Midhurst
Encyclopedia
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
. Country Life
magazine rated Midhurst the second best town in England.
In the United Kingdom Census 2001
the parish covered 333 hectare
s and had 2,327 households with a total population of 4,889 of which 2,258 residents were economically active. In 1831 the population was 1,478; and 1,536 in 1841.
of St. Mary Magdalene
and St. Denys
was mentioned in 1291 and later in 1367 as standing, "in a place called Courtgene". The interior of the church has undergone much restoration and change and little evidence exists of its medieval heritage. Consisting of chancel
and nave
flanked by aisles on both sides, the church was largely rebuilt in the Perpendicular style in 1422, towards the end of Henry V
's reign.
It would appear that the castle was dismantled by the Bishop of Durham sometime between 1284 and 1311. The earlier owners being the de Bohun family who abandoned the castle in favour of Cowdray in 1280.
In 1605 the owner of Cowdray House
, Anthony-Maria Browne, 2nd Viscount Montagu
, was briefly arrested in connection with the Gunpowder Plot
. He was suspected as a plotter because he briefly employed Guy Fawkes
as a footman and stayed away from Parliament
on 5 November following a warning from Robert Catesby
. He is buried in Midhurst Church.
The author and science fiction novelist H.G.Wells lived in Midhurst during the 1880s. He worked briefly as an apprentice at a chemist and a few years later he joined the Midhurst Grammar School where he was both a pupil and an assistant teacher.
competition. This is held on the estate of Lord Cowdray, with the final played outside the Ruins. Prince Charles and other members of the royal family are often seen there. This same spot was the venue for a charity concert featuring Pink Floyd
(minus Waters) in 1993.
Parts of the Spread Eagle Hotel date back to 1430 and it was formerly a coaching inn.
which replaced the former grammar school, founded in 1672. It is an Academy school formed following the closure of the grammar school and Midhurst Intermediate School in January 2009.
of the Church of England
comprising 22 churches in the Rother Valley between Midhurst and Petersfield
. The parish church for Midhurst is St Mary Magdalene and St Denys', in the market square, which retains some old parts on the south side. The base of the tower is 13th century. The tower top, south nave and chancel arcades are 16th century in perpendicular style. The rest of the building is from 1882 or later.
The Divine Motherhood and St Francis Of Assisi Roman Catholic Church Bepton Road was built in 1957, replacing an earlier church still standing in Rumbolds Hill, by C A Buckler, built in 1869. It is built in sandstone in the shape of a segment of a circle with the rounded off point forming an eastern apse. The western arc is divided into seven sections by vertical stone fins, six of which are glazed, leaving the doorway in the central section with a Madonna and Child above. There is a circular sky light above the altar. The stations of the cross are carved on a continuous stone band along the side walls. There is a tall separate bell tower linked to the church by an open colonnade.
Midhurst Methodist Church is a flint masonry building with brick quoins standing to the north of the old grammar school buildings. A large gothic style west window looks towards the ruins of Cowdray House.
of 1301 and was consistently represented from 1382 onwards. Initially the town had two Members of Parliament
. The electors were the owners of certain properties, which were marked by "burgage
stones", one of these stones remains and can be seen in a building next to the public library. In 1831 there were only 41 eligible voters and Midhurst was considered a rotten borough
. In the Great Reform Act of 1832 Midhurst was reduced to one Member of Parliament and the constituency was expanded to include most of the surrounding villages. In 1883 Midhurst lost its status as a borough
and its right to elect a Member of Parliament.
At present Midhurst is part of the Chichester constituency and is represented in the House of Commons by Andrew Tyrie
, Conservative.
in 1866, one from Petersfield
in 1864 and one from Chichester
in 1881. The line from Chichester to Midhurst closed in 1935 to passengers and in 1951 to goods traffic.
