Chiddingly ( ) is an English village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the Wealden District of the administrative county of East Sussex, within historic Sussex, some five miles (8 km) northwest of

Hailsham Hailsham is a town, a civil parish and the administrative centre of the Wealden district of East Sussex, England.OS Explorer map Eastbourne and Beachy Head Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Dat ...

. The parish is rural in character: it includes the village of Chiddingly and a collection of

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

: the largest of these being Muddles Green and Thunder's Hill; others being Gun Hill, Whitesmith, Holmes Hill, Golden Cross, Broomham and the westernmost extremity of Upper Dicker. It covers of countryside. Of the more than 340 dwellings in the parish, over fifty have the word "Farm" in their postal address.

Geography

The parish is in the Low

Weald The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent. It has three parts, the sandstone "High W ...

. In common with

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, it is situated over seven

hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

s: Thunders Hill; Gun Hill; Pick Hill; Stone Hill; Scrapers Hill; Burgh Hill, and Holmes Hill, which is on the

A22 road The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. Radial, it carries traffic from London to the Eastbourne area of the East Sussex coast, in which town it ends. History Turnpikes For part of its route the A22 utilises ...

in the south of the parish. Tributaries of the

River Cuckmere The Cuckmere River rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning "fast-flowing", since it descends over in its initial . It flows into ...

flow both north and south of the village. The parish is situated in the Hundred of Shiplake, and within Pevensey Rape. Link here to
Parish Map
delineating the parish boundary over a zoomable Ordnance Survey map, courtesy of the very fin
Saturday Walkers' Club

Governance

Chiddingly is part of the

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

called Chiddingly and East Hoathly. The population of this ward taken at the 2011 Census was 3,220.

History

The presence of low-grade

iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

in the local sandstone supported

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to extract a desired base metal product. It is a form of extractive metallurgy that is used to obtain many metals such as iron-making, iron, copper extraction, copper ...

in the area. The final ''-ly'' of the name suggests that the village had

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

origins. The

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 refers to ''Cetelingei'' with just three households, including a miller and mill. The 'Chiddingly Boar', found in 1999, was a gilt-silver badge likely to have belonged to a supporter of

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

during the Wars of the Roses, and probably lost or discarded in the 1480s; it is now in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

and has been adopted as the emblem of the parish Bonfire Society who process through the streets of Sussex each autumn bearing a taxidermy wild boar's head (known as Smutty Sue, and newly resplendent with a full set of tusks) by way of a standard. Many contemporary badges of a similar design were made of pewter, but the Chiddingly example is one of only three known pieces fashioned from precious metals - another having been found on the site of Richard's dénouement at the

Battle of Bosworth Field The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field ( ) was the last significant battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the houses of House of Lancaster, Lancaster and House of York, York that extended across England in the latter half ...

in 1485, and the third on the foreshore of the River Thames. There are a large number of

manorial Manorialism, also known as seigneurialism, the manor system or manorial system, was the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of Europe, notably France and later England, during the Middle Ages. Its defining features included a large, ...

buildings in the parish, including Chiddingly Place, rebuilt c. 1574 by Sir John Jefferay,

Chief Baron of the Exchequer The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who pres ...

in 1577; scattered remnants of its E-shaped wings remain, such as the east wing, later called "The Chapel/Chapel Barn" and now known as 'Jefferay House', and sections of the main range west of the demolished Great Hall.

The village was on the periphery of Sussex's endemic smuggling trade in the 18th century, but even this insubstantial link has left an indelible mark on the area - albeit one of somewhat dubious provenance - by way of 'the Ghost of the Staggering Smuggler'. As reported in the ‘’Derby Mercury’’ of 1786, a violent and wide-ranging confrontation took place between a gang of smugglers and a group of excise officers which culminated in a pitched battle at the eastern end of Stalkers Lane - towards Smithlands Wood and the Bull River - in the July of that same year. This encounter left one of the freebooters fatally wounded - 'miserably cut about the head and other parts of the body' - and he reputedly sought refuge in the outbuildings around Stream Farm where he duly expired. It is claimed that on occasion his spirit has been seen staggering around, as if mortally wounded and in search of its deathbed... Leading the 'ten shilling men' in pursuit of the smugglers was an excise officer said to come from Rounden in Kent - this was a contemporary 18th century slang term for Rolvenden, situated between Benenden and Tenterden.

