115-498: Barcombe is an East Sussex village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex. The parish has four settlements: old Barcombe ( TQ 418 143 ), the oldest settlement in the parish with the parish church; Barcombe Cross ( TQ 420 158 ), the more populous settlement and main hub with the amenities and services; the hamlet of Spithurst ( TQ 426 174 ) in the northeast and Town Littleworth ( TQ 410 180 ) in
230-623: A contemporary art gallery; and the Towner Eastbourne gallery, which celebrated its centenary in 2023 and hosted the award ceremony for the Turner Prize on 5 December of that year. The coastal towns of Brighton and Hove, Bexhill-on-Sea, Hastings and Eastbourne attract many day trippers during the summer to visit the beaches. Brighton and Hove have a range of attractions including the Royal Pavilion . Beginning in 1787, it
345-528: A new Road Period starts, National Highways will provide the Secretary of State for Transport with an SRN Initial Report, including an assessment of the state of the SRN, maintenance and enhancement priorities, and future development needs. Following this, the government produces a draft RIS setting out the high-level outputs that National Highways will need to deliver within the corresponding Road Period, alongside
460-600: A proposed footpath and cycleway between King's Lynn and Fakenham , and in January 2023 King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council demanded that National Highways submit a retrospective planning application. An 1847 skewed masonry arch at Rudgate near Tadcaster , designed by John Cass Birkinshaw for the Harrogate–Church Fenton line , was infilled by National Highways in 2021. The agency had to seek retrospective planning approval from North Yorkshire Council for
575-619: A replay. It is the only fully professional men's team in the county. The oldest club in East Sussex is Eastbourne Town F.C. , which was founded in 1881. Lewes F.C. is a semi-professional football club. The men's first team is in the Isthmian League Premier Division. It also has a successful women's team , which in 2023–24 was competing in the second-tier Women's Championship against teams supported by much larger clubs, including some with their men's team in
690-613: A single county, Sussex . The north-east of East Sussex is part of the Weald , a sandstone anticline that was once an extensive woodland. The highest point in this area is Crowborough Hill (242 m (794 ft)), part of the High Weald uplands. The south-west of the county is part of the South Downs , a rolling chalk escarpment that stretches west into West Sussex and Hampshire. Ditchling Beacon (248 m (814 ft))
805-629: A steam locomotive, and Volk's Electric Railway , which runs from Brighton's Palace Pier to Brighton Marina along the seafront. Volk's is the oldest operational electric railway in the world. There are also several castles that attract many visitors, as indicated in the Landmarks section above. Annual events also promote tourism to the county. Brighton Pride is one of the UK's largest and oldest pride parades and other pride events take place at Eastbourne and Hastings. The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
920-580: A third of all its motor vehicle traffic. National Highways is responsible for the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) providing the standards, advice notes and other documents relating to the design, assessment and operation of trunk roads , including motorways in the United Kingdom . The manual is produced by National Highways in conjunction with the devolved governments of Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland . The manual
1035-408: A total farmed area of 108,825 hectares. They employed just over 4000 people and, in 2020, produced a gross value added of £66 million. Livestock grazing accounts for almost 40% of the farmed area, with there being approximately six times as many sheep as cattle. Fishing is limited but there are still fishing fleets, notably at Rye and Hastings, although the number of boats is much reduced. Historically,
1150-459: Is Wealden Clay and three tiny-but-colourful old meadows still survive around Spithurst, including the old 'St Bartz' churchyard. In 1296 the hamlet was known as 'Splytherst' and this may have been after Alexander and Richard Splyherst. The name Spithurst could also be derived from the term 'split-wood' because the hamlet did indeed split two giant 'hursts': on the west side, Knowlands, Oldpark, The Butletts, Spithurst Wood and Slutgarden Woods and on
1265-417: Is Hazel coppice under Ash and has some fine oaks. It is a partially ancient woodland and partially descended from rough common. In spring the ground is half Bluebells and half Bramble. Blunt's Wood ( TQ 406 153 ) is on the very west of the parish and southwest of Bird's Hole Wood. It has Beech and coppice shrubs, but has suffered from much replanting of conifers. In the early spring months woodland floor
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#17327907203441380-707: Is Lewes. The Liberal Democrat Norman Baker served as the constituency MP from 1997 until 2015, when Conservative Maria Caulfield was elected. As of July 2024 Liberal Democrat James MacCleary is the MP. Prior to Brexit in 2020, Barcombe was part of the South East England constituency in the European Parliament. There are many bridleways and footpaths in and around the villages, linking to Lewes , Isfield , Newick and many other places. The Sussex Ouse Valley Way runs through Barcombe Mills to
1495-548: Is a ceremonial county in South East England . It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement is the city of Brighton and Hove , and the county town is Lewes . The county has an area of 1,792 km (692 sq mi) and a population of 822,947. The latter is largely concentrated along
1610-833: Is a large multi-arts festival held every May. There is a wide range of museums and art galleries in East Sussex. Notable amongst these are the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery ; the Hove Museum of Creativity ; the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery ; Hastings Contemporary ; Charleston Farmhouse near Lewes, with an exhibition devoted to the artistic work of the Bloomsbury Group ; the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea, which houses
