SUSSEX

 

The original flag of the whole county of Sussex was six gold martlets on a plain blue ground. It was divided in the 12th. century and obtained separate county councils in 1988. However, it remained a single 'ceremonial county' until 1974, when it became two entirely separate entities. Henceforward East Sussex has the red flag, and West Sussex the blue.

However, I am going to treat it as still one county. Most of it will be of places in East Sussex, as that half shares a border with Kent

AMBERLEY MUSEUM

ARUNDEL

BATTLE

BECKLEY

BODIAM

BREDE

BRIGHTON

BURWASH

CHIDDINGLEY

HASTINGS

LEONARDSLEE

NETHERFIELD

NORTHIAM

PEVENSEY

RYE

RYE HARBOUR

SEDLESCOMBE

SELSEY BILL

SHOREHAM AIRPORT

STAPLECROSS

STONEGATE

WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM

WINCHELSEA

AMBERLEY MUSEUM

The site now occupied by the Museum was formerly the Amberley chalk pits. From the 1840s to the 1960s, chalk was quarried and burnt in kilns to make lime for mortar, for decorating and for agricultural use. A century ago the limeworks was one of the largest in the region.
The Museum contains chalk pits, kilns and buildings from this once important industry, as well as many other interesting exhibits.

Among the highlights of the collection are the Southdown bus collection, wireless radio, a narrow-gauge railway, print workshop, ironmongers shop, brickhouse, wheelwright shop, machine shop, and much more

(above) A replica 1930s garage, with a petrol station and attached bicycle shop. The garage is full of period tools and repair equipment

replica of a 1920s garage houses a collection of vintage buses, as well as a display on the history of Southdown itself. The buses are used to carry visitors around the museum site.

The narrow-gauge railway was built from the original industrial railway stock used to carry limestone from the quarry to the kilns. One railway feature is a signal box from Billingshurst, dating to before 1876, which has been saved from destruction and reassembled on site.

ARUNDEL

"Since William rose and Harold fell, there have been Earls at Arundel"

There are nearly 1,000 years of history at this great castle, situated in magnificent grounds overlooking the River Arun in West Sussex and originally built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Arundel.
Arundel Castle is now the home of The Duke and Duchess of Norfolk and their children. The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke, the title having been conferred on Sir John Howard in 1483 by his friend King Richard III. The Dukedom has carried with it the hereditary office of Earl Marshal of England. This means that the Duke is in charge of state ceremonial such as the coronation and funeral of the sovereign and such occasions as the sovereign declares shall be a state occasion, e.g. the investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill. Visitors often ask about the relationship of the English sovereign to the Dukes of Norfolk: they share a common ancestor in King Edward I (1239-1307) and also King Edward III (1312-1377). As Earl Marshal, the Duke is head of the College of Arms, founded in 1484, the official authority on heraldry and genealogy in England and Wales.

The castle was almost totally destroyed during the Civil War, partially rebuilt during the Napleonic era,and rebuilt again in the 1890s, so that most of what is seen now is mock-medieval.

A bit of useless trivia: In 1292, the Earl of Arundel was excommunicated by the Bishop of Chichester, for walking his dog in the Bishop's forest. The nobility of England and France protected their game reserves, and established 'Forest Law' to protect the animals they wanted to hunt.

BATTLE

Town named after Battle Abbey, which stands in the centre of the town. The abbey was built overlooking the scene of the Battle of Hastings. The battle itself took place at Senlac. Unlike a lot of battlefields, where you cannot be sure of the precise location, here you can walk along the ridge and look down on the valley where the battle took place. Although universally called 'Battle Abbey', the correct dedication is 'St. Martin's Abbey'.

In 1070 Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing so many people during their conquest of England. So William the Conqueror vowed to build an abbey where the Battle of Hastings had taken place, with the high altar of its church on the supposed spot where King Harold fell in that battle on Saturday, 14 October 1066. He did start building it, dedicating it to St. Martin, sometimes known as "the Apostle of the Gauls," though William died before it was completed. Its church was finished in about 1094 and consecrated during the reign of his son William Rufus. Benedictine monks were invited to build a monastery on the site to house up to 140 monks. The abbey was generously endowed with estates and became one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in the country.
Although ruined during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and used subsequently as a house and then a school, the impressive gatehouse is a magnificent centrepiece to the little town. It stands at the end of the Market Place.

The Abbey gatehouse dominates the triangular Market Place.

Just the outside of the gatehouse to the Abbey for now. I need to allocate a much longer session for the interiors and the battlefield.

(below) the 15th. century Pilgrim's Rest, once used as a hostel for abbey visitors, built in 1420 on the site of a 12th. century building. 

The town itself is well worth a wander round, with its pretty buildings and plentiful shops and cafes. 

The parish church of St. Mary stands alongside the Abbey walls. Unfortunately, it was busy today, so I could only pop in, grab a couple of quick shots, then leave. It's on my list for further exploration though, as one or two things caught my eye. 

The font.......................

14th October marks the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Pictured is the Senlac Memorial Window, named after Senlac Hill, the site on which the battle was fought. The church of St Mary the Virgin, was also built on Senlac Hill. The church was founded in 1115, fewer than fifty years after the battle.
On the left stands William the Conqueror in his all-enveloping Norman armour. On the right stands a more scantily dressed King Harold, brandishing an Anglo-Saxon axe. Behind them, the glass is decorated with scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry. Above the two windows, Halley’s Comet appears, as it did six months before the battle in 1066. In the bottom right of William’s window, Edward the Confessor sits in Westminster Palace. It was Edward’s death on 5th January 1066 that kicked off the events of that most fateful year. In the bottom middle scene in William’s window, King Harold and a companion enter the church of Bosham in West Sussex, praying for safe passage across the Channel. In the bottom left of Harold’s window, you can see the bloody Battle of Hastings, including the most famous scene of all – where Harold was killed with an arrow through the eye.
The window, designed by Michael Farrar Bell, was dedicated by the Bishop of Chichester on 14th October 1984. It was installed in memory of the English and Norman armies who fought in the most important battle in our history.

