West Hoathly

Last updated

East Hoathly is a village in East Sussex, 14 miles (23 km) to the south-east of West Hoathly.

West Hoathly
St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly (IoE Code 302844).JPG
St Margaret of Antioch Church
West Sussex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
West Hoathly
Location within West Sussex
Area21.39 km2 (8.26 sq mi)  [1]
Population2,121  [1] 2001 Census
2,181 (2011 Census) [2]
•  Density 99/km2 (260/sq mi)
OS grid reference TQ364329
•  London 29 miles (47 km) N
Civil parish
  • West Hoathly
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town EAST GRINSTEAD
Postcode district RH19
Dialling code 01342
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament
Website Parish Council
List of places
UK
England
West Sussex
51°04′48″N0°03′11″W / 51.07999°N 0.05293°W / 51.07999; -0.05293 Coordinates: 51°04′48″N0°03′11″W / 51.07999°N 0.05293°W / 51.07999; -0.05293

West Hoathly is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south west of East Grinstead. In the 2001 census 2,121 people, of whom 1,150 were economically active, lived in 813 households. At the 2011 Census the population increased to 2,181. [2] The parish, which has a land area of 2,139 hectares (5,290 acres), [1] includes the hamlets of Highbrook, Selsfield Common and Sharpthorne. [3] The mostly rural parish is centred on West Hoathly village, an ancient hilltop settlement in the High Weald between the North and South Downs.

Contents

History

The area was already settled by the 11th century, when St Margaret's Church was founded. Names recorded at that time include Hadlega and Hodlega—later standardised to Hodlegh and Hothelegh, then (West) Hoathly. This Anglo-Saxon word signifies a heath-covered clearing. [4] [5] The parish lay on the edge of the dense woodland of the Ashdown Forest. [6]

At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the land covered by the present parish was held by the manors of Ditchling and Plumpton to the southeast. The rectory of the church was associated with Lewes Priory. By the 16th century, the manor of Gravetye was in existence. [4] Gravetye Manor house, built in 1598, still stands in extensive grounds 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the village. [7]

In 1556, West Hoathly resident Ann Tree was burnt at the stake in East Grinstead for refusing to renounce Protestantism; she was one of 17 "Sussex Martyrs" who suffered this fate. A brass memorial in the church commemorates her. [5]

In 1624 a side from West Hoathly was involved in what is believed to be the earliest known organised cricket match in Sussex, which took place at Horsted Keynes. [8]

Railway connection

West Hoathly was connected to the British railway network when the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway was built in 1882. A station was provided east of the village, between the village itself and Sharpthorne.

The line passed under a sandstone ridge by means of a 731yd long tunnel. [4] The line and station closed on 16 March 1958, [9] and the station stood derelict for many years, with the footbridge and down-platform buildings removed in 1964 and the station house demolished in 1967. [10] The preserved Bluebell Railway, (now 11 miles in length) runs along part of the route of the former Lewes and East Grinstead Railway. The West Hoathly station site was purchased by the Bluebell Railway on 30 November 1975, [11] and the line re-opened through the site in 1992, but the station itself otherwise remains disused. [12]

"Big-upon-Little"

Also known as "Great-upon-Little", this natural landscape formation is in a wooded area southwest of the village, near the road to Ardingly. It is an exposed outcrop of sandstone with a harder band overlying a soft stratum at ground level. The lower stratum has weathered significantly, making the upper section overhang like the cap of a mushroom. [13]

Places of worship

There are two Anglican churches in the civil parish. St Margaret's Church, dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, [14] stands on North Lane in West Hoathly. [15] It has Norman origins, although much of the fabric of the building is 13th-century. The church has a tower with a Perpendicular Gothic broach spire, a single-aisled nave, a chancel and a side chapel. [16] The terraced churchyard is a well-known viewpoint, with far-reaching views across the Weald. [14] [17] All Saints Church at Highbrook was paid for by two wealthy local sisters who thought that church attendance among the hamlet's residence was being hampered by the long distance they had to travel to St Margaret's Church. [18] Architects Richard H. Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow designed the large, stone-built church in 1884. [19] [20] The churches have separate ecclesiastical parishes but are part of a united benefice, served by the same vicar. [21]