There were two stations, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway's
(Chichester to Pulborough) and the London and South Western Railway's
. All passenger services were concentrated on the LB&SCR station in 1925 by the Southern Railway. The last passenger trains ran in 1955.The line remained open, from Pulborough only, for goods traffic until 1964.
runs through the town east and west.
The A286 road also runs through the town north and south.
The town is served by the various buses.
and Heathrow
airports.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the Chichester
Chichester (district)
Chichester is a largely rural local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in the city of Chichester.-History:The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Chichester and the Rural Districts of...
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...
, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother
River Rother (Western)
The River Rother is a river which flows for thirty miles from Empshott in Hampshire to Stopham in West Sussex, where it joins the River Arun. It should not be confused with the River Rother, in East Sussex....
and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House
Cowdray House
Cowdray House consists of the ruins of one of England's great Tudor houses, architecturally comparable to many of the great palaces and country houses of that time. It is situated just east of Midhurst, West Sussex standing on the north bank of the River Rother...
and the stately Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Cowdray Park
Cowdray Park, West Sussex
Cowdray Park is a country house at the centre of the Cowdray Estate in Midhurst, West Sussex. The park lies in the South Downs National Park. The estate belongs to Viscount Cowdray, whose family have owned it since 1908. It is probably best known for Cowdray Park Polo Club, which is one of the...
. Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
magazine rated Midhurst the second best town in England.
In the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
the parish covered 333 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s and had 2,327 households with a total population of 4,889 of which 2,258 residents were economically active. In 1831 the population was 1,478; and 1,536 in 1841.
History
Formerly standing within the grounds of Midhurst Castle, the parish churchParish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of St. Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and St. Denys
Denis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
was mentioned in 1291 and later in 1367 as standing, "in a place called Courtgene". The interior of the church has undergone much restoration and change and little evidence exists of its medieval heritage. Consisting of chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
flanked by aisles on both sides, the church was largely rebuilt in the Perpendicular style in 1422, towards the end of Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
's reign.
It would appear that the castle was dismantled by the Bishop of Durham sometime between 1284 and 1311. The earlier owners being the de Bohun family who abandoned the castle in favour of Cowdray in 1280.
In 1605 the owner of Cowdray House
Cowdray House
Cowdray House consists of the ruins of one of England's great Tudor houses, architecturally comparable to many of the great palaces and country houses of that time. It is situated just east of Midhurst, West Sussex standing on the north bank of the River Rother...
, Anthony-Maria Browne, 2nd Viscount Montagu
Anthony-Maria Browne, 2nd Viscount Montagu
Anthony-Maria Browne was an English peer during the Tudor and Stuart period.He was born in 1574, and become the Second Viscount Montagu on the death of his grandfather in 1592. He married Jane Sackville, the daughter of Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, in 1591...
, was briefly arrested in connection with the Gunpowder Plot
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
. He was suspected as a plotter because he briefly employed Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
as a footman and stayed away from Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
on 5 November following a warning from Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby
Robert Catesby , was the leader of a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605....
. He is buried in Midhurst Church.
The author and science fiction novelist H.G.Wells lived in Midhurst during the 1880s. He worked briefly as an apprentice at a chemist and a few years later he joined the Midhurst Grammar School where he was both a pupil and an assistant teacher.
The town
Each year the town hosts the "Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup" which is a major poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
competition. This is held on the estate of Lord Cowdray, with the final played outside the Ruins. Prince Charles and other members of the royal family are often seen there. This same spot was the venue for a charity concert featuring Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
(minus Waters) in 1993.
Parts of the Spread Eagle Hotel date back to 1430 and it was formerly a coaching inn.
Education
The main secondary school in the town is Midhurst Rother CollegeMidhurst Rother College
Midhurst Rother College is a mixed Academy for students aged 11 to 18, in Midhurst, West Sussex. It was officially formed on 1 January 2009 following the closure of three predecessor schools in the area. It serves a wide rural area in the Rother Valley of West Sussex...
which replaced the former grammar school, founded in 1672. It is an Academy school formed following the closure of the grammar school and Midhurst Intermediate School in January 2009.