The brass plaque set into the cobbled and paved Market Place, marks the spot where bulls were tethered for the cruel sport of bull-baiting, and the site of the annual Battle  bonfire

In her will, dated 1791, Elizabeth Langton left an endowment for a charity school. This primary school - the Battle and Langton Church of England School, is still educating children today.

Tom was a firewatcher at the time. Gladys was the daughter of the waterworks engineer for Battle Urban District Council, and the family lived at the waterworks. Gladys's first husband died in 1935, and she and Tom had only been married for about 2 years.

3 bombs were dropped on the town that day. At the time, the Canadian army had a significant store of ammunition at the Abbey. Luckily the bomb that fell closest to the Abbey didn't go off, otherwise most of Battle wouldn't still be standing.

Tudor buildings stand in harmony with the 18th. century George Hotel.

This was the entrance to the jam factory of Newbery Bros., later called Newbery Preserves. The business started in the 1800s and closed, after being bought out, in the 1980s. The picture below, of one of their vans, is fastened to what was once part of the factory wall.

The Bull Inn - a coaching inn said to have been built with stones from the kitchens of Battle Abbey when they were demolished

The King's Head, said to be the oldest inn in Battle

The Roman Catholic church

This striking roundabout sculpture was created by Kent sculptor, Guy Portelli.

The 'witches hat', which sits on top of the Library

(below) the entrance to the Almonry, which now houses the town museum. There is a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry and a diorama of the Battle of Hastings. 

The local bonfire society is called 'the Battel Bonfire Boyes'. It is possibly the oldest bonfire society in the world, dating back to the 1600s. This stone seat commemorates the allocating of church funds for 'gunpowder treason rejoicing' to the tune of 17 shillings and six pence!

The Battle bonfire has been lit every November 5th. During the blackouts in World War II, the Battle Bonfire Boyes were allowed to place a single candle in the Bull Ring on November 5th. every year until 1945.

The 'Tin Hat' nope, no idea...................

BECKLEY

A pretty, genteel village on the outskirts of Rye, Beckley manufactured a range of iron-based goods including guns and cannons for almost 200 years, with production starting in 1578 and grinding to a halt in 1770.

It was also the home of Thomas and Maria Smith who emigrated to Australia, and went on to develop the much-loved 'Granny Smith' apple.

Like a lot of villages, the population migrated away from its' original location during the Black Death plague in the 14th. century, leaving the church a little isolated on the village outskirts.

It has a wonderfully carved lych-gate.

Church House stands elegantly opposite the War Memorial in the corner of the churchyard. Not a good place, to have held anti-Puritan sympathies 300 years ago. The Rev Thomas Sharpe and his wife lived at Church House and were so seriously assaulted by Cromwellian soldiers that Mrs Sharpe later died of her injuries.

Guns were made in Beckley, as was glass - it must be pure coincidence that there is a Glass Eye Farm in the parish!

BODIAM

If you Google for images of Bodiam Castle, you will see loads of pictures taken from the edge of the moat, of the brooding castle, with its massive towers and strong drawbridge. I thought you might like to see a different view of it

Bodiam Castle  is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, a former knight of Edward III, with the permission of Richard II, ostensibly to defend the area against French invasion during the Hundred Years' War. Of quadrangular plan, Bodiam Castle has no keep, having its various chambers built around the outer defensive walls and inner courts. Its corners and entrance are marked by towers, and topped by crenellations. It was the home of the Dalyngrigge family.

Possession of Bodiam Castle passed through several generations of Dalyngrigges, until their line became extinct, when the castle passed by marriage to the Lewknor family. During the Wars of the Roses, Sir Thomas Lewknor supported the House of Lancaster, and when Richard III of the House of York became king in 1483, a force was despatched to besiege Bodiam Castle. It is unrecorded whether the siege went ahead, but it is thought that Bodiam was surrendered without much resistance. The castle was confiscated, but returned to the Lewknors when Henry VII of the House of Lancaster became king in 1485. Descendants of the Lewknors owned the castle until at least the 16th century.

By the start of the English Civil War in 1641, Bodiam Castle was in the possession of Lord Thanet. He supported the Royalist cause, and sold the castle to help pay fines levied against him by Parliament. The castle was subsequently dismantled, and was left as a picturesque ruin until its purchase by John Fuller in 1829. Under his auspices, the castle was partially restored before being sold to George Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe, and later to Lord Curzon, both of whom undertook further restoration work. The castle is protected as a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument. It has been owned by The National Trust since 1925, donated by Lord Curzon on his death, and is open to the public.

Many of you will remember it as the scene of Adam Ant's 'Prince Charming' video

Interestingly, my husband's maternal grandmother had the surname 'Bodiam'. I have traced the heritage back to just after the Norman era, to a 'de Bodyam' and guess where he came from..........

BREDE

I've not explored the village of Brede yet, but one of my favourite roads comes out at Broad Oak Brede cross roads, just on the edge of Brede village. So meanwhile........................

If you're a biker, you'll know.....................you'll go through those lovely sweeping bends, get to the other end, and think 'sod it' and turn around and go back the other way

This is Brede High Woods, the largest area of ancient woodland in the care of the Woodland Trust charity. Brede Hill covers an enormous 747 acres (about 262 hectares). The High Woods are part of the forest that used to cover the High Weald of Kent and Sussex. Indeed, the name 'weald' means woodland. 