St Dunstan's Roman Catholic church is in West Hoathly. English Heritage describe the building as "a curiosity": it was a cottage with an attached butcher's shop until its conversion into a church in 1957. [22] In Sharpthorne, the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion—a small Nonconformist denomination with links to Methodism—has a place of worship, the Sharpthorne Community Church. It was founded by members of an older church in nearby Turners Hill. [23] [24] There was also a Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion chapel at the north end of West Hoathly from 1826 until the early 21st century. The timber-framed building survives, but is disused. [4] [25]

Buildings

Priest House Priest House at West Hoathly - geograph.org.uk - 1210417.jpg
Priest House
The Cat Inn The Cat Inn, West Hoathly (IoE Code 302848).jpg
The Cat Inn

The parish has many medieval houses and farms. The oldest is Tickeridge, near Selsfield Common and the preserved Kingscote railway station. Its modernised exterior hides a 14th-century timber-framed Wealden hall house of "high antiquarian interest". [26] The gabled solar wing dates from the 16th century. [4] [26] Gravetye Manor, built in 1598, has an Elizabethan façade and was built for a local ironmaster: northern Sussex was an important ironmaking area for several centuries. Later abandoned to smugglers, the building and its grounds were rejuvenated in 1884 when "the greatest English gardener" William Robinson bought it. [27] He also designed the 30-acre (12 ha) gardens. Upon his death in 1935 the manor, set in a large area of woodland, passed to the Forestry Commission for use as a base for their work. It was converted into a high-class restaurant (now with a Michelin star) in 1958. [4] [28] Chiddinglye, which may have been a separate manor at one time, [4] is a Gothic house of 1866. [7] Next to it is Chiddinglye Farm, an open hall house with 15th- and 16th-century parts. [4] Selsfield House has a Georgian façade. [7]

The Priest House West Hoathly in the centre of the village opposite St Margaret's Church, was turned into a museum by the Sussex Archaeological Society in 1935. [14] [29] The 15th-century open hall-house, with a five-bay façade and a solar wing, retains some original windows and its king post and trussed roof. [4] [7] Items relating to local and domestic history are on display, and there are formal gardens. [28] [29] Also near the church is Manor House—not named in relation to any historic manor, but built in 1627 as a dower house and associated with the owners of Gravetye Manor. A note in the museum says that it was built for Katherine Infield, widow of Richard Infield of Gravetye Manor. The building materials, the composition and the ornaments of the main facade are identical to the ones of Gavetye Manor. It is approximately H-shaped, built of ashlar, and has prominent mullioned windows and a gabled roof laid with Horsham stone slabs. Old panelling remains in some rooms. [4] [7]

The village pub is the Cat Inn, housed in an early 16th-century timber-framed building with a tile and brick exterior. Original beams are still visible inside on both storeys. [4]

West Hoathly Church of England School, which maintains links with St Margaret's Church, is the primary school in the parish. [30] There is also an independent special day School, Philpots Manor which is situated around half a mile from the village.

Sports

Jasper Vinall from West Hoathly was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game. This happened on 28 August 1624 at Horsted Keynes, East Sussex.

West Hoathly Football Club were founded in 1902 and currently play their games at The Recreation Ground, The club is split into two teams with the First team playing in the Mid Sussex Division 3 and the seconds in Division 9. The best days of the club's history came in the 1980s where the team won the county league in five consecutive seasons a feat yet to be reproduced since.

The 2011–12 season was hard for the team, with many players leaving and moving on. Subsequently, both the first XI and second XI teams were relegated to Division 3 and Division 9 respectively. The first team is managed by John Kendall who also runs coaching sessions for both teams, whilst Matt Kendall and Mark Harding run the second XI. The kit for both teams is Home – Black and White stripes, Black shorts, Black socks Away – White with Red bar down the centre of the shirt, Red shorts, Red Socks

The team plays its home game at West Hoathly's Recreation Ground, The Pavilion which the team uses as its home area and changing rooms was given to the team in 1925 and since then has undergone many refurbishments the last one being in the 1980s, and now the rooms are sadly in a very bad state with the current set up not passing The FA standard regulations but fortunately in April 2012 the local parish council agreed to let the team redevelop the pavilion adding in two new rooms on either side creating wet and dry rooms and a spacious area with patio area to help house local clubs/sports and scout groups. This work will take place over the summer of 2012 and be undertaken on the majority by members of the parish and team players already in the construction and decorating industry. Hopefully in the future the club will be able to create a youth team which can be run by players in the first and second XI who are keen on getting into coaching and create a lasting legacy and flow of talent coming through the club.

