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Bailiffscourt see Atherington BalcombeWest Sussex TQ312304 The ‘combe’ in Balcombe means valley in Old English cumb but the ‘bal’ is less easily explained. It may be from the Old England bæl meaning flame of a funeral pyre but pyres were generally lit on top of hills rather than in the valleys. It might be from the Old English beaul meaning evil – suggesting that something unpleasant was associated with this valley, or from the Celtic for sun. More likely it is connected to a name whose origins have been lost over time. The railway, which arrived here in the first half of the nineteenth century, changed the area from a farming community to a commuter village which a large proportion of the residents working in London. In order to get the railway line through to Balcombe it was necessary to build a viaduct which is still in use today and is considered one of the best examples of Victorian railway building – it contains over 11 million bricks. BaldslowEast SussexTQ797131 The name comes from the Old English Beadles hlæw meaning Beald’s hill. It is a fairly high location and was mentioned in 1610 as the site of a beacon. Baldslow was the name of a hundred covering nearby settlements but the village itself was part of the Cinque Ports hundred along with Hastings.Nowadays it is virtually a suburb of Hastings with just a small band of green separating them. Balmer (pronounced bor-mer)East SussexTQ358099 In the hundred of Falmer in the rape of Lewes Little remains of this small hamlet which faced across the valley towards Falmer; mentioned in the Domesday Book as Burgemere the name comes from burh mere meaning the pool (mere) by the stronghold. The pool is long gone but there is evidence of a an ancient stronghold and Roman remains have also been found. The village was referred to in 1541, but the village chapel was lost mid 16th century possibly during the civil war and whatever villagers were left would have had to travel to Falmer’s church. All that is left now is Balmer farm, a few cottages, some bumps in the ground and a field named ‘church laine’ Barcombe / Barcombe CrossEast Sussex TQ415145 In the hundred of Barcombe in the rape of Lewes Barcombe is made up of three villages situated about 3 miles north of Lewes, they are away from main roads and remain quiet country villages. The initial village was Barcombe, a name which comes from the Old English ‘bere camp’ meaning barley field. This village was almost completely abandoned in the 14th century because of the Black Death and the population moved a mile further north to Barcombe Cross which is still the main centre of Barcombe. Barcombe Mills grew up as a result of the milling industry which used the river Ouse as a source of power. At the time of the Domesday Book there were 3½ mills in Barcombe – the half mill was built across the river and therefore split with Isfield on the other side of the river. Earl Godwin who owned the land at the time of the Norman invasion built a bridge over the river Ouse and set up a toll point charging anyone crossing the bridge. It is thought to be the first toll in Sussex and existed until 1939. The Uckfield to Lewes railway line had a station at Barcombe Mills from 1858 which bought added prosperity and importance to the area but the line closed just over one hundred years later in 1969. BarlavingtonWest Sussex SU971161 In the hundred of Rotherbridge in the rape of Arundel This settlement was connected with the tribe of Lafa who had a number of different settlements. Barlavington means the barley farm of Lafa’s people. Their main settlement was at East Lavington (also known as Woolavington). BarnhamWest Sussex SU961044 In the hundred of Binstead in the rape of Arundel This small town used to be a fishing village during the Middle Ages despite now being five miles north of the seaside town of Bognor Regis. Originally there was a tidal tributary of the river Arun running close by which might be why Beorna set up his settlement here. BarnhorneEast SussexTQ698076 The medieval village was built on a hook or horn of land which jutted out into Pevensey Bay. The first part of the name is easily explained as barley growing predominated in the area. The settlement was moved around 1305 probably due to reclamation work carried out by Battle Abbey but neither settlement survived; the reasons for their loss are unknown but it was probably due to a mix of black death, coastal storms and agricultural changes which saw an increase in livestock as opposed to cereal. The only existing evidence of this settlement is Barnhorne Manor. BarnsgateEast SussexTQ485285 This was the location of one of the many gates into Ashdown Forest and the name suggests there was a barn nearby. Not mentioned in the Domesday Book it was first referred to during the reign of Elizabeth I and was probably never much more than the manor house which still exists – now a restaurant. BarphamWest SussexTQ069091 All that remains of this settlement are two farms in the parish of Angmering despite once this being a reasonable sized village with a manor house and church. There appears to be no entry in the Domesday Book but there is an entry for a settlement named Bercheham which could refer to either Barpham or nearby Burpham. In the 16th century