Arlington, East Sussex
Encyclopedia
Arlington is a village and civil parish
in the Wealden
district of East Sussex
. The parish is on the River Cuckmere
, and is the location for a medieval priory, a reservoir and car racetrack.
times. It is suggested that the wooden church in Arlington built by them, having been destroyed by invaders, was later rebuilt with bricks from the nearby Roman road. Apart from the Anglo-Saxon type of quoin stones, the church shows a splayed window of Anglo-Saxon type next to the porch. Supporting an early date is the dedication of the church to St Pancras, the Roman martyr, relics of whom were given to one of the Anglo-Saxon kings: he was reputed to be a teenager when put to death in one of the Roman persecutions of Christians. There is a statue of this saint in the RC church at Lewes: it is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the church at Arlington dates from early in the Anglo-Saxon period. It was enlarged in the 13th century. Michelham Priory
, at Upper Dicker, was founded by the Augustinians
in 1229. Today it is a tourist site.
between Polegate
and Lewes
, and near
Berwick railway station
on the East Coastway Line
. The village of Upper Dicker, the site of a medieval trade centre (Dicker = barter), is on the river, 1½ miles (2.4 km) to the north.
Arlington Reservoir
, on the opposite side of the river, was opened in 1971, and supplies water to the local area, including Eastbourne. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs
and is an award-winning conservation site, being both a local nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. It is an important site for bird life, with up to 170 species breeding in the area and 10,000 migrating birds using it each year and is popular with walkers, and for horse riders and anglers.
Another SSSI within the parish is Lower Dicker
, a disused quarry and an important site for the study of the palaeogeography
of the Weald. Its geology of sand and sandstone indicating ancient river flows in the area.
Some wild privet of the native species can be observed growing in the hedges in winter time.
s: The Yew Tree Inn situated near the church; The Old Oak Inn in Caneheath, a hamlet to the east of Arlington; and The Plough Inn at Upper Dicker. Education is provided at Park Mead Infants School; and at St Bede's Independent Boarding School, Upper Dicker. The post office at Upper Dicker (first mentioned in 1852, when a type of postmark
known as an undated circle was issued), was closed in 2008.
" and motorbikes. The stadium is the home of speedway
team the Eastbourne Eagles
.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
district of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. The parish is on the River Cuckmere
River Cuckmere
The River Cuckmere rises near Heathfield in East Sussex, England on the southern slopes of the Weald. The name of the river probably comes from an Old English word meaning fast-flowing, since it descends over 100 m in its initial four miles...
, and is the location for a medieval priory, a reservoir and car racetrack.
History
The area has been settled since Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. It is suggested that the wooden church in Arlington built by them, having been destroyed by invaders, was later rebuilt with bricks from the nearby Roman road. Apart from the Anglo-Saxon type of quoin stones, the church shows a splayed window of Anglo-Saxon type next to the porch. Supporting an early date is the dedication of the church to St Pancras, the Roman martyr, relics of whom were given to one of the Anglo-Saxon kings: he was reputed to be a teenager when put to death in one of the Roman persecutions of Christians. There is a statue of this saint in the RC church at Lewes: it is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the church at Arlington dates from early in the Anglo-Saxon period. It was enlarged in the 13th century. Michelham Priory
Michelham Priory
Michelham Priory is the site of a former Augustine Priory near Upper Dicker, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom. It is owned and administered by the Sussex Archaeological Society.-History:...
, at Upper Dicker, was founded by the Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
in 1229. Today it is a tourist site.
Geography
Arlington village stands above the left bank of the River Cuckmere. The parish includes the two villages of Arlington and Upper Dicker. It is on a minor road leading north from the A27 roadA27 road
The A27 is a major road in England. It runs from its junction with the A36 at Whiteparish in the county of Wiltshire. It closely parallels the south coast, where it passes through West Sussex and terminates at Pevensey in East Sussex.Between Portsmouth and Lewes, it is one of the busiest trunk...
between Polegate
Polegate
Polegate is a town and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England, United Kingdom. It is located five miles north of the seaside resort of Eastbourne, and is part of the greater area of that town. Although once a railway settlement, its importance as such has now waned with...
and Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, and near
Berwick railway station
Berwick (Sussex) railway station
Berwick railway station is located in Berwick Station, East Sussex and also serves Berwick, the village located nearby to the south of the A27 road. The station is on the East Coastway Line, and train services are provided by Southern...
on the East Coastway Line
East Coastway Line
East Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line...
. The village of Upper Dicker, the site of a medieval trade centre (Dicker = barter), is on the river, 1½ miles (2.4 km) to the north.
Arlington Reservoir
Arlington Reservoir
Arlington Reservoir is a 99.4 biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Arlington, East Sussex. The site was notified in 1985 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The site is also of ornithological interest, with over 1% of the wintering wigeon being populated within the site...
, on the opposite side of the river, was opened in 1971, and supplies water to the local area, including Eastbourne. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
and is an award-winning conservation site, being both a local nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. It is an important site for bird life, with up to 170 species breeding in the area and 10,000 migrating birds using it each year and is popular with walkers, and for horse riders and anglers.
Another SSSI within the parish is Lower Dicker
Lower Dicker
Lower Dicker is a 0.12 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1998 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The site is a small, over-grown quarry approximately four kilometres north-west of Hailsham.-Geology:Exposures of a...
, a disused quarry and an important site for the study of the palaeogeography
Palaeogeography
Palaeogeography is the study of what the geography was in times past. It is most often used about the physical landscape, although nothing excludes its use in reference to the human or cultural environment...
of the Weald. Its geology of sand and sandstone indicating ancient river flows in the area.
Some wild privet of the native species can be observed growing in the hedges in winter time.
Amenities
There are two village halls in the parish, at Arlington and Upper Dicker. That at Arlington holds a weekly Art Club and a village market. There are three public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s: The Yew Tree Inn situated near the church; The Old Oak Inn in Caneheath, a hamlet to the east of Arlington; and The Plough Inn at Upper Dicker. Education is provided at Park Mead Infants School; and at St Bede's Independent Boarding School, Upper Dicker. The post office at Upper Dicker (first mentioned in 1852, when a type of postmark
Postmark
thumb|USS TexasA postmark is a postal marking made on a letter, package, postcard or the like indicating the date and time that the item was delivered into the care of the postal service...
known as an undated circle was issued), was closed in 2008.
Religion
Arlington parish church is dedicated to St Pancras. The church at Upper Dicker is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.Raceway
Arlington Stadium, near Michelham Priory, used regularly in the summer for race meets. Usually of stock cars, "bangersBangers
For the sausage, see Bangers and mashFor the Danish rap group, see B.A.N.G.E.R.S.Bangers is a 1999 Australian short film starring Cate Blanchett. Her real-life husband Andrew Upton wrote, produced, and directed the film...
" and motorbikes. The stadium is the home of speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
team the Eastbourne Eagles
Eastbourne Eagles
The Eastbourne Eagles are a British speedway team based near Eastbourne, England who compete in the British Elite League. They became Elite League Champions in 2000. They were also Elite League Knockout Cup winners in 2002 and again in 2008. Speedway was initially introduced to Eastbourne in...
.