120-652: The East Coastway line is a railway line along the south coast of Sussex to the east of Brighton , England. Trains to the west of Brighton operate on the West Coastway line . Together with the West Coastway and the Marshlink line to the east, the line forms part of a continuous route from Havant to Ashford . The Brighton Main Line route to Eastbourne and Hastings, via Plumpton and Cooksbridge , shares
240-553: A German air raid in March 1944, the platforms at Eastbourne were severely damaged. The attack ripped up the tracks and brought down the platform canopies. Also, in 1942, railway employees were killed during an ARP exercise. Passenger services are operated by Southern . Between Hastings and St Leonards West Marina the track is shared with Southeastern using their services on the Hastings Line and also shunting movements to
360-814: A Lib Dem-Independent coalition ( Mid Sussex ) one was run by an Independent-Labour-Lib Dem-Green coalition ( Rother ) and one had a Lib Dem-Green coalition ( Wealden ). Conservative Katy Bourne is the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner , having first been elected in 2012. In the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the EU , the people of Sussex voted to leave the EU by the narrowest of margins, by 50.23% to 49.77% or 4,413 votes. Headquartered in Lewes, Home Office policing in Sussex has been provided by Sussex Police since 1968. The first-tier Crown Court for all of Sussex
480-600: A blue background, blazoned as Azure , six martlets or . Recognised by the Flag Institute on 20 May 2011, its design is based on the heraldic shield of Sussex . The first-known recording of this emblem being used to represent the county was in 1611 when cartographer John Speed deployed it to represent the Kingdom of the South Saxons . However, it seems that Speed was repeating an earlier association between
600-537: A ceremonial county. Sussex is widely regarded as a single unified entity for some purposes, such as the environment, food and drink and sport . In 2007, Sussex Day was created to celebrate the county's culture and history . The name "Sussex" is derived from the Middle English Suth-sæxe , which is in turn derived from the Old English Sūþseaxe , meaning "(land or people) of
720-575: A gel of orthosilicic acid ).) The clay minerals formed depend on the composition of the source rock and the climate. Acid weathering of feldspar -rich rock, such as granite , in warm climates tends to produce kaolin. Weathering of the same kind of rock under alkaline conditions produces illite . Smectite forms by weathering of igneous rock under alkaline conditions, while gibbsite forms by intense weathering of other clay minerals. There are two types of clay deposits: primary and secondary. Primary clays form as residual deposits in soil and remain at
840-836: A great capacity to take up water, and they increase greatly in volume when they do so. When dried, they shrink back to their original volume. This produces distinctive textures, such as mudcracks or "popcorn" texture, in clay deposits. Soils containing swelling clay minerals (such as bentonite ) pose a considerable challenge for civil engineering, because swelling clay can break foundations of buildings and ruin road beds. Clay minerals most commonly form by prolonged chemical weathering of silicate-bearing rocks. They can also form locally from hydrothermal activity. Chemical weathering takes place largely by acid hydrolysis due to low concentrations of carbonic acid , dissolved in rainwater or released by plant roots. The acid breaks bonds between aluminium and oxygen, releasing other metal ions and silica (as
960-561: A lesser scale, with several people being executed for their Catholic beliefs. In Elizabeth's reign, Sussex was open to the older Protestant forms practised in the Weald as well as the newer Protestant forms coming from Continental Europe; combined with a significant Catholic presence, Sussex was in many ways out of step with the rest of southern England. Sussex escaped the worst ravages of the English Civil War , although control of
1080-402: A major challenge in civil engineering . The defining mechanical property of clay is its plasticity when wet and its ability to harden when dried or fired. Clays show a broad range of water content within which they are highly plastic, from a minimum water content (called the plastic limit ) where the clay is just moist enough to mould, to a maximum water content (called the liquid limit) where
1200-529: A museum. Pevensey Signal box is due for demolition at a later date. Citations Sources Sussex Sussex ( /ˈsʌsɪks/ ; from the Old English Sūþseaxe ; lit. ' South Saxons '; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England which was historically a kingdom and, later, a county . It includes the ceremonial counties of East Sussex and West Sussex . The area borders
1320-420: A new station was built 1 ⁄ 4 mile (400 m) mile east. It had four through platforms and the line to Hailsham was re-routed from the west of the station. This eliminated the need to reverse trains from Eastbourne towards Tunbridge Wells. The next station on the line towards Eastbourne was Hampden Park , built in 1888 as Willingdon, after the parish of Willingdon . The junction north of this station
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#17327717478141440-520: A period of rule by King Offa of Mercia , Sussex regained its independence but was annexed by Wessex around 827 and was fully absorbed into the crown of Wessex in 860, which later grew into the Kingdom of England. The Battle of Hastings was fought in Sussex, the victory that led to the Norman conquest of England . In September 1066, William of Normandy landed with his forces at Pevensey and erected
1560-410: A project by Network Rail drew plans to upgrade the route between Lewes and St Leonards to replace the semaphore signals and signal boxes to colour light signals which will be controlled from a new Railway Operations Centre at Three Bridges. On Friday 13 February 2015, Berwick, Polegate, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, Pevensey and Westham, Normans Bay and Bexhill signal boxes signalled their last trains and over
1680-409: A regional power. Shortly afterwards, Cædwalla returned to Sussex, killing its king and oppressing its people, putting them in what Bede called "a worse state of slavery". The South Saxon clergy were put under the control of West Saxon Winchester . Only around 715 was Eadberht of Selsey made the first bishop of the South Saxons , after which further invasion attempts from Wessex ensued. Following
1800-614: A shingle bank called The Crumbles, which was 3 ⁄ 4 -mile-wide (1.2 km); shingle collected here was used as ballast for railway lines by LB&SCR. Ballast trains ran until 1932, when the Southern Railway switched to use granite . Additional branches were later added to the line, including a siding built in 1870 for the Eastbourne Gas Company, which straddled the railway. The gasworks received coal via transport, and in return, produced coke, which
