as an alternative to the Sussex flag, and is flown on Sussex Day |
| Symbol | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Emblem of Sussex |  | The emblem of Sussex [2] is a heraldic shield symbolising Sussex. The emblem consists of six gold martlets, on a blue field, blazoned as azure, six martlets, three, two and one, or. The first known recording of this emblem being used to represent the county was in 1611 when cartographer John Speed deployed it to represent the Kingdom of the South Saxons. However it seems that Speed was repeating an earlier association between the emblem and the county, rather than being the inventor of the association. It is now firmly regarded that the county emblem originated and derived from the coat of arms of the 14th century Knight of the Shire, Sir John de Radynden. [3] Sussex’s six martlets are today held to symbolise the traditional six sub-divisions of the county known as rapes . [4] The emblem of Sussex continues to represent Sussex and forms the basis of the coats of arms of East and West Sussex County Councils and the badges of several organisations such as Sussex County Cricket Club, Sussex County Football League and Sussex Police. |
| Symbol | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Round-headed Rampion |  | Known locally as the 'Pride of Sussex', the round-headed rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare) is the county flower of Sussex. The plant is more common on the South Downs than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. [5] |
| Pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ) |  | Also known as Sussex weed, [6] the pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ) is strongly associated with Sussex. Sussex oak was thought to be the best timber for shipbuilding, [7] being unmatched in durability and strength – qualities drawn from the ferruginous soil on which it grew. [8] |
| Symbol | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sussex by the Sea | - | "Sussex by the Sea" is the unofficial county anthem of Sussex. [9] Adopted by the Royal Sussex Regiment and popularised in World War I, it is sung at celebrations across the county, including those at Lewes Bonfire, and at sports matches, including those of Sussex County Cricket Club and Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. [9] |
| We wunt be druv | - | We wunt be druv is the unofficial motto of Sussex. [10] It is also used by some of the Sussex Bonfire Societies. [11] [12] |
| Saint Richard of Chichester |  | Saint Richard of Chichester is the patron saint of Sussex. [13] [14] Since 2007, the translated feast day of St Richard, 16 June, has been celebrated as Sussex Day. [15] |
| Arms of St Richard |  | The insignia and shield of a male figure holding a sword across his mouth has represented the diocese of Chichester since the 13th century. [16] The imagery is parallel to that seen in an early 14th-century manuscript of the Apocalypse of St John. [16] This illustrates several passages with a figure who variously has a sword across his mouth, holds an open book, and is seated on a throne. [16] |
| Stoolball |  | The sport of stoolball is strongly associated with Sussex; it has been referred to as Sussex's 'national' sport [17] and a Sussex game [18] or pastime. [19] The sport's modern rules were codified at Glynde in 1881. [20] Modern stoolball is centred on Sussex where the game was revived in the early 20th century by Major William Grantham. [21] [22] |
| Sussex Pond Pudding |  | Sussex Pond Pudding is a traditional pudding believed to have originated in Sussex and first recorded in the 17th century. |
| Sussex trug |  | The Sussex trug is a type of wooden basket that is associated with Sussex, dating back to the 1500s and gaining renown at the Great Exhibition of 1851. [23] [24] |
Sussex was a county in South East England. The county was bordered by Surrey to the north, Kent to the north-east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west.
The Kingdom of the South Saxons, today referred to as the Kingdom of Sussex, was one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the Heptarchy of Anglo-Saxon England. On the south coast of the island of Great Britain, it was originally a sixth-century Saxon colony and later an independent kingdom. The kingdom remains one of the least known of the Anglo-Saxon polities, with no surviving king-list, several local rulers and less centralisation than other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The South Saxons were ruled by the kings of Sussex until the country was annexed by Wessex, probably in 827, in the aftermath of the Battle of Ellendun.
The caduceus is the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology and consequently by Hermes Trismegistus in Greco-Egyptian mythology. The same staff was borne by other heralds like Iris, the messenger of Hera. The short staff is entwined by two serpents, sometimes surmounted by wings. In Roman iconography, it was depicted being carried in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods.
East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, 27 miles (43 km) south of London, 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Brighton, and 38 miles (61 km) northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civil parish has an area of 2,443.45 hectares. The population at the 2011 Census was 26,383.
Stoolball is a sport that dates back to at least the 15th century, originating in Sussex, southern England. It is considered a "traditional striking and fielding sport" and may be an ancestor of cricket, baseball, softball, and rounders. The sport has been called "cricket in the air". There is evidence to suggest that it was played as a tradition by milkmaids who used their milking stools as a "wicket" and the bittle, or milk bowl as a bat, hence its archaic name of bittle-battle.
"Sussex by the Sea" is a song written in 1907 by William Ward-Higgs, often considered to be the unofficial county anthem of Sussex. It became well known throughout Sussex and is regularly sung at celebrations throughout the county. It can be heard during many sporting events in the county, during the Sussex bonfire celebrations and it is played by marching bands and Morris dancers across Sussex. It is the adopted song of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, Sussex Division Royal Naval Reserve, Sussex Association of Naval Officers and Sussex County Cricket Club.
North Stoke is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Amberley, in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England. It is just over 2 miles (3 km) north of Arundel and 0.7 miles (1 km) south of Amberley railway station, and is at the end of a no through road from the station. In 1931 the parish had a population of 70. On 1 April 1933 the parish was abolished and merged with Amberley.