Places of worship
Midhurst Deanery is a DeaneryDeanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
comprising 22 churches in the Rother Valley between Midhurst and Petersfield
Petersfield
Petersfield can refer to any of the following places:*Petersfield, Hampshire, a market town in England*Petersfield, Jamaica, a small town in the parish of Westmoreland*Petersfield, Manitoba, in Canada*Petersfield, an area of Cambridge, England...
. The parish church for Midhurst is St Mary Magdalene and St Denys', in the market square, which retains some old parts on the south side. The base of the tower is 13th century. The tower top, south nave and chancel arcades are 16th century in perpendicular style. The rest of the building is from 1882 or later.
The Divine Motherhood and St Francis Of Assisi Roman Catholic Church Bepton Road was built in 1957, replacing an earlier church still standing in Rumbolds Hill, by C A Buckler, built in 1869. It is built in sandstone in the shape of a segment of a circle with the rounded off point forming an eastern apse. The western arc is divided into seven sections by vertical stone fins, six of which are glazed, leaving the doorway in the central section with a Madonna and Child above. There is a circular sky light above the altar. The stations of the cross are carved on a continuous stone band along the side walls. There is a tall separate bell tower linked to the church by an open colonnade.
Midhurst Methodist Church is a flint masonry building with brick quoins standing to the north of the old grammar school buildings. A large gothic style west window looks towards the ruins of Cowdray House.
Midhurst constituency
The town was first represented in the ParliamentParliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
of 1301 and was consistently represented from 1382 onwards. Initially the town had two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. The electors were the owners of certain properties, which were marked by "burgage
Burgage
Burgage is a medieval land term used in England and Scotland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town rental property , owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of a house on a long and narrow plot of land, with the narrow end facing the street...
stones", one of these stones remains and can be seen in a building next to the public library. In 1831 there were only 41 eligible voters and Midhurst was considered a rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
. In the Great Reform Act of 1832 Midhurst was reduced to one Member of Parliament and the constituency was expanded to include most of the surrounding villages. In 1883 Midhurst lost its status as a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
and its right to elect a Member of Parliament.
At present Midhurst is part of the Chichester constituency and is represented in the House of Commons by Andrew Tyrie
Andrew Tyrie
Andrew Guy Tyrie is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is the Member of Parliament for Chichester, and was first elected in the 1997 general election...
, Conservative.
Rail
Midhurst was linked by three lines, one from PulboroughPulborough
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...
in 1866, one from Petersfield
Petersfield, Hampshire
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
in 1864 and one from 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...
in 1881. The line from Chichester to Midhurst closed in 1935 to passengers and in 1951 to goods traffic.
There were two stations, the London Brighton and South Coast Railway's
Midhurst railway station
Midhurst Railway Station used to serve the market town of Midhurst in the county of West Sussex. The first railway to reach the town was a branch line from Petersfield opened by the London & South Western Railway on 1st September 1864....
(Chichester to Pulborough) and the London and South Western Railway's
Midhurst (LSWR) railway station
Midhurst railway station was opened on 1 September 1864 by the London and South Western Railway, the terminus of the line from Petersfield, serving the Market town of Midhurst in West Sussex. The station was closed on 4 April 1925, after the Southern Railway took over the LSWR and services...
. All passenger services were concentrated on the LB&SCR station in 1925 by the Southern Railway. The last passenger trains ran in 1955.The line remained open, from Pulborough only, for goods traffic until 1964.
Road
The A272A272 road
The A272 is a road in South-East England. It follows an approximate East-West route from near Heathfield, East Sussex to the city of Winchester, Hampshire. It has achieved somewhat unlikely fame in recent years by being the subject of a book by the Dutch author, Pieter Boogaart...
runs through the town east and west.
The A286 road also runs through the town north and south.
The town is served by the various buses.
Air
Midhurst is an hour's drive from GatwickLondon Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
and Heathrow
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
airports.