Forest Row
Encyclopedia
Forest Row is a village and relatively large civil parish
in the Wealden
District of East Sussex
, England
. The village is located three miles (5 km) south-east of East Grinstead
.
, a royal hunting park first enclosed in the 13th century. From its origins as a small hamlet, Forest Row has grown, first with the establishment of a turnpike road
in the 18th century; and later with the opening of the railway
between East Grinstead
and Tunbridge Wells
in 1866; the line, which included an intermediate station
at Forest Row, closed in 1967 as a result of the programme of closures
put forward by East Grinstead resident and British Railways Board
Chairman Richard Beeching
.
The village inn (now known as The Swan, owned by Mountain Range Restaurants which you can see on the right hand side of the picture, originally the Yew Tree), part medieval, was a centre of smuggling
in the 18th century.
Brambletye House (known locally as Brambletye Castle) was built by Sir Henry Compton in 1631. This building features in the 1826 Horace Smith novel Brambletye House.
A mail coach robbery occurred at the bottom of Wall Hill on 27 June 1801. John Beatson and his adopted son William Whalley Beatson hid in a meadow at the foot of Wall Hill, by the entrance to an old Roman road
. The mail coach made its way up Wall Hill, where it was stopped by them just after midnight. The Beatsons took between £4,000 and £5,000. Judge Baron Hotham
sentenced the two men to death by hanging
at the trial on 29 March 1802. Gallows
were erected on the spot where the robbery took place, on 17 April 1802. Beatson and his adopted son were hanged in the presence of 3,000 people.
John F. Kennedy
, the 35th President of the United States, came to Forest Row in 1963 during his visit to the UK, attending a service at the Our Lady of the Forest church. At the time he was engaged in a series of discussions with the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
at his home in nearby Birch Grove.
Forest Row became a Transition Village in 2007 with the official unleashing in March 2008 at the Village Hall.
, Kent
and Surrey
. Ashdown Forest surrounds the village on three sides, and the upper reaches of the River Medway
flow through the parish. The main village lies at the intersection of the A22 road
, the erstwhile turnpike, and the B2110 to Hartfield
and Tunbridge Wells
. Here the compact village centre shops serve a comparatively large surrounding area.
Weir Wood Reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
with the parish. Of biological interest, it is one of the largest areas of open water in the county. As a result, it hosts a wide variety of resident and migrating birds.
The hotels in the village are The Brambletye Hotel, The Chequers and The Foresters Arms. During the 2006 radiation scare surrounding KGB
agent Alexander Litvinenko
the Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club was closed by for 6 hours and the nearby Roebuck hotel was used as an evacuation point for arriving guests. Italian security expert Mario Scaramella
may have stayed there but tests showed no evidence of "radiation
toxicity".
The village's architecture is a mixture of traditional and modern. As well as many cottages in the classic style of Sussex there is a variety of more modern developments which fit in well with the village's look and personality. Gage Ridge and Michael Fields, with its copper-roofed houses is an example of the more modern side of the village.
In addition to the businesses in the village centre, there is also an industrial estate.
eccesiastical parish combines two churches: Holy Trinity, Forest Row, and St Dunstan's Ashurst Wood
. There are also other denominational churches: Our Lady of the Forest (Roman Catholic); a Baptist
chapel; Providence church; and the cemetery
chapel.
Greenfields School
, which caters for children of all ages, is an independent school in the village which gives its students the opportunity to follow the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, amongst other things. Institutions associated with the Anthroposophical movement
of Rudolf Steiner
are located in or near the village, notably Michael Hall and Emerson College.
and his mother in memory of his son Henry Douglas Freshfield who died aged fourteen in 1891. The first Freshfield Hall was very short-lived, for it was burnt down on 14 February 1895, the day after the funeral of Henry Freshfield. Douglas Freshfield and his mother wasted no time in having it rebuilt and it reopened on the 17th November 1895. At the reopening Freshfield expressed the wishes of his mother and himself when he hoped the hall would be used by all classes of parishioners, and that it would keep alive the memory of its original founder.
The Forest Way
, on the trackbed of the disused railway line, passes through the village from East Grinstead
and continues westwards as far as Groombridge
, a total distance of 10 miles (14.5 km). Both directions on the route are fairly flat and are used for cycling and horse riding.
Forest Row provides many opportunities for leisure activities. In the performing arts there are: Forest Players an amateur dramatic society; Ashdown Pantomimers; the Forest Row Film Society; The Binkell-Bing Magic Club; and the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra. In sport there are football clubs; the Cricket Club; Anderida Golfers; Weir Wood Sailing Club; and the One Planker Club ; who organise Snowboarding
and Monoskiing
trips to the Alps each winter. Two other groups are the Ashdown Forest Conservators and the Forest Row Modelling Club.
The Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club was established in 1889: there are two courses.
The Scapegoat Society is a psychologically-based group. The village also has practising alternative therapists and two bio-dynamic organic farms. Yoga
classes are available in the village.
and features in the Adventure of Black Peter in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson stay at the hotel in Forest Row whilst they investigate the murder of a retired sea captain.
