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Lindfield Life

After The Great War in Lindfield

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

Welcome Home parade arriving at Kind Edward Hall

Today we have grown used to receiving news as it happens 24 hours a day, whereas one hundred years ago newspapers were the almost universal means for the public to receive news.

News of the Armistice on 11th November 1918 bringing to an end the fighting took time to spread and was not widely received until the following day. People needed to read it to believe it was true. There was a joyous but muted reaction in Lindfield and across Mid Sussex, with no organised public celebratory events.

The Mid Sussex Times reported that ‘During the past week the inhabitants of Mid Sussex have been in high spirits because of the cessation of hostilities. Joyous peals have been rung upon the church bells. Cottagers have displayed from their humble homes such flags as they could get hold of, bonfires have been lighted, and rich and poor have mingled together in the Services of Thanksgiving.’

Some took high spirits further than others. Ellen Baxter, from Horsted Keynes whose husband was serving in France, was brought before Haywards Heath magistrates. She had been celebrating with friends in Lindfield, and was found drunk and incapable beside the road at Town Hill, Lindfield on 12th November. Police enquiries failed to find out where in Lindfield she had been served her drinks. Mrs Baxter was fined five shillings.

Within weeks of the Armistice, thought was being given to a memorial for the fallen and welcome celebrations for the returning service men. Lindfield received praise from the Mid Sussex Times for being first to start planning a welcome home event. Following a well-attended meeting in the Reading Room, a committee of twenty was formed and a fund for donations opened in early January 1919; this received a Welcome Home parade arriving at King Edward Hall generous response. The date set for the Welcome Home Day was 28th May 1919, as it had been expected most servicemen would have returned by then. However, many were still to be demobilised which continued into 1920.

Shops and houses were decorated with flags, bunting and banners in readiness for the celebrations. These started at 5pm with a Service of Thanksgiving in All Saints Church. Afterwards, the men formed up behind the Ardingly Band and to the tune ‘Sons of the Brave’ marched down the High Street accompanied by their families and watched by a large crowd. Outside King Edward Hall, the crowd cheered the men into the Hall.

Following a warm welcome by the committee, about 140 men sat down in King Edward Hall to a ‘capital spread’.

The menu was:

Roast Beef
Hams
Tongues
Steak & Kidney Pies
Veal & Ham Pies
Braised Beef
French Salads, Tomato Salads, Potatoes

************

Blancmanges
Strawberry Creams
Lemon Jellies
Fruit Salad

************
Cheese & Oliver Biscuits

************

Ale, Lemonade, Ginger Beer, Coffee
Cigars & Cigarettes

The meal was followed by speeches of thanks and toasts from the top table. After the formalities, the men were treated to musical entertainments and a ‘sleight of hand’ show. The evening closed with the National Anthem and Auld Lang Syne.
The Welcome Home Committee also arranged for demobilised men to receive complimentary membership of the Lindfield Club for 1919. From the funds donated there was a surplus of £55 and this was used to start the War Memorial Fund.

The Great War did not officially end until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28th June 1919. The government decreed Saturday 19th July 1919 as Peace Day and called for towns and villages across the country to organise events to celebrate the war’s end. Again generously funded by voluntary subscriptions, the Lindfield Peace Day featured a full programme of events:

10am Service at All Saints Church
10.30am Decorated cycle parade in fancy dress down the High Street
11am Cricket match on the Common; Cricket Club Captain’s Team v Wednesday Captain’s Team. Tennis and bowls matches were also played.
2pm Children’s sports on the Common followed by tea in the Reading Room
4pm Adults’ tea buffet in King Edward Hall 5pm Adult sports on the Common and aquatic events on the Pond
7pm A dance in King Edward Hall
9.30pm Illuminations around the Pond
10pm Fireworks and bonfire on the Common

A Victory Ball was also held in the King Edward Hall on Wednesday 23rd July 1919 with some 90 people attending, many in fancy dress. The dancing continued into the early hours.

After four years of sacrifice and hardship, the coming of peace brought many social issues, including an expectation throughout the country that returning servicemen should live in a land fit for heroes. In January 1919, with men starting to return, the Cuckfield Rural District Council asked Parish Councils about additional housing requirements for the working classes. The need for new low rent houses was discussed at length by Lindfield Parish Council. It was also considered Welcome Home parade in the High Street by the Lindfield Women’s Institute, whose members were concerned by the lack of workers’ houses and the insanitary conditions prevailing in many existing properties. This was emphasised by some ex- servicemen’s call for the village war memorial to take the form of public bath facilities.

The Women’s Institute advised the Lindfield Parish Council that many modern cottages were needed in the village. However, after much deliberation, regarding rents and costs, the Parish Council advised the District Council that only 10 or 12 new worker’s houses were needed. Less than half these numbers were built.