1725-609: Is a partnership between National Highways, the National Police Chiefs' Council , the breakdown/recovery industry and other road service providers. The Survive Group has been established to improve the safety of those who work on the road network and the travelling public and is also dedicated to the promotion of driving safety. The name Survive comes from Safe Use of Roadside Verges in Vehicular Emergencies. The Survive Group website holds information on
1840-666: Is a private company limited by shares, wholly owned by the Secretary of State for Transport . The National Highways Board is the primary governance arm of the company and is accountable to the Secretary of State for Transport. The Board delegate responsibility of the day-to-day running of the company to the Chief Executive who, as the Accounting Officer, is accountable to the Permanent Secretary of
1955-559: Is a short distance from East Sussex and easily accessible by road and rail from most of the county. Despite its name, Brighton City Airport , the former Shoreham Airport, is in West Sussex. Three airports service small private planes, helicopters and flying schools: Spilsted Farm near Hastings; Kittyhawk Aerodrome near Lewes; and Deanland Airfield , also near Lewes. A ferry operates from Newhaven to Dieppe in France twice daily in
2070-456: Is a website that gives information about the latest traffic conditions as well as details of any roadworks or events that may cause congestion. By selecting current motorway information users can see the average speed between individual motorway junctions, what is being displayed on all the variable-message signs , and images from traffic cameras . The website is run by National Highways' National Traffic Information Service. The Survive Group
2185-469: Is also famous for its display of Green-Winged orchids . More recently the churchyard has been split in two and damaged by 'improvement' in one part, and neglect in the other. Knowlands Farm and Wood, ( TQ 419 170 ) is a special place where the owner makes visitors feel welcome; "No spending is expected at any farm shop, or to view the Bluebells. No gamekeepers challenge you". There are Swan Mussels in
2300-699: Is also used in some parts of the Commonwealth . The authority also produces the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW), and Asset Maintenance and Operation Requirements (AMOR) which supersedes the Network Maintenance Manual and Routine and Winter Service Codes, and its predecessor the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual. Contractors and subcontractors are generally paid via a project bank account , which
2415-514: Is covered in Bluebells . Barcombe Mills is a conservation area and a popular spot for walking, kayaking and river swimming and an important area for its wildlife, natural environment and water storage. The Barcombe Reservoir is adjacent. The area includes a small hamlet and some farms, including Barcombe House, and a water treatment works. The hamlet of Spithurst is mainly on one lane, Spithurst Lane, running north of Barcombe Cross. The soil
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#17327907203442530-630: Is divided into "Areas". They are contracts that are awarded by the Department for Transport . The area teams work alongside the National Highways Traffic Officer Service – providing incident support, emergency traffic management and infrastructure maintenance. They are responsible for the management and operation of the roads in their area. In 2009, fleet tracking has been deployed to assist area teams to manage their specialist winter maintenance vehicles during
2645-600: Is held annually, two weeks after the Lewes celebration on which it is modelled. The society is largely family-orientated and everyone helps out with torch dipping and bonfire building. There is a firework display and several processions. Barcombe is part of the electoral ward Barcombe and Hamsey . The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 2,105, of which 741 lived in the only identified Built-up Area, Barcombe (Cross). The latter had 320 homes, none of which communal establishments. The UK Parliament constituency for Barcombe
2760-751: Is in Bridge House, on a one-way gyratory in Guildford , Surrey . Previously its head office was in Dorking , Surrey. In 2014, the agency signed a ten-year lease with the owner of the Guildford facility. Sopra Steria operates the National Traffic Information Service (NTIS) on behalf of National Highways. NTIS is the information hub of England's strategic road network. The service is based at Quinton , Birmingham and
2875-424: Is it shown in its full name. Barcombe Oil Mill which was in operation until 1909. It was demolished in 1917 leaving a few discarded millstones and the old mill leat. It is South of Barcombe Cross and north of Camoiscourt Shaw. Around the demolished mill is a pasture remarkable for its botanical richness, ( TQ 422 152 ) with a range of archaic meadow plants. There soils is very varied in this area which gives rise to
2990-1083: Is located at Sedlescombe . East Sussex has many theatres and performance venues, including the Theatre Royal in Brighton and the Brighton Dome , the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts at the University of Sussex, the Royal Hippodrome Theatre and Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne, and the White Rock Theatre in Hastings. The annual Glyndebourne Festival Opera takes place at Glyndebourne near Lewes. The Brighton Festival
3105-599: Is managed and maintained by an area team (the Managing Agent; MA) and a contractor (the Managing Agent Contractor; MAC). The M6 Toll is a PFI concession which is also part of the strategic road network. In common with the regulated sectors, National Highways works to fixed funding periods called Road Periods. Each Road Period is currently five years in length, and a particular Road Investment Strategy (RIS) will broadly align with this. Before
3220-577: Is much higher than the UK's average of about 1,340 hours of sunshine a year. The relief of the county reflects the geology. The chalk uplands of the South Downs occupies the coastal strip between Brighton and Eastbourne. There are two river gaps: the Rivers Ouse and Cuckmere . The Seven Sisters , where the Downs meet the sea, are the remnants of dry valleys cut into the chalk; they end at Beachy Head , 530 feet (162 m) above sea level. To
3335-559: Is not a major manufacturing or industrial area of the United Kingdom. Of the companies registered, the leading category in 2023 was "construction", followed by "real estate activities". An important contribution to the county's economy comes from the fact that many residents of Brighton and Hove, Eastbourne and Hastings commute to London or work remotely for companies outside the county. There were 1,720 agricultural holdings in East Sussex (excluding Brighton and Hove) in 2022, with