1920-477: A spur off the Brighton Main Line was constructed from Keymer Junction to Lewes and opened on 2 October 1847. The first station opened at Lewes was a terminus at Friar's Walk. After the extension to Hastings opened, trains from Brighton visited the station and then reversed out before continuing east. When the line from Keymer Junction opened, a new set of makeshift and unroofed platforms opened near
2040-533: A turn for the worse with an increasing amount of them becoming unemployed, those in work faced their wages being forced down. Conditions became so bad that it was even reported to the House of Lords in 1830 that four harvest labourers (seasonal workers) had been found dead of starvation. The deteriorating conditions of work for the agricultural labourer eventually triggered riots, first in neighbouring Kent, and then in Sussex, where they lasted for several weeks, although
2160-564: A valley with the London Road viaduct and then ran through the South Downs to Falmer before descending to Lewes , with a station located at Falmer . This section was opened on 8 June 1846. On 27 June that year, a single-line extension was opened to just outside Hastings at Bulverhythe , with an intermediate station at Polegate to serve the nearby towns of Hailsham and South Bourne, the latter now part of Eastbourne . This section
2280-632: A wooden castle at Hastings , from which they raided the surrounding area. The battle was fought between Duke William of Normandy and the English king, Harold Godwinson , who had strong connections with Sussex and whose chief seat was probably in Bosham . After having marched his exhausted army 250 miles (400 km) from Yorkshire, Harold fought the Normans at the Battle of Hastings, where England's army
2400-452: Is Armenian bole , which is used to soothe an upset stomach. Some animals such as parrots and pigs ingest clay for similar reasons. Kaolin clay and attapulgite have been used as anti-diarrheal medicines. Clay as the defining ingredient of loam is one of the oldest building materials on Earth , among other ancient, naturally occurring geologic materials such as stone and organic materials like wood. Between one-half and two-thirds of
2520-525: Is Bewl Water on the Kent border, while the largest wholly within Sussex is Ardingly Reservoir . The coastal resorts of Sussex and neighbouring Hampshire are the sunniest places in the United Kingdom. The coast has consistently more sunshine than the inland areas: sea breezes, blowing off the sea, tend to clear any cloud from the coast. The sunshine average is approximately 1,900 hours a year; this
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#17327717478142640-436: Is Lewes Crown Court , which has courts in Lewes, Brighton and Hove. Like other first-tier Crown Courts it has its own resident High Court Judge . There is also a third-tier Crown Court at Chichester. The local prison in Sussex for men is Lewes Prison and there is also a Category D prison at Ford . A rape is a traditional territorial sub-division of Sussex, formerly used for various administrative purposes. Their origin
2760-535: Is a turnaround siding, the old depot having been closed and redeveloped. This is the end of the East Coastway route, while the line heading east to Ashford is known as the Marshlink line . The Brighton, Lewes and Hastings Railway (BLHR) was established on 7 February 1844, and was granted parliamentary approval to construct a line between Brighton and Lewes on 29 July 1844. The work was started by September, engineered by John Urpeth Rastrick . The route crossed
2880-620: Is a unique type of marine clay indigenous to the glaciated terrains of Norway , North America , Northern Ireland , and Sweden . It is a highly sensitive clay, prone to liquefaction , and has been involved in several deadly landslides . Modelling clay is used in art and handicraft for sculpting . Clays are used for making pottery , both utilitarian and decorative, and construction products, such as bricks, walls, and floor tiles. Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are used to produce earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Prehistoric humans discovered
3000-489: Is celebrated annually on 16 June, the feast day of St Richard of Chichester , Sussex's patron saint , whose shrine at Chichester Cathedral was an important place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages . Sussex's motto, We wunt be druv , is a Sussex dialect expression meaning "we will not be pushed around" and reflects the traditionally independent nature of Sussex men and women. The round-headed rampion , also known as
3120-459: Is clay with visible annual layers that are formed by seasonal deposition of those layers and are marked by differences in erosion and organic content. This type of deposit is common in former glacial lakes . When fine sediments are delivered into the calm waters of these glacial lake basins away from the shoreline, they settle to the lake bed. The resulting seasonal layering is preserved in an even distribution of clay sediment banding. Quick clay
3240-494: Is currently divided into Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite , Al 2 Si 2 O 5 ( OH ) 4 ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impurities, such as a reddish or brownish colour from small amounts of iron oxide . Clays develop plasticity when wet but can be hardened through firing . Clay
3360-674: Is important to soil fertility. Clay is a common component of sedimentary rock . Shale is formed largely from clay and is the most common of sedimentary rocks. However, most clay deposits are impure. Many naturally occurring deposits include both silts and clay. Clays are distinguished from other fine-grained soils by differences in size and mineralogy. Silts , which are fine-grained soils that do not include clay minerals, tend to have larger particle sizes than clays. There is, however, some overlap in particle size and other physical properties. The distinction between silt and clay varies by discipline. Geologists and soil scientists usually consider
3480-568: Is much higher than the UK average of 1,340 hours a year. Most of Sussex lies in hardiness zone 8; the exception is the coastal plain west of Brighton, which lies in the milder zone 9. Rainfall is below average with the heaviest precipitation on the South Downs with 950 mm (37 in) of rainfall per year. The close proximity of Sussex to the Continent of Europe, results in cold spells in winter and hot, humid weather in summer. The climate of
3600-636: Is the 20th-century north–south development on the A23 - Brighton line corridor , Sussex's main link to London. Sussex's population is dominated by the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation that, with a population of over 470,000, is home to almost 1 in 3 of Sussex's population. According to the ONS urban area populations for continuous built-up areas, these are the five largest conurbations: The combined population of Sussex as of 2021