On a lighter note, the Parish Council asked the War Office about the availability of war trophies and was told to contact the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex. At the September 1919 Council meeting, the Chairman reported the Lord Lieutenant had advised twelve rifles would be available. ‘It is not what we hoped to receive’, commented the Chairman, with another Councillor suggesting ‘the centre of Bents Wood would be a good place to put them or they might dispose of them at a jumble sale’. However, it was resolved to accept the rifles. Clearly, the Parish Council were disappointed, as it is thought they were hoping to receive an artillery gun! What happened to the rifles is not known.

Lindfield’s village War Memorial

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

November 2018 marks one hundred years since the signing of the Armistice brought to an end the fighting in the Great War. Lindfield Life, in the Lest We Forget column, has been listing the men and sons of Lindfield who died as a result of the war. Their names are recorded for all time on the memorials in the churchyard and south transept of All Saints church.

As we remember them, it is timely to look at the Village War Memorial in the churchyard and its dedication in November 1922. Initial thoughts on a memorial for the village, as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by local men, were first expressed in early 1919. However, it was not until 1920, following formation of a War Memorial Committee by the Parish Council, that discussions started in earnest. Over numerous meetings the Committee considered various suggestions to be funded by public subscription, including a monument, public bath facilities, housing for ex-servicemen, endowed beds at Haywards Heath Cottage Hospital and a scholarship fund for village children. After protracted discussions agreement was eventually reached on a stone monument as this would be a lasting tribute where flowers could be placed by relatives.

Various sites were considered, including in the middle of the High Street at the junction with Lewes Road. A site on the Common at the southern approach to the village became much favoured, although there were concerns about possible damage. At a meeting of subscribers held in August 1921, All Saints churchyard was unanimously decided upon as the preferred site. The Committee commissioned Ninian Comper (knighted in the 1950s) to design the monument, and he visited the churchyard producing a design to specifically address the location and space available. The chosen position was in the west boundary wall, which would ensure the memorial could be seen by passers-by in the High Street and all entering All Saints church.

Sir John Ninian Comper (1864-1960) is regarded as the greatest British church architect of the 20th century and one of the last great gothic revival architects. Noted for his churches, their furnishings and stained glass, he attended Ruskin School of Art at Oxford. Afterwards he worked as an assistant to Charles Eamer Kempe, the renowned stained glass artist and church decorator, before being articled to Frederick Bodley. Then he joined Thomas Garner and later went into partnership with William Bucknall.

After the Great War, Ninian Comper received a number of commissions for war memorials, the most notable being the Welsh National War Memorial in Cardiff. Crosses with Calvary or lantern heads were his favoured designs for monuments in town and villages. The War Memorial Committee is thought to have chosen Comper due to his connection with Charles Eamer Kempe, whose country house had been at Lindfield. It was now occupied by his nephew, Walter Tower, a prominent member of the War Memorial Committee; and, as the owner of C E Kempe & Co, he probably knew Ninian Comper.

Calvary Cross

The estimate for the Calvary cross design chosen by the Committee was £328 plus £37 extra for inscribing the names, totalling £365 excluding architects fees. The sum subscribed to the fund by villagers stood at £425.

Comper worked in collaboration with William Drinkwater Gough (c1861-1937), a well respected mason and sculptor based in Kennington, south London, and the making of the Lindfield cross is attributed to Gough. Facing west on to the High Street, the memorial takes the form of a churchyard cross built into the churchyard boundary wall. Made in Clipsham stone from Rutland, the tapering octagonal column ascends some 20 feet to a cross. The column stands on four classic scrolls mounted on a square plinth set at an angle into the boundary wall.
At the head of the column is a cross, upon the west side is the Calvary with the elaborately sculptured figures of Christ crucified and standing on a ledge beside Christ are John, his beloved disciple, and Mary Magdalene. At the top of the cross is a scroll bearing the letters INRI standing for ‘Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews’; being the sign placed over Christ’s head during the Crucifixion. In the centre of the ledge beneath the feet of Christ is a shield with stylised Greek letters for alpha and omega with a pattee cross; a device for naming the figure on the cross as Christ the Redeemer, as in ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end’ (Revelation 1:8). Upon the reverse of the cross, facing east, is the figure of the Madonna with the Divine Child. Centrally on the ledge is a shield inscribed with the letters IHS. The letters are recognised as having a number of meanings relating to Jesus, the most fitting being ‘in this cross is salvation’.

Engraved on the left side of the inward facing base is ‘1914’ and below the inscription ‘CHRIST DIED FOR ALL MEN’ and on the right ‘1918’ and ‘THESE FOR THEIR COUNTRY’. On either side of the base are stones set into the wall on which are inscribed the 61 names of the fallen in alphabetical order without rank. On Sunday 12th November 1922 almost 100 ex- service men assembled on the Common and marched to All Saints church, headed by the Lindfield Boy Scouts’ Drum and Bugle band, for the Dedication Service. Lining the roadway outside the church were the Lindfield Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs, Lindfield Girl Guides and Scaynes Hill Girl Guides. In addition to the ex-service men, the congregation included relatives of the fallen, members of the Parish Council, the Voluntary Aid Detachment and War Memorial Committee.

