Bishopstone, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
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...
with a population of about 200 people, located along a dead-end road west of Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford, East Sussex
Seaford is a coastal town in the county of East Sussex, on the south coast of England. Lying east of Newhaven and Brighton and west of Eastbourne, it is the largest town in Lewes district, with a population of about 23,000....
. Bishopstone was an episcopal manor: hence its name meaning "dwelling place of the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
". The church, dedicated to Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
, is thought to date from the 8th century, and may well be the oldest in the county. It was rebuilt in 1200.
Bishopstone village hall is part of the village life and has local events, it is also the venue for the local table tennis club and is located behind the church. There are no shops or pubs in the village.
The poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
James Hurdis
James Hurdis
James Hurdis was a clergyman and a poet. He studied at St Mary Hall, Oxford and Magdalen College, Oxford, later becoming a Fellow of Magdalen College. He was the vicar for the West Sussex village of Burpham and it was there that he wrote The Village Curate...
was born in the village and there is a memorial to him in the church.
Bishopstone is served by Bishopstone railway station
Bishopstone railway station
Bishopstone railway station is located on the western side of the town of Seaford in East Sussex, England. It is situated close to the coast, and approximately from the hamlet of Bishopstone, from which it takes its name...
, which replaced the original station, Bishopstone Beach Halt
Bishopstone Beach Halt railway station
Bishopstone Beach Halt was a railway station in England that was opened on the 1 June 1864 and closed on 1 January 1942. The station was built for residents of the Bishopstone and Tide Mills villages and located on the west side of Mill Drove...
, in 1942.
Bishopstone church has an ancient Tide (time)
Tide (time)
Tide is an obsolete or archaic term for time, period or season.It survives in compounds such as Yuletide, eventide, shrovetide, Eastertide, noontide, etc....
sundial in its porch. The sundial is inscribed with the name Eadric, the King of Kent in 685.Wall, J. Charles (1912), Porches & Fonts.Pub. Wells, Gardner, Darton & Co., Ltd., London. P. 67.