& District Preservation Society Reg. Charity No: 1102573 NEWSLETTER Chairman: Bob Bonnett, Tudor Views, Ringles Cross, Uckfield TN22 1HB Tel. 01825 762341 General Secretary: Adrian Pearce, The Spinney, Blackboys TN22 5HD Tel. 01825 890268 e-mail: [email protected]

Volume 16 Issue 2 May 2007

Chairman’s Address interested in taking on this essential role (either singly or in a shared capacity), would they please contact Mick Harker To save time at the AGM, I and other members write our or any other member of the Local History Sub-Committee annual reports for this newsletter. Having this information as soon as possible. before the meeting, why would anyone want to attend? In an Editor effort to attract more members to the meeting, I will give my report then. I promise that it will not be a long one. Nutley Windmill In the last newsletter I asked for members’ comments on how they would like the newsletter to develop in the future. Before anything I must thank everybody who has helped One letter came flooding in, what we didn't get in quantity we at the Mill this year, and in particular David and Sarah did have in quality. The very good advice given, I know, will Berrecloth , who are leaving our team of open day helpers after be acted upon by our Editor. eight years. They have greatly improved the organisation of the After many years as our Programme Secretary Janet gift shop with their homemade display boxes and David has Hardy has decided to stand down. Each year Janet has found regularly introduced both the Mill and the Society to visitors on wonderful speakers to entertain and inform us on numerous and their arrival in the barn, thereby increasing our income. Sarah's varied subjects. Janet has also found interesting and diverse presence behind the sales counter expertly selling gift items and places for us to visit each summer. My personal thanks to her collecting donations will also be missed. I trust they will still be for increasing my knowledge and interest in subjects that I able to visit us from time to time. knew nothing about and could then take away and `bore for With the normal open days and the special events Britain'. I thank Janet also on behalf of all members who have (National Mills Weekend and Nutley Mill Fete), this was a been to any of the Friday talks or on any of the summer visits.. good year. We were lucky with the weather as we had very few The Local History Group, although one of the most days when it rained heavily. We had 1250 visitors, an increase interesting sections of the Society, needs new committee of 500 over last year. On the Nutley Mill Fete Day we were members. Why not, therefore, go on the committee? They seem able to use a field next door as a car park for the exhibitors and to be a friendly bunch and I understand it will not be at all helpers, for which we thank Mr. and Mrs. R Hunt.Our thanks demanding. Please talk to Mick Harker if you are even slightly also to Mr. L Turner of Kwikspace Portables for the loan of a interested. portable toilet. To finish, please support us at the AGM. Do not forget The Wednesday workdays are still as popular and also to come up to Nutley Mill on one of the open days where enjoyable as ever, as well as the other projects we have "on the Sussex teas can now be purchased. Alternatively, come on a go". This year we have acquired a new set of sailcloths for the Wednesday working day, to see how work is progressing. common sweeps as the old ones (purchased in March 1993) May I welcome five new members to the Society: were falling apart. We have also repainted all the shutters in the Mrs J. Chamberlain-Hare Mr. M.A. Barnard spring shutter sweeps (sails) and replaced the missing ones. Sister Sarah of St. Margaret’s Convent This means that we now have a mill with a complete set of Mr. B. Delves Mrs. D. Coghlin spring shutter sweeps. It must be well over one hundred years Bob Bonnett since she last had a complete set of sails. This will make it

more worthwhile for everyone to come to the mill on an open Important Notice day or workday in the right weather see the mill in all her glory. Other projects we have been working on are the continuing As members will have already noted from the Chairman's work on the horse gin and fitting the new gate to the mill field Address, Janet Hardy will shortly be standing down from kindly donated by our neighbours the Hunt family. These are her present position as Programme Secretary. Both Janet, just a couple of our projects in addition to general works in the and, before her, June Muggridge, have served the Society field such as grass and hedge cutting. faithfully for many years in this position and, without their Last year we also had stalls at the Sussex Wildlife Trust efforts it would have been impossible for our series of local Fete at Plovers Meadow Blackboys and at the Nutley Fete as history meetings and outings to have continued. At the well as introducing ourselves to the Nutley Local History moment we are looking for another member (or possibly Society, some of whose members are helping us on open days. two members sharing the responsibility) to "take over the Finally, we enjoyed "singing along" at a musical evening reins" from Janet. This would also involve coming on to our organised by Horsham Methodist Church, which again helped Local History History Sub-Committee and attending its raise funds for us. meetings, but as these only take place every other month, Robert Pike when all the necessary business is done in a couple of hours, [email protected] this is not too onerous an extra responsibility. If anybody is

