Crowhurst, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
Crowhurst is an isolated village situated five miles (8 km) north-west of Hastings
in East Sussex
. It has a parish
council and is located within the Rother
District Council
.
of Mercia gave the Bishop of Selsey a piece of land here; a church was then built by the Bishop. Crowhurst (then called Croghyrst) itself remained the king's land until 1412, although various landowners were given possession of it over that time:
Rother District council provides the next level of government with services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. Crowhurst is within the Crowhurst ward, along with the parishes of Ashburnham and Penhurst
, Catsfield
and part of Battle
. In the May 2007 election Crowhurst ward was won by the Conservative candidate.
East Sussex county council is the third tier of government, providing education, libraries and highway maintenance. Crowhurst falls within the Battle and Crowhurst ward. Kathryn Margaret Field, Liberal Democrat, was elected in the May 2005 election with 48.8% of the vote.
The UK Parliament constituency for Crowhurst is Bexhill and Battle. Gregory Barker
was re-elected in the May 2010 election.
At European level, Crowhurst is represented by the South-East region, which holds ten seats in the European Parliament
. The June 2004 election returned four Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two UK Independence, one Labour and one Green, none of whom live in East Sussex.
Although small, the village does have a railway station
. It was built in 1902 as a junction station for a branch line to Bexhill
. The line crossed nearby marshes on a 17-arch viaduct; the line was closed under the so-called "Beeching cuts
" in 1964, and the viaduct was demolished in 1969.
The village has a primary school. The village post office
closed in March 2008: until then it served as a convenience store also. There is a pub
, The Plough; until 1998 there was a second pub, The Inn at Crowhurst.
Crowhurst is the home of musician Oliver Frost, guitarist in the alternative band Mumm-Ra. It was at the Crowhurst village hall that the band put on the now legendary industry showcase in August 2005 that saw them gain a major label deal with Columbia Records
.
RSPB
reserve, part of which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI). The interest
is due to its ghyll habitat; steep ravines cut into the underlying sandstone. The site is a rich breeding area for birds.
Like the village of the same name in Surrey, this East Sussex Crowhurst also has an ancient yew tree in the church grounds cordoned off by iron railings and reinforced with steel wires to prevent collapse. Age uncertain.
Another SSSI within the parish is Combe Haven
. This site is of biological importance due to its diversity of habitat supporting many species of flora and fauna. Alluvial meadows and reed beds cover a large section of the area.
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
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 has a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
council and is located within the Rother
Rother
Rother is a local government district in East Sussex, England. The district is named after the River Rother which flows within its boundaries.-History:...
District Council
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
.
History
The earliest mention of the settlement is in 771, when King OffaOffa
Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...
of Mercia gave the Bishop of Selsey a piece of land here; a church was then built by the Bishop. Crowhurst (then called Croghyrst) itself remained the king's land until 1412, although various landowners were given possession of it over that time:
- Robert Count of Eu, after the Norman Conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of EnglandThe Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
- the Fitz-Lambert family, until the 12th century
- Walter de Scotney, given by Richard IRichard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
after the Third Crusade, although Walter forfeited it in 1259, having been found guilty of a crime - Sir John Pelham, given to him by Henry IVHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
in 1412; Pelham built the present parish church
Governance
At a local level, Crowhurst is governed by a parish council which is responsible for street lighting, allotments and recreational areas. It provides a local voice to the district and county councils. The parish council consists of seven councillors. The May 2007 election had ten candidates standing.Rother District council provides the next level of government with services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. Crowhurst is within the Crowhurst ward, along with the parishes of Ashburnham and Penhurst
Ashburnham and Penhurst
Ashburnham and Penhurst are civil parishes in the Rother district of East Sussex, England, situated to the west of Battle. The two parishes share a joint parish council which also covers the settlements of Brownbread Street, Ponts Green and Ashburnham Forge...
, Catsfield
Catsfield
Catsfield is a village and civil parish in the Rother District of East Sussex, England. It is located six miles north of Bexhill, and three miles southwest of Battle. The village once consisted of two manors: Catsfield and Catsfield Levett...
and part of Battle
Battle, East Sussex
Battle is a small town and civil parish in the local government district of Rother in East Sussex, England. It lies south southeast of London, east of Brighton and east of the county town of Lewes...
. In the May 2007 election Crowhurst ward was won by the Conservative candidate.
East Sussex county council is the third tier of government, providing education, libraries and highway maintenance. Crowhurst falls within the Battle and Crowhurst ward. Kathryn Margaret Field, Liberal Democrat, was elected in the May 2005 election with 48.8% of the vote.
The UK Parliament constituency for Crowhurst is Bexhill and Battle. Gregory Barker
Gregory Barker
Gregory Leonard George "Greg" Barker is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he currently serves as the Member of Parliament for Bexhill and Battle...
was re-elected in the May 2010 election.
At European level, Crowhurst is represented by the South-East region, which holds ten seats in the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. The June 2004 election returned four Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two UK Independence, one Labour and one Green, none of whom live in East Sussex.
The village
The parish church is dedicated to St George. The ruins of the manor house lie to the south of it.Although small, the village does have a railway station
Crowhurst railway station
Crowhurst railway station is on the main London - Tunbridge Wells - Hastings line in East Sussex in England, and serves Crowhurst. Train services are provided by Southeastern.- History :...
. It was built in 1902 as a junction station for a branch line to Bexhill
Bexhill-on-Sea
Bexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
. The line crossed nearby marshes on a 17-arch viaduct; the line was closed under the so-called "Beeching cuts
Richard Beeching
Richard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
" in 1964, and the viaduct was demolished in 1969.
The village has a primary school. The village post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
closed in March 2008: until then it served as a convenience store also. There is a 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...
, The Plough; until 1998 there was a second pub, The Inn at Crowhurst.
Crowhurst is the home of musician Oliver Frost, guitarist in the alternative band Mumm-Ra. It was at the Crowhurst village hall that the band put on the now legendary industry showcase in August 2005 that saw them gain a major label deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Landmarks
The village is home to the Fore WoodFore Wood
Fore Wood is a 21.5 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1984 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.The SSSI is part of a RSPB reserve of the same name....
RSPB
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
reserve, part of which 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...
(SSSI). The interest
is due to its ghyll habitat; steep ravines cut into the underlying sandstone. The site is a rich breeding area for birds.
Like the village of the same name in Surrey, this East Sussex Crowhurst also has an ancient yew tree in the church grounds cordoned off by iron railings and reinforced with steel wires to prevent collapse. Age uncertain.
Another SSSI within the parish is Combe Haven
Combe Haven
Combe Haven is a 156.1 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, located in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1985 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981....
. This site is of biological importance due to its diversity of habitat supporting many species of flora and fauna. Alluvial meadows and reed beds cover a large section of the area.