Landmarks

Near the village of Sharpthorne there is a Site of Special Scientific Interest known as West Hoathly Pit. It is a working clay pit of geological interest with 9 metres (30 ft) of visible sedimentary layers. [31]

Related Research Articles

Turners Hill Human settlement in England

Turners Hill is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The civil parish covers an area of 1,390 hectares, and has a population of 1,849 increasing to 1,919 at the 2011 Census.

Kingston by Sea, also known as Kingston Buci, Kingston Bucii or simply Kingston, is a small area in the Adur district of West Sussex, England. Although it is now part of a continuous urban area, its origins lay in an ancient village and parish church between Southwick to the east, Shoreham-by-Sea to the west and the mouth of the River Adur to the south. St Julian's Church survives, and its parish perpetuates the ancient "Kingston Buci" name.

Slaugham Human settlement in England

Slaugham is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is located 7 miles (11 km) to the south of Crawley, on the A23 road to Brighton. The civil parish covers an area of 2,432 hectares. At the 2001 census it had a population of 2,226 persons of whom 1,174 were economically active. At the 2011 Census the parish included the villages of Handcross and Warninglid and had a population of 2,769. In addition the parish contains the settlement of Pease Pottage.

Lewes Free Presbyterian Church Church in East Sussex , United Kingdom

Lewes Free Presbyterian Church, based in the Jireh Chapel, is one of seven Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster places of worship in England. The Jireh Chapel is a former Calvinistic Independent chapel in the Cliffe area of Lewes, the county town of East Sussex and the main town in the local government district of Lewes. It is more than 200 years old and has been designated a Grade I Listed building.

Grade II* listed buildings in Brighton and Hove

There are 72 Grade II* listed buildings in the city of Brighton and Hove, England. The city, on the English Channel coast approximately 52 miles (84 km) south of London, was formed as a unitary authority in 1997 by the merger of the neighbouring towns of Brighton and Hove. Queen Elizabeth II granted city status in 2000.

West Street Baptist Church, East Grinstead Church in West Sussex , England

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.

All Saints Church, Buncton Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

All Saints Church is an Anglican church in the hamlet of Buncton in the district of Horsham, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Built in the 11th or 12th century as a small chapel of ease to a nearby parish church, and hardly changed or restored since, the stone chapel stands behind a "delightful ... wooded ravine" beneath the South Downs and has been called "a real piece of hidden Sussex". The chancel arch, between the nave and chancel which made up the simple two-room building, had a bizarre 12th-century carving of a person of indeterminate sex exposing their genitalia—until 2004, when an unknown vandal destroyed it with a chisel. The church is still used for Christian worship, and English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance. The church is also known as Buncton Chapel.

All Saints Church, Highbrook Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

All Saints Church is an Anglican church in the hamlet of Highbrook in Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. The tiny settlement, in the parish of West Hoathly, was distant from the parish church in that village; two wealthy sisters accordingly funded the construction of a new church to serve the local population. Richard H. Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow's stone building, with a prominent spire, opened in 1884 and was allocated its own parish. The "handsome" church, designed in the 14th/15th-century style of the Gothic Revival, has been listed at Grade II by English Heritage for its architectural and historical importance.

St Mary Magdalenes Church, Tortington Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St Mary Magdalene's Church is the former Anglican parish church of the hamlet of Tortington in the district of Arun, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. Founded in the 12th century to serve a priory and villagers in the riverside location, it has experienced little change despite a 19th-century restoration. Its ancient chancel arch and doorway have remarkable carvings with "grotesque, boggle-eyed monsters", rare beakhead figures and chevron ornamentation. Standing in a picturesque setting behind a farm, the flint and Caen stone building was used for worship until 1978, when it was declared redundant. It is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, and English Heritage has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance. The church is dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene.

St Mary Magdalenes Church, St Leonards-on-Sea Church in East Sussex , United Kingdom

St Mary Magdalene's Church is a Greek Orthodox place of worship in St Leonards-on-Sea, a town and seaside resort which is part of the Borough of Hastings in East Sussex, England. Dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene and built in 1852 for Anglican worshippers in the growing new town of St Leonards-on-Sea, a seaside resort which had been laid out from the 1820s, the church's prominent position on the skyline overlooking the town was enhanced in 1872 by the addition of a tower. No longer required by the Anglican community in the 1980s, it was quickly bought by the Greek Orthodox Church and converted into a place of worship in accordance with their requirements. The alterations were minimal, though, and the building retains many of its original fittings and its "archaeologically correct Gothic" exterior which reflected architectural norms of the early Victorian era. English Heritage has listed the church at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

Holy Trinity Church, Rudgwick Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

Holy Trinity Church is the Anglican parish church of Rudgwick, a village in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England.

