Balcombe, West Sussex
Encyclopedia
Balcombe is a village
and civil parish
in the Mid Sussex
district of West Sussex
, England
. It lies 31 miles (50 km) south of London
, 16 miles (26 km) north of Brighton
, and 32 miles (51 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester
. Nearby towns include Crawley
to the northwest and Haywards Heath
to the south southeast. The village is approximately halfway between London
and the coastal city of Brighton
.
It is possible that the name Balcombe means "Mining Place Camp". Bal is a Cornish word meaning a mining place as in Bal Maiden
s, so it is possible that the same word existed in Ancient British Celtic. Although Coombe or Combe can mean a valley it can also come from the Roman "camp". So possibly from its name Balcombe could have once been a Romano-British mining settlement.
South of Balcombe on the London to Brighton railway line is the Ouse Valley Viaduct
. Designed by David Mocatta
and built 1839–41 it is 100 feet (30.5 m) high and 500 yards long. It has 37 arches and was built with 11 million imported Dutch bricks.
The village has a series of mural
s about World War I
in its Victory Hall. Lady Gertrude Denman commissioned artist Neville Lytton to paint the thirty-four feet long by ten feet high frescoes. The murals were featured on a television programme about the war in 2005.
It was the birthplace of Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War, and who was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945. Famous residents included actor Paul Scofield
.
The River Ouse
was once navigable from the south coast to Balcombe.
on the Brighton Main Line
. Balcombe railway station
helped grow a predominantly farming community into one of the popular London commuter villages. The station offers direct services to London
and Brighton
. To the north of the village is Balcombe tunnel
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish
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 Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex
Mid Sussex is a local government district in the English county of West Sussex. It contains the towns of East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill....
district of West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies 31 miles (50 km) south of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 16 miles (26 km) north of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, and 32 miles (51 km) east northeast of the county town of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
. Nearby towns include Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
to the northwest and Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
to the south southeast. The village is approximately halfway between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the coastal city of Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
It is possible that the name Balcombe means "Mining Place Camp". Bal is a Cornish word meaning a mining place as in Bal Maiden
Bal maiden
The term bal maiden refers to women and children who were probably working at or in the mines in Devon and Cornwall from the days of antiquity, but the earliest written records date from the Middle Ages. From this time, at least, it seems that women and girls did not work below ground, but usually...
s, so it is possible that the same word existed in Ancient British Celtic. Although Coombe or Combe can mean a valley it can also come from the Roman "camp". So possibly from its name Balcombe could have once been a Romano-British mining settlement.
South of Balcombe on the London to Brighton railway line is the Ouse Valley Viaduct
Ouse Valley Viaduct
Built in 1841, the Ouse Valley Viaduct over the River Ouse on the London-Brighton Railway Line north of Haywards Heath and south of Balcombe is long.-Description:...
. Designed by David Mocatta
David Mocatta
David Mocatta was a British architect and a member of the Anglo-Jewish Mocatta family.-Biography:Mocatta studied in London from 1821 to 1827 under Sir John Soane and travelled in Italy...
and built 1839–41 it is 100 feet (30.5 m) high and 500 yards long. It has 37 arches and was built with 11 million imported Dutch bricks.
The village has a series of mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s about World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in its Victory Hall. Lady Gertrude Denman commissioned artist Neville Lytton to paint the thirty-four feet long by ten feet high frescoes. The murals were featured on a television programme about the war in 2005.
It was the birthplace of Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War, and who was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945. Famous residents included actor Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield
David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
.
The River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
was once navigable from the south coast to Balcombe.
Rail transport
The village has a railway station which lies just north of Haywards HeathHaywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
. Balcombe railway station
Balcombe railway station
Balcombe railway station serves the village of Balcombe in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton...
helped grow a predominantly farming community into one of the popular London commuter villages. The station offers direct services to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. To the north of the village is Balcombe tunnel
Balcombe tunnel
Balcombe tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Brighton Main Line through the Sussex Weald between Three Bridges and Balcombe. It is 1141 yards long.-History:The tunnel was constructed by the London and Brighton Railway during 1840-41...
.