Lindfield, West Sussex
Encyclopedia
Lindfield is a village and civil parish
in the Mid Sussex
District of West Sussex
, England
. The parish lies to the north-east of Haywards Heath
, of which the village is a part of the built-up area. It stands on the upper reaches of the River Ouse
. The name 'Lindfield' means 'open land with lime trees.'
The parish Church, All Saints, stands at the top of the High Street and its history goes back to 1098. One of the oldest houses in the village is Church House, formerly known as The Tiger, and still referred to as "The Tiger" by Lindfield residents.
It is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
. It is situated close to both the natural beauty of the High Weald and to Haywards Heath with its amenities and station on the main London-Brighton
railway line.
Lindfield has a rich historic and architectural heritage. The ancient High Street, lined with lime trees, has over forty medieval and post medieval timber-framed houses, with many individual shops. At the bottom of the High Street is a natural spring-fed pond with fish, ducks, swans and herons. Beyond lies the Common which, over the centuries, has witnessed many events - fairs, festivals, bonfire celebrations and sporting activities; cricket has been played there since 1747. Today, it is still central to village celebrations and leisure activities. In addition to the Common there is Pickers' Green, providing pitches for cricket
, football, stoolball
and a children’s play area.
Lindfield first appeared as Lindefeldia, ‘open land with lime trees’, in a Saxon
charter of 765 AD, in which King Ealdwulf
granted lands for the building of a Minster church. By Domesday the lands were held by the Archbishop of Canterbury
.
King Edward III recognised the importance of medieval Lindfield and in 1343 granted the town a royal charter to hold a market every Thursday and two annual eight day fairs. For centuries the fairs continued each April and August with the summer fair becoming one of the largest sheep sales in Sussex.
Lindfield was once part of the thriving Wealden iron industry. As early as 1539, William Levett
of Buxted, a county curate with a thriving sideline in iron and armaments, was recorded as extracting iron ore at Lindfield. Later the Henslowe family of Lindfield were actively engaged in the iron milling business in association with Ralph Hogge, parson Levett's former servant and later a major ironmaster
in his own right.
In 1841 the London-Brighton
railway opened, passing to the west of the parish with a ‘Station for Cuckfield
and Lindfield Towns’ on open land that was to become the town of Haywards Heath
. The construction of the Ouse Valley branch line
reached Lindfield in 1866 with a proposed station to the north of All Saints’ Church but the line was abandoned for financial reasons.
The countryside around Lindfield is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
, which runs through Sussex
, Surrey
and Kent
. The High Weald, an ancient landscape with its small fields, abundant woodlands, rolling hills, narrow steep valleys, heaths and sandstone outcrops, is one of Europe’s rare landscapes. Ashdown Forest
is five miles (8 km) northeast of the village.
Footpaths with views across the Ouse valley radiate into the High Weald from Lindfield. The High Weald Landscape Trail and Sussex Border Path pass close to Lindfield linking with these local paths.
, developed by Shiny Entertainment, features a gigantic strip mining city-vehicle named a 'Minecrawler' which attempts to consume the village.
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...
. The parish lies to the north-east of Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
, of which the village is a part of the built-up area. It stands on the upper reaches of 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 name 'Lindfield' means 'open land with lime trees.'
The parish Church, All Saints, stands at the top of the High Street and its history goes back to 1098. One of the oldest houses in the village is Church House, formerly known as The Tiger, and still referred to as "The Tiger" by Lindfield residents.
It is classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
About the village
The village stands on high ground above the upper reaches 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...
. It is situated close to both the natural beauty of the High Weald and to Haywards Heath with its amenities and station on the main London-Brighton
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
railway line.