3720-583: Is the highest point in Sussex, or county top . With a height of 248 metres (814 ft) Ditchling Beacon is the highest point in East Sussex. At 113 kilometres (70 miles) long, the River Medway is the longest river flowing through Sussex. The longest river entirely in Sussex is the River Arun , which is 60 kilometres (37 mi) long. Sussex's largest lakes are man-made reservoirs. The largest
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3840-429: Is the longest-known ceramic material. Prehistoric humans discovered the useful properties of clay and used it for making pottery . Some of the earliest pottery shards have been dated to around 14,000 BCE, and clay tablets were the first known writing medium. Clay is used in many modern industrial processes, such as paper making, cement production, and chemical filtering . Between one-half and two-thirds of
3960-616: Is unknown, but they appear to predate the Norman Conquest Each rape was split into several hundreds and may be Romano-British or Anglo-Saxon in origin. At the time of the Norman Conquest, there were four rapes: Arundel, Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings. The rape of Bramber was created later in the 11th century and the rape of Chichester was created in the 13th century. Local government in Sussex has been subject to periodic review over time . Currently, Sussex
4080-512: Is used in many industrial processes, such as paper making, cement production, and chemical filtering . Bentonite clay is widely used as a mold binder in the manufacture of sand castings . Clay is a common filler used in polymer nanocomposites . It can reduce the cost of the composite, as well as impart modified behavior: increased stiffness , decreased permeability , decreased electrical conductivity , etc. Traditional uses of clay as medicine go back to prehistoric times. An example
4200-503: The American Revolution . Known as 'the radical duke', Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond , was an early supporter of parliamentary reform and US independence. Richard Cobden was a product of Sussex's rural radicalism, and became a campaigner for free trade and peace. Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was another influential radical from Sussex. At the beginning of the 19th century agricultural labourers' conditions took
4320-527: The Beachlands estate on the south and a caravan site before reaching Normans Bay , originally opened as a halt and still maintains an hourly service. Continuing along the Pevensey Levels, the line passes close to the beach before heading inland at Cooden Beach and Collington , before reaching Bexhill . The route next runs through a cutting to the site of Galley Hill sidings and then runs along
4440-589: The Bishop of Chichester and the Earl of Gloucester . These three were to elect a council of nine, to govern until a permanent settlement could be reached. During the Hundred Years' War , Sussex found itself on the frontline, convenient both for intended invasions and retaliatory expeditions by licensed French pirates. Hastings, Rye and Winchelsea were all burnt during this period and all three towns became part of
4560-540: The Catuvellauni , a tribe based around modern Hertfordshire. Much of Sussex was a Roman canton of the Regni , probably taking a similar area to the pre-Roman tribal area and kingdom. Its capital was at Noviomagus Reginorum , modern-day Chichester, close to the pre-Roman capital of the area, around Selsey. Sussex was home to the magnificent Roman Palace at Fishbourne , by far the largest Roman residence known north of
4680-619: The Cinque Ports , a loose federation for supplying ships for the country's security. Also at this time, Amberley and Bodiam castles were built to defend the upper reaches of navigable rivers. One of the impacts of the war and the Black Death , which killed around half of the population of Sussex, was the perceived injustice that led many Sussex people to participate in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. Coastal areas suffered most from
4800-696: The English Channel to the south, and the ceremonial counties of Surrey to the north, Kent to the north-east, and Hampshire to the west. Sussex contains the city of Brighton and Hove and its wider city region , as well as the South Downs National Park and the National Landscapes of the High Weald and Chichester Harbour . Its coastline is 137 miles (220 km) long. The Kingdom of Sussex emerged in
4920-667: The Roman departure from Britain around 410 AD. The foundation legend of Sussex is provided by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , which states that in the year AD 477 Ælle landed with his three sons. Having fought on the banks of the Mearcredesburna , it seems Ælle secured the area between the Ouse and Cuckmere in a treaty. Traditionally this is thought to have been against native Britons, but it may have been to secure
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5040-585: The South Saxons " (cf. Essex , Middlesex and Wessex ). The South Saxons were a Germanic tribe that settled in the region from the North German Plain during the 5th and 6th centuries. The earliest-known usage of the term South Saxons (Latin: Australes Saxones ) is in a royal charter of 689 which names them and their king, Noðhelm , although the term may well have been in use for some time before that. The monastic chronicler who wrote up
5160-554: The UK Parliament , Sussex is represented by 17 MPs. At the 2024 general election , 6 Labour and Labour Co-op MPs, 5 Conservative MPs, 5 Lib Dem MPs and 1 Green MP were elected from Sussex constituencies. Amongst top-tier local authorities, East and West Sussex County Councils are both held by the Conservatives and Brighton and Hove City Council is led by Labour. Amongst district councils, as of June 2024,
5280-613: The Weald were all part of changes as significant to Sussex as those brought by the neolithic period, by the Romans and the Saxons. Sussex also experienced the most radical and thorough reorganisation of land in England. The county's existing sub-divisions, known as rapes, were made into castleries and each territory was given to one of William's most trusted barons. Castles were built to defend
5400-445: The union with Scotland two members represented the county in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. The Reform Act 1832 led to the disenfranchisement of some of the smaller Sussex boroughs and divided what had been a single county constituency into eastern and western divisions, with two representatives elected for each division. The reforms of