3450-673: Is part of southern anticline of the Weald : the South Downs , a range of moderate chalk hills which run across the southern part of the county from west to east and mirrored in Kent by the North Downs . To the north lie parallel valleys and ridges, the highest of which is the Weald itself (the Hastings beds and Wealden Clay). The sandstones and clays meet the sea at Hastings; the Downs, at Beachy Head . The area contains significant reserves of shale oil, totalling 4.4 billion barrels of oil in
3565-629: Is part of the historic county of Sussex , which has its roots in the ancient kingdom of the South Saxons , who established themselves there in the 5th century AD, after the departure of the Romans . Archaeological remains are plentiful, especially in the upland areas. The area's position on the coast has also meant that there were many invaders, including the Romans and later the Normans , following
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3680-498: Is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the performance and efficiency of National Highways, and advising the Secretary of State for Transport on its compliance against the Road Investment Strategy and Licence. The Act also established Transport Focus (previously Passenger Focus) as its watchdog with the purpose of promoting and protecting the interests of users of the strategic road network. Traffic England
3795-497: Is responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network (SRN) – the motorways and major A roads in England. The SRN comprises over 4,000 miles (6,400 km) of road and includes various structures such as bridges, tunnels, drainage systems and technology assets including variable message signs and cabling. The SRN includes only around 2% of the total road length in England, but it carries around
3910-444: Is responsible for providing accurate, historical, real-time and predictive traffic and incident information to businesses, the travelling public and National Highways' operations. It collects real-time traffic information from over 10,000 fixed sites on the motorway and all-purpose trunk road network from MIDAS and Traffic Monitoring Unit (TMU) electronic loops in the road surface and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at
4025-479: Is the agency's default mechanism for ensuring that payments flow down through the supply chain and prevent payment hold-ups for sub-contractors undertaking work on behalf of a prime contractor . National Highways' operations are split into areas which are loosely based on the regions of England . These regions are subdivided into nine operational areas as well as eleven areas and routes which are managed by DBFO (Design-Build-Finance-Operate) companies. Each area
4140-411: Is the first time the place name Barcombe Cross is identified and the map has a pictorial depiction of the crossroads. Barcombe Cross expanded from 1839 onwards when the railway station opened and has since become the main village in the parish hosting the parish school, shops, amenities and services. Barcombe Cross is now just known as Barcombe in the local area and is signposted as such. It is only on maps
4255-716: Is the highest point. Where the downs reach the sea, they form high cliffs such as the Seven Sisters , where eroded dry valleys create an undulating skyline. The county does not contain large rivers, but its largest are the Rother , which forms part of the boundary with Kent, the Cuckmere , and the Ouse , which rises in West Sussex and flows through Lewes before reaching the English Channel at Newhaven . East Sussex
4370-474: Is the world's longest-running motoring event. To qualify, cars must have been built before 1905. It is also the world's largest gathering of veteran cars. The race finishes on Madeira Drive in Brighton. For visitors who wish to explore East Sussex by car, there are many interesting and attractive towns and villages, such as Alfriston ; Battle , site of the Battle of Hastings; Ditchling ; Herstmonceux , with
4485-593: The Scottish Government , Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive . The renaming has met with some criticism, being the third name for the agency in six years, and with reports that 'Highways Agency' is colloquially used more than either newer name. The name has also attracted criticism from the other countries of the UK, particularly in Wales where the use of 'national' has been criticised despite transport being devolved to Wales. National Highways
4600-666: The A26 which carries traffic from Newhaven and Lewes north into Kent; and the south coast trunk route, which starts in Folkestone (Kent) as the A259 trunk road , and traverses the south coast to Eastbourne , where it becomes the A27 trunk road and heads westwards towards Chichester in West Sussex and ultimately to Honiton in Devon. All the main roads suffer from congestion and traffic problems:
4715-550: The Department for Transport on 30 March 1994. As part of the Department for Transport's 2010 Spending Review settlement, Alan Cook was appointed to lead an independent review of the government's approach to the strategic road network. It recognised that the Highways Agency was closer to central government than other infrastructure operators, resulting in a lack of a strategic vision and certainty of funding due to
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4830-567: The Department for Transport , comprising 3,200 bridges, tunnels and viaducts, including 77 listed structures. Infilling would entail pouring 1800 tonnes of concrete under the bridge to support it. The land under the bridge is in a conservation area, is used for walking and has many varieties of wildlife. Barcombe residents worked with the Historical Railways Estate group , to prevent the infill. In Dec 2021 National Highways announced that they no longer intended to infill
4945-445: The Design Manual for Roads and Bridges . Within England, it operates information services through the provision of on-road signage and its Traffic England website, provides traffic officers to deal with incidents on its network, and manages the delivery of improvement schemes to the network. Founded as an executive agency , it was converted into a government-owned company, Highways England, on 1 April 2015. As part of this transition,