The Saxon weald once stretched from the Kent marshes to the forests of Hampshire - 120 miles long and 30 miles wide. The Romans knew it as the Anderidan forest, taking its' name from the Roman name for Pevensey - 'Anderida'. 

The term 'High Woods' is because what remains is not one huge forest, but 10 distinct ancient woodlands, separated by open spaces. 

BRIGHTON

Undoubtedly, Brighton is the most cosmopolitan seaside town in the country. Much loved by royalty, including the Prince Of Wales, who built the Brighton Pavilion (yet to be photographed by me) in 1783, and the rich and famous. 

Before 1514, when the village of Brighthelmstone was burned by the French, it was bordered by East, North and West Streets (South Street having been washed away), and within these boundaries lies the oldest part of Brighton, including the famous 17th. century Lanes.

From the crowded Lanes with their antique shops and cafes, to the Palace Pier (the sole survivor of 3 piers) and the once-beautiful Madeira Drive, it's immensely popular with tourists of all nationalities and persuasions.

It's one of those places that, if you catch a glimpse of the green railings along the beach, you instantly recognise it as Brighton.

Madeira Drive badly needs restoration to its' superb ironwork, but here it is as it stands....... The Drive is privately owned, so it can be closed for major events, including the London to Brighton Vintage Car Rally, the motorcycle Pioneer Run, and the Ace Cafe Brighton Burn-Up, which sees motorcycles arriving from as far away as Japan.

BURWASH 

Burwash is best known as the location of Batemans, for 33 years, home to Rudyard Kipling, and a popular visitor attraction. For two centuries, Burwash was one of the main centres of the Wealden iron industry, and it was an ironmaster who built Batemans in 1634.

With its main street lined with pollarded trees, and a fine church at its centre, it's a very pretty village despite having a busy main road traversing it.

(above) St. Bartholomew's church. Although mostly 19th. century, it still has a Norman tower. (below) some of the pollarded lime trees in the High Street.

CHIDDINGLEY

Another one yet to be explored. The only time I've been there, was to meet a friend at the Six Bells pub. So here's a picture of the end wall of the pub

Wonder where they serve other types of idiot....................

HASTINGS

Along with Scarborough in Yorkshire, Hastings ranks as one of my favourite seaside towns. Ignoring the obvious attraction of the May Day biker event, it's a slightly shabby, yet very friendly place.
The Old Town is full of quaint buildings, and the seafront has attractions for all the family.
It is overlooked by beautiful castle ruins, and there are wonderful places to walk and relax, such as Fairlight and Alexandra Park.
I've not got around to photographing it yet, but here is a taster:
This is the former Georgian Church of  St. Mary In The Castle, situated halfway along the seafront. It has been lovingly restored, and is set to become an important entertainment venue for the town.

You can just see a small piece of the castle ruins on top of the cliff. The first stronghold that William of Normandy built over here was a wooden fort above Hastings. This was later upgraded into the stone castle, the ruins of which grace West Hill today.

Almost half of the seafront is taken up with the enormous Pelham Place car park, which features a far larger than normal bike parking area, and this is where the May Day bike meet takes place. On the Sunday night, they close the car park to all vehicles, and at 06:00 the next morning, it is opened to motorcycles only. 

If the weather is fine, you can expect to see 30-40,000 motorcycles over the course of the day, and Pelham Place quickly fills up. Bikes spill out all over the town, and parking is allowed down the middle of the main road. There are stalls and bike displays all over the centre of town.

A little tip for you................

It's a hot, sunny day, and you fancy an ice-cream. Like most seaside towns, the seafront area is awash with cafes and ice cream parlours. Where to go.....................

In the case of Hastings, there is no contest. To the right of the car park, is a pedestrian crossing. Cross over the busy road here, and you will find yourself outside Di Pola's. Easily the best ice-cream parlour in the area.  Mix and match from a selection of 12 different flavours of superb Italian gelato, which change each time one runs out, and you can watch Roberto making the next flavour through the doorway of his kitchen

Just at the end of Pelham Place, is this sculpture representing the prow of a Norman longship by Leigh Dyer, erected to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It incorporates a time capsule of letters from local people, to be opened in 2066 on the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Behind the sculpture, you can see a part of Hastings pier, 910ft long and built on a frame of cast iron. Designed by the great British pier designer Eugenius Birch (1818-1884) the pier was opened to the public on 5th August 1892 by Lord and Lady Brassey

However, Hastings existed long before 1066. The local museum has artefacts that confirm a Roman connection, and it was known to have been a Saxon port. By 984, the town had its' own mint.

LEONARDSLEE

Leonardslee is a large house with extensive gardens, near Beding in Sussex. 
Sadly, the Loder family sold the estate, and it closed to the public at the end of June 2010. 

In 2019, Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens opened its doors after a closure of 10 years, this magnificent Grade I listed garden was nearly lost forever and has been the subject of the largest garden restoration in England and possibly Europe. 

The gardens, which cover 240 acres and seven lakes, are still there, the sculptures are still there. You can now stay there, eat in a smart restaurant, or take afternoon tea in beautiful surroundings. The wallabies are still there too.

The 'Beyond The Dollshouse' exhibition is still there. It is believed to be the largest anywhere in the world. The small motor museum seems to have gone.

However - there is so much to see and do there that tickets from £14.50 for a single adult, with discounts for family groups, and free parking. it is really good value for a whole day of entertainment.

I went when Robin Loder owned it, and I fully intend to go back again soon

Meanwhile, check it out for yourself Leonardslee

A little rider............book your tickets online. They don't take cash anywhere on site, it's card or phone payments everywhere

NETHERFIELD

The B2096 from Battle to Heathfield runs through several small villages, all of which seem to have a handle on some piece of history. Just outside the village, there is a small clearing in the woodland, on the edge of the road.

This holds a Polish Memorial, which is a monument to the airmen of the Wellington bomber that crashed near Darwell Hole on the western side of Netherfield in 1941. 