After the service, which included the recital of the names of the men who died, the congregation was led to the memorial behind the processional cross borne by Jesse Newnham Jnr. Three of his brothers had been killed in the war. A large crowd had gathered awaiting the dedication. The Bishop of Lewes pulled away the flag covering the names and read the prayers of dedication followed by a well-received address.

This was followed by John Arkwright’s hymn ‘The Supreme Sacrifice’, the bugle calls ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’, a minute’s silence, the laying of wreaths and the National Anthem. Mr Stevens, chairman of War Memorial Committee, then handed over the memorial to the village with the words: ‘On behalf of the subscribers to this memorial, I hereby deliver it to the village of Lindfield, to be tended and cared for through all generations’. Afterwards, the ex-service men were entertained to tea in The Tiger.

The generation that suffered so much loss and hardship gave Lindfield a memorial worthy of their sacrifice and for the remembrance of their fallen. It is our duty to ensure that those who died are remembered and their memorial is cared for and protected for the future.

Lindfield’s River Ouse and Deans Mill - Part 1

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

When did you last stand on Lindfield Bridge and look at the river? It is quite easy when driving from Lindfield towards Ardingly not to notice you cross a bridge over the Ouse, as only the briefest glimpse of the river is possible. The dark, slow flowing water passes through private land with no public access, perhaps making it Lindfield’s hidden and forgotten river.

The Ouse is 33 miles long and flows south in a gentle curve. Starting as a trickle near Lower Beeding it gains strength from a spring at Slaugham, and further small tributaries join as it journeys towards Upper Rylands Bridge (by the Balcombe viaduct). By the time it flows
to the north of Lindfield it has grown into a river. The Scrase Stream that meanders through Lindfield joins beyond East Mascalls. The Ouse continues on its curving journey passing through Lewes and onward to the sea. Until medieval times it entered the sea at Seaford, but, due to silting up, the mouth became inaccessible to the larger ships being built at that time. In 1539 a man-made cut was made to take the river directly to the sea, with the new exit being named Newhaven, allowing ships to access Lewes. From Lewes to the sea the river was known as ‘The Great River of Lewes’ then pronounced Looze, from which the name Ouse is derived. The river upstream from Lewes was known as the Middewinde (various spellings) meaning middle. The last evidence for this name being formally in use was some hundred years ago when Midwyn Bridge was renamed Lindfield Bridge. The current bridge dates from 1938.

Throughout history the river has been a route for small craft to journey into the heart of mid Sussex. Thomas Pelham of Stanmer Park, MP for Sussex, arranged in 1787, at the height of canal mania, for William Jessop to undertake a survey to see if the river could be made avigable for barges from Lewes to Slaugham. Jessop’s report suggested the river be ‘canalised’, that is straightened, widened and deepened, from Lewes to Pilstye Bridge (on the Cuckfield- Balcombe road). The estimated cost was £13,595. The Upper Ouse Navigation Act passed through Parliament in 1790, creating The Company of Proprietors of the River Ouse. A contract for construction at the cost of £15,199 was signed and work started with a completion date scheduled for May 1792. Work did not go to plan and the builders were replaced in 1802. It was not until 1809 that 30 tonne barges, measuring 50ft long, could reach Pim’s Lock at Lindfield. From the passing of the Act, it had taken 19 years to complete 19 miles with 15 locks. The decision was then made to terminate the navigation at Upper Rylands Bridge (the hump back bridge by the Balcombe viaduct). This final section opened on 22nd April 1812, required four locks and a small basin for the barges to turn in, which has long been filled in, but the wharf cottages remain to this day.

The total cost was massively more than the original estimates. Tolls never reached the expected levels and, to make matters worse, the clerk responsible for managing the toll money was accused of misappropriating the money over a ten year period.

The main cargos were wood, chalk, marle and coal, charged by the tonne per mile. Trade gradually improved and in the 1830s the canal company secured a contract from the London Brighton & South Coast Railway to transport the building materials to build the viaduct
at Balcombe. The coming of the railways signalled the terminal decline of the Ouse Navigation and the company closed in 1859.

A trade reliant on the river that lasted significantly longer was milling, with many mills being built on the river above Lewes. From the eighth century, land in and around Lindfield was controlled by the Canons of South Malling, with their Dean holding the land adjacent to today’s Lindfield Bridge. A short distance downstream, the Dean was responsible for building a water powered mill on the banks of the river, hence the name Dean’s Mill. A mill has existed on this site for over a thousand years. After the dissolution of religious houses by Henry VIII in the mid-1500s the mill passed into secular ownership. Following changing owners several times, it was acquired in the 1700s by the Pim family and a new mill was built in 1761. For a time their mill was both a corn and paper mill with both trades continuing to about 1850 when paper making ceased.

By 1858 the Pim family had left, and the mill was next occupied by Robert Jenner and his son, Samuel. In 1880 a new mill, which stands to this day, had to be built as the Pim’s mill building was virtually destroyed by a severe storm. The milling continued, with a succession of millers, until around 1930.

Dean’s Mill was bought by Mr and Mrs Horsfield in 1935 and milling recommenced, and, with a change in ownership in 1957, production of stoneground flour continued until 1976 when all milling ceased. The mill is now a private residence.

