Know your village a month by month series of facts about our village complied by ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Paul Neary for the Tangmere Local History Group. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The parish of Tangmere. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The parish has been in existence since Anglo-Saxon times, St Andrews Church in church lane dates from the early 12 Century and is a grade 1 listed building. Beside the ‘very simple decent church’ is a large Yew tree, said to have been planted when the church was built and despite much natural decay and damage is held in place with steel chains and has a spread of more than 25 meters. The airfield was created as a base for the Royal Flying Corps in early 1917 and was later to become a base for American bomber planes. A full history is in the museum and worth a visit. Many of the roads in the village have names, which are named after RAF officers and men who were decorated with Victoria Cross medals in both WW1 and WW2. Other roads are named after aircraft models some of which flew from RAF Tangmere. Road​ ​names​ ​based​ ​on​ ​holders​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Victoria​ ​Cross Bishops​ ​Road: Captain​ ​William​ ​Avery​ ​“Billy”​ ​Bishop​ ​VC Campbell​ ​Road: Flying​ ​Officer Kenneth​ ​Campbell VC Cheshire​ ​Crescent: Group​ ​Captain​ ​Geoffrey​ ​Leonard​ ​Cheshire​ ​VC Edwards​ ​Avenue: Wing​ ​Commander​ ​Hughie​ ​Idwal​ ​Edwards​ ​VC Garland​ ​Square: Flying​ ​Officer​ ​Donald​ ​Edward​ ​Garland​ ​VC Gibson​ ​Road: Wing​ ​Commander​ ​Guy​ ​Gibson​ ​VC Jerrard​ ​Road: Flight​ ​Lieutenant​ ​Alan Jerrard VC Malcolm​ ​Road: Wing​ ​Commander​ ​Hugh​ ​Gordon​ ​Malcolm​ ​VC Middleton​ ​Gardens: Pilot​ ​Officer​ ​Rawdon​ ​Hume​ ​Middleton​ ​VC Nettleton​ ​Avenue: Sqdr​ ​Leader​ ​John​ ​Dering​ ​Nettleton​ ​VC Nicolson​ ​Close: Flight​ ​Lieutenant​ ​James​ ​Brindley​ ​Nicolson​ ​VC Road​ ​names​ ​based​ ​on​ ​military​ ​aeroplanes Blenheim​ ​Park: Bristol​ ​Blenheim,​ ​light​ ​bomber​ ​aircraft Canberra​ ​Place: English​ ​Electric​ ​Canberra​ ​bomber Fulmar​ ​Way: Fairey​ ​Fulmar,​ ​fighter​ ​aircraft Gamecock​ ​Terrace: Gloster​ ​Gamecock Hampden​ ​Place: Handley​ ​Page​ ​Hampden Hawker​ ​Close: Hawker​ ​Hurricane Lysander​ ​Way: Westland​ ​Lysander Merlin​ ​Close: Rolls​ ​Royce​ ​Merlin Spitfire​ ​Court: Spitfire Sunderland​ ​Close: Short​ ​Sunderland​ ​–​ ​flying​ ​boat Wellington​ ​Place: Vickers​ ​Wellington,​ ​long-range​ ​bomber Wyvern​ ​Close: Westland​ ​Wyvern Old​ ​road​ ​names​ ​and​ ​other​ ​miscellania Caedwalla​ ​Drive: King​ ​of​ ​Wessex​ ​in​ ​AD680,​ ​who​ ​gave​ ​1200​ ​acres​ ​of​ ​land​ ​at​ ​Tangmere​ ​to​ ​the ​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​church​ ​of​ ​St.​ ​Andrew​ ​at​ ​Pagham. Neville​ ​Duke​ ​Way: Squadron​ ​Leader Neville Frederick Duke DSO,​ ​OBE,​ ​DFC**,​ ​AFC,​ ​FRAeS Bayley​ ​Road: John​ ​Bayley​ ​was​ ​a​ ​farmer​ ​and​ ​landowner​ ​in​ ​Tangmere Suggestions for new road names. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Osborn Drive Tenant farmer on Duke of Richmond’s land ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Filkins Close Gravel pit north of the parish adjacent to A27 road ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Broom Hills fields owned by Duke of Richmond ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Richmond Close Land owner of Tangmere parish ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Bader Lane Douglas Bader airman ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Dukes meadows old fields ​ ​ ​ ​ Gordon Close Goodwood connection ​ ​ ​ ​ March close Goodwood connection ​ ​ ​ ​ Gaisford Drive Rector of Tangmere ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Travers close Travers Johnson chair of TPC ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Meyer close Joyce Meyer chair TPC ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ st ​ ​ Scrivener drive Dr Scrivener 1 ​ chair TPC ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The village shop One Shop has been on the same site since 1935. Originally a wooden construction it was later rebuilt in brick and enlarged sometime after 1982. The October 1987 hurricane resulted in most of the large mature trees being blown down or damaged beyond redemption. Notable as Chestnut walk which lost many of its chestnut trees, and the centre of the village, which lost many beech, elm and oak trees. The combined parish of Tangmere and Boxgrove separated into two separate parishes when the RAF base closed and a new arrangement was made which combined Tangmere with Oving Parish. St Andrews Church has been extended with a modern kitchen and toilet in keeping with the existing structure. The graveyard contains graves of service personnel who worked at RAF Tangmere, as well as a few German airmen and soldiers killed in the WW2 conflicts. St Andrews Church spire was hit by a lightening strike in October 2003. Extensive external and internal damage was sustained and a major rebuild programme was instigated. This gave us the opportunity to upgrade the seating and install under floor heating and create a small vestry area. The west window is a memorial to all service personnel from RAF Tangmere. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ In 2009 Simon Payne and Joan Whibley carried out some investigative journalism and as a result they unearthed some interesting stories concerning the history of the village. A track across the old airfield links Oving parish to the south border of Tangmere. Here it joins a road passing through the village past a pond [where the road forks] and continues onward to Boxgrove by the Priory farm. The route leads to common grazing on Levin Down. This entire route was locally referred to as The Street. The name still pertains in Boxgrove Parish, but has been dropped in Tangmere Parish being subsequently renamed as Tangmere Road. [around 1966] ​ ​ The village pond was once a large watering point used by animals that were moved from farmland to the south [Woodhorn Farm and others] to market in Chichester or the woodland grazing on Levin Down. Pigs [hoggets] were the main farm crop. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ When pigs were destined for market they were herded to the village pond and moved along Hogg[ets] Lane [renamed Chestnut Walk around 1974] to a temporary holding area called Hill Farm, Mrs Hancock’s property, which was sold on her death. [The thatched Cottage at the end of the lane] . Since 1972 Seaward Properties has built over 1,600 new homes, many of which have been in the Chichester district. One of the earliest developments was land known as Hill Farm. This was developed into five houses all situated at the end of Chestnut Walk. The name change thought to be around 1974 was said to be a marketing ploy by the developer designed to improve sales prospects. The name Tangmere is said to be derived from the fork in the highway at the village pond Tang being Fork and Mere being a small lake or pond. The maps produced by Yeakel and Gardner [very early date] held by Goodwood estates show the routes but do not identify the road or track names. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The track from Hoggets Lane follows a route through an area of fields known as Leap Mares onward to Strettington and then up to Levin Down; or turns left to go past St James and the St Pancras Churches to the market in Chichester. Anecdotal evidence claims the street names in Tangmere came about in three stages, the old village street names were formally established shortly after the Tangmere Parish council was formed in 1966. The second stage was a massive house building programme including Meadow way Hayleybridge road and the development of old barrack buildings along the Tangmere road after 1976 once again by Seawards. About this time the Tangmere Community Association was formed and took over the running of the Spitfire club and the property / grounds of Spitfire Court. This village based association proposed all the new road name changes that were eventually adopted by the district council. [parish clerk was Douglas Hammond at the time his papers have been lost]. The third stage was the District Councils purchase of the old run down MOD houses for social housing. Most of the roads had no name so another plan was developed to name them using RAF pilots with a VC medal and some aircraft model names. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Places of interest and worthy of a visit. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ St Andrews Church Church Lane, a very simple decent church with war grave cemetery ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Chestnut Walk old cottages and a Thatched cottage timber framed dated to C14 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Saxon Meadow original farm buildings now a house development ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Duchess Cottages built 1880 Tangmere road ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Tangmere House Church Lane ​ ​ ​ ​ Tangmere Cottage SOE operations base in WW2 in Tangmere road ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Old Bakery Old Cottage in Tangmere road ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Bader Arms now the Co-operative Store ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ H Block buildings on the airfield ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Control Tower derelict on the airfield ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Hunters Gate main entrance to RAF Tangmere Meadow way / Tangmere road. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ A series of articles published in the parish magazine during 20017/2018 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Tangmere parish has been in existence since Anglo-Saxon times, St Andrews Church in Church Lane dates from the early 12 Century, is the only grade 1 listed building in the village, has three bells (Andrew, Simon & Peter), and several interesting features both past and present. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Bishops Road: named after Captain William Avery “Billy”