Cootham
Encyclopedia
Cootham is a hamlet
in the Horsham
District of West Sussex
, England
. It lies on the A283 road 0.9 miles (1.4 km) west of Storrington
.
Cootham's population numbers around 200 and there is one public house
named The Crown, parts of which date from 1555. As a well known coaching inn 'The Crown' had its own stables. They were situated on the south side of the road opposite the pub and were converted, some years ago, into houses that are known today as Crown Cottages.
The hamlet
lies in the lee of the South Downs
, between the country estate of Parham
(included in the Domesday Book
) and the village of Storrington
, where the nearest facilities are located. The main road running through the middle of Cootham is the A283 that runs west to Pulborough
and Midhurst
and east to Storrington and Washington
.
The pronunciation of the village name is traditionally ˈkoʊtəm "COAT-əm", although these days many people pronounce it /ˈkuːtəm/ "COOT-əm", after the way in which it is spelt.
Items of local interest include the Southdown Gliding Club which operates flights from a field at the western extremity of Cootham; Cootham Village Hall which hosts various local community activities and Parham House itself, one of the south east's finest country houses.
Public transport is limited to one bus, the Compass Travel 100, that runs to Pulborough
mainline station on the Portsmouth
to London Victoria line.
In the 1980s, oil was discovered beneath a large part of Cootham and a small pumping station was constructed at the corner of the gliding field. This is still operational and features two 'nodding donkey' pumps and a gas burner. Much of the area surrounding Cootham is protected from development, though housing has encroached significantly since the late 1980s and there is now little untouched land between Cootham and Storrington.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in the Horsham
Horsham (district)
Horsham is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Horsham. The district borders those of Crawley, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Chichester, Arun and Adur....
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 on the A283 road 0.9 miles (1.4 km) west of Storrington
Storrington
Storrington is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. As of 2006 the village has a population of around 4,600. It has one main shopping street...
.
Cootham's population numbers around 200 and there is one public house
Public 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...
named The Crown, parts of which date from 1555. As a well known coaching inn 'The Crown' had its own stables. They were situated on the south side of the road opposite the pub and were converted, some years ago, into houses that are known today as Crown Cottages.
The hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
lies in the lee 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...
, between the country estate of Parham
Parham
-Places:in Antigua and Barbuda*Parham, Antigua and Barbuda, that claims to be the oldest town on Antigua*The Parham Peninsulain Canada*Parham, Ontarioin England*Parham Airfield Museum*Parham Park the area surrounding Parham House in West Sussex...
(included in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
) and the village of Storrington
Storrington
Storrington is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. As of 2006 the village has a population of around 4,600. It has one main shopping street...
, where the nearest facilities are located. The main road running through the middle of Cootham is the A283 that runs west to Pulborough
Pulborough
Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north-south A29 and the east-west roads.The village is near the...
and Midhurst
Midhurst
Midhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...
and east to Storrington and Washington
Washington, West Sussex
Washington is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located five miles west of Steyning and three miles east of Storrington on the A24 between Horsham and Worthing. The parish covers an area of 1,276 hectares...
.
The pronunciation of the village name is traditionally ˈkoʊtəm "COAT-əm", although these days many people pronounce it /ˈkuːtəm/ "COOT-əm", after the way in which it is spelt.
Items of local interest include the Southdown Gliding Club which operates flights from a field at the western extremity of Cootham; Cootham Village Hall which hosts various local community activities and Parham House itself, one of the south east's finest country houses.
Public transport is limited to one bus, the Compass Travel 100, that runs to Pulborough
Pulborough
Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north-south A29 and the east-west roads.The village is near the...
mainline station on the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to London Victoria line.
In the 1980s, oil was discovered beneath a large part of Cootham and a small pumping station was constructed at the corner of the gliding field. This is still operational and features two 'nodding donkey' pumps and a gas burner. Much of the area surrounding Cootham is protected from development, though housing has encroached significantly since the late 1980s and there is now little untouched land between Cootham and Storrington.