Barpham split into two settlements, Upper and Lower Barpham but was badly hit by the Black Death and both settlements were abandoned BattleEast Sussex TQ745161 In the hundred of Netherfield in the rape of Hastings When William the Conqueror did his conquering of England the nearest town was Hastings so the battle became known as the Battle of Hastings but William wanted to build an abbey in thanksgiving and in 1094 St Martins was consecrated and traditionally the high alter marks the spot where King Harold died. Following the arrival of the Normans the royal and legal language became Latin and the area became known as La Batailge meaning ‘the battle place’ and the town which grew up around the abbey became known as Battle. Beckley East SussexTQ853238 The name means Becca’s clearing (OE Beccam leah) – after the Saxon who originally cleared the land. The village has a linear layout following the route of what is now the B2088, with the church located at one end. It is possible there was some relocation by the villagers as a result of the Black Death as there is evidence of plague victims in the graveyard.The manor of Beccanleach was mentioned in Alfred the Great’s will of AD900 who left the land to one of his kinsmen. Iron ore was processed here from 1578 and by the mid 16th century it was a centre for the production of guns and canons probably for the ship builders in Rye and Smallhythe. Much of the industry was away from the village and closer to the Lullington [river/stream] in an area which became known as Beckley Furnace. In addition to iron ore the area also involved in the glass industry during the Middle Ages – one of the nearby farms is named Glass Eye Farm! BeddinghamEast SussexTQ446079 The name shows that this settlement belonged to Beald who also gave his name to Beeding and Balsdean. The name itself is Old English meaning water meadow of Bealda’s people. The Domesday Book mentions 4 salt pans in this area so the village was not entirely dependent on farming. The village is located on the edge of a floodplain which makes it a fertile farming area in what was until the development of the A27 a remote part of East Sussex. Bells Yew Green East SussexTQ609361 An area which was within the Bayham woods and not developed until the trees were cut down to provide charcoal for the iron industry Despite this the village name has nothing to do with trees. Instead the area was named sometime earlier with the development of Bayham Abbey in the early 13th century, the Abbey was initially known as Bels Lieux and over time this became Bells Yew.The actual settlement is fairly modern, most development coming after the development of the Hastings to London train line. BeptonWest SussexSU858182 In the hundred of Easebourne in the rape of Chichester A village not far from the Hampshire border. It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Babintone which has developed from Bæbbing tun the farm of a Saxon woman named Bæbbe but over the years the name has been corrupted and shorted to Bepton. Berwick (pronounced bur-wick)East SussexTQ519051 In the hundred of Alciston in the rape of Pevensey The name is from the Old English bere wic meaning barley farm and is pronounced Bur-wick. There was controversy here in the mid 20th century when the Bishop of Chichester revived the medieval custom of painting murals on the church walls (are they still there / what are/were they of?) Bexhill (on Sea)East SussexTQ735085 In the hundred of Bexhill in the rape of Hastings This area has been occupied for a long time as there is evidence of Neolothic earthworks near the church of St Peters. Records show however that the area was abandoned when the South Saxons arrived – they had to remove a large quantity of a shrub which had overtaken the earthworks. The shrub was known as Byxe (Box) and so the settlement became known as Byxe leah – Box clearing.Bixlea was granted a charter in 771 to build a church and community by King Offa and a small village developed around the hill about a mile from the sea - during the medieval period, Byxyll was a base for smugglers. The growth in the popularity of sea bathing led to its development into a modern sea site resort from around 1885. BignorWest SussexSU985145 In the hundred of Bury in the rape of Arundel The Romans settled in this area but the name they used for their villa and estate is long forgotten and replaced by the Saxon name Bican yfre meaning Bica’s brow referring to Bica the Saxon who settled here and the brow of the nearby hill (Bignor Hill). Bignor is sited on the northern slopes of the South Downs.The village is near to the Roman road - Stane Street and the Roman villa uncovered in 1811 is one of the best examples in the country. BillingshurstWest SussexTQ085255 Many Saxon tribes had more than one settlement associated with them. Billa had his main settlement in Billingham and a second site at Billingas hyrst (Billa’s wooded hill). Billingshurst is sited along Stane Street and it is highly likely that Billa’s tribe is connected with Billingsgate which is at the London end of Stane Street. The Unitarian church built in 1754 is one of the oldest chapels built in Southern England. BilshamWest SussexSU974019 In the rape of Binstead in the rape of Arundel A small settlement, which has been swamped in