Bedham
Encyclopedia
Bedham is a hamlet
4 kilometres (2½ miles) east of Petworth
in the Chichester District of West Sussex
, England
.
Bedham consists of a farm, a derelict Victorian
school, and a scattering of houses set high on a wooded sandstone
ridge of the western weald
, at 150 metres above sea level. To the west Flexham Park is an area of commercial woodland, with large areas of chestnut
coppice, and south of this is a sandstone quarry at Bognor Common. To the northeast are large areas of semi-natural forest, left unmanaged as a nature reserve, called The Mens. South of The Mens is Hawkhurst Court, a country house used as a Canadian army HQ in the buildup to the Normandy Invasion during World War II
, then as a private school, before becoming private housing in the 1980s. In the early 20th century Bedham became popular with artists of limited means who wanted to "escape from civilisation". Remote cottages could be bought for £100. The composer Sir Edward Elgar lived nearby at Brinkwells for a time as a sub-tenant of the artist Rex Vicat Cole
, and the studio where Elgar composed was moved up to the village and now stands as a separate house. Ford Maddox Ford, author of "The Good Soldier" also lived in the village for a time. Miss West and her companion Miss Metherell moved into Bedham Cottage and Miss Metherell using the pen name Rhoda Leigh wrote a fictional account of the hamlet, Past and Passing, which offended some local residents with its thinly veiled and exaggerated references to them. One of those offended was Mrs. Puttick who sold groceries, tobacco and sweets from the kitchen of her house opposite the lane to Warren Barn.
An agreement of 1769 between the owner of the manor, William Mitford of Pitshill
at Tillington
, and the tenants provided for the enclosure of common land to create woodland managed as coppice, although the areas involved are not specified.
to provide elementary education for children from the hamlet and surrounding area. Built in the style of a chapel it doubled up as the church on Sundays. The single room was divided by a curtain for infants and senior classes. At the end of the school week the chairs were turned to face the east and ink pots removed from the desks. In the 1930s services would be held there once or twice a month by the Rector of Fittleworth
, with one of the local ladies playing the harmonium
.
rented a house called Brinkwells to the east of the Fittleworth to Wisborough Green
road from around 1905 and he sublet it to Sir Edward Elgar
between 1917 and 1921. During these years Elgar enjoyed learning craft skills from the woodmen at Flexham Park and worked on his Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet
, Op. 84, the Violin Sonata in E minor
, Op. 82 and the String Quartet in E minor
, Op. 83. These works were said to be inspired by the local woods and by a strange legend of a clump of trees said to be the remains of Spanish monks who had engaged in sacrilegious ceremonies in the park and been struck by lightning.
Ford Maddox Ford and his pregnant partner Stella Bowen moved to 17th century Coopers Cottage in September 1920. Their daughter Esther Julia was born in November 1920. Letters between the couple show that they kept some ducks and were helped with the garden by a neighbour called Standing. They were spied on there by Ford's former mistress Violet Hunt who "tracked them down in Bedham and hung over the fence of their cottage watching them..".
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
4 kilometres (2½ miles) east of Petworth
Petworth
Petworth is a small town and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located at the junction of the A272 east-west road from Heathfield to Winchester and the A283 Milford to Shoreham-by-Sea road. Some twelve miles to the south west of Petworth along the A285 road...
in the Chichester District of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Bedham consists of a farm, a derelict Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
school, and a scattering of houses set high on a wooded sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ridge of the western weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
, at 150 metres above sea level. To the west Flexham Park is an area of commercial woodland, with large areas of chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
coppice, and south of this is a sandstone quarry at Bognor Common. To the northeast are large areas of semi-natural forest, left unmanaged as a nature reserve, called The Mens. South of The Mens is Hawkhurst Court, a country house used as a Canadian army HQ in the buildup to the Normandy Invasion during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, then as a private school, before becoming private housing in the 1980s. In the early 20th century Bedham became popular with artists of limited means who wanted to "escape from civilisation". Remote cottages could be bought for £100. The composer Sir Edward Elgar lived nearby at Brinkwells for a time as a sub-tenant of the artist Rex Vicat Cole
Rex Vicat Cole
Reginald Rex Vicat Cole was an English landscape painter, son of the artist George Vicat Cole and Mary Ann Chignell. He was educated at Eton and began to exhibit in London in 1890. In 1900 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists. His work to 1906 is extensively reproduced...