Page 2 Uckfield and District Preservation Society

Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre it appears, would considerably detract from the town's appearance. High density housing could lead to late Victorian It has been an exciting and positive year for Bridge conditions. At the moment large and high commercial buildings Cottage. We now have plans, developed by our architects WAS are going up on the industrial estate. Planning applications for and conservation advisor David Martin, being considered for house conversions and extensions tend to reduce garage and off planning permission and listed building consent. The plans, road parking space, increase the population density and which have been made public, include removing some later therefore the number of cars stored on the roads. partitions and ceilings. This will allow the main area of the first The improved rail service from Uckfield is attracting floor to become a large room with much of the atmosphere of more travellers and making car parking in the Station area even the mediaeval hall. An extra lean-to on the back will provide worse. If the rail link to Lewes is established, its benefits may space for improved kitchen facilities and a new room can be not be fully realised. At present it is not reasonable to revise the built over the northern lean-to to create a space suitable for traffic arrangements in the town until the rail link situation is storing archives. We also made a decision to include our own resolved. Traffic Authority advice with regard to car parking is plans in with the recent overall plans for redeveloping the area to reduce it, as the more parking space you have the more cars around Bridge Cottage. This move resulted in some controversy you will have parked (the more roads you have the more cars and misunderstandings, but the benefit has been a very large you have, the more people you have the more cars.) This could cost saving in planning fees and has also given our scheme be a part of Government plans to reduce global warming. Work some useful publicity. on the new doctors' surgery does not at the moment appear to Work is continuing on clarifying the future use of the be happening. The latest Council Tax bills seem to indicate that building, Weddings and other civil ceremonies could generate Uckfield has the highest levels in the Wealden area. useful income but this approach raises a wide range of issues The Society was represented at the ‘Vision for Uckfield’ from marketing to VAT. We have been lucky to secure expert event held in the Civic Centre on 27th March, about 50 people advice at very low cost through the local development agency attending. Five teams of six people including architects, EDEAL to find the best ways of tackling these issues. Once the councillors and town residents then set about redesigning the planning permissions are given, work can be costed and we can town centre. No budgetary or planning restrictions were to be make an application for a lottery grant to fund the building considered. After 6 hours, including a brief walk around the work. town (for the benefit of architects who had never been to We are involving as many groups as possible in our plans Uckfield before) and lunch, large plans and explanatory notes for Bridge Cottage. The Uckfield Festival Association held were drawn up. At 4 o'clock an appraisal of all the plans was their AGM there in November and despite the cold waether it made. It was interesting to find that the independent teams all was their best attended AGM for a long time! The Twinning had several common themes, in particular that Uckfield has no Association held a talk one evening at Bridge Cottage and the town centre and that one should be created around a prominent County Council has used the venue for the launch of a poetry town hall situated at the top of Luxford Field in open park area event. Bridge cottage was also a main venue for the new Art linked to the High Street by a wide paved pedestrian area Trail in the 2006 Festival, and this will be repeated in 2007. having some open and covered seating facilities. The building continues to open as often as possible, thanks Ted Hardy particularly to Brian Phillips, who is there on many Saturdays. Andrew Ledward Eating Through the Ages (Alison Vernon-1 December) Planning & Environment

