West Hoathly
Encyclopedia
West Hoathly is a village
and civil parish
in the Mid Sussex
District of West Sussex
, England
, located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south west of East Grinstead
. In the 2001 census 2,121 people, of whom 1,150 were economically active, lived in 813 households. The parish, which has a land area of 2139 hectares (5,285.6 acre), includes the hamlets
of Highbrook, Selsfield Common and Sharpthorne
. The mostly rural parish is centred on West Hoathly village, an ancient hilltop settlement in the High Weald
between the North
and South Downs
.
word signifies a heath-covered clearing. The parish lay on the edge of the dense woodland of the Ashdown Forest
.
At the time of the Domesday survey
in 1086, the land covered by the present parish was held by the manors
of Ditchling
and Plumpton
to the southeast. The rectory
of the church was associated with Lewes Priory
. By the 16th century, the manor of Gravetye was in existence. Gravetye Manor
house
, built in 1598, still stands in extensive grounds 1 miles (1.6 km) north of the village.
In 1556, West Hoathly resident Ann Tree was burnt at the stake in East Grinstead
for refusing to renounce Protestantism
; she was one of 17 "Sussex Martyrs" who suffered this fate. A brass memorial in the church commemorates her.
West Hoathly was connected to the British railway network when the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway was built in 1882. A station
was provided east of the village, between it and Sharpthorne. The line passed under a sandstone ridge by means of a tunnel. The line and station closed on 16 March 1958, and the station stood derelict for many years. The Bluebell Railway
, a preserved railway, now runs along part of the route, but West Hoathly station has not been reinstated.
. It is an exposed outcrop of sandstone
with a harder band overlying a soft stratum
at ground level. The lower stratum has weathered significantly, making the upper section overhang like the cap of a mushroom
.
churches in the civil parish. St Margaret's Church, dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, stands on North Lane in West Hoathly. It has Norman
origins, although much of the fabric of the building is 13th-century. The church has a tower with a Perpendicular Gothic broach spire
, a single-aisled nave
, a chancel
and a side chapel. The terraced churchyard is a well-known viewpoint, with far-reaching views across the Weald
. All Saints Church
at Highbrook was paid for by two wealthy local sisters who thought that church attendance among the hamlet's residence was being hampered by the long distance they had to travel to St Margaret's Church. Architects Richard H. Carpenter
and Benjamin Ingelow designed the large, stone-built church in 1884. The churches have separate ecclesiastical parishes but are part of a united benefice
, served by the same vicar.
St Dunstan's Roman Catholic church is in West Hoathly. English Heritage
describe the building as "a curiosity": it was a cottage with an attached butcher's shop until its conversion into a church in 1957. In Sharpthorne, the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
—a small Nonconformist
denomination with links to Methodism
—has a place of worship, the Sharpthorne Community Church. It was founded by members of an older church in nearby Turners Hill
. There was also a Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion chapel at the north end of West Hoathly from 1826 until the early 21st century. The timber-framed building survives, but is disused.
. Its modernised exterior hides a 14th-century timber-framed
Wealden hall house
of "high antiquarian interest". The gable
d solar wing
dates from the 16th century. Gravetye Manor, built in 1598, has an Elizabethan
façade and was built for a local ironmaster
: northern Sussex was an important ironmaking area for several centuries. Later abandoned to smugglers, the building and its grounds were rejuvenated in 1884 when "the greatest English gardener" William Robinson
bought it. He also designed the 30 acres (12.1 ha) gardens. Upon his death in 1935 the manor, set in a large area of woodland, passed to the Forestry Commission
for use as a base for their work. It was converted into a high-class restaurant (now with a Michelin star) in 1958. Chiddinglye, which may have been a separate manor at one time, is a Gothic house of 1866. Next to it is Chiddinglye Farm, an open hall house with 15th- and 16th-century parts. Selsfield House has a Georgian
façade.
The Priest House, in the centre of the village opposite St Margaret's Church, was turned into a museum by the Sussex Archaeological Society
in 1935. The 15th-century open hall-house, with a five-bay
façade and a solar wing, retains some original windows and its king post
and trussed roof. Items relating to local and domestic history are on display, and there are formal gardens. Also near the church is Manor House—not named in relation to any historic manor
, but built in 1627 as a dower house
and associated with the owners of Gravetye Manor. It is approximately H-shaped, built of ashlar
, and has prominent mullion
ed windows and a gabled roof laid with Horsham
stone slabs. Old panelling remains in some rooms.
The village pub
is the Cat Inn, housed in an early 16th-century timber-framed building with a tile and brick exterior. Original beams are still visible inside on both storeys.
West Hoathly Church of England School, which maintains links with St Margaret's Church, is the primary school in the parish.
There is also a Steiner (also known as Waldorf education) boarding school called Philpots Manor School that is situated around half a mile from the village.
from West Hoathly was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game. This happened on 28 August 1624 at Horsted Keynes
, East Sussex
. Jasper Vinall was batting with Edward Tye, who also came from West Hoathly. Some say that along with Jade Dernbach
, Jasper Vinall is one of only two English cricketers named after a precious stone.