5520-626: The "Pride of Sussex", was adopted as Sussex's county flower in 2002. The physical geography of Sussex relies heavily on its lying on the southern part of the Wealden anticline , the major features of which are the high lands that cross the county in a west to east direction: the Weald itself and the South Downs . Natural England has identified the following seven national character areas in Sussex: At 280 metres (920 feet), Blackdown
5640-679: The 17th century, after which it began to decline. It also brought widespread deforestation of parts of the Sussex Weald. Henry VIII 's separation of the Church of England from Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries led to the demolition of Lewes Priory and Battle Abbey and the sites being given to Henry's supporters. The shrine to St Richard at Chichester Cathedral was also destroyed. Mary I returned England to Catholicism and in Sussex 41 Protestants were burned to death . Under Elizabeth I , religious intolerance continued albeit on
5760-413: The 19th century made the electoral system more representative, but it was not until 1928 that there was universal suffrage. There was a strong radical and republican tradition in Sussex from the 19th century. For most of the 20th century Sussex was a Conservative Party stronghold—from the 1906 to 1997 general elections the only seats in Sussex won by parties other than the Conservatives were in
5880-475: The 5th century; during Roman Britain the area was inhabited by the Regni tribe. In about 827, shortly after the Battle of Ellendun , Sussex was conquered by Wessex . From 860 it was ruled by the kings of Wessex , and in 927 it became part of the Kingdom of England . By the Norman period , Sussex was subdivided into six administrative districts known as rapes , which were themselves divided into hundreds . By
6000-524: The Alps. The Romans built villas, especially on the coastal plain and around Chichester, one of the best preserved being that at Bignor . Christianity first came to Sussex at this time, but faded away when the Romans left in the 5th century. The nationally important Patching hoard of Roman coins that was found in 1997 is the latest find of Roman coins found in Britain , probably deposited after 475 AD, well after
6120-788: The Black Death, and took longest to recover. Instead much economic activity in Sussex was focused on the Weald. Merchants moved north from the coastal towns and many Continental craftsmen, fleeing religious persecution, brought their expertise to the timber, iron, clothmaking and glass industries. Economic and social tensions continued for many years as Sussex people were also involved in Jack Cade 's rebellion of 1450, in which Cade may have been killed at Cade Street , near Heathfield. Demands grew more radical in Sussex in 1451 when John and William Merfold advocated rule by common people. They also demanded that Henry VI be deposed and publicly incited
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#17327717478146240-481: The Ditchling Road Tunnel, which is 63 yards (58m) in length. The junction situated just after the tunnel for a branch line to Kemp Town was closed in 1971. The train passes Moulsecoomb , which was opened on 12 May 1980, and crosses Hodshrove Viaduct. The gradient starts to increase to 1 in 99, reaching Falmer on a 1 in 93 gradient, and then levels out in 490 yards (441m) long Falmer Tunnel. Finally,
6360-468: The East Coastway line east of Lewes station. The train operating company Southern refers to the routes on this line as "East Coastway" or "Coastway East". The trains running under the East Coastway name serve stations between Brighton, Lewes , Eastbourne , Hastings , Ore and Ashford , together with the branch line to Seaford . A closed branch to Kemptown, Brighton diverged just east of London Road Station . Trains travelling from Brighton via
6480-464: The East Coastway line mainly use the eastern platforms. They follow the Brighton Main Line and turn east over the 28-arch London Road viaduct , which offers views of the housing in Preston and Withdean to the north, and the city to the south. Then, they enter a cutting where London Road (Brighton) is situated. As the train continues, it climbs on a 1 in 258 gradient, passing through the first tunnel,
6600-509: The LB&;SCR obtained running powers over it. A 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 -mile-long (2.8 km) branch line from east of London Road station to Kemp Town opened on 2 August 1869. It was expensive to build and required a tunnel and a 14 arch viaduct across Lewes Road and Hartington Road. The line was primarily constructed to alleviate the LBSCR's fears of another company approaching Brighton from
6720-544: The Lib Dems had a majority in three local authorities ( Chichester , Eastbourne and Horsham ) and the Labour Party had a majority in three local authorities ( Adur , Crawley and Worthing ). Of the six local authorities in no overall control , one had a minority Green administration ( Hastings ), one was run by a Lib Dem-Labour-Green coalition ( Arun ), one was run by a Green-Labour coalition ( Lewes ), one as run by
6840-638: The Roman army under Julius Caesar that temporarily occupied south-eastern Britain in 55 BC. Soon after the first Roman invasion had ended, the Celtic Regni tribe under their leader Commius initially occupied the Manhood Peninsula . Eppillus , Verica and Cogidubnus followed Commius as rulers of the Regni or southern Atrebates, a region which included most of Sussex, with their capital in
6960-521: The Selsey area. A number of archaeologists now think there is a strong possibility that the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43 started around Fishbourne and Chichester Harbour rather than the traditional landing place of Richborough in Kent. According to this theory, the Romans were called to restore the refugee Verica , a king whose capital was in the Selsey and Chichester area, who had been driven out by
7080-523: The Sussex Downs were the location of the Battle of Lewes , in which Simon de Montfort and his fellow barons captured Prince Edward (later Edward I ), the son and heir of Henry III . The subsequent treaty, known as the Mise of Lewes , led to Montfort summoning the first parliament in English history without any prior royal authorisation. A provisional administration was set up, consisting of Montfort,
7200-495: The Wealden iron industry was strategically important to both sides. In 1642 there was a skirmish at Haywards Heath when Royalists marching towards Lewes were intercepted by local Parliamentarians . The Royalists were routed with around 200 killed or taken prisoner. Shortly after there were sieges at Chichester and Arundel , and a smaller battle at Bramber Bridge . Despite its being under Parliamentarian control, Charles II