In the past year planning and environmental issues By 4000 B.C. animals were domesticated and slaughtered involving the conservation area and listed buildings have been and edible crops grown. Food was wrapped in leaves over the monitored by the Society as they have come to be reviewed by fire, and spices imported from the Mediterranean. The Romans the Town Council Plans Committee. The Town Council always introduced rabbits, snails and stuffed dormice. After the considers planning applications involving the conservation area Romans' departure, people lived off the land Pigs were reared or listed buildings in the light of the guide lines appropriate to in the woodland, fed on acorns and killed off in October to be them and, if necessary, refers the application to conservation salted for the winter. In most households there was one meal a experts. There have not been many planning applications of this day, vegetables (e.g. carrots, parsnips) with herbs cooked in a nature in the past year, however other activities affecting the cauldron over an open fire and meat hung on a flesh hook. The general character of the town are regularly occurring. meal was washed down with ale or mead. The Normans were Only minor progress on flood protection in Uckfield has quite delicate in their eating habits. At upper class tables, been made this year. This is in the form of a sign in the High napkins were folded into shapes to represent status, and hands Street opposite Boots which is activated when flooding is likely washed in bowls. New meats, such as veal, lamb and kid, and telephone calls are made to shops and houses likely to be roasted on spits, were introduced, and there was a choice of flooded. Also applicants for permission to develop in the flood fish. Cheese was soft and green for the well to do and hard for plain are asked to outline their plans to minimise the effects of the lower orders. For the poor, bread, pottage, pork and cheese their buildings on floodwater drainage. Infill building on were the normal diet. After the Black Death (1348), manor `Windfall Sites' has continued to the detriment of the houses were built for the middle classes, with large kitchens conservation area and elsewhere, local authorities seem to have employing scullions. Peas, beans, onions and garlic were little control over this activity. It is uncertain whether introduced and sauces prepared using pepper, mustard and increasing the town population in denser housing near the town cloves from the Middle East. Dinner was served in the Great centre to reduce the number of car movements in the town is Hall, the third course including sugar, marzipan or nuts with a reasonable. Multi-storey housing has so far been avoided and, if swan shaped dessert on the top table. Poor people sat below the