modern times by Yapton just to the north. There was a small chapel here which dated from the 13th century but it stopped being used for worship from the 16th century, instead it was used as a shed and then was converted into a home. BindertonWest SussexSU849108 In the hundred of Singleton in the rape of Chichester A medieval village of about 300 acres at the time of the Domesday book. Its church was demolished by Thomas Smith in 1660 because it was in the way of the view from his home, Binderton House. His son built a chapel in 1671 which was never consecrated and the only burial there was his own. Today Binderton is a small hamlet in the parish of West Dean. BinstedWest SussexSU982062 In the hundred of Binsted in the rape of Arundel The name means the place where the beans grow, presumably as the heavy soil here was not good for growing many other crops. The settlement did better once they developed a tile and pottery industry but only enough to support a small village. Today it is a rural parish with a scattering of cottages but no defined centre. BirdhamWest SussexSU826001 In the hundred of Wittering in the rape of Chichester A settlement close to Chichester Harbour which has grown in popularity along with sailing in recent years.The earliest mention of this village is in 683 when the Saxon King Caedwalla gave several parishes including Bridham to St Wilfred but there is evidence of earlier Roman occupation. Bishopstone East SussexTQ472010 In the hundred of Flexborough in the rape of Pevensey Not surprisingly given the name (which means Bishops farm) this settlement had strong links to the see of Chichester. It was owned by the Bishop of Chichester at the time of the Domesday Book and was a retreat for the Bishops until the 17th century.Bishopstone flourished in the 16th century when the river Ouse changed course after a storm making Bishopstone a better harbour than nearby Seaford which then silted up. However 200 years later another storm caused the river the change course again and the Bishopstone harbour fell to the same fate as Seaford’s had. Blackboys East SussexTQ524206 Traditionally the name is said to have been the result of the iron industry; the young men handling charcoal would have been black by the end of the day when they came to the local hostelry. Reality is that the name is probably a corruption of Richard Blakeboy whose home was there in 1437. BlackhamEast SussexTQ497401 A settlement very close to the Kent border whose name means black water meadow which probably arose because of the dark marshy ground in the area. Boarshead / Boars HeadEast SussexTQ535328 A small settlement north of Crowborough which is now mostly a scatter of houses and a golf course. The origins of the name are lost but may refer to a stone shaped like a boar or may go back to pagan ritual and animal sacrifice. Bodiam East SussexTQ780258 In the hundred of Staple in the rape of Hastings Bodiam, meaning Boda’s home, is on high ground between the river Rother and one of its tributaries, the Kent Ditch. The river Rother used to be navigable as far as Bodiam Bridge so the landowner obtained permission to fortify his home against possible French invasion in 1385. The result, Bodiam Castle, never saw action against the French but was badly damaged during the Civil War and is now one of the more picturesque English castles. The area was well known for its hop growing and much of its product used to go to Gunness. A railway was built to bring in the hop pickers and when the railway was closed in 1954, it was reopened as a tourist attraction and it one of three places in Sussex check this where you can travel on a steam train. Bodle Street / Bodle Street GreenEast SussexTQ650145 A small rural village which developed during the height of the iron industry being between the Ashburnham Forge and Warbleton Forge. The main road was built to allow the movement of cannons from the forges to Windmill Hill. As the iron industry closed the village returned to its quieter state. There was the possibility of growth again when a railway line was proposed from Hailsham to Robertsbridge but in the end nothing came of this. The village name comes from the Bothel family who lived in the area in the 14th century. Bognor RegisWest SussexSZ934989 Bognor means Bucge’s shore and refers to a landing place owned by a Saxon woman Bucge. The current settlement is the second settlement with the same name. The first having been lost to the sea as a result of coastal erosion in the early part of the 17th century. Bognor was a very small fishing settlement for much of its history as people preferred higher and safer ground and until 1894 was part of South Bersted but when sea bathing grew in popularity people were quick to buy land along the sea front and Sir Richard Hotham , a London hatter, purchased land in Bognor. His development failed to take off as well as other new resorts were able to attract better quality visitors. Another of his failures was to change the name of Bognor to HothamptonThe Regis part of the name was added in 1929 when George V convalesced locally. He actually stayed in Aldwick but it was Bognor which claimed the right to the name change. BolneyWest SussexTQ265235 This is one of the ‘eye’ settlements of Sussex, an eye being a mound of high ground in