West Hoathly Football Club have been playing in West Hoathly since the early 1950's and currently play their games at The Recreation Ground, The club is split into two teams with the First team playing in the Mid Sussex Division 2 and the seconds in Division 8, Both teams have been coached and managed by John Kendall for the last 5 seasons and can take credit for surviving on a small budget with very low standard ammenities and facilities.
known as West Hoathly Pit
. It is a working clay pit of geological interest with 9 metres (29.5 ft) of visible sedimentary layers.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
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 Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex is a local government district in the English county of West Sussex. It contains the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill....
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...
, located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south west 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...
. In the 2001 census 2,121 people, of whom 1,150 were economically active, lived in 813 households. The parish, which has a land area of 2139 hectares (5,285.6 acre), includes the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Highbrook, Selsfield Common and Sharpthorne
Sharpthorne
Sharpthorne is a hamlet in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the West Hoathly to Forest Row road 3.8 miles south of East Grinstead. There is a steam train railway track which runs through a tunnel underneath the village....
. The mostly rural parish is centred on West Hoathly village, an ancient hilltop settlement in the High 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...
between the North
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
and South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
.
History
The area was already settled by the 11th century, when St Margaret's Church was founded. Names recorded at that time include Hadlega and Hodlega—later standardised to Hodlegh and Hothelegh, then (West) Hoathly. This Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
word signifies a heath-covered clearing. The parish lay on the edge of the dense woodland of the Ashdown Forest
Ashdown 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...
.
At the time of the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086, the land covered by the present parish was held by the manors
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Ditchling
Ditchling
Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling....
and Plumpton
Plumpton, East Sussex
Plumpton is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is located five miles north-west of Lewes. The parish includes the small village of Plumpton and the larger village of Plumpton Green to the north where most of the community and services are based...
to the southeast. The rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
of the church was associated with Lewes Priory
Lewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
. By the 16th century, the manor of Gravetye was in existence. Gravetye Manor
Gravetye Manor
Gravetye Manor is a manor house located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. The former home of William Robinson, it is now a hotel and restaurant., holding one star in the Michelin Guide.- History :The Elizabethan house was built in 1598...
house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, built in 1598, still stands in extensive grounds 1 miles (1.6 km) north of the village.
In 1556, West Hoathly resident Ann Tree was burnt at the stake in 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...
for refusing to renounce Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
; she was one of 17 "Sussex Martyrs" who suffered this fate. A brass memorial in the church commemorates her.
West Hoathly was connected to the British railway network when the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway was built in 1882. A station
West Hoathly railway station
West Hoathly is a closed railway station on what is now the Bluebell Railway. The station was finally closed in 1958 but was used by the contractors in the 1960s demolishing the line as a good place to bring equipment in and out....
was provided east of the village, between it and Sharpthorne. The line passed under a sandstone ridge by means of a tunnel. The line and station closed on 16 March 1958, and the station stood derelict for many years. The Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
, a preserved railway, now runs along part of the route, but West Hoathly station has not been reinstated.
"Big-on-Little"
Also known as "Great-on-Little", this natural landscape formation is in a wooded area southwest of the village, near the road to ArdinglyArdingly
Ardingly is a village and civil parish in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about north of Haywards Heath in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is about south of London, south-south-west of East Grinstead, southeast of Crawley, north of Brighton and ...
. It is an exposed outcrop of 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,...
with a harder band overlying a soft stratum
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
at ground level. The lower stratum has weathered significantly, making the upper section overhang like the cap of a mushroom
Pileus (mycology)
The pileus is the technical name for the cap, or cap-like part, of a basidiocarp or ascocarp that supports a spore-bearing surface, the hymenium. The hymenium may consist of lamellae, tubes, or teeth, on the underside of the pileus...
.
Places of worship
There are two AnglicanAnglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
churches in the civil parish. St Margaret's Church, dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, stands on North Lane in West Hoathly. It has Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origins, although much of the fabric of the building is 13th-century. The church has a tower with a Perpendicular Gothic broach spire
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
, a single-aisled nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and a side chapel. The terraced churchyard is a well-known viewpoint, with far-reaching views across the 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...
. All Saints Church
All Saints Church, Highbrook
All Saints Church is an Anglican church in the hamlet of Highbrook in Mid Sussex, one of seven local government districts in the English county of West Sussex. The tiny settlement, in the parish of West Hoathly, was distant from the parish church in that village; two wealthy sisters accordingly...
at Highbrook was paid for by two wealthy local sisters who thought that church attendance among the hamlet's residence was being hampered by the long distance they had to travel to St Margaret's Church. Architects Richard H. Carpenter
Richard Carpenter (architect)
Richard Herbert Carpenter was an eminent Victorian architect from England.Richard was born 1841 in St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, England and died in 1893...
and Benjamin Ingelow designed the large, stone-built church in 1884. The churches have separate ecclesiastical parishes but are part of a united benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
, served by the same vicar.
St Dunstan's Roman Catholic church is in West Hoathly. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
describe the building as "a curiosity": it was a cottage with an attached butcher's shop until its conversion into a church in 1957. In Sharpthorne, the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist Methodist movement of George Whitefield...