Shortly after acquiring the mill, Mr Horsfield diversified the business by converting the Elizabethan barn that stood in the grounds into a tea room and constructed a narrow gauge railway, Dean’s Mill Railway, as a visitor attraction. The railway opened in 1937 and comprised some three hundred yards of track with cuttings, a short tunnel and station platform. Passengers travelled in an open carriage fitted with rows of bench seats, initially pulled by a small steam tank locomotive but this was soon replaced. Service was suspended during the war and recommenced with a petrol powered locomotive. The railway remained popular until its closure in 1957 following the mill’s change in ownership. A Lindfield Life reader, Ron Batchelor, fondly remembers ‘it was a real treat to be taken by my parents on a Sunday afternoon to Dean’s Mill for a ride on the little railway with tea afterwards’. A memory no doubt shared by many youngsters in the decade after the war.

Find Part 2 of Down by the River here.

Lindfield’s River Ouse, Deans Mill - Part 2

Part 1 can be found here

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

Last month’s article (found in Lindfield History Articles December 2018) looked at the River Ouse and Deans Mill, this month’s explores more nearby features along the river.

Did you know Lindfield has a castle? If Historic England’s Monuments Schedule is to be believed, on the northern bank some 500m downstream from Lindfield Bridge, on strictly private land, stand the remains of earth works described as a motte and bailey, dating to Norman times. Named Lindfield Castle it is also marked on Ordnance Survey maps as a motte and bailey, although all that remains today are a series of bumps covered by bushes and trees. Historic England’s record says the motte at the centre measures about 40m across and stands some 1.5m high. This was surrounded by a broad moat which joined to the river through gaps in the outer earthworks. North-west of the motte is a crescent shaped bailey 45m long. Outside a ditch linked to a stream entirely surrounded the castle. Such defensive structures were constructed in towns and on open land. The listing describes its position as ‘strong yet strategic location for policing of traffic crossing the Ouse’. However their papers do indicate an element of doubt as to its origin and suggest it might have been a system of fish ponds. This is plausible as in 1175 a nunnery was established somewhere close to the castle site. Fish ponds were a feature of religious houses in medieval times. Another suggestion is the remains of a moated farmhouse.

Interestingly, on the 1845 Tithe Map, the earthworks are labelled ‘site of a priory’. The adjoining two fields carried the names Nunnery Pond and Nunnery Plot, while standing close by is a wood which to this day is called Nunnery Wood. This small nunnery was no doubt closed on the orders of Henry VIII and quickly became a ruin. Since that time all traces of the stonework have disappeared.

As an aside, hanging on the wall in the Library Room, King Edward Hall is a copy 1840s map. Although difficult to see, in the top right hand corner is a small drawing that purports to show ‘The Ruins of Lindfield Nunnery as they appeared in 1601’ with a pond in the foreground. Without an archaeological survey the precise location of the nunnery and the true origin of the earthworks will remain undiscovered, but it is pleasing to think Lindfield might have had a Norman castle. A fact beyond doubt is that the Ouse did have an important strategic defensive role during World War Two. Early in the war, in the event of a German invasion breaching the Sussex coastal defences, ‘stop lines’ were created along natural features to halt or at least slow any advance. One of the most important lines ran west to east along the Rivers Arun and Ouse with an anti-tank ditch joining them between Handcross and Slaugham.

The northern riverbank at Lindfield was revetted with vertical tree trunks making it difficult for tanks to mount the bank, so forcing them towards Lindfield Bridge which was heavily defended with anti-tank blocks, barbed wire and a pillbox. It was the responsibility of the Lindfield Home Guard to man this Type 28 pillbox, which still exists today just north of the bridge. There were similar defensive positions at the other local bridges. Home Guard member Sid Cross recounted several years ago being equipped with a Lee Enfield rifle and ten rounds of ammunition and told ‘that was enough to kill 12 of the enemy – ten with bullets, one with the bayonet and the last with the rifle butt’. An anti-tank gun was not received until later in the war. Thankfully, the invasion threat soon receded! A short distance along the road is the southern entrance to Paxhill, which during the war was a Canadian Army camp.

There were similar invasion fears in the mid-19th century arising from the French, resulting in the Sussex Rifle Volunteer Corps being formed to defend the county. It was essential for these part-time soldiers to be able to shoot accurately. For 25 years, the men of the Lindfield unit had ‘been subjected to the inconvenience of having to walk to Cuckfield for target practice’. To correct this unsatisfactory situation, Colonel Dudley Sampson, the owner of Buxshalls, made land available upstream of Lindfield Bridge for use as a firing range. In August 1886, the 300 yard range was opened with much ceremony and a mock battle defending a nearby foot bridge. Two years later the range was extended to 600 yards and it was hoped this facility would encourage more Lindfield men to join the volunteers.