amongst the marshes. The name evolved from Bollan eg (Bolla’s island) to Bolleneye to Bolneye by 1325. This is one of the villages to benefit from the iron industry; Bolney is sited on the lower slopes of the once heavily wooded Weald and St Leonards Forest and used to burn wood to create charcoal for the furnaces of Cuckfield, Slaugham and Lower Beeding. Bosham (pronounced boz-sum)West SussexSU811043 In the hundred of Bosham in the rape of Chichester A particularly old settlement, referred to in AD750 as Bosanhamm which means the water meadow of Bosa and earlier than that there was a Roman settlement here and it is thought that Vespasian, who became Emperor of Rome, had a villa here. King Canute – a Viking King of England in the 11th century - also lived here and it is here he is said to have ordered the waves to retreat (not as is usually thought because he believed had control of nature, but because he knew he did not. However he wanted to demonstrate this to his followers, who did believe he had control). The Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold attending mass at the church in Bosham before visiting William of Normandy two years before his death at the Battle of Hastings and it is possible he was buried here. Botolphs West SussexTQ189094 The original settlement here was known as Annington and it is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Haningedune. The original name comes from Anningas meaning the people of Anna. The village is located close to the river Adur and was sometimes linked with the bridge over the river – in 1428 it was Annyngdon alias Vetere Ponte. The parish church dates from 950AD and its original dedication was to St Botolphs however when the Norman invaded the dedication was too obscure and they renamed it St Peters. The locals however continued to refer to it as St Botolphs and the church continued with two names for several centuries. Eventually the original dedication of St Botolphs won, the last official use of St Peters was in the 14th century but the effect of this was that the village had, by the process of association, also become known as Botolphs. Botolphs was a prosperous village as a result of local salt production and trade on the nearby river but the salt ran out and the river silted up and so the village reduced in size until in 1897 its ecclesiastical parish was combined with that of Bramber and in 1933 its civil parish was also joined. BoxgroveWest SussexSU906074 In the hundred of Box in the rape of Chichester. Named for the grove of box trees that existed here in the past, this village is known for the human bone found here in 1993 but dating back half a million years. BrackleshamWest SussexSZ810963 The original hamlet of Bracklesham was small and unimportant and few records survive. Nothing survives of the hamlet either which was lost to the sea. For many years there was Bracklesham Farm here but in the 20th century the modern settlement of Bracklesham grew as a holiday and retirement resort. BramberWest SussexTQ186109 In the hundred of Steyning in the rape of Bramber Named for the broom that once must have covered the area this was an important site after the Norman conquest. William the Conqueror wanted to make sure that he retained his new Kingdom and as Sussex was most vulnerable to invasion he gave different rapes to trusted friends and family. Bramber was given to William de Braose who built Bramber castle in 1090 on the site of an earlier Saxon stronghold. Bramber is inland from the coast on the lower reaches of the river Adur. BredeEast SussexTQ825183 The village overlooks a valley known as the Brede Level. Brede comes from the Old English brædu meaning breadth. The river Brede runs through the valley. Brighthelmston see Brighton Brightling East SussexTQ684210 In the hundred of Netherfield in the rape of Hastings An ancient village, the home of Bearhtela’s people in the Saxon period and known as Byrhtlingan in the Domesday Book. It was the site of the last execution in Sussex by burning – in 1776 an elderly woman who had killed her much younger husband and then sat talking to him was burnt at the stake.Brightling was also the home of a local eccentric – Mad Jack Fuller – who is responsible for many unusual buildings in the area including the Sugar Loaf folly, the obelisk on Brighling Down and the 60ft pyramid which marks his grave. He also purchased Bodiam Castle in 1829 and saved it from demolition. Brighton East SussexTQ315065 In the hundred of Whalesbourne in the rape of Lewes The name of this seaside resort has undergone many changes; its origin is Beorthelm’s farm and it had became known as Brighthelmston by 1816 when it was a small fishing village. Then in the first half of the 18th century it was thought that the area’s waters were very healing and Brighhtelmston the fishing village became Brighton the spa town. Many people were attracted to Brighton including the Price Regent who built his ‘farm house’ there (also known as the Brighton Pavilion). Broadbridge HeathWest SussexTQ150315 A settlement located on the heathland next to the bridge which crossed the river Arun; referred to as Bradbruggesheth in 1441. Broad OakEast SussexTQ604223 A self explanatory name but this settlement was known as Motts before the 16th century after the Mott family