Clayton, West Sussex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clayton | |
  Clayton shown within West Sussex |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Parish | Hassocks |
| District | Mid Sussex |
| Shire county | West Sussex |
| Region | South East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| European Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Arundel and South Downs |
| List of places: UK • England • West Sussex | |
Clayton is a small village at the foot of the South Downs in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The Clayton Windmills, also known as "Jack and Jill" sit on the hill above the village.
[edit] The Clayton Tunnel
The entrance to this, the longest tunnel (1.25 miles) on the London to Brighton railway line begins in Clayton and runs up to 270 ft below ground. The tunnel was built in the 1840's and cost £90,000. The farmer who owned the land would not grant access to the tunnel unless an edifice was built at its entrance, so the railway company built a castellated entrance around the tunnel, (see left).
In 1861 there was a collision at Clayton Tunnel between two trains killing 25 people and injuring 176 others, it was to become known as the Clayton Tunnel rail crash .
[edit] Parish Church
The little parish church of St. John the Baptist is a beautiful Anglo-Saxon Church that has a squat bell turret of shingles with a fine wrought iron weather vane dated 1781.
The church has some magnificent wall murals, for example the Last Judgement, from the mid 12th Century (1150-1200). These murals, unique in England for their date and extent, were first brought to light during repair work in 1893 and were probably painted by artists from St Pancras Priory in Lewes.
 Clayton Village |
 Church Interior |
 Clayton Tunnel, North Entrance |
 Clayton Church |
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