7320-590: The area east of the Saxon Shore fort of Anderida from the influence of the Kingdom of Kent, with whom the South Saxons may have had occasional disputes. Ælle was recognised as the first ' Bretwalda ' or overlord of southern Britain. He was probably the most senior of the Anglo-Saxon kings and led the ill-fated campaign against King Arthur at Mount Badon . By the 7th century, South Saxon kings were ruling from sites around Selsey (the pre-Roman capital of
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#17327717478147440-409: The area) and Chichester (the Roman capital of the area) initially with similar borders to the pre-Roman kingdom and Roman canton. For much of the 7th and 8th centuries, Sussex suffered attempts at invasion from the Kingdom of Wessex to its west. King Æðelwealh formed an alliance with Christian Mercia against Wessex, becoming Sussex's first Christian king. With support from St Wilfrid , Sussex became
7560-456: The armistice to be offered to Germany at the end of World War I were agreed at a meeting at Danny House , Hurstpierpoint . With the declaration of World War II , Sussex found itself part of the country's frontline with its airfields playing a key role in the Battle of Britain and with its towns being some of the most frequently bombed. Sussex was garrisoned by multiple British and Canadian Army units from 1940 until at least May 1942. During
7680-412: The breadline and receiving regular relief. Socially acceptable crimes, including protest, riot, collective action and smuggling were commonplace in Sussex and were seen by many as a legitimate way to address grievances and assert freedoms. At this time, Sussex became a centre for radicalism . Thomas Paine developed his political ideas in Lewes, and later wrote Common Sense which was influential in
7800-527: The ceremonial counties of East and West Sussex in 1974. Boundaries were changed and a large part of the rape of Lewes was transferred from the eastern division into West Sussex, along with Gatwick Airport, historically part of the county of Surrey. From 1290, Sussex returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of England . Each county returned two MPs and each borough designated by Royal charter also returned two MPs. After
7920-471: The coast past Bulverhythe and the depots of the Hastings Diesels and the Southeastern before going through the site of St Leonards (West Marina) that was closed in 1967. The East Coastway line ends shortly after at Bo-Peep Junction where the Hastings Line from Tonbridge continues through Bo-Peep Tunnel to St Leonards (Warrior Square) and through Hastings Tunnel to Hastings . Some trains from London and Brighton continue beyond Hastings to Ore, where there
8040-440: The coastal districts is strongly influenced by the sea, which, because of its tendency to warm up slower than land, can result in cooler temperatures than inland in the summer. In the autumn months, the coast sometimes has higher temperatures. Rainfall during the summer months is mainly from thunderstorms and thundery showers; from January to March the heavier rainfall is due to prevailing south-westerly frontal systems. In winter,
8160-415: The cohesion that makes it plastic. In kaolinite clay, the bonding between plates is provided by a film of water molecules that hydrogen bond the plates together. The bonds are weak enough to allow the plates to slip past each other when the clay is being moulded, but strong enough to hold the plates in place and allow the moulded clay to retain its shape after it is moulded. When the clay is dried, most of
8280-399: The constituencies of Brighton and Brighton Kemptown . Since 1997 there has been a gradual shift to the left, especially in more urban areas. This has been most notable in Brighton and Hove, where in Brighton Pavilion the UK's first Green MP, Caroline Lucas , was elected in 2010 and the UK's first Green-led local authority was elected in 2011. In the House of Commons , the lower house of
8400-420: The county. The population of Sussex was 550,446 in 1891 and 605,202 in 1901. Finds at Eartham Pit in Boxgrove show that the area has some of the earliest hominid remains in Europe, dating back some 500,000 years and known as Boxgrove Man or Homo heidelbergensis . At a site near Pulborough called The Beedings, tools have been found that date from around 35,000 years ago and that are thought to be from either
8520-420: The current Polegate station . The previous station, 330 yards west, was once a busy junction station with the former branch line to Eridge via Hailsham ( Cuckoo Line ), which closed in 1968. Leaving the station, there once was a junction for the spur line then continued east towards Hastings which allowed trains to bypass the Branch; this has now been closed, and all trains run into Eastbourne line and reverse at
8640-427: The depot at St Leonards West Marina. A typical Southern service along the route is: In circumstances when the Brighton Main Line has both running lines closed between Preston Park and Keymer Junction, some services between Brighton and London may be diverted via Lewes, with trains having to reverse at the end of the station. A Southeastern service is typically a half hourly London Charing Cross–Hastings. The line
8760-523: The east winds can be as cold as further inland. Selsey is known as a tornado hotspot, with small tornadoes hitting the town in 1986, 1998 and 2000, with the 1998 tornado causing an estimated £10 million of damage to 1,000 buildings. Most of Sussex's population is distributed in an east–west line along the English Channel coast or on the east–west line of the A272 . The exception to this pattern
8880-558: The east. An intermediate station at Lewes Road opened on 1 September 1873. The branch temporarily closed to passengers on 1 January 1917. It reopened on 10 August 1919 but closed permanently on 1 January 1933. During the Second World War, the tunnel leading into Kemp Town was used as an air-raid shelter. The line continued to be used for goods traffic until 14 August 1971. The viaduct was demolished in 1976. This branch, spanning 3-mile (5 km) and constructed in 1862, led to
9000-754: The eastern Mediterranean. Sussex is rich in remains from the Bronze and Iron Ages , in particular the Bronze Age barrows known as the Devil's Jumps and Cissbury Ring , one of Britain's largest hillforts. Towards the end of the Iron Age in 75 BC people from the Atrebates , one of the tribes of the Belgae , a mix of Celtic and German stock, invaded and occupied southern Britain. This was followed by an invasion by
9120-500: The emblem and the county, rather than being the inventor of the association. It is now firmly regarded that the county emblem originated and derived from the coat of arms of the 14th-century Knight of the Shire , Sir John de Radynden . Sussex's six martlets are today held to symbolise the traditional six sub-divisions of the county known as rapes . Sussex by the Sea is regarded as