5060-907: The East Coastway Line (including the Marshlink Line ); the Hastings line ; and the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line . There are three heritage railways : the Kent and East Sussex Railway operates from Tenterden in Kent to Bodiam ; the Bluebell Railway from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead ; and the Lavender Line Steam Railway is a one-mile line at Isfield , near Uckfield . Trains in
5175-474: The Historical Railways Estate (HRE) from BRB (Residuary) Limited . In May and June 2021, the space under the road bridge at Great Musgrave in Cumbria was filled with 1,600 tonnes of aggregate and concrete by Highways England, ostensibly for what HRE managers considered safety reasons. The bridge spanned a 5-mile (8.0 km) section of trackbed which local rail enthusiasts hoped to restore, linking
5290-752: The Litlington White Horse and the Long Man of Wilmington , which are both situated in the Sussex Downs . East Sussex has no motorways, and even dual carriageways are sparse in the county. The main roads through the county are those part of the radial pattern from London: the A21 from Kent to Hastings; the A22 from Surrey to Eastbourne; and the A23 from Gatwick to Brighton. Cross-country routes include
5405-492: The Marchioness of Queensberry and family which included her grandson Lord Alfred Douglas , poet and former lover of Oscar Wilde . The Dodsons, now Lord Monk Brettons , moved back into the property in the late 1960s refurbishing the property before selling up in 2004. North of the old Barcombe village towards Barcombe Cross is Camoiscourt Shaw ( TQ 419 153 ), a woodland gill along which the derelict Bluebell Line ran. A footpath leads from Church Road across cow pasture and into
5520-443: The Martello towers and Eastbourne Redoubt . Battle Abbey , built to commemorate the Battle of Hastings ; Bateman's , home of Rudyard Kipling ; Hammerwood Park , one of the first examples of Greek Revival architecture in the UK; and the University of Sussex buildings at Falmer are among interesting buildings. Bexhill-on-Sea is also home to the De La Warr Pavilion . East Sussex also includes two chalk hill figures , being
5635-421: The UK government set out its vision for the future of the English strategic road network in its Road Investment Strategy. A second Road Investment Strategy was published in March 2020, with the company set to invest £27 billion between 2020 and 2025 to improve the network as described in the strategy. The current name was adopted on 19 August 2021. The Highways Agency was created as an executive agency of
5750-402: The Wealden Clay ). In spring there are Primroses, Anemones and Bugle and in summer Betony and Tormentil . Gipp's Wood ( TQ 430 188 ) is to the north of Beak Farm. It is coniferised to the north and the wood is used for Christmas trees, but is still "open, pine-scented and airy, with old coppice on the lower ground". Town Littleworth, Cooksbridge, is a small hamlet to the north west of
5865-422: The county town of the three eastern rapes being Lewes . This situation was formalised by Parliament in 1865, and the two parts were made into administrative counties , each with its own elected county council in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888 . In East Sussex there were also three self-administered county boroughs : Brighton , Eastbourne and Hastings . Upon its foundation, East Sussex included
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#17327907203445980-427: The 17th-century Mongers Farmhouse ( TQ 420 155 ). In summer 2021 National Highways (formerly Highways England) announced that they intended to infill the bridge over the old Lewes to Uckfield railway line that passes under Church Road. The bridge has been defined as "weak" for many years, with a 20 tonne weight limit for traffic. It is part of the Historical Railways Estate managed by National Highways on behalf of
6095-474: The A27 which connects Eastbourne to Portsmouth is one of the busiest trunk roads in the UK. Bus routes serve all the main areas of settlement and many of the villages in the county. The railways serve the main towns in a similar fashion to the roads. Until the closures of many branch railways in the 20th century, rural East Sussex was well-served by rail: few such branch lines escaped the Beeching cuts so that today only main-line services remain. They include
6210-435: The Department for Transport, Sustrans , Railway Paths Ltd, Railway Heritage Trust, the HRE Group, Heritage Railway Association , Natural England , Historic England (also representing Cadw ), Historic Scotland and ADEPT. At Congham in Norfolk , a railway bridge designed by the pioneering M&GNJR engineer William Marriott was infilled by National Highways in 2021. The railway route had been identified as part of
6325-401: The Department for Transport, as the Principal Accounting Officer, for the stewardship of public funds. The Principal Accounting Officer and Secretary of State for Transport are both ultimately accountable to Parliament for the activities and performance of National Highways. The Infrastructure Act 2015 established the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) as the monitor for National Highways. ORR
6440-483: The Eden Valley and Stainmore railways to create an 11-mile (18 km) tourist line between Appleby and Kirkby Stephen . Accused of 'vandalism', Highways England were forced to apply for retrospective planning permission, with Eden District council receiving 913 objections and only two expressions of support, and government intervention to pause National Highways plans to infill dozens of other Victorian bridges across England. Advised by planning officers to reject
6555-402: The Highways Monitor. Development of the SRN is achieved through National Highways' capital investment programme, currently funded entirely by government through grant-in-aid and set out in the first Road Investment Strategy. For Road Period 1 (2015–20), Highways England invested around £15 billion in its network, with additional funding to address other local challenges in proximity of
6670-539: The Premier League. Cricket had its origins in the counties of Kent , Surrey and Sussex. There is no team representing East Sussex. It combines with West Sussex as the Sussex County Cricket Club , playing first-team matches at the County Ground in Hove and reserve-team matches in both East and West Sussex. There are around 25 local clubs playing the game in East Sussex. There are around 15 rugby clubs in East Sussex, with many of them fielding several teams including women's and girls' teams. Seaford Rugby Club claims