I thought I'd be clever, and photograph the explanatory board, then read it when I got home, so that I had all the correct facts. It's in Polish..................

Therefore, I'm having to copy other people's descriptions and hope they're right!

On the night of 27/28 May 1941, A Wellington bomber of 304 Polish Squadron, was one of two tasked with attacking shipping in Boulogne harbour. It was hit, and one engine aught fire. The rear gunner, Sgt. Joseph Drozdz, baled out over the Channel and was lost.

The bomber struggled on to Sussex, when the other engine failed. Only two others managed to bale out before the plane crashed, causing the deaths of the other three.

The two who baled out both survived. Sgt. Jozefiak remained in England. When the land was donated for a monument, he started building a memorial to his lost crewmates.

He returned every year for a Ceremony of Remembrance at the memorial, until he became too old and frail to do so.

The smaller memorial to the right, is a newer addition to Sgt. Jozefiak, who has now passed over.

So, baling out of a burning aircraft was not the end of the story for Stanislaw Jozefiak.

Radio operator Stanislaw managed to eject and landed in a tree near Netherfield, badly breaking a leg. Stan was almost shot by the locals who thought he was German but he was eventually taken to hospital where he spent several months recovering, going on to fly Spitfires for the duration of the war with over 200 missions to his credit and being awarded the Polish equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

He more than earned his memorial, I think.

NORTHIAM

Another village to explore further at a later date - specifically Great Dixter house and gardens. 

'Smugglers Cottage' - reputed to be the smallest house in England. I've photographed my little 125cc motorcycle next to it for scale. 

It is a real house that someone once lived in, not a playhouse for a child.  It was built in the 18^th century and  it is said that a family of five once lived there and it was one of the hiding places for smugglers connected by a web of secret passages.

The war memorial, which was refurbished for the centennial of the end of World War I in 2018

Northiam has a wide variety of old buildings

This is the building on the village green that houses the old village pump. It supplied water to the village until 1907.

At the lower end of the village, stands Frewen College,  private Junior school which specialises in helping those with dyslexia.

Frewen College is based at Brickwall House, a 17th century country house and estate, which was home to the Frewen family, for over three hundred years. Brickwall House, really? Well, look at it! Actually, it is a Jacobean house that takes its name from the high walls that enclose its grounds.

John Frewen, a sturdy puritan who became rector in 1558, baptised his first two sons Accepted and Thankful, perhaps in recognition of his appointment. Accepted pursued a glittering academic career and was made Archbishop of York in 1660.

At the other end of the village, just outside the bounds, the Kent and East Sussex Heritage Railway which runs between Tenterden and Bodiam, crosses the main road, and if you're lucky, you my just catch a glimpse of something special leaving the station.......

PEVENSEY

Well, Pevensey Castle actually.

Beginning in the 4th century as one of the last and strongest of the Roman 'Saxon Shore' forts, called Anderida, two-thirds of whose towered walls still stand. It was the landing place of William the Conqueror's army in 1066. 

Although in ruins, the site is huge, around 10 acres, and there's plenty to look at. The Roman walls stand to a height of 20 feet in places. William of Normandy gave Pevensey to his half-brother, who built a fort of his own within the Roman walls. It was besieged by Simon de Montfort in 1264, given to John of Gaunt in 1372, neglected by the Tudors, patched up to help repel the Spanish Armada, and  finally abandoned.

The curtain wall surrounding the fort is fascinating to examine. The wall was built by different gangs of workmen, each responsible for a 20 metre section. Each section is slightly different, uses different techniques and materials, and there are very obvious breaks in the wall where sections join.

The East gate (below)  - there is a public right of way through the castle grounds to the West gate, where you emerge close to the church in the next village! (Westham) Just shows how big it is still.

 

RYE

Rye is such a beautiful town. In the centre, cobbled lanes like Mermaid Street are lined with medieval, half-timbered houses. The redbrick Lamb House was once owned by writer Henry James. Nearby, the tower of the Norman St. Mary’s Church overlooks the town. The 14th-century Ypres Tower, which formed part of Rye’s defences, is now Rye Castle Museum, with paintings and displays on local history.

This hill-perched ancient town was originally located on a huge embayment of the English Channel. Although now about 2 miles from the sea, it was once one of the most important ports on the south coast, and traces of its' former seafaring history are still very evident. 

Below the steep streets of the citadel, the main road follows the Strand Quay - which visitors often refer to as 'Rye Harbour'. The Strand Quay is actually the banks of the River Tillingham, which flows into the River Rother, and thence into Rye Harbour, some 2 miles away!

Almost every building is historic and has something to say about this small town, perched on the top of a steep hill. Indeed, the tower of St. Mary's church is the highest point of the town, and can be seen for miles It's one of those places which, wherever you need to go, always seems to involve going up a hill. The pinnacle of the town is St. Mary's church, so we'll start there--------

Unfortunately, when I was there today, they were preparing the church for a concert as part of the annual Rye Jazz Festival, so it was very difficult to move around and look at things, without tripping over a grand piano or a lighting rig! Still, I can always go back later in the year

You may have noticed the beautiful clock high up on the tower. Well, the pendulum actually swings to and fro in the Nave of the church. It is said to be the oldest working clock in the country, dating back to 1561, and was made by the Huguenot, Lewys Billiard. The present exterior clock face and the original 'Quarter Boys' were added in 1760.

Rye was attacked many times by the French, which is why it became heavily fortified. In 1377 the French burnt most of the town to the ground, and stole the church bells. A year later, the men of Rye and Winchelsea returned the compliment, setting fire to two French towns and bringing the bells back. One of the returned bells was hung in Watchbell Street to give warning of any future invasions, and not returned to the church until the 16th. century.