Uckfield and District Preservation Society Page 3 salt (on the top table) and ate humble pie, "umble" being Wartime Radar in the Pevensey Area animals' intestines. Wine was becoming popular with royalty. (David Calvert-2 February) Under the Tudors, tomatoes (love apples), kidney beans, pomegranates and melons came from overseas, also Mexican About 30 years ago David, a Staff Officer in the RAF turkeys and Spanish oranges. Soups were popular. Sugar Volunteer Reserve, became interested in pictures of the became the sweetener and rotting teeth were whitened with Pevensey area showing groups of tall steel and wooden pylons. nitric acid. Under the Stuarts the quality of meat improved, He found that these were part of the wartime CH (Chain-Home) large herds of Scottish cattle now being driven south to the RADAR (RAdio Direction And Ranging) system built around markets. Regional cakes became popular and our puddings the UK coast 1938-1945. He then decided to investigate further. were admired abroad. Beer, preserved with hops, was In 1935 our Government decided to find a method of commonly drunk. Tea and coffee were introduced from the Far combating enemy aircraft approaching our coasts. At the time East, Arabia and Turkey. Chocolate and spirits also became "Science Fiction" was proposing death rays for this purpose. popular. After the meal, the gentlemen smoked pipes and made However, a group including Robert Watson-Watt and Henry merry while the ladies retired to make tea. During the Victorian Tizard realised that fighter aircraft and AA guns could attack era, the railways transported fresh food to the towns. White the enemy but needed to know when and where to go. They flour was used in bread and tradesmen (except butchers) started by using available apparatus technology to investigate provided door to door service. In prosperous households, reflection of radio waves from metal objects. Tests at Daventry mutton, beef and veal were eaten by the family and Irish Stew showed that an aeroplane flying at 6000 feet eight miles away by the servants Ladies enjoyed a light lunch and tea became a could be detected by receiving a pulse of radio frequency social occasion. In Scotland and the North, high tea was the energy reflected from the plane. Rapid development of a main meal. Today, with faster communication, menus have transmitter and receiving system using radio pulses in the 20-30 become more international. megacycle radio frequency band at a 2000 watt power level Peter Ferguson (soon to be increased to 350-750 kilowatts peak power) enabled a chain of RADAR stations to be built all round the country. Personal Collections (5 January) This was known as the Chain-Home or CH System. By the time war broke out many variations of radar systems were appearing Brief talks were given by Peter Smith on his crested china e.g. airborne boxes, magnetrons and klystron valves operating collection, and members of the Uckfield Photographic Society. at frequencies up to 1000 megacycles and capable of seeing the ground through thick clouds. The fashion for crested china (i.e. small items bearing the The CH stations, using fixed aerial arrays, were upgraded, crest of the place where they were sold) was initiated in the and mechanically movable aerial arrays were introduced. mid-19s` century by Adolphus Goss, the son of W H Goss, Stations were constantly being improved including introducing proprietor of a Stoke-on-Trent pottery. The national railway mobile ones. Towards the end of the war they were able to network proved to be the salvation of the Potteries, who were detect the VI Flying Bombs and even locate the V2 Rocket now able to distribute their crested wares to a wide market, launch sites. The 360-foot steel towers supported the including the seaside resorts. Many other towns, including transmitter aerial arrays and non-reflecting 150-foot wooden Uckfield, also had their own hand painted crested items, the towers supported the receiving aerials. After a fixed direction local agent being Harcourt Smith at "theLibrary" (now a part of broadband pulse of transmitted RF energy, the receiver was Selbys' premises). Over a period of time four local crests were switched on and a line of light on a cathode ray tube started. used. Items were generally made of fine porcelain, their The pulse reflected by the aircraft, received by the receiver subjects including vehicles, animals, musical instruments and aerial, was detected by the receiver and displayed as a blip on houses, while during World War I, militaria (e.g. shells, the cathode tube line (This pulse was about one billionth of the ambulances) were produced. The production of crested china power of the transmitted one.) The distance from the line start had largely ceased by 1939. Peter also brought with him a was proportional to the distance from the CH station to the photograph album showing other pieces. aircraft. Electrical steering of the receiver aerial gave information on the aircraft height and direction. Many other The Photographic Societys' collection included photo's of factors such as the calibration of the equipment and curvature Uckfield Railway Station (now derelict) by Ann Finch and of of the earth at ranges up to 100 miles had to be allowed for. As historic buildings including Maresfield Church, and Nutley a separate exercise, the handling of the information by skilled Windmill by Mary Wrake, also prints by Sally Mackett and operators (WAAFS &RAF personnel) had to display the Len Johnson. Other notable items were Withyham Church and information for assessment, to pass it on to airfield control, then a Lewes roofscape. Photographs of to launch aircraft and guide them to the enemy. AA gun demonstrated how the camera could capture the scene at sunset batteries would also be informed and other CH stations alerted. and sunrise and snowfall landscapes. Finally, David Brooker Enemy bombing disrupted the system operation in places for demonstrated how he had obtained remarkable effects using a periods of three hours to three weeks, but the raids were not digital camera and computer generated enhancement continued, as the effectiveness of RADAR was not thought by techniques. One possibly unique collection was Jean Watts' the enemy to be significant enough to justify further raids. The varied range of coloured eye baths. After the talks, members organising and running of CH was, in fact, as complex and vital and visitors had ample time to view and discuss all the items on to "The Battle of Britain" as Bletchley Park was to the U-boat view, including Roy Fuller's militaria, some of our own war in the Atlantic. archives and our latest architects' plans for Bridge Cottage There are now very few remaining artefacts of CH Heritage Centre. stations in the Pevensey area. RAF Pevensey and RAF Wattling Peter Ferguson were main stations with a rotating aerial station