9240-586: The entry classifying the invasion seems to have got his dates wrong; recent scholars have suggested he might have been a quarter of a century too late. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Sussex is recorded as Sudsexe . Three United States counties (in Delaware , New Jersey and Virginia ), and a former county/land division of Western Australia , are named after Sussex. The flag of Sussex consists of six gold martlets , or heraldic swallows , on
9360-516: The first known writing medium. Clay was chosen due to the local material being easy to work with and widely available. Scribes wrote on the tablets by inscribing them with a script known as cuneiform , using a blunt reed called a stylus , which effectively produced the wedge shaped markings of their writing. After being written on, clay tablets could be reworked into fresh tablets and reused if needed, or fired to make them permanent records. Purpose-made clay balls were used as sling ammunition . Clay
9480-529: The former Stone Cross Junction, from where the route coming from Polegate used to join. Shortly after the site of Stone Cross Halt , which was opened in 1905 and closed in 1935, the route has a slight gradient towards Pevensey and Westham . The line now passes Pevensey Castle and crosses the Pevensey Levels , serving the Pevensey Bay , which is only served during peak times. The line then passes
9600-460: The freight yards was retained. Another junction station on the line was at Polegate. On 14 May 1849 two branch lines from Polegate were built, one southwards to Eastbourne and one north to Hailsham . Both had left the station from the east, which meant trains from Eastbourne had to reverse at Polegate. This was changed when the Cuckoo Line from Hailsham to Eridge was extended in 1880, and
9720-529: The junction to the station, known as the Pinwell platforms. These eliminated the need for reversing trains but were separate from Friars walk. A new junction station with four platforms was constructed and opened on 1 November 1857, serving trains to Brighton, London, Uckfield , Newhaven , Eastbourne, and Hastings. To accommodate more platforms and reduce the tight curves, the station was rebuilt, realigned, and reopened on 17 June 1889. The original route leading to
9840-463: The killing of the nobility and clergy. The Wealden iron industry expanded rapidly, especially after the first blast furnace arrived in Sussex in 1496, from the Low Countries , which greatly improved efficiency. Skilled Flemish workers moved to Sussex, followed again by Huguenot craftsmen from France, who brought new techniques. The industry was strategically important and flourished into
9960-462: The last Neanderthals in northern Europe or pioneer populations of modern humans. The thriving population lived by hunting game such as horses, bison, mammoths and woolly rhinos . Around 6000 BC the ice sheet over the North Sea melted, sea levels rose and the meltwaters burst south and westwards, creating the English Channel and cutting the people of Sussex off from their Mesolithic kinsmen to
10080-457: The last major Anglo Saxon kingdom to become Christian. South Saxon and Mercian forces took control of what is now east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Cædwalla of Wessex killed Æðelwealh and "ravaged Sussex by fierce slaughter and devastation". The South Saxons forced Cædwalla from Sussex and were able to lead a campaign into Kent , replacing its king. At this time Sussex could have re-emerged into
10200-638: The lead up to the Dieppe Raid and D-Day landings, the people of Sussex were witness to the buildup of military personnel and materials, including the assembly of landing crafts and construction of Mulberry harbours off the county's coast. In the post-war era, the New Towns Act 1946 designated Crawley as the site of a new town . As part of the Local Government Act 1972 , the eastern and western divisions of Sussex were made into
10320-485: The line, the speed reaches 90 mph while still descending towards Cooksbridge . As the train slows down to 70 mph, it passes Hamsey level crossing before turning south to run along the River Ouse and entering 395 yards (361m) long Lewes Tunnel. Finally, the train reaches Lewes. Lewes once served as a junction for other routes, including two branch lines to the north. One led to Eridge via Uckfield , while
10440-641: The lines, as far as Ore (except for the Kemp Town branch), were electrified using the 750 V DC third rail system by the Southern Railway, which opened in May 1935. Because of its proximity to the East Sussex Coast , the line was targeted several times in bombing raids during World War II . During a daylight air raid on 25 May 1943, a German bomber dropped five bombs that hit
10560-404: The material. The clay mineral kaolinite is transformed into a non-clay material, metakaolin , which remains rigid and hard if moistened again. Further firing through the stoneware and porcelain stages further recrystallizes the metakaolin into yet stronger minerals such as mullite . The tiny size and plate form of clay particles gives clay minerals a high surface area. In some clay minerals,
10680-724: The moulded clay is just dry enough to hold its shape. The plastic limit of kaolinite clay ranges from about 36% to 40% and its liquid limit ranges from about 58% to 72%. High-quality clay is also tough, as measured by the amount of mechanical work required to roll a sample of clay flat. Its toughness reflects a high degree of internal cohesion. Clay has a high content of clay minerals that give it its plasticity. Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicate minerals , composed of aluminium and silicon ions bonded into tiny, thin plates by interconnecting oxygen and hydroxide ions. These plates are tough but flexible, and in moist clay, they adhere to each other. The resulting aggregates give clay
10800-568: The other went to East Grinstead and beyond. Both routes departed from Lewes via the Wealden Line and split at Culver Junction. The main line and the east branch converge upon leaving Lewes and then sweep around a long curve over the River Ouse and under the A27 road to reach Southerham Junction for the Newhaven & Seaford branch . There were interchange sidings to the north of the line for
10920-467: The plates carry a negative electrical charge that is balanced by a surrounding layer of positive ions ( cations ), such as sodium, potassium, or calcium. If the clay is mixed with a solution containing other cations, these can swap places with the cations in the layer around the clay particles, which gives clays a high capacity for ion exchange . The chemistry of clay minerals, including their capacity to retain nutrient cations such as potassium and ammonium,
11040-405: The route between Keymer Junction and Plumpton and Brighton to Falmer where Lewes Power Box takes over until Southerham Junction, from which absolute block signalling takes over through to Hastings. Signal boxes were situated at Berwick, Polegate Crossing, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, Pevensey and Westham, Bexhill and Bo-Peep Junction. There were two crossing boxes at Plumpton and Normans Bay. In 2013