The original 'quarter boys' from the clock

The old Grammar School, built in 1638. During the 1950s it was used as Rye Working Men's Conservative Club. Now converted to two apartments the ground floor is currently Grammar School Records, a long standing business established in Rye in 1991 and one of the leading independent record shops in the U.K.

Looks like this door is an original one too

The town hall reflects the wealth that came with Rye being one of the Cinque Ports, and a busy harbour town. Designed by Andrews Jelfe and built in 1742, the present Rye Town Hall is the third known to have existed on the Market Street site (the first of which was burned to the ground by the French in 1377).

The Rye arms reflect the fact that it was a Cinque Port

Certainly, the most famous street in Rye has to be Mermaid Street, with the eponymous Mermaid Inn at the top. It's very steep, and heavily cobbled, but well worth a visit for all the interesting buildings that line it.

Traders Passage is a steep path that takes you from Watchbell Street, to almost the bottom of Mermaid Street, with Oak Corner where the two meet.

Oak Corner, encompassed by an abundance of history, is Grade II listed and one of the oldest buildings in Rye, dating back 600 years. Originally two cottages, the property boasts two addresses - one on Mermaid Street and the other Traders Passage. 

Jeake's House..................Samuel Jeake was a well-known Rye lawyer, born in 1623. He had a great interest in astrology and science. His son, also Samuel, laid the foundations of this house in 1689. He kept a diary, which still exists today.

His son, the third Samuel. invented a flying machine, although he never got it to fly successfully, and nearly lost his life doing so. He moved to Jamaica and became a lawyer there.

Hartshorn House, once a hospital. It was the residence of the second Samuel Jeake before he built his new house opposite, being part of the dowry brought by his wife Elizabeth on their marriage in 1670. In the early 19th. century, it became a hospital for Napoleonic War victims.

The House With Two Front Doors is a 15th. century house.

The famous Mermaid Inn, known to have been the haunt of smugglers. The Cellars date from 1156 and the building was rebuilt in 1420 after The Mermaid and the Town of Rye were burnt to the ground by French Raiders on June 22nd 1377.

Adorning the wall of the courtyard, is a wooden board with a verse from Rudyard Kipling's 'A Smuggler's Song'. We used to sing a setting of it at school, and I still remember it well. If you don't know it, Here's the original poem:

If you wake at midnight, and hear a horse's feet,
Don't go drawing back the blind, or looking in the street;
Them that ask no questions isn't told a lie.
Watch the wall, my darling, while the Gentlemen go by!

Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
Baccy for the Clerk;
Laces for a lady, letters for a spy,
And watch the wall, my darling,
While the Gentlemen go by!

Running round the woodlump if you chance to find
Little barrels, roped and tarred, all full of brandy-wine,
Don't you shout to come and look, nor use 'em for your play.
Put the brishwood back again — and they'll be gone next day!

If you see the stable-door setting open wide;
If you see a tired horse lying down inside;
If your mother mends a coat cut about and tore;
If the lining's wet and warm — don't you ask no more!

If you meet King George's men, dressed in blue and red,
You be careful what you say, and mindful what is said.
If they call you "pretty maid," and chuck you 'neath the chin,
Don't you tell where no one is, nor yet where no one's been!

Knocks and footsteps round the house — whistles after dark —
You've no call for running out till the house-dogs bark.
Trusty's here, and Pincher's here, and see how dumb they lie —
They don't fret to follow when the Gentlemen go by!

If you do as you've been told, 'likely there's a chance,
You'll be given a dainty doll, all the way from France,
With a cap of Valenciennes, and a velvet hood —
A present from the Gentlemen, along o' being good!

Five and twenty ponies,
Trotting through the dark —
Brandy for the Parson,
'Baccy for the Clerk;
Them that asks no questions isn't told a lie —
Watch the wall, my darling,
While the Gentlemen go by!

Now, if you lived in the house opposite the Mermaid Inn, what would you call it? Yep.....

'Wipers Tower', or to give it its proper name 'The Ypres Tower'. Now the town museum. It was built in 1249 as the 'Baddings tower', next to the Baddings Gate (now long gone). The name was changed later by John de Ypres, who owned it then

Old pillory and part of the portcullis

On the seaward side of the Ypres Tower, is the Gun Garden. There are 5 differing cannons here, on what was part of the town wall.

To the side of the tower, steps lead down to the old pub called The Ypres Castle, which apparently serves various craft beers

The house of John Fletcher, a 16th. century playwright, who collaborated with Beaumont, Massinger and Shakespeare. Before he lived there, the house was a vicarage. He died in the London plague of 1625 that killed some 40,000 others

His father, Richard Fletcher, was minister of the parish in which John was born and became afterward queen’s chaplain, dean of Peterborough, and bishop successively of Bristol, Worcester, and London, gaining a measure of fame as an accuser in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as the chaplain sternly officiating at her execution.

The town pump which was built in 1735. There is  board next to it, which details all the correspondence that led to it coming into being

The monument includes a brick cistern or water tower, built between 1733 and 1735. It is situated in the north-east corner of the churchyard of St Mary’s Church on the south-east side of Rye. The red brick cistern is built in two oval shaped sections with a brick vaulted base surmounted by an oval turret. A central hole in the vaulted roof allows access from the turret above. The turret has two rectangular openings on the east and west sides, which contain wooden shutters with oval openings in the centre. It has a tiled roof with a lead ridge and a pointed wooden pinnacle. On the east side of the cistern is a glass-fronted measure encased in timber, and at the north-east corner a lead pipe runs down to the adjacent hand pump. The timber cased hand pump has a cast handle and lead framed spout and is inscribed ‘RC 1826’. The cistern is set within a walled enclosure with a brick pathway approaching it.

