Hamsey
Encyclopedia
Hamsey is a civil parish
in the Lewes District
of East Sussex
, England
. It is located three miles (5 km) north of Lewes
on the Prime Meridian
. The original village, now abandoned apart from the church and a few cottages, lay on an island in the River Ouse
; the parish consists of the villages of Hamsey with Offham and Cooksbridge being the main centres of population in the parish.
and next to the Chalk Pit and the woods surrounding it. It has a pub, the Blacksmiths Arms.
and has a primary school and a pub, the Rainbow.
and Offham Marshes
. Clayton to Offham Escarpment lies on the South Downs
and stretches across many parishes. Its chalk grassland, woodland and scrub supporting a wide variety of breeding birds. Offham Marshes, fully contained within the parish, is an area of alluvial grazing marsh. Its biological interest is due to its large amphibian population and several other scarce insect life.
Another landmark is Mount Harry, a 194 metres (636.5 ft) hill which falls within the National Trust
Blackcap
nature reserve.
, there is a collection of converted farm buildings known as Hamsey Place, where there is a large pond with Canada geese
. From here there is a lane that ends with St. Peter's Church. This was a prosperous church with a large congregation until the Black Death
decreased the local population so much that by the 19th century it was decided that a new church should be built in the previous hamlet of Offham (this one was also dedicated to St. Peter). It was finished in the 1840s. At one point around this time the parish council were actually considering demolishing Hamsey Church.
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 Lewes District
Lewes (district)
Lewes is a local government district in East Sussex in southern England covering an area of , with of coastline. It is named after its administrative centre, Lewes. Other towns in the district include Newhaven, Peacehaven, and Seaford. Plumpton racecourse is within the 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...
. It is located three miles (5 km) north of Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
on the Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
. The original village, now abandoned apart from the church and a few cottages, lay on an island in the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
; the parish consists of the villages of Hamsey with Offham and Cooksbridge being the main centres of population in the parish.
Offham
This village is on the A275 just north of LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
and next to the Chalk Pit and the woods surrounding it. It has a pub, the Blacksmiths Arms.
Cooksbridge
Cooksbridge is centred around its railway stationCooksbridge railway station
Cooksbridge railway station serves the village of Cooksbridge in East Sussex. It is on the East Coastway Line; train services are provided by Southern.The station is unstaffed...
and has a primary school and a pub, the Rainbow.
Landmarks
There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest that fall within the parish, Clayton to Offham EscarpmentClayton To Offham Escarpment
The Clayton to Offham Escarpment is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex, but extends in to West Sussex and thus can be found on the List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Sussex as well as the List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex...
and Offham Marshes
Offham Marshes
Offham Marshes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the county of East Sussex, England. Its biological interest comes from its habitat of alluvial marshland, which supports large numbers of amphibians. The land borders the River Ouse and is also home to birds such as mallards, mute swans,...
. Clayton to Offham Escarpment lies on the 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...
and stretches across many parishes. Its chalk grassland, woodland and scrub supporting a wide variety of breeding birds. Offham Marshes, fully contained within the parish, is an area of alluvial grazing marsh. Its biological interest is due to its large amphibian population and several other scarce insect life.
Another landmark is Mount Harry, a 194 metres (636.5 ft) hill which falls within the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
Blackcap
Blackcap, East Sussex
Blackcap is a National Trust owned area of countryside on the peak of the South Downs, just south east of the village of Plumpton in East Sussex. It is also mainly part of the Clayton to Offham Escarpment SSSI...
nature reserve.
Hamsey
The main part of Hamsey is a group of fairly large houses including the large country house Hamsey House. Further south, on the banks of the River OuseRiver Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
, there is a collection of converted farm buildings known as Hamsey Place, where there is a large pond with Canada geese
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
. From here there is a lane that ends with St. Peter's Church. This was a prosperous church with a large congregation until the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
decreased the local population so much that by the 19th century it was decided that a new church should be built in the previous hamlet of Offham (this one was also dedicated to St. Peter). It was finished in the 1840s. At one point around this time the parish council were actually considering demolishing Hamsey Church.