Stanmer Park
Encyclopedia
Stanmer Park is a large open park immediately to the west of the University of Sussex
, and to the north-east of the town of Brighton
in the county of East Sussex
, England
, UK
.
The village of Stanmer
, Stanmer House
and Stanmer Church
are within the park, which would once have been the estate of the house. All were private until bought by Brighton's Council in 1947.
Today the park is open to the public, and there is a café in the village. Guided walks of the woods are sometimes available, and in particular, "bat walks" where attendees are shown the considerable local bat population. There is also a plant nursery in the old walled kitchen garden of the estate. It has been producing plants for local parks since the 1950s.
The etymology of the name is "Stony Mere", referring to the stones around the village pond.
The house was built in 1722 around an even earlier one. It was built for the Pelham family who lived there and developed the estate over many years. A mistress of King George IV
also lived there. It reopened in June 2006 after extensive restoration and is now available to hire for weddings and functions. It was used as the first administrative centre of the 1961 University of Sussex, during the construction of its campus over a part of the park. A walk of elm trees was preserved within the campus design, by architect Sir Basil Spence
. It is open to the public on Tuesdays.
The church, adjacent to the village pond, was built in 1838 on the site of a 14th Century building. The Church is now maintained by the Stanmer Preservation Society which also runs Stanmer Rural Museum and the Donkey Wheel.
The woods beyond the park to the north and west lead into Wild Park
and the open South Downs
countryside, which is mooted for a new National Park
(see South Downs National Park
). Immediately to the south of the park runs the major A27 road
.
English Heritage
, under the National Heritage Act 1983, registered the park on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
at Grade II level.
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, and to the north-east of the town of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in the county 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...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Stanmer
Stanmer is a small village on the eastern outskirts of Brighton, in East Sussex, England.-History:Stanmer village pond is surrounded by sarsen stones, which accounts for the place-name, Old English for 'stone pond'. The stones are not in their original situation, but have been gathered on the Downs...
, Stanmer House
Stanmer House
Stanmer House is a Grade I listed mansion west of the village of Falmer and north-east of the city of Brighton and Hove.It stands very close to Stanmer village and Church, within the Stanmer Park...
and Stanmer Church
Stanmer Church
Stanmer Church is a former Anglican church in Stanmer village, on the northeastern edge of the English city of Brighton and Hove. The ancient village stands within Stanmer Park, the former private estate of the Earl of Chichester, which the Brighton Corporation acquired for the benefit of...
are within the park, which would once have been the estate of the house. All were private until bought by Brighton's Council in 1947.
Today the park is open to the public, and there is a café in the village. Guided walks of the woods are sometimes available, and in particular, "bat walks" where attendees are shown the considerable local bat population. There is also a plant nursery in the old walled kitchen garden of the estate. It has been producing plants for local parks since the 1950s.
The etymology of the name is "Stony Mere", referring to the stones around the village pond.
The house was built in 1722 around an even earlier one. It was built for the Pelham family who lived there and developed the estate over many years. A mistress of King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
also lived there. It reopened in June 2006 after extensive restoration and is now available to hire for weddings and functions. It was used as the first administrative centre of the 1961 University of Sussex, during the construction of its campus over a part of the park. A walk of elm trees was preserved within the campus design, by architect Sir Basil Spence
Basil Spence
Sir Basil Urwin Spence, OM, OBE, RA was a Scottish architect, most notably associated with Coventry Cathedral in England and the Beehive in New Zealand, but also responsible for numerous other buildings in the Modernist/Brutalist style.-Training:Spence was born in Bombay, India, the son of Urwin...
. It is open to the public on Tuesdays.
The church, adjacent to the village pond, was built in 1838 on the site of a 14th Century building. The Church is now maintained by the Stanmer Preservation Society which also runs Stanmer Rural Museum and the Donkey Wheel.
The woods beyond the park to the north and west lead into Wild Park
Wild Park
Wild Park is a public park located in Brighton, East Sussex, England.It made the headlines in tragic circumstances on 10 October 1986 when the bodies of two missing nine-year-old girls were found there...
and the open 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...
countryside, which is mooted for a new National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
(see South Downs National Park
South Downs National Park
The South Downs National Park is England's newest National Park, having become fully operational on 1 April 2011. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in the east through the counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex...
). Immediately to the south of the park runs the major A27 road
A27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
.
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...
, under the National Heritage Act 1983, registered the park on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
In England, the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by English Heritage under the provisions of the National...
at Grade II level.
External links
- Stanmer Park (Brighton and Hove Council website)
- http://www.stanmerhouse.co.uk/ Stanmer House website
- Stanmer Preservation Society
- http://www.fosp.org.uk The Friends of Stanmer Park website