The cistern formed an important part of the water supply system of Rye in the 18th century. Water was piped into the town from the north-east to a water house on Cinque Port Street. From here it was pumped, by means of a horse gin dating from 1718, in an elm pipe up Conduit Hill to the cistern. The cistern was sited at the highest point in the town and could hold about 20,000 gallons, which were distributed through wooden pipes to properties in the upper parts of Rye. 

The former Sussex County Police Station. In 1891, the strength of the town police force was one sergeant  and three constables. This station closed in 1966 when a larger police station was opened in Cinque Ports Street.

Church Square, which really is a square surrounding the church, is again, full of old buildings worthy of attention.

The Store House, which was restored in 1898

No. 46 (the Store House) has a 13th. century undercroft

The Roman Catholic church of St. Anthony of Padua. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929 and replaced a church built in 1900.  It is served by the Conventual Franciscans and is a Grade II listed building.

Next door is the entrance to the Franciscan Priory, the first one in Rye

Now, Lamb House.  

Lamb House is named for James Lamb, who was mayor of Rye in 1742

Now here's a thing:

As the Mayor of the ancient Cinque Port he was also responsible for law and order in the town and acted as the Chief Magistrate.  A particular problem for him was a local butcher, John Breads, who could regularly be found drinking at the Flushing Inn.  On one occasion the Mayor convicted Breads of using false weights to sell his meat. Breads was not happy and swore his revenge witnessed by several of his drinking pals.  He was known to be violent and had already appeared in court charged with stabbing a man in the arm.

On 17th March 1743, the Mayor’s son John, was due to leave Rye on his first voyage to France. A party had been arranged on board his ship which was berthed near the Fish Market in Rye Harbour.  The Mayor who was a widower was not feeling too well that evening and, when his former wife’s brother, Allen Grebell called in on him, he asked him to go to the party in his place.  Grebell, who had also served as the Rye Mayor, agreed.  As it was a cold night, Lamb lent his brother-in-law his coat.

Grebell attended his nephew’s party and no doubt had a merry old time, happily full of smuggled spirits and wine. He left the ship between 2am and 3am and returned home via the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin Church in the centre of the town.  He did not realise that Breads was waiting for him.  There was a violent and no doubt frenzied attack and Grebell was stabbed a number of times including two fatal penetrations into his lungs.  Breads threw his knife into some bushes before making his escape; this was a foolish thing to do – his name was carved into the handle.

The injured Grebell managed to stagger home.  He told his servant that he had been attacked in the churchyard and fell into a chair.  It was the middle of the night and the servant, believing his master to be drunk left him and went to bed.

Meanwhile a short distance away, the Mayor, James Lamb was having a sleepless night.  In a dream his dead wife, Martha warned him no less than three times, that her brother was in trouble.  James got up and walked the short distance to Grebell’s house and roused the servant.  The two men found the body of Allen Grebell slumped in his chair in a pool of blood.  Several surgeons were called but there was nothing they could do.

An Inquest was held later in the day and the jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder.  Initially the poor servant was suspected but soon the investigation had turned to the true culprit  – John Breads who, believing he had killed the Mayor had drunkenly boasted that ‘Butchers kill Lambs’.   He was arrested and held in the town gaol – now the Ypres Tower Museum where the ring he was chained to can still be seen.

It is remarkable that when he appeared at court the judge was his intended victim, James Lamb who could hardly be said to be impartial!   Luckily there was not to be an unfair trial; at one point Breads shouted “I did not mean to kill Grebell – it was you I meant it for and I would murder you now if I could!”.

The sentence was a forgone conclusion. On 8th June 1743, the executioner collected Breads from his cell and took him to his place of execution the marsh just across the river from Rye Windmill.  They stopped briefly at the murderer’s favourite pub, the Flushing Inn so the condemned man could have one last drink.    The cost of the execution was £11 and 11pence which included the cost of the beer not only for the prisoner but for the executioner and his assistant!   

The next day the body of the murderer was removed and placed in the town gibbet – a metal cage – to be displayed as a warning for years to come.   It was to be the last body to be held in the Rye gibbet.  After 16 years, the body and skeleton slowly disappeared and the gibbet was removed to the church. It is said that local women would steal small pieces of bone to grind up to use in cures for rheumatism. Only the skull remained, stubbornly stuck into the top of the gibbet.

On a wall of another building opposite, are these two plaques. No idea what they are. 

Henry James, the author of several books, including The Turn Of The Screw, lived here from 1898 to 1916. He did most of his writing in a little building in the garden next to the house, which was sadly bombed in 1940

He is said to have struck up an acquaintance with a little old lady who appeared from time to time in his home.

You see the Sun fire markers on lots of buildings, but Lamb house has that one and this, which is the London Assurance fire mark.

The old Doctor's surgery (no, not the surgery staffed by old doctors - you know what I mean!)

The Old Bell - reputed to be the oldest pub in Rye. Like the Mermaid Inn, it was much used by the smugglers, and there is thought to be a secret passageway between the two

This sign is a little hard to read, but this is Farthing House, and it incorporates this narrow alley called Needles Passage, which links The Mint with Cinque Ports Street. It looks just like part of the house, and I bet a lot of people miss it

A few more random markers, yet to be investigated

The premises at 101 High Street, now the Age UK shop, was occupied by the Gill family of clockmakers from 1680. At the end of the 18th century the government introduced a tax on clocks making them more expensive. As a response many public clocks were erected on private and public buildings.

As you might expect from clocks designed to be publicly displayed, they were often large and solidly built. The Gill family had one of their clocks mounted on the front of their premises in the High Street advertising their business.

A century later the family had become bankers and by about 1820 had moved or died out. The premises then became a beer house and later a public house known as The Dial or Dial House. The name obviously indicated the clock on the front of the building. It was not at first the official name but came into use by public reference to the building. Thus the face of Gill’s public clock became, by a twist of fate, the most unusual pub sign in the town.