6785-417: The Roman villa found nearby (though this is not visible in the restored church). The church was rebuilt in 1878–9. The agreement to restore the old church included a commitment to build a new church at Spithurst in the north of the parish. This was old St, Bartz. Shelley's Folly was built by Theobald Shelley in 1686. The property passed through generations of the Shelley family until the early 19th century when
6900-624: The SRN relating to the environment; air quality; cycling, safety and integration; and growth and housing. For Road Period 2 (2020-25), National Highways will invest over £27 billion in its network, of which £14 billion is for road enhancements. The rest is for operating, maintaining and renewing its roads, and further funding to address challenges on the environment and wellbeing; users and communities; innovation and modernisation; and safety and congestion. As of this Road Period, National Highways' activities will, at least in part, be funded by vehicle excise duty . The company head office
7015-456: The South Downs and there are many Downland flints brought by ice age torrents. It meanders from Clappers Bridge, ( TQ 422 161 ), eastwards past Red Bridge and Beam Bridge, and, under the lost railway line, to the Ouse. It is particularly attractive to the west of Clappers Bridge, where there are water crowfoot , marsh frogs and minnows and bullheads swimming between the reeds. The big pond at Red Bridge, ( TQ 426 159 ) on Camoys Court Farm,
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#17327907203447130-413: The Survive Group membership details and activities being undertaken by the working groups. It also supplies advice on how to drive safely in a wide range of driving conditions, advice on planning journeys. Survive also provides publications and new guidance produced by the Survive members plus news on new initiatives and forthcoming road safety events. In 2013, Highways England took over responsibility for
7245-402: The Uckfield line, with a junction south of the latter before the line continued to Lewes. Barcombe closed on 28 May 1955, whilst Barcombe Mills closed on 4 May 1969. Part of the line is now a cycle track. Barcombe Cross only became the hub of the parish when the railway line opened; before such time it was just one of the dispersed hamlets. A few cottages survive from the pre-modern times including
7360-453: The Weald. The High Weald is heavily wooded in contrast to the South Downs; the Low Weald less so. Part of the Weald is the Ashdown Forest . The location of settlements in East Sussex has been determined both by its history and its geography. The original towns and villages tended to be where its economy lay: fishing along the coast and agriculture and iron mining on the Weald. Industry today tends to be geared towards tourism, particularly along
7475-452: The Wealden basin according to a 2014 study, which then Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon said "will bring jobs and business opportunities" and significantly help with UK energy self-sufficiency. Fracking in the area is required to achieve these objectives, which has been opposed by environmental groups. East Sussex, like most counties by the south coast, has an annual average total of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year. This
7590-426: The agency launched an advertising campaign using the song " Go West " by Village People and covered by Pet Shop Boys . The lyrics changed to "Go Left", encouraging people to stop on the left hand side of the motorway in case of breakdown. On 19 August 2021, it was announced that Highways England would be rebranding to National Highways, thus removing any reference to England from its name. This move coincided with
7705-405: The application, the council's planning committee unanimously refused retrospective planning permission on 16 June 2022. Restoration of the Musgrave bridge to its former condition would cost an £431,000, in addition to the £124,000 spent on the initial infilling work. In July 2023, National Highways' plans to restore the bridge and remove the infill were criticised by locals as they involved closing
7820-481: The area; many of them small and local in scope. State and independent secondary schools include Lewes Old Grammar School , which celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2012. Overall, more than 50 serve East Sussex, including further education colleges in larger towns. A number of independent boarding schools that also cater to day students are located in the county, including Brighton College and Roedean . The Pestalozzi Children's Village, an international foundation,
7935-418: The base of the hill/plateau on which Barcombe Cross sits. The mills burnt down before the Second World War , but Barcombe Mills is still a popular Sunday outing for townsfolk from Lewes and Brighton . There have recently been two important excavations at old Barcombe. From 1999 onwards they have been excavating a Roman villa and surrounding buildings south of the church ( TQ 419 142 ). The villa lay near
8050-465: The bridge for three months, necessitating long local diversions for regular users of the B6259 which crosses the bridge. Work began in August 2023 to remove the infill material. After the Great Musgrave outcry, National Highways developed a new way to assess the abandoned rail bridges and tunnels it controls, with decisions reviewed in collaboration with experts from heritage, environmental and active travel sectors. The stakeholder advisory forum includes
8165-476: The bridge, but noted that they had an obligation to secure a weight limit of 24 tonnes for the bridge, so would be considering what action to take after devising a new method for assessing the structures it is responsible for. Barcombe, the oldest settlement in the parish. It hosts the St Mary's parish church ( TQ 418 143 ) and there are a few old houses around it. The medieval church, with its fine shingled, broached spire, may incorporate some materials robbed from
8280-596: The burning of an effigy of the Pope . The event attracts tens of thousands of spectators every year. There are also many other bonfire societies in East Sussex. Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. is the most successful club in East Sussex, playing in the Premier League in 2024–25 and also competing in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League . It has appeared once in the FA Cup final , in 1983, losing to Manchester United after