The movie adaptation of John Fowles' novel 'The Collector' directed by William Wyler in 1965, contains locations (at the close of the film) shot in Forest Row.
, the comedian and novelist, David Gilmour
from the band Pink Floyd
, Violet Needham
author, Richard Jones
, bass player and background singer in the Feeling
, Jonael Schickler
, a Swiss Philosopher and Sean Yates
, professional cyclist. The singer Engelbert Humperdinck
had a holiday cottage in the village during the 1980s. Ed Sanders
, who played the part of Toby in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
is from Forest Row.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
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 of 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:...
, 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...
. The village is located three miles (5 km) south-east of East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
.
History
The village draws its name from its proximity to the Ashdown ForestAshdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
, a royal hunting park first enclosed in the 13th century. From its origins as a small hamlet, Forest Row has grown, first with the establishment of a turnpike road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in the 18th century; and later with the opening of the railway
Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
The Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line was a railway line running from Three Bridges in West Sussex to Tunbridge Wells Central in Kent via East Grinstead in East Sussex, a distance of . Opened in 1855, the main section of the line was a casualty of the Beeching Axe the last train ran on...
between East Grinstead
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
and Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells West railway station
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway . Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline...
in 1866; the line, which included an intermediate station
Forest Row railway station
Forest Row was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe....
at Forest Row, closed in 1967 as a result of the programme of closures
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
put forward by East Grinstead resident and British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
Chairman Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
.
The village inn (now known as The Swan, owned by Mountain Range Restaurants which you can see on the right hand side of the picture, originally the Yew Tree), part medieval, was a centre of smuggling
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
in the 18th century.
Brambletye House (known locally as Brambletye Castle) was built by Sir Henry Compton in 1631. This building features in the 1826 Horace Smith novel Brambletye House.
A mail coach robbery occurred at the bottom of Wall Hill on 27 June 1801. John Beatson and his adopted son William Whalley Beatson hid in a meadow at the foot of Wall Hill, by the entrance to an old Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
. The mail coach made its way up Wall Hill, where it was stopped by them just after midnight. The Beatsons took between £4,000 and £5,000. Judge Baron Hotham
Baron Hotham
Baron Hotham, of South Dalton in the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1797 for the naval commander Admiral William Hotham, with remainder to the heirs male of his father. Hotham was the third son of Sir Beaumont Hotham, 7th Baronet, of Scorborough , and in...
sentenced the two men to death by hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at the trial on 29 March 1802. Gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
were erected on the spot where the robbery took place, on 17 April 1802. Beatson and his adopted son were hanged in the presence of 3,000 people.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, the 35th President of the United States, came to Forest Row in 1963 during his visit to the UK, attending a service at the Our Lady of the Forest church. At the time he was engaged in a series of discussions with the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
at his home in nearby Birch Grove.
Forest Row became a Transition Village in 2007 with the official unleashing in March 2008 at the Village Hall.
Geography
The civil parish of Forest Row is in the north-west corner of East Sussex, and has borders on West SussexWest 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...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. Ashdown Forest surrounds the village on three sides, and the upper reaches of the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
flow through the parish. The main village lies at the intersection of the A22 road
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...
, the erstwhile turnpike, and the B2110 to Hartfield
Hartfield
Hartfield is a civil parish in East Sussex, England. Settlements within the parish include the village of Hartfield, Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood and Holtye, all lying on the northern edge of Ashdown Forest.-Geography:...
and Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
. Here the compact village centre shops serve a comparatively large surrounding area.
Weir Wood Reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
with the parish. Of biological interest, it is one of the largest areas of open water in the county. As a result, it hosts a wide variety of resident and migrating birds.
The hotels in the village are The Brambletye Hotel, The Chequers and The Foresters Arms. During the 2006 radiation scare surrounding KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
agent Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Litvinenko
Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was an officer who served in the Soviet KGB and its Russian successor, the Federal Security Service ....
the Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club was closed by for 6 hours and the nearby Roebuck hotel was used as an evacuation point for arriving guests. Italian security expert Mario Scaramella
Mario Scaramella
Mario Scaramella is an Italian lawyer, self-styled security consultant and nuclear waste expert who came to international prominence in 2006 in connection with the poisoning of the ex-FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko...
may have stayed there but tests showed no evidence of "radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
toxicity".
The village's architecture is a mixture of traditional and modern. As well as many cottages in the classic style of Sussex there is a variety of more modern developments which fit in well with the village's look and personality. Gage Ridge and Michael Fields, with its copper-roofed houses is an example of the more modern side of the village.
In addition to the businesses in the village centre, there is also an industrial estate.
Religion
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...
eccesiastical parish combines two churches: Holy Trinity, Forest Row, and St Dunstan's Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England. It is to the southeast of East Grinstead, just off the A22 arterial road. The village is in the Mid Sussex district of the county, and has a parish population of...
. There are also other denominational churches: Our Lady of the Forest (Roman Catholic); a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel; Providence church; and the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
chapel.
Education
State education is provided at Forest Row CE Primary School.Greenfields School
Greenfields School
Greenfields School is an Applied Scholastics and Independent Schools Association private school on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, England. It is unique as being the only Study Tech-based private school of its kind in the area...