St Margarets Church, West Hoathly Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

St Margaret's Church is an Anglican church in the village of West Hoathly in Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. By the late 11th century, a simple single-room stone building existed on the high, open ridge upon which the village developed. A series of medieval expansions doubled its size by the 15th century, and the present building has changed little since then—despite a Victorian restoration overseen by architect R. H. Carpenter. A major addition was the heavily buttressed Perpendicular Gothic west tower, topped with a tall broach spire and containing a peal of ancient bells. The large, steeply terraced churchyard also serves as a public cemetery and has far-reaching views across the Weald. The original dedication to Saint Margaret of Antioch fell out of use for many centuries until a researcher rediscovered it. The church serves a large rural parish which was reduced in size in 1882 when two residents of the hamlet of Highbrook paid for an additional church to be built there. English Heritage has listed it at Grade I for its architectural and historical importance.

St Leodegars Church, Hunston Church in West Sussex, United Kingdom

St Leodegar's Church is the Anglican parish church of Hunston, a hamlet in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. The dedication—rare in England and unique in Sussex—has also been spelt St Ledger historically. A ruinous church dating from the 12th century was dismantled and rebuilt by prolific ecclesiastical architect Arthur Blomfield in 1885, but some old features were retained. The building, an Early English Gothic Revival structure of stone, was criticised by architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner but was built on a "generous" budget and has some elaborate structural features such as a double belfry.

Wings Place

Wings Place, formerly Ditchling Garden Manor, also known as Anne of Cleves House, is a Grade I country house in Ditchling, East Sussex, England. It is a Tudor house, said to be one of the best examples in the country.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "About the Parish Council". West Hoathly Parish Council. 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Salzman, L. F., ed. (1940). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7 – The Rape of Lewes. Parishes: West Hoathly". Victoria County History of Sussex. British History Online. pp. 164–172. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 Syms 1994 , p. 174.
  6. ↑ "The Parish of West Hoathly". West Hoathly Parish Council. 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Nairn & Pevsner 1965 , p. 627.
  8. ↑ McCann, pp. xxxiii–xxxiv.
  9. ↑ Gough 1993 , p. 120.
  10. ↑ Marx 2000 , p. 198.
  11. ↑ Marx 2000 , p. 235.
  12. ↑ Gough 1993 , p. 125.
  13. ↑ Swinfen & Arscott 1984 , p. 146.
  14. 1 2 3 Wales 1999 , p. 229.
  15. ↑ "St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly". St Margaret's Church, West Hoathly. 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  16. ↑ Salter 2000 , p. 143.
  17. ↑ Nairn & Pevsner 1965 , p. 626.
  18. ↑ Allen, John (22 February 2010). "Highbrook – All Saints". Sussex Parish Churches website. Sussex Parish Churches (www.sussexparishchurches.org). Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  19. ↑ Elleray 2004 , p. 32.
  20. ↑ Nairn & Pevsner 1965 , p. 538.
  21. ↑ "All Saints Church". Highbrook village website. Serious Systems. 2009–2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  22. ↑ "English Heritage Review of Diocesan Churches 2005 (Extract): St Dunstan, West Hoathly, West Sussex" (PDF). English Heritage. 2005. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  23. ↑ "Church Websites: The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion Churches". New Connexions. 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  24. ↑ "Connexional Churches in the South East". Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. 2009. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  25. ↑ Elleray 2004 , p. 55.
  26. 1 2 Nairn & Pevsner 1965 , p. 628.
  27. ↑ Wales 1999 , pp. 229–230.
  28. 1 2 "West Hoathly". Mid Sussex District Council. 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  29. 1 2 Swinfen & Arscott 1984 , p. 147.
  30. ↑ "About Us". West Hoathly Primary School. 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  31. ↑ "SSSI Citation – West Hoathly" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 2 May 2009.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Bibliography

Commons-logo.svg Media related to West Hoathly at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.