8395-469: The castle of the same name; Lewes; Rottingdean ; and Rye . The Lewes Bonfire is a set of bonfire celebrations held on Guy Fawkes Night , which both celebrates the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and commemorates the memory of the seventeen Protestant martyrs from Mayfield burned at the stake between 1555 and 1557. It has a history of religious antagonism and anti-popery, including
8510-445: The coast, where the largest settlements are located: Brighton and Hove (277,105), Eastbourne (99,180), and Hastings (91,490). The centre and north of the county are largely rural, and the largest settlement is Crowborough (21,990). For local government purposes, East Sussex comprises a non-metropolitan county , with five districts, and the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove. East Sussex and West Sussex historically formed
8625-608: The coastal strip where towns such as Bexhill-on-Sea , Eastbourne , and Hastings are located. Newhaven and Rye are ports, although the latter is also of historical importance. Peacehaven and Seaford serve as dormitory towns . Away from the coast are former market towns such as Hailsham , Heathfield and Uckfield ; Crowborough is a centre for the Ashdown Forest. Lewes , the County town of East Sussex; Battle , with its Norman Conquest beginnings, and Wadhurst are
8740-569: The cold snap. National Highways employs uniformed traffic officers; on-road and control room, as well as specialist staff for work in engineering, surveying, accountancy, and administration. There is a graduate entry scheme, with general entry and specialist engineering entry options. For the Traffic Officer Service each team is supervised by a team manager, one of between six and eight such managers generally working together, to ensure 24-hour management cover. National Highways
8855-526: The company operating it owed Brighton and Hove Council £48 million. Brighton Palace Pier , Eastbourne Pier and Hastings Pier serve as entertainment centres that attract many visitors. Several other piers built in the heyday of day tripper visits by train no longer exist, notably St Leonards Pier , in St Leonards-on-Sea , and the West Pier in Brighton, parts of which can still be seen in
8970-422: The coppice regrowth. East of Spithurst Lane from St Bartz is a big wood named in three parts: Down Coppice, Agmond's Wood and Burtenshaw's Wood ( TQ 43 17 ). They are attractive woods with flowery rides, sunny glades, clay banks and big ponds. The woods are varied with much old Hornbeam and some Hazel coppice (still cut), areas of Larch and scented pine , maturing Oak and Sweet Chestnut coppice (rare on
9085-693: The county are operated by Southern , Southeastern , Thameslink and Great Western Railway . Southern is the key operator for the county, operating services along the West Coastway and East Coastway routes, as well as trains from Brighton , Eastbourne , Seaford and Hastings to London Victoria , and to a lesser extent London Bridge , which is also where trains to/from Uckfield go. Southeastern operate trains from London Charing Cross to Hastings. Thameslink operate trains from Brighton to Bedford . There are no airports offering scheduled flights in East Sussex. London's second airport, Gatwick Airport ,
9200-689: The crossroads of the Roman Greensand Way . It was found on top of an earlier Iron Age roundhouse. The Roman inhabitants are likely to have benefited from the iron industry in the Wealden forests to the north. The villa was abandoned around 300AD. Even more recently the Culver Archaeological Project found a Roman defended settlement just across the Ouse at Bridge Farm, Upper Wellingham ( TQ 431 144 ), corroborating
9315-569: The defeat of the English army by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Earlier industries included fishing, iron-making, and the wool trade, all of which have declined or been lost completely. Sussex was historically sub-divided into six rapes . From the 12th century the three eastern rapes together and the three western rapes together had separate quarter sessions , with
9430-558: The distinction of playing its home games below sea level. The fourth stage of the 1994 Tour de France ended in Brighton after departing from Dover . The route included a climb over Ditchling Beacon. The hilly nature of the Downs presents a good challenge for cyclists and there are at least eight cycling clubs in East Sussex. There are 42 golf courses in East Sussex, many on downland. Four of these (2 in Brighton and Hove, one in Eastbourne and one in Crowborough) are public courses;
9545-582: The east of Beachy Head lie the marshlands of the Pevensey Levels, formerly flooded by the sea but now enclosed within a deposited beach. At Bexhill the land begins to rise again where the sands and clays of the Weald meet the sea; these culminate in the sandstone cliffs east of Hastings. Further east are the Pett Levels, more marshland, beyond which is the estuary of the River Rother . On
9660-533: The east side, Burtenshaw's, Agmond's and Down Coppice Woods. Between Spithurst and Newick is the 2,000 acre Sutton Hall Estate. St Bartholomew's Church was built in 1879-80 of flint with masonry. The church was part of a unique experiment in inter-church co-operation when the Anglican minister allowed the local Russian Orthodox clergy to use it on the Sundays that he was not. The small Orthodox congregation
9775-447: The eastern part of the marsh. The streams are known for their sea trout populations, which grow to large sizes and return year after year. Sadly these populations are on the brink of collapse due to mismanagement of these waterways, largely by Southern Water and sometimes farmers who have allowed their effluent to overflow into them. Wild salmon , which once bred in these waters, are now very rare. The disused Bluebell Line still has
9890-482: The far side of the estuary are the dunes of Camber Sands . The highest point in the county is Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs, which has a maximum elevation of 248 m (814 ft) and is classed as a Marilyn . The Weald occupies the northern borderlands of the county. Between the Downs and Weald is a narrow stretch of lower lying land; many of the rivers and streams occupying this area originate in