Points of interest

Burgh Hill Farm Meadow is a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

(SSSI) within the parish. This is a hedgerow-surrounded meadow of an uncommon grassland type. The

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

at Chiddingly is of unknown date and dedication, but references to it occur from the 13th century. Today the parish is part of a united

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

with the neighbouring parish of East Hoathly. A

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

was founded in Chiddingly in 1901. Chiddingly has a

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

The Golden Cross Public House - geograph

The annual Chiddingly Festival hosts an eclectic selection of artistic endeavours in and around the village each autumn, with performers of not insubstantial renown having taken their place in the programme over the years . Chiddingly had four

public houses A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

: The Six Bells Inn, in the centre of the village, and The Gun Inn - both of which are still open - The Golden Cross Inn (which closed in 2015 and has now been converted to flats) and The Bat & Ball at Holmes Hill, closed for many years and now a private residence. The parish is also home to the Gun Brewery, which serves its own produce via a tap room, and hosts many functions and events during the course of the year. Chiddingly has a

village hall A village hall is a public building in a rural or suburban community which functions as a community centre without a religious affiliation. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, a village hall is a building which is owned by a local gover ...

. Chiddingly also has a museum and archive. The Farley Farm House gallery features the lives and work of

Roland Penrose Sir Roland Algernon Penrose (14 October 1900 – 23 April 1984) was an English artist, historian and poet. He was a major promoter and collector of modern art and an associate of the surrealists in the United Kingdom. During the Second World ...

and Lee Miller and is open for guided tours on pre-determined days. Stone Hill is a well preserved medieval hall house dating from the 15th century, with a large park garden. In the early 20th century, the house was owned by J.M. Barrie, author of ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'', who lived there until 1934. In the 1970s and 1980s the property was owned by composer and pianist

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 194411 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He be ...

(founder of

The Nice The Nice were an English progressive rock band active in the late 1960s. They blended rock, jazz and classical music. Keyboardist Keith Emerson, bassist Lee Jackson (bassist), Lee Jackson, guitarist David O'List, and drummer Ian Hague ori ...

and

Emerson, Lake & Palmer Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock Supergroup (music), supergroup formed in London in 1970. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards) of The Nice, Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, producer) ...

), who lived there with his family. At his Steinway piano in the barn he composed famous music pieces, such as "Karn Evil 9" and "Piano Concerto No.1". Chiddingly Parish Bonfire Society 2024

There is a thriving bonfire society which represents the parish during the Sussex Bonfire season, and hosts its own event in late November. Given the importance to the village of the iron industry since its first manifestation under the Romans, these celebrations also include reference to Old Clem's Night – traditional festivities intended to celebrate St Clement, patron saint of blacksmiths. At other locations where the same folk ritual is observed – and attended by genuine blacksmiths – a high point is 'the firing of the anvil' where a charge of black powder is placed in the hardy or pritchel hole of a real anvil, and ignited to general acclaim. The bonfire society instead fabricate an enormous anvil from heavy-duty cardboard, stuff it with pyrotechnics and blow the thing to pieces as a precursor to their main firework display. Historical pursuits in the village included a biannual 'rook shoot' around Latchett Wood which provided the staple ingredient of rook pie for the participants - a welcome addition to their usual impoverished agrarian fare - and, more esoterically, the recreation ground opposite the present school is marked on several older maps as a 'wrestling place'. The village cricket club has been extant for many years, disporting themselves with enthusiasm and no little skill across the grounds of the county, although football and rugby seem only to have had prompted more fleeting interest, by way of irregular teams raised by patrons of The Six Bells. In 1971 the

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

Philip Trevelyan made the

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

'' The Moon and the Sledgehammer'' about the Page family, who lived in a

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

outside the village and operated two

traction engine A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any ...

s: an Allchin and a Fowler. A maze of willow trees near Whitesmith was planted by a local farmer in the shape of a quotation from the bible. Chiddingly village is adjacent to East Hoathly (a mile and three quarters away, as the crow flies); in West Sussex, to the south east of Crawley, the hamlet of Chiddinglye can be found in similar proximity to West Hoathly.

Notable people

* Alfred Feist (1835–1873), New Zealand preacher. *

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor and film director. Known for his intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guy" characters, he began his career on stage before making his screen breakthrough pl ...

(1942–2014), English actor, star of '' The Long Good Friday'', '' On The Move'' and other film and tv productions. * Lee Miller (1907–1977), American photographer and photojournalist. *

(1900–1984), English artist, historian and poet.

References

File:Chiddingly Church - geograph.org.uk - 59873.jpg, File:Chiddingly Church.jpg, File:Dicker Mill House, Golden Cross - geograph.org.uk - 177461.jpg, File:Golden Cross Inn, Golden Cross - geograph.org.uk - 177459.jpg, File:Stonehill Farmhouse, Stone hill, Chiddingly, East Sussex - geograph.org.uk - 1283848.jpg,

External links

Chiddingly Parish Bonfire Society
* {{authority control Villages in East Sussex Civil parishes in East Sussex Wealden District