, which caters for children of all ages, is an independent school in the village which gives its students the opportunity to follow the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, amongst other things. Institutions associated with the Anthroposophical movement
Anthroposophy
Anthroposophy, a philosophy founded by Rudolf Steiner, postulates the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world accessible to direct experience through inner development...
of Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, social reformer, architect, and esotericist. He gained initial recognition as a literary critic and cultural philosopher...
are located in or near the village, notably Michael Hall and Emerson College.
Leisure and culture
The village hall, at the centre of the village, is quite distinctive in its style. It has an almost Germanic and British look to it. The hall was a gift for the people of Forest Row by the Alpine mountaineer Douglas FreshfieldDouglas Freshfield
Douglas William Freshfield was a British lawyer, mountaineer and author, who edited the Alpine Journal from 1872 to 1880...
and his mother in memory of his son Henry Douglas Freshfield who died aged fourteen in 1891. The first Freshfield Hall was very short-lived, for it was burnt down on 14 February 1895, the day after the funeral of Henry Freshfield. Douglas Freshfield and his mother wasted no time in having it rebuilt and it reopened on the 17th November 1895. At the reopening Freshfield expressed the wishes of his mother and himself when he hoped the hall would be used by all classes of parishioners, and that it would keep alive the memory of its original founder.
The Forest Way
Forest Way
The Forest Way is a linear Country park providing walking, cycling, horse riding and the quiet enjoyment of the countryside. It runs for around 16 km from East Grinstead to Groombridge....
, on the trackbed of the disused railway line, passes through the village from East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
and continues westwards as far as Groombridge
Groombridge
thumb|right|A house in GroombridgeGroombridge is a village of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent and East Sussex, in England. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells, about away by road....
, a total distance of 10 miles (14.5 km). Both directions on the route are fairly flat and are used for cycling and horse riding.
Forest Row provides many opportunities for leisure activities. In the performing arts there are: Forest Players an amateur dramatic society; Ashdown Pantomimers; the Forest Row Film Society; The Binkell-Bing Magic Club; and the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra. In sport there are football clubs; the Cricket Club; Anderida Golfers; Weir Wood Sailing Club; and the One Planker Club ; who organise Snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
and Monoskiing
Monoskiing
Monoskiing is a snow sport that uses monoski. There are three types of monoskiing, one is used for waterskiing one for snow skiing and the final is a new experimental design that is equivalent to mountain boarding...
trips to the Alps each winter. Two other groups are the Ashdown Forest Conservators and the Forest Row Modelling Club.
The Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club was established in 1889: there are two courses.
The Scapegoat Society is a psychologically-based group. The village also has practising alternative therapists and two bio-dynamic organic farms. Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
classes are available in the village.
Literary connections
The Brambletye Inn was frequented by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
and features in the Adventure of Black Peter in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson stay at the hotel in Forest Row whilst they investigate the murder of a retired sea captain.
The movie adaptation of John Fowles' novel 'The Collector' directed by William Wyler in 1965, contains locations (at the close of the film) shot in Forest Row.
Notable people
There have been a few notable residents of Forest Row in the past and present. These include Ben EltonBen Elton
Benjamin Charles "Ben" Elton is an English comedian, author, playwright and director. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, as a writer on such cult series as The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as also a successful stand-up comedian on stage and TV....
, the comedian and novelist, David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
from the band Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Violet Needham
Violet Needham
Violet Needham was the author of 19 popular children's books.She came to writing late in life, publishing her first book, The Black Riders, in 1939, at the age of 63. She was born in England to a privileged but chaotic family. Her father was a gambler and their finances fluctuated considerably...
author, Richard Jones
Richard Jones (bassist)
Richard Jones is bassist with British band The Feeling.Jones attended the BRIT School in Croydon. He married British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor on 25 June 2005 in Italy. Together the couple have two sons, Sonny Jones, born in April 2004, and Kit Valentine Jones, born in February 2009...
, bass player and background singer in the Feeling
The Feeling
The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
, Jonael Schickler
Jonael Schickler
Jonael Angelus Schickler was a Swiss philosopher who died in a rail crash at the age of 25.-Life:Schickler was born in Dornach, Switzerland. His family later moved to Forest Row, East Sussex, and he attended , the Rudolf Steiner school located there...
, a Swiss Philosopher and Sean Yates
Sean Yates
Sean Yates is an English former professional cyclist and head Directeur Sportif at Team Sky.-Career:Yates competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics, finishing sixth in the 4,000m individual pursuit. He also competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics...
, professional cyclist. The singer Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
had a holiday cottage in the village during the 1980s. Ed Sanders
Ed Sanders (actor)
Edward Sanders is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his performance as Tobias Ragg in the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He was also featured on the film's soundtrack....
, who played the part of Toby in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1936 British film produced and directed by George King.-Plot:The film features Tod Slaughter in one of his most famous roles as barber Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd was wrongly sentenced to life in prison. After his release 15 years later, he begins...
is from Forest Row.
External links
- Forest Row Parish Council - Contact details of councillors, meetings calendar (DOC Format) surgery dates and newsletters. Includes community centre information.