10005-571: The farm pond and Kingfishers use it. The woodland is an Oak-Hornbeam with Small Leaved Lime , Wild Service tree , Alder Buckthorn and Aspen and active coppice management. Anemones and Bluebell are co-dominant and there are Grass Snake , Adders, Stag Beetles , Purple Hairsteak and White Admiral butterfly , and the Purple Emperor is being restored. The rides are wide and sunny and in spring Willow and Garden Warblers , Blackcap , Chiffchaff and even Nightingales can be heard in
10120-517: The fisheries were of great importance. The Seven Sisters Park is part of the South Downs National Park . Beachy Head is one of the most famed local attractions, along with the flats along Normans Bay . Apart from the physical landmarks such as the Downs and the Weald, East Sussex has a great many landmarks of historical interest. There are castles at Bodiam , Herstmonceux , Lewes and Pevensey ; and defence works such as
10235-487: The gill. Conyboro Park, Cooksbridge, is in the parish of Barcombe. It has some woods, and the south side had some old trees of impressive girth. The section of the North End Stream to the south has a bank side Bluebell wood, and more woodland the east ( TQ 410 136 ). The village has three main routes into the centre of the village and the buildings cluster around the crossroads. A 1724 map by Richard Budgen
10350-526: The importance of the Roman presence here. Old Barcombe's landscape could be a continuation of the Roman settlements. Two railway lines ran through the villages: the line between Lewes and Uckfield ; and the line from East Grinstead , part of which is now the Bluebell Railway . There were stations on each of the two lines: Barcombe station on the East Grinstead line, and Barcombe Mills station on
10465-411: The mix of grassland species, including plants which prefer acidic soils such as Tormentil , Heath Grass and Devil's Bit , through to those that prefer neutral grassland including Ox Eye Daisy and Pignut , to the alkaline loving Quaking Grass , Yellow-Oat Grass and Ladies Bedstraw . The area is in need of wildlife management. To the west of Barcombe Cross is Bird's Hole Wood ( TQ 406 153 ). It
10580-691: The north nearly a hundred acres was cleared about fifty years ago, when Spithurst Wood ( TQ 425 175 ) was separated from Oldpark Wood, too. There are three streams in the parish: the Bevern Stream, the North End Stream and the Longford Stream. They all flow east to the River Ouse and all demarcate the boundary of the parish in one way or other. Before the early 19th century, these streams created different islands absolutely cut off from each other in wet winters. The Bevern Stream runs from
10695-467: The north of the Bevern Stream the embankment herbage is more open and grassier. Species found there have included several orchids, Zigzag Clover , Milkwort , String Sedge , Guelder Rose , Spiny Restharrow , Dodder (a rare parasitic herb) and Dyers Greenweed . It is a rich place for butterflies, moths and insects. In Knowlands Wood the ground gets damper and it is possible to find Ragged Robin , Marsh Bedstraw and False Fox Sedge . Barcombe Bonfire
10810-482: The north of the parish and to the west it demarcates the boundary between Barcombe parish and Newick parish. Much if its banks are made from Ardingly Sandstone (deep mud) and are botanically rich and support many butterflies and beetles. In areas it creates marshy brooks such as Beak's Marsh ( TQ 439 177 ) where archaic fen and damp meadow vegetation partly remains. There is a large area of Greater Pond Sedge where roe deer hide. The Roman road to London passed across
10925-628: The northwest. Barcombe was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Berchamp". The origins of the placename 'Barcombe' may have derived from two sources: the Saxon 'Berecampe', meaning 'barley land' and the Latin loan word 'campus', a field. Barcombe is particularly noted to Sussex residents and tourists for ' Barcombe Mills ', a reference to an old water-mill complex on the River Ouse at
11040-630: The off-season and three times daily in the summer. Both vehicles and foot passengers are accepted. Among the long-distance footpaths in East Sussex are the South Downs Way ; 1066 Country Walk , High Weald Landscape Trail , Saxon Shore Way , Sussex Border Path , Sussex Ouse Valley Way , Vanguard Way , Wealdway and The Monarch's Way . The Universities of Sussex and Brighton are based in East Sussex, with facilities in Brighton , Falmer and Hastings . Over 150 primary schools serve
11155-491: The other three towns of significance. This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex ( Brighton & Hove has a separate table) at current basic prices published Archived 4 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of pounds. Measured by the number of registered companies, East Sussex
11270-562: The pandemic and the building is now (2022) standing empty. Despite relatively small congregations, the churchyard is quite full and contains a large but anonymous family mausoleum. The relaxed management of the churchyard has given it the character of a woodland glade and a haven for wild flowers. Species recorded there (2017) include " Anemones , Bluebells and Goldenrod mixed in with Devils Bit and Betony , Ling Heather , Pepper Saxifrage , Bitter Vetch and Tormentil , lots of Birds Foot Trefoil , Mouse Ear Hawkweed and Red Clover ". It
11385-648: The parish that spans Town Littleworth Road. It hosts the Secret Campsite that celebrates the local wildlife and hosts the Sussex Wildlife festival. Oldpark Wood, ( TQ 418 179 ) is to the east of Town Littleworth and an Oak-Hornbeam coppice. Wood Anemone is overwhelmingly dominant in April. Knowlands and Oldpark were probably joined before a large part of the wood to the south was cleared to make pastures for Church Farm around two hundred years ago, and to
11500-548: The permanent appointment of Nick Harris as CEO, after taking over as interim CEO from Jim O’Sullivan in February 2021. It was suggested that the 'national' in the new name refers to the fact that the company is responsible for setting highways standards for the whole of the UK, through the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, even though decisions on the building and maintenance of roads outside of England are devolved to
11615-470: The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who was the next in line to inherit the property sold out to his younger brother in 1815, who himself sold it to Sir John Dodson , a well-known judge and politician, in the 1840s. The Dodson family retained ownership of the property for the next 150 years. Through much of this period, they let it with notable tenants including George Murray Levick , a surgeon on the ill-fated Terra Nova Antarctic expedition of Scott in 1912, and