The clock has long gone but the (stone) face still reminds us of its earlier years

This is Conduit Hill, another pretty cobbled street

Radclyffe Hall, who wrote the novel 'The Well Of Loneliness' lived here. First published in 1928 by Jonathan Cape. It follows the life of Stephen Gordon, an Englishwoman from an upper-class family whose "sexual inversion" (homosexuality) is apparent from an early age. She finds love with Mary Llewellyn, whom she meets while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I, but their happiness together is marred by social isolation and rejection, which Hall depicts as typically suffered by "inverts", with predictably debilitating effects. The novel portrays "inversion" as a natural, God-given state and makes an explicit plea: "Give us also the right to our existence".

I haven't read it yet, but I feel that, in these more enlightened days, it deserves to be better known. I'll let you know, when I can get my hands on a copy

Having very little space in which to build, has resulted in some very oddly shaped buildings. This one caught my eye. Now called the Tower House, presumably because of its' nearness to the Landgate, it was originally 'The Old Dormy'. Nope, not a clue

Almost next to the Landgate it the building that was once the Tower Forge

The Landgate is the only remaining gateway of the four that originally gave access to the heavily fortified town. It dates from 1329 and the reign of Edward III

Now here's a thing most people miss - a very age-worn gateway that incorporates a plank from a door in the local prison!

Paul Nash is an artist whose works I really like, from his stark war paintings to his gently surrealistic landscapes. 

A reminder that Rye was much used by the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers

Rye seems to have had its' fair share of authors

The view from the top of the town across the River Brede, as the tide flows in 

The Lookout is a little garden with seats, on top of the walls, with outstanding views across the flatlands below the town

The Fair is in town, a welcome splash of bright colour

Looking across the marshes to the row of marching pylons in the distance

A useful pointer to where everything is in relation to Rye

the River Rother at low(ish) tide

At the end of Watchbell Street, is the Watch Bell!

Unusual decor outside the Hope and Anchor Hotel

RYE HARBOUR

Rye Harbour lies about 2 miles from the centre of Rye itself, just over the Sussex border with Kent. It is essentially the mouth of the River Rother, which used to enter the sea at Romney, but changed course to Rye. The mouth of the river is enhanced by the rivers Tillingham and Brede, which join it.
There's not a lot, other than the lifeboat station, a cafe, and pub, because most of the land is a designated National Nature Reserve.
Once home to a large fishing fleet, it is now mostly occupied by pleasure craft.
However, it's a pleasant place to park up (decent free car park and loos) and take a stroll in the afternoon sunshine.

SEDLESCOMBE

Sedlescombe is one of those Sussex villages that has been bypassed for so many years, that most people have forgotten its' existence 

Known until recently, as the home of the Pestalozzi Village, it has a long and varied history. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, as are a lot of the little villages in that area. During the 17th. Century it was renowned as producing the best gunpowder in Europe. 

Although the road through the village gets quite busy, the village manages to retain its' air of quiet.

A cluster of old houses surround the pretty and extensive village green, which centres around a pretty roofed structure, sheltering an old village pump dedicated as below:

Dr. Samuel Birch Bucknill was born in 1814 and came from a prominent family of physicians. He married Miss Pratt of Sedlescombe in 1847, and lived at Castlemens, Church Hill, Sedlescombe. In 1899 his son, Samuel Pratt Berens Bucknill, offered to provide "a Fountain and Pump on the Village Green in memory of his mother Mary Ann Bucknill and her sisters Misses Sophia Elizabeth and Harriet Catherine Pratt, daughters of the Rev. John Pratt, Rector of Sedlescombe between 1803 and 1861". From the date of his offer to provide the pump, right through to the present day, the maintenance of the pump has been a recurring topic at the Parish Council meetings. Following several outbreaks of vandalism, the pump is now encased in a wrought iron 'cage'

The 14th. century pub which fronts the green has connections to the Hawkhurst Gang of smugglers.

The green is most notable for it's flock of geese which patrol the village daily, and which demand to be fed at every opportunity!

SELSEY BILL

Selsey Bill is a headland into the English Channel on the south coast of England in the county of West Sussex. The southernmost town in Sussex is Selsey which is at the end of the Manhood Peninsula and Selsey Bill is situated on the town's southern coastline.

It is directly south of Chichester, and east of Chichester Harbour, both of which are well worth exploring.

There's not a lot at Selsey Bill, but it's a pleasant place to go for an evening stroll after a meal in one of the local hostelries.

SHOREHAM AIRPORT

Or, if you prefer, Brighton City Airport.

Shoreham Airport is a lovely place. Set in the valley of the River Adur, and overlooked by the magnificent edifice that is Lancing College, it is almost too pretty a location for something as mundane as a working airport.

The terminal building is a graceful Art Deco monument, and is preserved both inside and out, still painted white, and still fitted with the original Crittall windows. Ah, where would Poirot be without it?

Walking in through the front entrance, behind the memorial garden, you are greeted with a perfect Art Deco vestibule. Look up at the ceiling, and admire the moulded plaster and the moderne chandelier, before turning into the Hummingbird restaurant. 

Treat yourself to a coffee and one of their beautiful cakes, and sit out on the rear terrace, watching the planes.

STAPLECROSS

Staplecross is not a village that many outsiders will know, laying as it does, well away from the main roads.

It's small, but very attractive, with a lovely old pub, the Cross Inn,  at its central crossroads, surrounded with white weatherboarded buildings.

Directly opposite the Cross Inn, is the village war memorial, which is of a rather unusual design, only replicated at one other village that I know of.