—a small Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
denomination with links to Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
—has a place of worship, the Sharpthorne Community Church. It was founded by members of an older church in nearby Turners Hill
Turners Hill
Turners Hill is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The civil parish covers an area of , and has a population of 1,849 ....
. There was also a Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion chapel at the north end of West Hoathly from 1826 until the early 21st century. The timber-framed building survives, but is disused.
Buildings
The parish has many medieval houses and farms. The oldest is Tickeridge, near Selsfield Common and the preserved Kingscote railway stationKingscote railway station
Kingscote railway station is a railway station on the Bluebell Railway. It is currently the northern terminus, pending completion of the extension to East Grinstead...
. Its modernised exterior hides a 14th-century timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
Wealden hall house
Wealden hall house
The Wealden hall house is a type of vernacular medieval timber-framed yeoman's house traditional in the south east of England. It is most common in Kent and the east of Sussex but has also been built elsewhere...
of "high antiquarian interest". The gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d solar wing
Solar (room)
The solar was a room in many English and French medieval manor houses, great houses and castles, generally situated on an upper storey, designed as the family's private living and sleeping quarters...
dates from the 16th century. Gravetye Manor, built in 1598, has an Elizabethan
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
façade and was built for a local ironmaster
Ironmaster
An ironmaster is the manager – and usually owner – of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain....
: northern Sussex was an important ironmaking area for several centuries. Later abandoned to smugglers, the building and its grounds were rejuvenated in 1884 when "the greatest English gardener" William Robinson
William Robinson (gardener)
William Robinson was an Irish practical gardener and journalist whose ideas about wild gardening spurred the movement that evolved into the English cottage garden, a parallel to the search for honest simplicity and vernacular style of the British Arts and Crafts movement...
bought it. He also designed the 30 acres (12.1 ha) gardens. Upon his death in 1935 the manor, set in a large area of woodland, passed to the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
for use as a base for their work. It was converted into a high-class restaurant (now with a Michelin star) in 1958. Chiddinglye, which may have been a separate manor at one time, is a Gothic house of 1866. Next to it is Chiddinglye Farm, an open hall house with 15th- and 16th-century parts. Selsfield House has a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
façade.
The Priest House, in the centre of the village opposite St Margaret's Church, was turned into a museum by the Sussex Archaeological Society
Sussex Archaeological Society
The Sussex Archaeological Society, founded in 1846, is the largest county-based archaeological society in the UK. Its headquarters are in Lewes, Sussex...
in 1935. The 15th-century open hall-house, with a five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
façade and a solar wing, retains some original windows and its king post
King post
A king post is a central vertical supporting post used in architectural, bridge, or aircraft design applications.-Architecture:...
and trussed roof. Items relating to local and domestic history are on display, and there are formal gardens. Also near the church is Manor House—not named in relation to any historic manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
, but built in 1627 as a dower house
Dower house
On an estate, a dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the estate-owner. The widow, often known as the "dowager" usually moves into the dower house from the larger family house on the death of her husband if the heir is married, and upon his marriage if he...
and associated with the owners of Gravetye Manor. It is approximately H-shaped, built of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
, and has prominent mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
ed windows and a gabled roof laid with Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
stone slabs. Old panelling remains in some rooms.
The village pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
is the Cat Inn, housed in an early 16th-century timber-framed building with a tile and brick exterior. Original beams are still visible inside on both storeys.
West Hoathly Church of England School, which maintains links with St Margaret's Church, is the primary school in the parish.
There is also a Steiner (also known as Waldorf education) boarding school called Philpots Manor School that is situated around half a mile from the village.
Sports
Jasper VinallJasper Vinall
Jasper Vinall was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game.-Incident:...
from West Hoathly was the first cricketer known to have been killed while playing the game. This happened on 28 August 1624 at Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is located about eight kilometres north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald...
, 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:...
. Jasper Vinall was batting with Edward Tye, who also came from West Hoathly. Some say that along with Jade Dernbach
Jade Dernbach
Jade Winston Dernbach is a cricketer who plays for Surrey County Cricket Club and England. He made his first-class debut in 2003 and won the NBC Denis Compton Award in 2004 and 2009....
, Jasper Vinall is one of only two English cricketers named after a precious stone.
West Hoathly Football Club have been playing in West Hoathly since the early 1950's and currently play their games at The Recreation Ground, The club is split into two teams with the First team playing in the Mid Sussex Division 2 and the seconds in Division 8, Both teams have been coached and managed by John Kendall for the last 5 seasons and can take credit for surviving on a small budget with very low standard ammenities and facilities.
Landmarks
Near the hamlet of Sharpthorne there is a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite 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...
known as West Hoathly Pit
West Hoathly SSSI
West Hoathly is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the county of West Sussex, England, near the hamlet of Sharpthorne.The site is an active brickclay pit which has exposed of sediments which reveal a gradual change from silty deposits to non silty...
. It is a working clay pit of geological interest with 9 metres (29.5 ft) of visible sedimentary layers.