A more peaceful pursuit, also on Buxshalls Estate’s land, was established about 200m upstream from Lindfield Bridge, when in May 1906 the Lindfield Swimming Club was formed. Colonel Dudley Sampson agreed to grant the club permission to use a section of his riverbank, provided everything was conducted in a proper manner and all non-costumed bathers treated as trespassers. Accordingly, club rules were established, and approved by the Colonel, prohibiting card playing, gambling and other improper conduct and requiring all bathers to wear full ‘University costumes’ in the club’s colour of navy blue. From the annual subscription rates it would appear membership was initially only open to men and boys.

The bathing place, as it was known, was soon set up with a changing hut and the land fenced off. Arrangements were made with the miller at Dean’s Mill to shut the sluice gates during Friday evenings to allow water to build up for the weekend. This allowed members to dive from low boards.

The club thrived, women were permitted to join and facilities constantly improved including men’s and women’s changing huts; a newspaper report also mentions a ‘clubhouse’. In 1924 the club had 229 members made up of 156 gentlemen and 73 ladies. It was decided to construct a new diving stage spanning the river, with platforms at 6ft, 10ft, 14ft and 18ft, and room ‘for ten persons to dive off the stage at once’. Permission was given to deepen the centre of the river to allow safe diving from the new higher top platform. Arrangements to blast the riverbed were duly made!

Swimming galas and diving competitions were regularly arranged for members and matches against other local clubs, with cups and medals duly awarded. The bathing place provided much enjoyment for villagers and many children learnt to swim and dive in the river. Sadly the facility was closed in 1938 due to a polio scare in Lindfield.

On this section of the Ouse, historic records for the 1500s and 1600s suggest a fulling mill stood, unfortunately little information is available, although its one time existence appears to be reflected in the names of the nearby farm and derelict river lock. Finally, adjacent to Lindfield Bridge, for many years during the 19th century, was a wharf, mainly for coal carried up the river from Lewes. The facility to transport coal in bulk by barge allowed Lindfield residents to enjoy cheaper coal and increased its usage in the village.

Who lived in that house - Paxhill

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

Paxhill around early 1900s

This month’s article focuses on the large house, Paxhill, which stands on the hill to the north east of Lindfield Bridge, and its lands.

In common with much of Lindfield, its origins can be traced back to Saxon times, when the lands are first mentioned in the copy charter dated 765. The relevant section has been translated as, ‘the sloping enclosure, Walstead, Lindfield, Paxhill and Buxshalls’ which are described as ‘pastus porcorum’; swine pastures. Paxhill appears in the charter as ‘Bacanscylfes’ and this name carries through for many hundred years. In medieval times a nunnery stood close to the river. The wealthy local Borde family, variously spelt e.g. Board, are known to have owned the estate from at least the mid-1500s and the name Paxhill start to appear in records from the early seventeenth century.

The house we see today was built by Ninian Borde between 1595 and 1606 in the Elizabethan style to replace an earlier house. The latter date and his initials are inscribed above the main entrance. It is said some of the stones for the building came from the ruined nearby nunnery. On Ninian Borde’s death in 1606, the estate passed down through the family, with the last male heir William Board dying in 1790, leaving a widow, Harriot, (nee Crawfurd) and three daughters, Louisa, Harriot and Fanny Board. Paxhill passed into the Crawfurd family through the marriage of Fanny Board to her cousin Thomas Gibbs Crawford of Saint Hill, East Grinstead. Their son married Clara Homfray, of Honingham Hall, Norfolk in 1825 at Lindfield church, and their two daughters, Jane and Laura Crawfurd, inherited Paxhill estate in 1840. From 1828, the estate was leased until family members returned during the late 1840s.

In 1849, Jane Crawfurd married Arthur Smith, who (with his brother Albert) became well known as the first Englishmen to climb Mont Blanc on 12th August 1851. During the 1850s, Arthur Smith managed the Egyptian Hall in London and with his brother gave performances recounting their exploits on Mont Blanc. Being acquainted with Charles Dickens, during the late 1850s he handled the bookings for his readings and accompanied him on tour, in effect acting as Charles Dickens’ tour manager.

Drawing by SH Grimm dated c1787

On land adjacent to the Ardingly road within the Paxhill estate, Arthur Smith built The Chalet in the early 1850s. Arthur Smith died in 1861 and two years later Jane Smith married Emile Bouchard, an officer in the French Hussars, and the property became part of the marriage settlement. The Chalet subsequently passed through many owners before becoming a religious house, St Margaret’s, and latterly in 1967 the Convent of the Holy Rood for the Sisters of the Cross. Today known as Hollyrood, it is a Disabilities Trust adult residential home.

By 1855, Arthur and Jane Smith together with her sister, Laura Crawfurd, had left Lindfield to live in their London house in Grosvenor Place. Paxhill was leased before being sold in 1856, thus ending some 300 years of ownership by the Borde/Board and Crawfurd families. The purchaser, Rev Borsley, quickly sold it to Thomas Herbert Noyes of East Mascalls, Lindfield, who lived in the house for a short time. Subsequently it was bought in 1865 by Peter Northall Laurie, the Governor of the Union Bank of London since 1861; his uncle had founded the bank. The bank following several acquisitions amalgamated with the National Provincial which subsequently became a constituent of NatWest, now part of Royal Bank of Scotland.