11730-642: The proposed funding. National Highways will then respond with a Strategic Business Plan detailing its plans for delivering the RIS. This is reviewed by the Highways Monitor to assess whether the proposed requirements are deliverable with the proposed financial resources and sufficiently challenging. After the Strategic Business Plan and RIS are finalised, National Highways must deliver the agreed outputs and will be monitored on its progress by
11845-704: The public using the 4,600 roadside variable-message signs , the Highways England website (including a mobile version), social media channels such as Twitter and the telephone-based Highways England customer contact centre as well as distributing information to the media and businesses through a number of data feeds. These feeds are widely used by organisations such as the BBC and local newspaper websites for their own traffic information. Services such as Google Maps and sat-nav operators also use National Highways' data for their traffic information. The motorway network
11960-571: The remainder private, semi-private or resorts. Other popular sports include sailing, bowls , stoolball , and tennis. National Highways National Highways (NH), formerly the Highways Agency and later formerly Highways England , is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England . It also sets highways standards used by all four UK administrations, through
12075-544: The roadside. Additionally it uses anonymous floating vehicle traffic data (FVD) from vehicles to supplement the fixed traffic monitoring sites. NTIS also has access to nearly 2,000 CCTV cameras, 300 weather stations, 4,600 roadside electronic signs, 16,000 roadside electronic matrix signals and incident data from over 250 operational partners including the police and local authorities . It processes this data to create useful intelligence for operational decision making and dissemination of current and predictive information to
12190-545: The sea opposite the Brighton i360. Originally, the profits from the i360 were seen as a potential source of funds to rebuild the West Pier, but that now seems unlikely. Other important tourist attractions within East Sussex include Ashdown Forest , Drusillas Zoo Park near Alfriston and Michelham Priory . The county has two narrow-gauge railways, the Hastings Miniature Railway , which is powered by
12305-540: The south of Tunbridge Wells and the south of Lamberhurst ; by the Local Government Act 1894 these areas were transferred to Kent . In 1974 East Sussex was made a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county , and the three county boroughs became districts within the county. At the same time the western boundary was altered, so that the Mid Sussex region (including Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath )
12420-493: The south. The nearest railway station is now Cooksbridge , about 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles away. A bus service is provided to the bus stop at the north of Barcombe Cross and outside the junction with the old road at Barcombe Mills. Services are provided by Compass Travel. The buses connect with the trains at Cooksbridge . There are no buses on Sundays to Barcombe Cross and no buses at all on weekends to Barcombe Mills. The A26 between Lewes and Uckfield runs southeast of
12535-503: The villages. It can be accessed 2 miles (3.2 km) from the centre of the village via Barcombe Mills Road. The A275 runs north of the villages. This links Lewes and Haywards Heath . Natasha Kaplinsky https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Kaplinsky . She grew up in Barcombe Mills, returned many years later during her high profile TV years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Kaplinsky East Sussex East Sussex
12650-477: The wider policy environment in which it operated, as well as the limited pressure to drive efficiencies compared to that faced by regulated sectors. After an announcement on 27 June 2013 by Danny Alexander , Chief Secretary to the Treasury , it became a government-owned company with the name Highways England on 1 April 2015. In July 2015, Jim O'Sullivan became chief executive, replacing Graham Dalton. In 2020,
12765-401: The wildflowers of ancient open places and is popular with walkers and nature enthusiasts. It passes through Camoiscourt Shaw ( TQ 419 153 ), a woodland gill, north of the old Barcombe village towards Barcombe Cross. Species recorded there include (2018) Wild Carrot , Corn Mint , Pepper Saxifrage , Agrimony , vetches , thistles and Teazel , Upright Hedge Parsley and Meadow-sweet . To
12880-450: Was built in three stages as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales , who became King George IV in 1820. A more recent attraction is the Brighton i360 , a 162 m observation tower on the seafront, which opened on 4 August 2016 to provide extensive views over Brighton and Hove, the South Downs and the English Channel . The tower has never achieved forecast visitor numbers and in June 2023
12995-491: Was enlarged for crop irrigation circa 1980. Like the Bevern Stream, the North End Stream runs to the River Ouse from the South Downs and it also holds many Downland flints brought. The stream divides the Hamsey and Barcombe parishes and passes to the south of Old Barcombe. There is only one small stretch of public bank path along its entire length. There is a bankside Bluebell wood at Conyboro Park. The Longford Stream through
13110-462: Was made up of Russian exiles and converts and the church became famous for their elaborate ritual. In 1969 plans were drawn to close and demolish the building until a year later the Queen signed an order withdrawing the scheme. The church finally did close in 1994 and it became a diocesan youth centre called St Bartz. A large extension has been added on the north side. St Bartz youth centre closed during
13225-583: Was transferred to the non metropolitan county of West Sussex . In 1997, Brighton and Hove became a self-administered unitary authority ; it was granted city status in 2000, whilst remaining part of the ceremonial county of East Sussex. The area of East Sussex County Council's jurisdiction is divided into five local government districts . Three are large rural districts (from west to east): Lewes , Wealden , and Rother . Eastbourne and Hastings are mainly urban areas. The rural districts are further subdivided into civil parishes . Geologically, East Sussex
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