Just half a mile from the village centre, is the Staplecross Garden Centre. Not something I would normally comment on, but it does have a smashing cafe in an old railway wagon, which is handy for a spot of very nice lunch, and is now home to a couple of ex-Hastings trams that are being patiently restored. You can go and watch the volunteers working, and there's usually a very nice elderly gentleman available to show you around their base, their models, and the row of tiny period shops that are being constructed. He's a mine of information, which he's only too pleased to share with anyone prepared to listen! It's free, but if you visit them, please drop a donation in their bucket. They're doing a stirling job with very few resources

umm...no, it's not growing out the roof!

STONEGATE

Stonegate lies not far from Ticehurst, on the lane that leads out to Burwash Common.
I must say, although the little B road from Ticehurst to Stonegate is in a poor state of repair, it is a pretty lane, and some of the views are stunning.
The most redeeming feature of Stonegate is the parish church, with its unusual lych-gate. Although only built in 1904, it has on olde worlde feel about the design.
The village dates from Roman times, when it stood at the crossroads of two Roman roads.

WEALD & DOWNLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM

Situated at Singleton, near Chichester.
Set in 50 acres of beautiful Sussex countryside is a very special place to wander amongst a fascinating collection of nearly 50 historic buildings dating from the 13th to the 19th century, many with period gardens, together with farm animals, woodland walks and a picturesque lake.
Rescued from destruction, the buildings have been carefully dismantled, conserved and rebuilt to their original form and bring to life the homes, farmsteads and rural industries of the last 500 years.

(above) the timber-framed house on the right of Market Square in this picture is North Cray Medieval House - an excellent example of a medieval hall house found in North Cray, Kent. The house stretches to four bays with an open hall in the centre flanked by a solar and service area. The timbers are painted red, based on evidence that this was the original 15th-century colouring.

(below) Bayleaf Farmhouse - built in the early 15th century, this is an attractive timber-framed Wealden hall house with a central hall warmed by an open fire. A solar stands at one end and a service area at the other. The farmhouse is shown with replica medieval furniture so that visitors can see it as it would have looked when it was lived in.

The building in the centre of the picture above, and to the left of the one below is Titchfield Market Hall - this attractive timber-framed hall was built in Titchfield, Hampshire in 1620. It is typical of Tudor and Jacobean market halls, with an open arcade at ground level where goods were traded and a first-floor chamber to serve as a meeting place for the town council. Set into the space under the stairs is a temporary lock-up cage for miscreants.

Many more buildings have been added since I visited. Must do again..............and be warned..........should you visit the little cafe, and decide to sit at one of the outside tables to eat your cheese roll, beware the sparrows! They will quite happily hop along the top of the table and steal the cheese from your roll!

WINCHELSEA

Winchelsea is one of those small places that has benefitted by being by-passed at quite an early stage. The tortuous hill that carried most of the traffic between Hastings and Rye around the outside of the town, has meant that the old structure of the town has been preserved.

Founded in 1288 by Edward I, it lies about a mile inland from the current coastline, approximately two miles from Rye and seven miles from Hastings.

The town was laid out in a grid pattern of streets, as is clearly still visible to the present day. A large number of cellars were constructed at the time, and guided tours of these famous Medieval Cellars are run by a team of volunteers. 

Almost the entire town is a designated Conservation Area and most of the surrounding land is owned and managed by the National Trust. Many buildings in the town are Grade I or Grade II listed. The present town replaced an earlier town of the same name, destroyed by storms in 1287.

The first town of Winchelsea, now called by historians Old Winchelsea, grew up at the confluence of the Rivers Brede, Rother and Tillingham. The town became an important shipping port for cross-channel trade and acted as a major naval base.
The importance of Old Winchelsea was recognised when it was named an 'Antient Town', an outpost of the Cinque Ports town of Hastings, with special privileges.

Winchelsea is often described as the smallest town in Britain to have its own Mayor. Although the Mayor and Corporation lost their civil and judicial powers in 1886, the formal structures were preserved by an Act of Parliament in order to maintain the town's membership of the Confederation of Cinque Ports. They retain both a ceremonial role and responsibility for a number of the ancient monuments of the town. 

In the 11th century five towns in the south east of England, namely Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich, banded together in a confederation designed for mutual protection, for coastal defence and for the furtherance of their trade. The King used them in certain ways - a packet boat service - perhaps even as early as the reign of Edward the Confessor, for which they were paid, not in cash but by the granting of certain privileges, most of which had a financial value. The duties and the privileges of the five ports grew with the years and their heyday came in the thirteenth century, by which time the "Ancient Towns" of Winchelsea and Rye had been added to their number. The title "Cinque Ports" remained although there were now seven head ports. The sign depicts the badge of the Cinque Ports Confederation

(Below) This is Court Hall. It was built in the 14th century and has a 13th-century doorway in the east wall, brought from elsewhere.

Court Hall was used as the Winchelsea Town Hall from 1557, and the Mayor of Winchelsea is elected here annually on Easter Monday. The lower floor of Court Hall was originally used as the town gaol.

The town sign proudly bears the arms of the Cinque Ports

There are many buildings of significant interest within the town, including 3 of the original town gates. 

This is the Strand Gate, so names because it originally stood beside the River Brede, before that changed course. You can see across to France on a clear day. 

The Church of St. Thomas the Martyr lies amidst ruins of a far larger building, at the heart of the town, and is well worth investigating.

The churchyard is, of course, known for being the final resting place of the great Spike Milligan. 

As one of Britain’s most beloved comedians, it was only fitting therefore that when he died, he should have an equally funny epitaph. He had previously said he wanted his headstone to bear the words “I told you I was ill”. However, because Milligan was buried at St Thomas' churchyard, the diocese wouldn’t let him have the line written.

Luckily, his family found a way around the Church’s un-fun ruling. They translated the line into Gaelic. “Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite” was chiselled in, and the diocese was perfectly happy to let it stand to this day.