By this time the house was showing its age and needed modernising, which the wealthy Mr Northall Laurie immediately put in hand, including installing a bathroom; reputed to be the first in Lindfield. He also significantly extended the house. Following his death in 1877, the estate was again put up for sale, and was bought at auction for £39,000 by William Sturdy. It was to be the country home for himself, his wife Frances and their large young family. They employed around 20 live- in indoor and outdoor staff. The estate when purchased by William Sturdy comprised 353 acres of land and the large well- appointed mansion with an extensive range of rooms and servants quarters. Outside were lawns, pleasure grounds, shrubberies, an Italian garden, kitchen and fruit gardens, a heated vinery, and a peach and nectarine house. Beyond was parkland stretching down to the River Ouse, with a lake, boathouse and fish ponds. The coach house in the Elizabethan style had space for eight carriages. Properties within the estate included Bridge House and Grange Farm with its farmhouse and brick cottages Like the previous owner, William Sturdy extended the house and embarked on a major programme of improvements to the house and grounds. On his death in 1906 at the family’s London house, William Sturdy left an estate of over £1million and during his time at Paxhill had acquired a portfolio of Lindfield property. In his memory a stained glass window, depicting Justice and Prudence was installed in the South Chapel at All Saints Church. Previously, William Sturdy had given the church a new tenor bell and ringers’ gallery in 1887 and the Sturdy family also funded the building of the Choir Vestry in 1911.

His son, William Arthur Sturdy, took over Paxhill, and was active in village life through to his death in 1918, aged 48. He was a considerable benefactor to Lindfield. King Edward Hall would not have been built opposite the Pond had he not provided the land. Likewise, the miniature rifle range in Alma Road during the Great War. This was just one of his many good and generous deeds at that time, these ranged from providing workrooms for the Lindfield Voluntary Work Organisation making clothes and dressings for the wounded, to funding the purchase of a potato sprayer and chemicals for residents to borrow.

Following William Arthur Sturdy’s death, Paxhill remained owned and lived in by family members. Early in the Second World War, the estate was requisition by the military becoming a camp for the Canadian Army and the Black Watch. It is said about 70 huts were built to accommodate 1,500 troops on the land alongside Park Lane. Military equipment, including large quantities of ammunition and shells, were stored throughout the park. The officers’ mess was located in the house, a part of which remained occupied by the Study family and staff. The camp had all the necessary facilities from water tank to sewerage works and even a cinema, to which the more adventurous village boys would seek to gain access. The military presence reduced after D-Day and at the war’s end the camp was used to demobilise returning British prisoners of war.

Paxhill continued to be occupied by members of the Sturdy family until about 1960 when it was leased first to Preston College, Brighton, and then to Captain Goodwin for use as a retirement home. The property was sold in 1970 bringing to an end almost one hundred years
of ownership by the Sturdy family. Further changes of ownership followed with the house continuing to be used as a home for the elderly until 1999, when it was sold and converted back to a private residence.

The growth of Lindfield

By Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

Two residents on meeting in the High Street were overheard discussing all the new housing being built in Lindfield and whether facilities could cope and the character change. The conversation didn’t take place recently but in 1901. For many centuries Lindfield village comprised little more than the High Street. Through roads such as today’s Lewes Road, Denmans Lane, Hickmans Lane, Sunte Avenue, West Common and Summerhill Lane existed as little more than tracks with the occasional isolated cottage and all bordered by fields. The prosperity of the Victorian era and the coming of the London to Brighton railway line created the need for new housing, especially for working class families. Lindfield started to grow with short rows of cottages appearing around the village. The more affluent built villas on Black Hill. By the last years of Queen Victoria’s reign and the early Edwardian years, new roads were being constructed, most notably Eastern Road, Luxford Road (originally called Western Road) and Compton Road. Leading local businessmen, and those with money to invest, either commissioned houses to be built on these roads or purchased houses constructed speculatively by builders. All were participating in ‘Buy to Rent’, as most people could not afford to buy. The tradesmen and shopkeepers recognised that an increased population meant more business. It was at this time the Haywards Heath and District Building Society, established in 1890, started to prosper (merging with the Yorkshire in 1992). Housing commenced along Lewes Road, and in 1906 local businessmen Charles Wood and Frederick Beeny (the great-grandfather of TV property developer Sarah Beeny) started the West View development. Originally planned for 30 houses but, beset by problems mainly relating to drainage, only 17 were built, including a corner shop. On completion it was nicknamed White City. In little more than half a century the number of dwellings in Lindfield village more than doubled. However this growth came to an abrupt stop with the Great War. The coming of peace brought a mood to create a ‘Land fit for Heroes’. Lindfield Women’s Institute made representations to the local authority that many new houses were needed for working families, but disappointingly only six were subsequently built.