The Flag of Sussex is the flag of the traditional and historic county of Sussex. The flag was registered by the Flag Institute on Friday 20 May 2011 as a 'traditional' county flag as a result of a campaign started in August 2010, by Sussex resident Brady Ells, with support from his father, David. The Flag was certified by Chief Vexillologist, Graham Bartram. It was first flown officially on Saturday 28 May 2011 at Lewes Castle. and was flown from the Department of Communities and Local Government at Eland House, London on Sussex Day, 16 June 2011.
Devil's doors are structural features found in the north wall of some medieval and older churches in the United Kingdom. They are particularly common in the historic county of Sussex, where more than 40 extant churches have one. They have their origins in the early Christian era, when pre-Christian worship was still popular, and were often merely symbolic structures—although they were sometimes used as genuine entrances.
Worthing, a town with borough status in the English county of West Sussex, has 212 buildings with listed status. The Borough of Worthing covers an area of 8,030 acres (3,250 ha) on the south coast of England, facing the English Channel. The town's development in the early 19th century coincided with nearby Brighton's rise as a famous, fashionable resort, and Worthing became a quiet seaside town with a large stock of Victorian buildings. Residential growth in the 20th century absorbed nearby villages, and older houses, churches and mansions became part of the borough. The Town and Country Planning Act 1947, an act of Parliament effective from 1948, introduced the concept of "listing" buildings of architectural and historical interest, and Worthing Borough Council nominated 90 buildings at that time. More have since been added, but others have been demolished. As of 2009, Worthing has three buildings of Grade I status, 11 listed at Grade II*, 196 of Grade II status and three at the equivalent Grade C.
West Street Baptist Church is a Baptist church in East Grinstead, a town in the district of Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Founded in 1810 as a chapel linked to the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, it was the first Nonconformist place of worship in East Grinstead; the town's subsequent development made it a local centre of both Protestant Nonconformity and alternative religions. The red-brick building is still used by a Baptist community, and is protected as a Grade II listed building.
The Mermaid Inn is a Grade II* listed historical inn located on Mermaid Street in the ancient town of Rye, East Sussex, southeastern England. One of the best-known inns in southeast England, it was established in the 12th century and has a long, turbulent history. The current building dates from 1420 and has 16th-century additions in the Tudor style, but cellars built in 1156 survive. The inn has a strong connection with the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers, who used it in the 1730s and 1740s as one of their strongholds: Rye was a thriving port during this period. Some of the smugglers, their mistresses and other characters are reported to haunt the inn.
The historic county of Sussex in southern England has a rich musical heritage that encompasses the genres of folk, classical and rock and popular music amongst others. With the unbroken survival of its indigenous music, Sussex was at the forefront of the English folk music revivals of the 19th and 20th centuries. Many classical composers have found inspiration in Sussex, and the county continues to have a thriving musical scene across the musical genres. In Sussex by the Sea, the county has its own unofficial anthem.
"We wunt be druv" is the unofficial county motto of Sussex in southern England. It is a Sussex dialect phrase meaning "we will not be driven". The motto asserts that people from the English county of Sussex have minds of their own, and cannot be forced against their will or told what to do. It is used as a motto of the people of Sussex and the Sussex Bonfire Societies. Since 2016 it has been used as a strapline, part of the re-branding of Harvey's Brewery of Lewes.
Sussex Day is the county day for the historic county of Sussex in southern England and is celebrated on 16 June each year to celebrate the rich heritage and culture of Sussex.
The culture of Sussex refers to the pattern of human activity and symbolism associated with Sussex and its people. It is informed by Sussex's history as an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, English county, diocese of the church and present-day cultural region.
This is a timeline of Sussex history. To read about the background to these events, see History of Sussex. See also the list of monarchs of Sussex.
Religion in Sussex has been dominated over the last 1,400 years by Christianity. Like the rest of England, the established church in Sussex is the Church of England, although other Christian traditions exist. After Christianity, the religion with the most adherents is Islam, followed by Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism.
Sport in Sussex forms an important part of the culture of Sussex. With a centuries-long tradition of sport, Sussex has played a key role in the early development of both cricket and stoolball. Cricket is recognised as having been formed in the Weald and Sussex CCC is England's oldest county cricket club. Slindon Cricket Club dominated the sport for a while in the 18th century. The cricket ground at Arundel Castle traditionally plays host to a Duchess of Norfolk's XI which plays the national test sides touring England. The sport of stoolball is also associated with Sussex, which has a claim to be where the sport originated and certainly where its revival took place in the early 20th century. Sussex is represented in the Premier League by Brighton & Hove Albion and in the Football League by Crawley Town. Brighton has been in the Premier League since 2017 and has been a League member since 1920, whereas Crawley was promoted to the League in 2011. Brighton & Hove Albion W.F.C. play in the FA Women's Super League from 2017. Sussex has had its own football association, since 1882 and its own football league, which has since expanded into Surrey, since 1920. In horse racing, Sussex is home to Goodwood, Fontwell Park, Brighton and Plumpton. The All England Jumping Course show jumping facility at Hickstead is situated 8 miles (13 km) north of Brighton and Hove.
Beer in Sussex is beer produced in the historic county of Sussex in England, East Sussex and West Sussex..