Lindfield has a rich historic and architectural heritage. The ancient High Street, lined with lime trees, has over forty medieval and post medieval timber-framed houses, with many individual shops. At the bottom of the High Street is a natural spring-fed pond with fish, ducks, swans and herons. Beyond lies the Common which, over the centuries, has witnessed many events - fairs, festivals, bonfire celebrations and sporting activities; cricket has been played there since 1747. Today, it is still central to village celebrations and leisure activities. In addition to the Common there is Pickers' Green, providing pitches for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, football, stoolball
Stoolball
Stoolball is a sport that dates back to at least the 15th century, originating in Sussex, southern England. It may be an ancestor of cricket , baseball, and rounders...
and a children’s play area.
History
The High Street follows an ancient north-south track that has existed for thousands of years, long before the Romans built a major road a mile to the west of the village.Lindfield first appeared as Lindefeldia, ‘open land with lime trees’, in a Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
charter of 765 AD, in which King Ealdwulf
Ealdwulf of Sussex
Ealdwulf was a King of Sussex, but is known only from his charters. He reigned jointly with Ælfwald and Oslac.Ealdwulf issued an undated charter, believed to be from about 765, as Alduulf rex ....
granted lands for the building of a Minster church. By Domesday the lands were held by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
.
King Edward III recognised the importance of medieval Lindfield and in 1343 granted the town a royal charter to hold a market every Thursday and two annual eight day fairs. For centuries the fairs continued each April and August with the summer fair becoming one of the largest sheep sales in Sussex.
Lindfield was once part of the thriving Wealden iron industry. As early as 1539, William Levett
William Levett (vicar)
William Levett was an English clergyman. An Oxford-educated country rector, he was a pivotal figure in the use of the blast furnace to manufacture iron...
of Buxted, a county curate with a thriving sideline in iron and armaments, was recorded as extracting iron ore at Lindfield. Later the Henslowe family of Lindfield were actively engaged in the iron milling business in association with Ralph Hogge, parson Levett's former servant and later a major 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....
in his own right.
In 1841 the London-Brighton
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
railway opened, passing to the west of the parish with a ‘Station for Cuckfield
Cuckfield
Cuckfield is a large village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester. Nearby towns include Haywards Heath to the southeast and Burgess...
and Lindfield Towns’ on open land that was to become the town of Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
. The construction of the Ouse Valley branch line
Ouse Valley Railway
The Ouse Valley Railway was a railway which was to have formed part of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway . It was authorised by an Act of Parliament and construction of the long line was begun, but not completed...
reached Lindfield in 1866 with a proposed station to the north of All Saints’ Church but the line was abandoned for financial reasons.
Nature and the countryside
The Eastern Road Nature Reserve, off Lewes Road, is a 9 acres (36,421.7 m²) reserve alongside the Scrase Stream. It is managed to encourage diverse vegetation which supports a wealth of wildlife. Myriads of insects and butterflies, together with the autumn fruits, provide food for resident and visiting birds such as warblers, finches and siskins. The wetland areas sustain healthy populations of frogs, newts, dragonflies and other aquatic insects.The countryside around Lindfield is part of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
High Weald AONB
The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is situated in south-east England. Covering an area of , it extends across the counties of Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. It is the fourth largest Area of Outstanding Beauty in England and Wales...
, which runs through Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, 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...
and 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...
. The High Weald, an ancient landscape with its small fields, abundant woodlands, rolling hills, narrow steep valleys, heaths and sandstone outcrops, is one of Europe’s rare landscapes. 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...
is five miles (8 km) northeast of the village.
Footpaths with views across the Ouse valley radiate into the High Weald from Lindfield. The High Weald Landscape Trail and Sussex Border Path pass close to Lindfield linking with these local paths.
Cultural references
The 1997 third-person shooter video game MDKMDK (video game)
MDK is a third-person shooter game developed by Shiny Entertainment and released in 1997 by Playmates Interactive Entertainment in North America and Interplay Entertainment in Europe for the PC, Macintosh, and subsequently PlayStation. It was one of the first PC games to require a Pentium or...
, developed by Shiny Entertainment, features a gigantic strip mining city-vehicle named a 'Minecrawler' which attempts to consume the village.
External links
- Lindfield Parish Council - including a detailed history
- Lindfield History Project Group