11160-511: The route descends towards Lewes through the South Downs , along a 1 in 88 gradient for around 4 miles, passing through the former site of Lewes Priory and then levelling out at Lewes . The train route leaves the Brighton Main Line at Keymer Junction , which is just located south of Wivelsfield . Then, it heads south, passing through Burgess Hill 's northern edge while it gently descends towards Plumpton . During this section of
11280-696: The separation to occur at a particle size of 2 μm (clays being finer than silts), sedimentologists often use 4–5 μm, and colloid chemists use 1 μm. Clay-size particles and clay minerals are not the same, despite a degree of overlap in their respective definitions. Geotechnical engineers distinguish between silts and clays based on the plasticity properties of the soil, as measured by the soils' Atterberg limits . ISO 14688 grades clay particles as being smaller than 2 μm and silt particles as being larger. Mixtures of sand , silt and less than 40% clay are called loam . Some clay minerals (such as smectite ) are described as swelling clay minerals, because they have
11400-841: The site of formation. Secondary clays are clays that have been transported from their original location by water erosion and deposited in a new sedimentary deposit. Secondary clay deposits are typically associated with very low energy depositional environments such as large lakes and marine basins. The main groups of clays include kaolinite , montmorillonite - smectite , and illite . Chlorite , vermiculite , talc , and pyrophyllite are sometimes also classified as clay minerals. There are approximately 30 different types of "pure" clays in these categories, but most "natural" clay deposits are mixtures of these different types, along with other weathered minerals. Clay minerals in clays are most easily identified using X-ray diffraction rather than chemical or physical tests. Varve (or varved clay )
11520-526: The sixteenth century, the eastern three rapes and the western three rapes had been combined for most meetings of the court of quarter sessions , a division which was reinforced when the administrative counties of East Sussex and West Sussex were established in 1889. Subsequent local government reforms maintained the division into east and west. The county retained a single lord lieutenant and sheriff until 1974, when they were replaced with separate posts for East and West Sussex and Sussex lost its status as
11640-591: The south. Later in the Neolithic period, the area of the South Downs above Worthing was one of Britain's largest and most important flint -mining centres. The flints were used to help fell trees for agriculture. The oldest of these mines, at Church Hill in Findon, has been carbon-dated to 4500 BC to 3750 BC, making it one of the earliest known mines in Britain. Flint tools from Cissbury have been found as far away as
11760-420: The terminus to continue their journey. After a sharp bend, the route follows a slight downhill gradient to Willingdon Junction, where the route to and from Hastings now runs. Shortly after is Hampden Park , then over the flat Willingdon Levels to Eastbourne , a terminus station. From Eastbourne, the route is reversed as it passes through Hampden Park and reaches Willingdon Junction. Here, the route turns towards
11880-542: The territories including at Arundel, Bramber, Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings. Sussex's bishop, Æthelric II , was deposed and imprisoned and replaced with William the Conqueror's personal chaplain, Stigand . The Normans also built Chichester Cathedral and moved the seat of Sussex's bishopric from Selsey to Chichester. The Normans also founded new towns in Sussex, including New Shoreham (the centre of modern Shoreham-by-Sea), Battle, Arundel, Uckfield and Winchelsea. In 1264,
12000-542: The then nearby cement works. A mile further, the route passes under the A27 road again at the base of Mount Caburn, then passes through Glynde . Glynde once had interchange sidings for two industrial branch lines : one leading to a clay pit, and the other to a chalk pit. The line follows a near-straight route to Berwick , then heads on a slightly undulating gradient over the River Cuckmere and then downhill towards
12120-484: The timber was reused to build a house at No. 1 Wharf Road. The second station was redesigned in 1872 and then significantly rebuilt in 1886. At its peak, it had four platforms, a locomotive shed, and an extensive goods yard. The remaining 1 ⁄ 4 mile (400 m) of line to Hastings was constructed by the South Eastern Railway in 1851 as a part of their line from Ashford to Hastings , but
12240-602: The unofficial anthem of Sussex; it was composed by William Ward-Higgs in 1907, perhaps originally from the lyrics of Rudyard Kipling 's poem entitled Sussex . Adopted by the Royal Sussex Regiment and popularised in World War I , it is sung at celebrations across the county, including those at Lewes Bonfire , and at sports matches, including those of Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and Sussex County Cricket Club . The county day, called Sussex Day ,
12360-511: The unrest continued until 1832 and became known as the Swing Riots . During World War I , on 30 June 1916, the Royal Sussex Regiment took part in the Battle of the Boar's Head at Richebourg-l'Avoué . The day subsequently became known as The Day Sussex Died . Within five hours the 17 officers and 349 men were killed, and 1,000 men were wounded or taken prisoner. In 1918 the terms of
12480-479: The upper goods yard north of Brighton station. Additionally, part of the London Road viaduct was also damaged. The bombs demolished two arches and caused the death of one railway employee. Temporary repairs were quickly made to the structure and the damaged brickwork was fully restored by the end of the year. In 1941, the locomotive shed at Eastbourne was left virtually roofless after numerous air raids. During
12600-548: The useful properties of clay. Some of the earliest pottery shards recovered are from central Honshu , Japan . They are associated with the Jōmon culture, and recovered deposits have been dated to around 14,000 BCE. Cooking pots, art objects, dishware, smoking pipes , and even musical instruments such as the ocarina can all be shaped from clay before being fired. Ancient peoples in Mesopotamia adopted clay tablets as
12720-426: The water molecules are removed, and the plates hydrogen bond directly to each other, so that the dried clay is rigid but still fragile. If the clay is moistened again, it will once more become plastic. When the clay is fired to the earthenware stage, a dehydration reaction removes additional water from the clay, causing clay plates to irreversibly adhere to each other via stronger covalent bonding , which strengthens