who lived there. BroadwaterWest SussexTQ150044 In the hundred of Brightford in the rape of Bramber The broad water the settlement was named for was the wide stretch of sea which used to come inland between Worthing and Lancing. Broadwater is now a suburb of Worthing. BroomhillEast Sussexin the area of TQ979176 Originally Prumehill, meaning plum tree hill (Prume is the Saxon word from which plum comes), this is another settlement which has been lost to the sea. There was never much of a hill here, the highest point above sea level was just 16ft and the village was nearly completely destroyed by a storm in 1287 (the same storm which destroyed neighbouring Winchelsea). The stone built church survived and services continued into the 17th century. Nothing much survives today except for stones in a field but a recent excavation found the foundations of the church. BulverhytheEast SussexTQ773085 The name means ‘landing place of the people’ and it has been suggested it was here, near Hastings, that the Norman invaders landed in 1066. First mentioned in the records of the Cinque Ports from the 13th century onwards and a parish church was established in 1372. Records from the 16th century showed it was still a busy port with a growing population but a century later the river began to silt up and its purpose as a harbour was lost along with the population who moved away. The majority of the medieval buildings were lost in storms and all that is left of the church is two sections of flint wall. Bulverhythe is now it is a suburb of Hastings. Burgess HillWest SussexTQ313189 Whilst the town itself is a modern development it is based on an earlier settlement which goes back to Tudor times. The area was not suitable for farming but ideal for clay based industries such as brick and tile making which developed around this time. The name developed from the Burgeys family who lived here in the 14th century.The arrival of the railways in the mid 19th century saw the transformation of this area and an increase in the population from 908 (1851) to nearly 5,000 by the end of that century. Burpham (pronounced bur-fam)West SussexTQ041088 In the hundred of Poling in the rape of Arundel Alfred the Great set up a stronghold here, probably building on an earlier Iron Age fort, to guard against invasion from the Danes in the 8th century. When the Normans invaded, the Saxons also picked this spot to defend from but the Normans had control of Arundel and that proved to be the better strategic point. When the church was built a more sheltered location east of the original settlement was used and a new village grew up around the church effectively moving the village a short distance from its original location.There does not appear to be an entry in the Domesday Book for Burpham but there is a settlement named as Bercheham which could refer to Burpham or its one time neighbour Barpham. BurtonWest SussexSU967175 In the hundred of Rotherbridge in the rape of Arundel This was a big village at the time of the Domesday Book with over 500 acres, a mill, a fishery, meadows and woodlands. The church was not mentioned in the Domesday Book but that and the manor house are all that remain today of the village. Why the village has disappeared is not clear but it had gone by the time of the 17th century Hearth Tax returns. Now the impressive manor house at Burton Park is subdivided into smaller properties. Burwash, Burwash Common, Burwash Weald East SussexTQ676247, TQ639233, TQ651232 Three of the settlements which follow the high land between Heathfield and Hurst Green are Burwash and the hamlets of Burwash Common and Burwash Weald which are now almost joined. Some claim that the name Burwash came from the Romans – that a group of Romans were making their way from Pevensey with their dog Bur. He got dirty in the thick Sussex mud and needed to be washed – hence Bur-wash! However it is more likely that ‘Bur’ refers to a Saxon stronghold in the area (Burh being Old English for stronghold). Burwash Weald started life as Burwash Wheel after the original village pub (which was probably named for Catherine of Aragon why) built in the 13th century was converted into the Poor House in the 18th century. The Church commissioners did not want a poor house in a location named after a pub! Burwash must be one of the few places that have lost a building. Their rectory was dismantled in 1968 and put into storage (being of architectural importance). It has never been seen again! BuryWest SussexTQ011133 In the hundred of Bury in the rape of Arundel The name of this settlement evolved from the Old English Burh meaning stronghold. The village is on the banks of the river Arun and it is likely there was an earthwork here.  BuxtedEast SussexTQ499233 This village was moved in the 18th century when the new manor house was built. Lord Liverpool did not like the village so close to him so he offered to build a new village. The villagers were not so keen to be moved but eventually they were forced to when Liverpool adopted a policy of not repairing their existing properties. The only property to remain was the church, there is no sign now of the original village.The new village prospered especially with the arrival of the railway, the manor house is now a hotel and it sits in very beautiful parkland. |