The country being impoverished by the war, together with the economic depression, resulted in few new houses during the 1920s. The next decade saw housebuilding start again, with the 1937 Ordnance Survey map showing ‘infill’ housing in Luxford Road, Eastern Road and elsewhere. Most new properties were developed plot by plot along existing roads, on the Haywards Heath side of the village, such as Backwoods Lane, West Common, Summerhill Lane, Sunte Avenue plus the new Denmans Close and Oak Bank, Brook Lane and Roundwood Lane. These roads comprised mainly detached houses, with many designed by the respected architect Harold Turner. He undertook a wide range of commercial commissions across Britain and abroad but is best known locally for his high quality domestic architecture with ‘arts and crafts’ period features. The late 1930s saw the infrastructure put in place ready for housebuilding in Chestnuts Close, Summerhill Drive and Meadow Lane. However, the Second World War delayed completion of these schemes. The building during this pre-war period added around 270 houses.

Again war impoverished the country and building was slow to recommence apart from a few houses. Most notably in Hickmans Lane were the 12 semi-detached St Johns Cottages on land given by Maud Savill to the District Council for demobbed servicemen and their families. It was in the early 1950s that the local authority acquired the land of Box’s Nursery and erected housing in Chaloner Road and the first sections of Newton Road. The next ten years saw larger scale private housing developments start on new roads such as Dukes Road (also built on Box’s Nursery land), West Common Drive, Appledore Gardens, Pelham Road, Beckworth Lane and Close, Oakfield Close, Finches Park Road and the first section of Savill Road. Collectively, in the 20 years up to 1965, some 400 houses were built in the village In Lindfield’s rural area to the west of the village, a few houses existed along Gravelye Lane. However, during this period significant housebuilding commenced in this area, with the construction of William Allen Lane and adjacent roads south of Gravelye Lane. These residential schemes, all completed by the mid-1960s added a further 100 houses. The map of Lindfield had changed dramatically and more growth and change was on its way. During the next ten years much needed building land became available through the demolition of the Mid Sussex Steam Laundry, the County Hotel (previously Finches) and The Welkin, following closure of the preparatory school. The most controversial proposal was for the Welkin site, with a plan to construct a large high-rise apartment block comprising nine storeys. Residents were horrified and following much protesting, that ultimately led to the formation of the Preservation Society, the scheme was scrapped and the dwellings as seen today built. The land previously occupied by the other demolished buildings, and land that became available, resulted in the completion by the mid-1970s of the Meadow Drive development, second parts of Savill and Finches Park roads, By Sunte, Finches Gardens, Blackthorns, Shenstone, Brookway, Fieldway, Pickers Green plus others totalling well over 650 houses.

Around this time national house-builders such as CALA Homes were looking covetously at the farmland between Gravelye Lane, Scamps Hill and Lyoth Lane. Following the earlier successful Welkin protests, campaigning started again. Local newspaper articles liberally used the word ‘battle’ and the campaign took the style of ‘The Battle to Save Lindfield’. Victory was again achieved and development plans were put on hold for another day. Effectively, a ‘red line’ drawn down Gravelye Lane made land to the south and other pockets of land the only possible potential developments. Developers were quick to acquire and build on the land south of Gravelye Lane resulting in Westlands Road, The Hollow and nearby roads with about 150 houses being completed by the beginning of the 1980s.

The demise of Lindfield Nursery, better known locally as ‘the mushroom factory’, provided land for the Noahs Ark Lane development. Two more nurseries went the same way, resulting in Harvest Close and Linden Grove. These totalled 150 new homes. During the 1980s and 1990s, the scarcity of available land resulted in a reduction in housebuilding, the main developments being Summerhill Grange, on land that had been part of Tavistock and Summerhill School, and Portsmouth Wood Close. These totalled nearly 60 new detached houses. An ever increasing demand for housing in the new century encouraged the national house-builders to again set their sights on Lindfield and encroachment on to agricultural land. The fields once part of Luxford Farm, behind Newton Road, became the target. Archaeological evidence showed the fields had been farmland for over 1,300 years. Despite some opposition, it was not long before 125 dwellings at The Limes were being lived in. Attention then turned once more to the Gravelye Lane, Scamps Hill and Lyoth Lane triangle that had been vociferously fought over in the 1970s. This time planning permission was granted for the Heathwood Park development, with construction continuing today towards 230 dwellings on completion. Last year saw ground being broken, further down Gravelye Lane, for 130 homes at the ironically named Lindfield Meadows. There will no doubt be more building in the future. But it certainly isn’t new phenomenon!

Lindfield Primary School memories

by Richard Bryant, Lindfield History Project Group

Circa 1956

This month’s article reflects the memories of pupils attending this school in the wartime 1940s and following decades. Interestingly, many similar aspects of school life were remembered, but details varied with attendance years. The school had two air raid shelters: a boys’ shelter and a separate one for the girls, built in the playground. The entrances were about three feet apart, opposite each other, and were disliked by children and teachers alike. From the middle of the war they were not normally used during air raid warnings, although practices continued. Shelter was taken under desks when a flying bomb was imminent. Each Monday morning, the teachers sold National Savings stamps to support the war effort, collected dinner money and administered doses of cod liver oil. Life across Britain started to return to normal with the arrival of the 1950s. One cherished memory from 1951 was a school trip by senior girls to London for the Festival of Britain, a showcase of modernity and a bright future, with the futuristic Skylon Tower and Dome of Discovery exhibition. The Festival was in stark contrast to life in rural Lindfield and its Victorian school buildings with their high windows and wooden floors; one classroom still retained tiered desking.