12840-414: The weekend, the semaphore signals and current colour light signalling was replaced and new colour light signals installed and tested. The line reopened on Monday 16 February 2015 with Hampden Park Signal Box being demolished over the weekend. Bexhill, Eastbourne and Berwick signal boxes are listed buildings and were saved from demolition, and Polegate signal box was bought by the local town council to serve as
12960-735: The world's population live or work in buildings made with clay, often baked into brick, as an essential part of its load-bearing structure. Clay is a very common substance. Shale , formed largely from clay, is the most common sedimentary rock. Although many naturally occurring deposits include both silts and clay, clays are distinguished from other fine-grained soils by differences in size and mineralogy. Silts , which are fine-grained soils that do not include clay minerals, tend to have larger particle sizes than clays. Mixtures of sand , silt and less than 40% clay are called loam . Soils high in swelling clays ( expansive clay ), which are clay minerals that readily expand in volume when they absorb water, are
13080-493: The world's population, in both traditional societies as well as developed countries, still live or work in buildings made with clay, often baked into brick, as an essential part of their load-bearing structure. Also a primary ingredient in many natural building techniques, clay is used to create adobe , cob , cordwood , and structures and building elements such as wattle and daub , clay plaster, clay render case, clay floors and clay paints and ceramic building material . Clay
13200-652: Was able to journey through the county after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 to make his escape to France from the port of Shoreham. In 1681 Charles II granted William Penn lands in what became Pennsylvania and Delaware . Amongst those whom he carried to North America as colonists were 200 people from Sussex, mostly Quakers, who founded settlements named after places in Sussex including Lewes and Seaford in Sussex County , Delaware and Horsham Township and Chichester in Pennsylvania. The Sussex coast
13320-542: Was about 1.7 million. In 2021, Sussex had a population density of 451 per km , higher than the average for England of 434 per km . The decline of the Sussex ironworks probably accounts for the small increase in population during several centuries, although after the Massacre of St Bartholomew upwards of 1,500 Huguenots landed at Rye, and in 1685, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes , many more refugees were added to
13440-409: Was called Willingdon Junction, where the route diverges either east or west. A single line spur from Willingdon Junction to Stone Cross Junction was opened on 2 August 1871, forming a triangular junction between Polegate, Pevensey , and Eastbourne and allowing direct trains to operate from Eastbourne to Hastings. The terminus at Eastbourne was originally a timber building. It was rebuilt in 1866, and
13560-415: Was defeated and Harold was killed. It is likely that all the fighting men of Sussex were at the battle, as the county's thegns were decimated and any that survived had their lands confiscated. William built Battle Abbey at the site of the battle, with the exact spot where Harold fell marked by the high altar. Sussex experienced some of the greatest changes of any English county under the Normans, for it
13680-410: Was greatly modified by the social movement of sea bathing for health which became fashionable among the wealthy in the second half of the 18th century. Resorts developed all along the coast, including at Brighton, Hastings, Worthing, and Bognor. Poverty increased and by 1801 Sussex had the highest poor law rates in England, with 23 per cent of its population (37,000 people out of 160,000) living on
13800-732: Was later doubled in January 1849. On 27 July 1846 the BLHR merged with other railways to form the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). In November 1846, the bridge over the River Asten was completed and Bulverhythe Temporary Station was replaced by a permanent station named Hastings & St Leonards, later renamed to St Leonards West Marina . For almost a year, all services from London travelled via Brighton until
13920-546: Was originally signalled by a mixture of semaphore signals and colour lights by several signal boxes over the years. Almost every station had a signal box, Lewes even had five signal boxes controlling the area including the goods yard. Polegate had three signal boxes and other signal boxes at Willingdon and Stone Cross junctions and at Pevensey Bay and Cooden Beach There were also crossing boxes at Ripe, between Glynde and Berwick, and at Wilmington, between Berwick and Polegate. Before 2015, Three Bridges signalling centre controlled
14040-534: Was still 10 to 25 per cent lower than it had been in 1066. It was also during the Norman period that Sussex achieved its greatest importance in comparison with other English counties. Sussex was on the main route between England and Normandy , and the lands of the Anglo-Norman nobility in what is now western France. The growth in Sussex's population, the importance of its ports and the increased colonisation of
14160-836: Was taken away. In 1926, a line was laid for the Eastbourne Corporation Electric Works, which transported coal and supplied fuel to the bus garage, as well as taking scrap metal from the refuse destructor works. The branch ceased steam working in April 1960, after which diesel shunting locomotives took over until the line was closed in early 1967. The LB&SCR introduced motor train services between Eastbourne and St Leonards West Marina in 1905. The company provided new unmanned halts at Stone Cross , Pevensey Bay , Normans Bay , Cooden , Collington , and Glyne Gap . All of them are still open apart from Stone Cross (closed in 1935) and Glyne Gap (closed in 1915). All
14280-434: Was the heartland of King Harold and was potentially vulnerable to further invasion. In the immediate aftermath of the Normans' landing at Pevensey and the Battle of Hastings and to put an end to any rebellion, the Norman army destroyed estates and other assets on their route through Sussex, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in Sussex's wealth, a situation worse than any other southern or midland county. By 1086 wealth in Sussex
14400-461: Was used as a mortar in brick chimneys and stone walls where protected from water. Clay, relatively impermeable to water, is also used where natural seals are needed, such as in pond linings, the cores of dams , or as a barrier in landfills against toxic seepage (lining the landfill, preferably in combination with geotextiles ). Studies in the early 21st century have investigated clay's absorption capacities in various applications, such as
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