, and the studio where Elgar composed was moved up to the village and now stands as a separate house. Ford Maddox Ford, author of "The Good Soldier" also lived in the village for a time. Miss West and her companion Miss Metherell moved into Bedham Cottage and Miss Metherell using the pen name Rhoda Leigh wrote a fictional account of the hamlet, Past and Passing, which offended some local residents with its thinly veiled and exaggerated references to them. One of those offended was Mrs. Puttick who sold groceries, tobacco and sweets from the kitchen of her house opposite the lane to Warren Barn.
History
In 1460 Bedham was home to William Hibberden, one of the members of parliament for Midhurst.An agreement of 1769 between the owner of the manor, William Mitford of Pitshill
Pitshill
Pitshill is a Grade II* listed house built in the neo-classical style and is located within the Parish of Tillington a couple of miles west of Petworth. Begun by William Mitford in 1760 on the site of an earlier house it was completed by his son, also William, in 1794...
at Tillington
Tillington, West Sussex
Tillington is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located one mile west of Petworth on the A272. The parish includes the hamlets of Upperton, River, and River Common....
, and the tenants provided for the enclosure of common land to create woodland managed as coppice, although the areas involved are not specified.
School
The small schoolhouse was built by local landowners and the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
to provide elementary education for children from the hamlet and surrounding area. Built in the style of a chapel it doubled up as the church on Sundays. The single room was divided by a curtain for infants and senior classes. At the end of the school week the chairs were turned to face the east and ink pots removed from the desks. In the 1930s services would be held there once or twice a month by the Rector of Fittleworth
Fittleworth
Fittleworth is a village and civil parish in the District of Chichester in West Sussex, England located seven kilometres west from Pulborough on the A283 road and three miles south east from Petworth. The village has an Anglican church, a primary school and one pub, the Swan...
, with one of the local ladies playing the harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
.
Notable residents
Rex Vicat ColeRex Vicat Cole
Reginald Rex Vicat Cole was an English landscape painter, son of the artist George Vicat Cole and Mary Ann Chignell. He was educated at Eton and began to exhibit in London in 1890. In 1900 he was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists. His work to 1906 is extensively reproduced...
rented a house called Brinkwells to the east of the Fittleworth to Wisborough Green
Wisborough Green
Wisborough Green is a village and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England miles west of Billingshurst on the A272.Newbridge where the A272 crosses the River Arun mile east of the village was the highest point of the Arun navigation, and the southern end of the Wey and Arun...
road from around 1905 and he sublet it to Sir Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
between 1917 and 1921. During these years Elgar enjoyed learning craft skills from the woodmen at Flexham Park and worked on his Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet
Piano Quintet (Elgar)
The Quintet in A minor for Piano and String Quartet, Op. 84 is a chamber work by Edward Elgar.He worked on the Quintet and two other major chamber pieces in the summer of 1918 while staying at Brinkwells near Fittleworth in Sussex. W. H...
, Op. 84, the Violin Sonata in E minor
Violin Sonata (Elgar)
Sir Edward Elgar wrote his Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, in 1918, at the same time as he wrote his String Quartet in E minor and his Piano Quintet in A minor...
, Op. 82 and the String Quartet in E minor
String Quartet (Elgar)
The String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83, was one of three major chamber music works composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1918. The others were the Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 82, and the Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84. Along with the Cello Concerto in E minor, Op...
, Op. 83. These works were said to be inspired by the local woods and by a strange legend of a clump of trees said to be the remains of Spanish monks who had engaged in sacrilegious ceremonies in the park and been struck by lightning.
Ford Maddox Ford and his pregnant partner Stella Bowen moved to 17th century Coopers Cottage in September 1920. Their daughter Esther Julia was born in November 1920. Letters between the couple show that they kept some ducks and were helped with the garden by a neighbour called Standing. They were spied on there by Ford's former mistress Violet Hunt who "tracked them down in Bedham and hung over the fence of their cottage watching them..".