Westham
Encyclopedia
Westham is a large village civil parish
in the Wealden
District of East Sussex
, England
. The village is adjacent to Pevensey
five miles (8 km) north-east of Eastbourne
. The parish consists of three settlements: Westham; Stone Cross; and Hankham. The parish is virtually part of the Greater Eastbourne conurbation, and much expansion has been occurring here: hence the large population.
. Its name derives from being a hamlet
to the west of Pevensey Castle
.
village.
which is located on high ground in the village. This tower mill was built between 1875 and 1876, the last of the type built in Sussex. Although ceasing commercial operation in 1937, it has since been refurbished and is open to the public. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Pevensey Levels
, a Site of Special Scientific Interest
, lies partially in the parish. The site is of biological interest consisting of low-lying grazing meadows, hosting a wide variety of wetland flora and fauna.
. The A27 trunk road
crosses the parish from west to east.
The 11th-century St Mary's church
at Westham is reputed to be the first Norman
church in England, although the church at Bramber
also claims that title.
St Luke's parish church at Stone Cross (also serving the settlement of North Langney) is a more recent building of 1926; it stands at a crossroads near the windmill. The church fell into disrepair during the 1970s and was refurbished and re-opened in 1988. The church hall is a recent addition to the church and was built in 2003. To the front of the church is the war memorial with the names of local people who lost their life during two world wars, whose names are read out during each Remembrance Sunday
service.
(1937–90), politician, was assassinated at his home in Hankham by an IRA
bomb.
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:...
, 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...
. The village is adjacent to Pevensey
Pevensey
Pevensey is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located 5 miles north-east of Eastbourne, one mile inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of the parish.-Geography:The village of Pevensey is located on...
five miles (8 km) north-east of Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. The parish consists of three settlements: Westham; Stone Cross; and Hankham. The parish is virtually part of the Greater Eastbourne conurbation, and much expansion has been occurring here: hence the large population.
History
Although overshadowed by its close neighbour, Pevensey, Westham is recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday 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...
. Its name derives from being a 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...
to the west of Pevensey Castle
Pevensey Castle
Pevensey Castle is a medieval castle and former Roman fort at Pevensey in the English county of East Sussex. The site is a Scheduled Monument in the care of English Heritage and is open to visitors.-Roman fort:...
.
Geography
The parish lies along a ridge at the western end of the Pevensey Levels, the area once an inlet of the sea. The main village centre, Westham, is at the eastern end of the parish, and is virtually coterminous with PevenseyPevensey
Pevensey is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The main village is located 5 miles north-east of Eastbourne, one mile inland from Pevensey Bay. The settlement of Pevensey Bay forms part of the parish.-Geography:The village of Pevensey is located on...
village.
Landmarks
Stone Cross is the home to a windmillStone Cross Windmill
Stone Cross Windmill is a grade II* listed tower mill at Stone Cross, Sussex, England which has been restored and is open to the public. The mill was also known as Blackness Mill and the White Mill.-History:...
which is located on high ground in the village. This tower mill was built between 1875 and 1876, the last of the type built in Sussex. Although ceasing commercial operation in 1937, it has since been refurbished and is open to the public. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Pevensey Levels
Pevensey Levels
The area known as the Pevensey Levels is a Site of Special Scientific Interest notified under Section 28 of theWildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an area of marshland situated between Bexhill in the east, Pevensey in the west and Hailsham in the north...
, 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...
, lies partially in the parish. The site is of biological interest consisting of low-lying grazing meadows, hosting a wide variety of wetland flora and fauna.
Transport
The village is served by Pevensey and Westham railway station on the East Coastway LineEast 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 A27 trunk road
A27 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...
crosses the parish from west to east.
Education
There are three primary schools serving the parish: Pevensey and Westham School; Hankham County Primary School; and Stone Cross School.Religious sites
There are two churches in the civil parish.The 11th-century St Mary's church
St Mary's Church, Westham
St Mary's Church, Westham, is an active Anglican parish church located in High Street, Westham, East Sussex, England, standing to the west of Pevensey Castle. The earliest fabric in the church, in the south wall of the nave and in the transept, dates from the late 11th century. The north...
at Westham is reputed to be the first Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church in England, although the church at Bramber
Bramber
Bramber is a village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the northern edge of the South Downs and on the west side of the River Adur. Nearby are the communities of Steyning to the west and Upper Beeding to the east, and the other side of the river....
also claims that title.
St Luke's parish church at Stone Cross (also serving the settlement of North Langney) is a more recent building of 1926; it stands at a crossroads near the windmill. The church fell into disrepair during the 1970s and was refurbished and re-opened in 1988. The church hall is a recent addition to the church and was built in 2003. To the front of the church is the war memorial with the names of local people who lost their life during two world wars, whose names are read out during each Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom, 'Remembrance Sunday' is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day. It is the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m...
service.
Notable people
Ian GowIan Gow
Ian Reginald Edward Gow TD was a British Conservative politician and solicitor. While serving as Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, he was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army who exploded a bomb under his car outside his home in East Sussex.-Life:Ian Gow was born at 3 Upper...
(1937–90), politician, was assassinated at his home in Hankham by an IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
bomb.