Page 4 Uckfield and District Preservation Society on Beachy Head to improve low flying aircraft detection. Woodlands Nursery, Maresfield Several buildings survive (one now being a farmer's bungalow) but the elaborate underground bunkers are mainly flooded and The following extract, from an article by Barbara Abbs in derelict. The concrete feet of the steel towers are still to be the Sussex Archaeological Collections (132, 1994), was seen, as are some of the living quarters and roads. Post war, published in the Maresfield Conservation Group's October 2006 `Cold War' underground rooms were finally closed in 1958, the Newsletter: whole CH system being decommissioned in 1968. Some “William Wood, founder of Woodlands Nursery was born records of RADAR systems are stored at The National in 1781, a son of John Wood, a butcher of Northlands in Archives, Kew. Bexhill Library also have some documentary Horsted Keynes and Elizabeth Aderal of Fletching. He died in information. 1863. After 30 years as an Embassy servant he returned to Ted Hardy Sussex and founded a Nursery at Tyes Gate in Maresfield. The garden of Woodlands, Nursery Lane, Maresfield was Link between Uckfield and Nutley Mills no ordinary cottage garden. For almost a century it was the centre of one of England's largest nurseries. In 1892 the Earl of Hindsight Vol.12 pp.30-35 refers to William Taylor Wickens Sheffield held a Grand Fete for 2000 children from schools on being Miller at Nutley Mill. His great, great, grandfather was his estate, Sheffield Park, which was decorated for the occasion John Ashby, a former Miller at Uckfield Mill. The relationship by 21 men who worked for three days creating arches of goes back through his maternal grandmother, Sarah Avery. greenery with the names of each school worked in dahlias John Ashby is mentioned in Hindsight Vo1.3 p. 48. above each one. They also made 900 feet of flowery festoons Jenifer Bellsham-Revell and arranged 150 pots of flowers on the tables. The firm which provided the men and flowers was William Wood and Son of Woodlands Nurseries. At the time Woodlands Nurseries had From the Editor's Scrapbook (13) been established for nearly sixty years and covered 120 acres Cash or Community ? and employed nearly 30 men full time and twice that number in winter. Yet today, although many nurseries are prominent in horticultural history, Woodlands is almost unknown even In the "Sussex Express" of 23 March, Dr. Martyn though it lasted for nearly 100 years, extended over 200 acres at Stenning drew attention to an article of 9 March 1945 in the its height and faded away with few traces in 1922. same journal which reported the opening of the present Adult Wood could not have started his business at a better time. Learning Centre as a Youth Centre. Dr. Stenning has a copy of From the end of the 18th century the fashion for landscape parks the article because his father, John Stenning, had been involved had gradually given way to a new taste for ornamental flower with young people in raising £300 towards providing the gardens, as well as for the “picturesque” Exciting plants were building, the total cost of which was to be between £1,500 and being discovered abroad, and their arrival in Europe added £2,000. In the article Mr. Stenning was described as "the Young another impetus to a different style of garden in which they Peoples' Chairman" and reported as saying the occasion was could be displayed. Any illustration of a Victorian garden, with one they had looked forward to for two years. Dr. Stenning said its bedded out parterres, rock work and water features, shows the sale of the building now came at a time when the youth of the results of all three trends. Although the site chosen for the Uckfield desperately needed resources and he asked why it had nursery was relatively isolated, it lay at the hub of the local ever been taken away from them and used as an Adult Learning turnpike roads. Wood's catalogues were obtainable from Centre. We sincerely hope that that the Uckfield Town addresses in London, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Council's bid for the premises (to be considered by Maidstone, where orders could also be received. The surviving County Council after this month's local elections) will be catalogue gives details of how to reach the nursery by coach-the successful, so that the site will be retained for community rather London to Lewes and Eastbourne coach passed through than commercial use. Maresfield daily - and recommends "The Chequers", the "most excellent Posting Inn at Maresfield", conducted by James Braylsham Castle Bourner, replete with every accommodation, and where the best horses are kept." Nevertheless, distance from London was In the “Leader” of 1 February, information was given on perceived to be a problem; William Wood and Sons' 1841 Braylsham Castle and its owner (see our Diary Dates List, 18 catalogue offered one, two or more plants free to the purchaser, August). John Mew, a retired surgeon, and his wife Josephine, to defray the expense of carriage and packing.” built a dam, a lake and an island to construct their family home, complete with drawbridge, turrets and a dungeon. John, who Wych Cross Owls...M.S. describes himself as “a keen DIY man”, began contemplating (from the “Ashdown Forest News”, Spring 2007) his first masterpiece in 1992. Nestled in the heart of a secluded wooded valley at Pottens Mill Farm, Broad Oak, there now I had grown accustomed to a pair of tawny owls meeting stands a vision of Camelot in the centre of modern-day Sussex. in an owl box within sight of my bedroom window. They gave Braylsham Castle, which is named after the area's original me a great deal of pleasure, listening to them courting round Saxon settlers, the Braegel folk, has won several national about Christmas time and trying, usually in vain, to spot them awards, including a Best Home title from Channel 4. John now roosting during the daytime. They blink now and then but hopes to recreate a 16d' century water mill on a nearby site once otherwise keep so still that they blend perfectly with their planning permission has been granted. background. A prolonged absence from home in 2005 was forced on me (due to illness) and when I returned home in April I could not wait to see the latest owlet peering out at the world. He could

