Cross In Hand
Encyclopedia
Cross In Hand is a small village outside of Heathfield
town to its west, in the Wealden
District situated in East Sussex
. It is occasionally referred to as Isenhurst.
, and the B2102
which terminates in Cross In Hand but joins the A22
in Uckfield
. The village has a high street on the B2102 road that links Cross in Hand to Uckfield
. Retail shops include a petrol station, wooden furniture shops, a post office, a motorcycle shop, a bakery, and a funeral director's. The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew and there is one pub, the Cross in Hand. Other village facilities include a village hall, rugby football, bowls and tennis clubs.
, and has had a windmill called the "New Mill"
at the current site since 1868 although it was built in Framfield
in 1855. The reason for this time delay is that the mill was originally placed a quarter of a mile from its current location in its year of construction, and was moved on the command of the local squire at the time, Squire Hurth.
The English Place-Name Society
gives the earliest reference to the village as Cruce Manus, the latin
for Cross in Hand in 1547. The name is believed to be based on the legend that the Crusaders
assembled here before sailing for the Holy Land
from Rye
to fight Saladin
.
Heathfield, East Sussex
Heathfield is a small market town, and the principal settlement in the civil parish of Heathfield and Waldron in the Wealden District of East Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, England.-Location:...
town to its west, in the Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
District situated in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. It is occasionally referred to as Isenhurst.
The village
Cross In Hand is situated at the junction the A267 running between Tunbridge Wells and EastbourneEastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
, and the B2102
Great Britain road numbering scheme
The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Great Britain. Each road is given a single letter, which represents the road's category, and a subsequent number, with a length of between 1 and 4 digits. Originally introduced to arrange...
which terminates in Cross In Hand but joins the A22
A22 road
The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. It carries traffic from London to Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast...
in Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
. The village has a high street on the B2102 road that links Cross in Hand to Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
. Retail shops include a petrol station, wooden furniture shops, a post office, a motorcycle shop, a bakery, and a funeral director's. The Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew and there is one pub, the Cross in Hand. Other village facilities include a village hall, rugby football, bowls and tennis clubs.
History
The village historically provided services to the iron tradeWealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...
, and has had a windmill called the "New Mill"
New Mill, Cross in Hand
New Mill is a Grade II listed post mill at Cross in Hand near Heathfield, East Sussex, England. It was the last windmill working commercially by wind in Sussex, ceasing work by wind in 1969 when a stock broke.-History:...
at the current site since 1868 although it was built in Framfield
Framfield
Framfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The village is located two miles east of Uckfield; the settlements of Blackboys, Palehouse and Halland form part of the parish area of 6,700 acres .-History:It is likely that Framfield came into existence...
in 1855. The reason for this time delay is that the mill was originally placed a quarter of a mile from its current location in its year of construction, and was moved on the command of the local squire at the time, Squire Hurth.
The English Place-Name Society
English Place-Name Society
The English Place-Name Society is a learned society concerned with toponomastics and the toponymy of England, in other words, the study of place-names ....
gives the earliest reference to the village as Cruce Manus, the latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for Cross in Hand in 1547. The name is believed to be based on the legend that the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
assembled here before sailing for the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
from Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
to fight Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
.