Cricket Team 1959

Assembly started each day with classical music playing while children filed in and out, and, of course, the hymn singing. Some of the hymns were written on huge sheets of paper hung at the front. Jerusalem was among the most popular. Another ritual was morning milk with an individual small bottle for each child. It was not unusual on very cold days for the top of the milk to be frozen, and if stood for too long in front of a radiator it became tepid and unpleasant. One feature universally and adversely recalled across the decades were the outside toilets, described as dark and freezing during the winter months. Maintenance was sometimes poor and several girls mention having to put a foot under the door for a friend as often the locks were broken. The boy’s facilities were equally unpleasant.

Another feature remembered with a shudder from the late 1960s onwards was the outdoor swimming pool, donated by the Parent Teacher Association. The shallow water was extremely cold and the bottom very slippery. Having to step into a horribly dirty footbath before climbing the ladder to get into the “ice bath” was also well-remembered. Perhaps a thought should have been spared for the 1930s pupils who walked to the Ouse for their swimming practice! In the years prior to the school having its own pool, selected senior pupils were taken to the Birch Hotel for swimming lessons. This was regarded as a real treat, their names having been ‘drawn out of a hat’. School dinners are much remembered; while some are good memories, others are less favourable. From 1948, lunch was taken in the then new canteen in the girls’ playground. Children queued at a hatch for food, to be eaten seated at long tables with benches. The lunches were widely regarded as lovely and the dinner ladies held in special affection. Favourite dishes included spam and baked bean pie, banana custard, crumble, gypsy tart (evaporated milk, sugar and pastry), rice pudding with jam and Sussex Pond pudding. Less popular were semolina, chocolate sponge with chocolate custard, tapioca and, served in the 1950s, reconstituted peas and butter beans. There was always fish on Fridays. In the early 1970s, if sprouts weren’t eaten, rubbish had to be picked up from the playground. Prior to comprehensive schools progression to secondary education was selective, requiring sitting the dreaded 11 plus examinations, held in the Social Centre (aka Reading Room) and sternly invigilated by the vicar and school governors. Equally nerve-wracking was results day: the headmaster read out the names of those who had passed to attend grammar school, with each name being greeted with clapping and cheers. Becoming a grammar school pupil was a proud achievement. Originally there were three playgrounds, mixed infants, boys and girls. It was many years before segregation in the playground ended. All the usual childhood games were played, including kick-about football, hopscotch, skipping and ‘conkers’ in autumn. There was also a netball court and, in earlier years dancing around the maypole. In summer, breaks could be spent playing on the Common, much fun being had in the new mown long grass. The Common was also used for football, cricket, stoolball, running and sometimes gym, as well as the obligatory annual sport day. Teams have always proudly represented the school in district schools competitions and leagues, with admirable results being achieved.

Netball Team 1963

The curriculum included gardening classes teaching the basics - sowing, planting and tending plants - and pupils were allowed to stay after school to spend extra time with their plants. There were the ever-popular after-school clubs; the perennial choir and, in the 1950s, the much-enjoyed country dancing on a Friday afternoon. Another stalwart, proudly watched by parents, were the school plays. Over the years a wide range have been performed from Ali Baba in 1957 to the Nativity plays, at King Edward Hall or the Social Club building, latterly part of the school. Throughout the decades, major village events and royal celebrations have been supported with singing, dancing and gym displays; perhaps most notable were the Coronation Pageant in 1953 and everyone dressing up for the school centenary.

During the 20th century’s less enlightened years some teaching methods and punishment harked back to Dickensian times. The school cane hung prominently in the headmaster’s office as a visual deterrent against misbehaviour. Teachers applied their ruler for a purpose other than measuring and drawing straight lines. In the infant classes, any child that had the temerity to attempt to write with their left hand had a wooden ruler come down with some force on the back of the hand. Misbehaving children would be stood on their chair and smacked on the back of the legs with the ruler. One female teacher in the early 1960s, it is recalled, had her own unbelievable punishment for misbehaviour. The miscreant received her ‘black hole punishment’ and was shut in a small confined black space. What would Ofsted have said?! Everyone remembered their headteacher and teachers, many as caring, kind, lovely and very sweet and a few disliked, being described as nasty, scary, fearsome and horrid. Nevertheless, overall the school was warmly acclaimed with good memories, perhaps best summed up in the phrases ‘fortunate to have attended such a lovely school’ and ‘gave me a good start in life’. One could ask no more from a school. No reminisces would be complete without mention of the old school bell. With thanks to Lindfield Memories Facebook group, Lindfield Life readers and all contributors.

School play

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