Uckfield and District Preservation Society Page 5

usually be seen at dawn or dusk but this was dependent on the Thurs 7 June Guided Tour of Harveys’ Brewery vole supply. When 2006 arrived I was anticipating the whole 6 15 p.m. Lewes enjoyable experience to be repeated but, alas, no owlet. I had been filling in a survey for the British Trust for Ornithology, Sat 23 June Guided Tour of Firle Village with which required owl calls to be listened for and noted at certain 2 15 p.m. Andrew Lusted times. They very kindly sent me an update and, due maybe to a very wet autumn or a shortage of small mammals to feed on-or Sun 24 June Nutley Windmill Fete. Wolseley 1500 both- a lot of owls have not bred this year. My owls have been 12 30 p.m. Series and Classic Vehicles on display. coming and going as usual so we are hoping for better things in Stationary Engine Group & Forest Row 2007 Model Club also in attendance. Cream teas and bric-a-brac stalls.

2007 Piltdown in Song Sat 30 June Society Stall at Nutley Village Fete 11 a.m. By chance I was listening to a Radio 2 programme marking the 50th anniversary of Britain's first rock n' roll Thurs 12 – Uckfield Festival. Art Trail at record, Tommy Steele's Rock with the Caveman. This accolade Sun 22 July Bridge Cottage ( for further details see is contested; for instance, Joe Brown feels it does not qualify. Trail Brochure). However, there is some local interest in one of the verses: Piltdown poppa sings this song Sat 14 July Uckfield Festival Day. Society “Archaeology’s done me wrong 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Stall on Luxfords Field. The British Museum’s got my head Most unfortunate ’cause I ain’t dead.” Mon 16 & Local Walks with Brian Phillips The song, almost two minutes long, was composed by Sun 22 July

Steele, Lionel Bart and Michael Pratt and recorded on 24 Sat 21 July Guided Tour of Mayfield with Iris September 1956 by the Steelemen, who included the jazz club 1 45 p.m. owner Ronnie Scott. Piltdown Man had been exposed as a hoax three years earlier, but it was clearly still in the public eye, even Sat 18 Aug Guided tour of Braylsham Castle, for the young. 2 15 p.m. Broad Oak with the Owner, John Mew The lyrics were recently transcribed by Mel Priddle on to the lyricsplayground.com and sheetmusicplus.com websites. 5 October Peter Gwynne Historic Settlements of Further details came from the British Library Sound Archive. the Weald Are there any other songs referring to our locality? Brian Phillips 2 November Derek Legg History of Bonfire

Uckfield Festival 2007 7 December David Tait Bungalow Town Remembered HISTORICAL WALKS Nutley Windmill Monday 10 July To Uckfield's Bastille and back 10a.m.. In addition to the above openings, the Mill will be open on the last Sunday of every month from May to September inclusive See how Uckfield grew over the past 150 years into New Town plus the late May and August Bank Holidays. Opening times and Ridgewood, including where and what the “Bastille” was. 2.30 – 5.30 p.m., entrance Free (donations optional), parties and schools by arrangement. The Mill is open most Sunday 22 July Millennia Of Uckfield Wednesdays throughout the year when work parties are in 2pm attendance - 11 a.m. to 3 00 p.m. For further details ring 01435 873367 or 01825 762341. Traces of the Mesolithic, Roman and Middle Ages now covered by modern housing in the northern part of the town. Bridge Cottage Heritage Centre Both walks start and finish at Bridge Cottage, cover 4 miles and last 2 hours, with limited muddy stretches. Led by Brian Open most Saturdays throughout the year from 10 a.m. (If in doubt, ring 01825 769129). Phillips. Contributions from members, either articles or letters, will Diary Dates always be welcome, and should be sent to the Editor (Peter 2007 Ferguson), 89 Lashbrooks Road, Uckfield TN22 2AZ. Deadline: Thursday 30 August. (All talks on Fridays at the Civic Centre, commencing 8 p.m.) Please note: Comments published in this newsletter do not 12-13 May, National Mills Weekend at Nutley necessarily represent the views of the Society. 2.30-5.30 p.m. Windmill, attended by Radio Society.

Company No. 04471316 Registered Office: The Spinney, Blackboys TN22 5HD Website:www.UDPS.co.uk Subscription enquiries to: David Berrecloth, 29 Littlewood Lane, TN22 4LW Tel. 01825 733711