Crowhurst, East Sussex

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Crowhurst
Crowhurst shown within East Sussex
Area^[1]	3.9 sq mi (10.1 km²)
Population	859 (Parish-2007)^[1]
- Density	219/sq mi (85/km²)
OS grid reference	TQ755125
- London	50 miles (80 km) NNW
District	Rother
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BATTLE
Postcode district	TN33
Dialling code	01424
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Bexhill and Battle
Website: Crowhurst Village
List of places: UK • England • East Sussex

Coordinates: 50°53′N 0°30′E / 50.89, 0.5

Crowhurst is an isolated village situated five miles (8 km) north-west of Hastings in East Sussex. It has a parish council and is located within the Rother District Council.

[edit] History

The earliest mention of the settlement is in 771, when King Offa of Mercia, gave the Bishop of Selsey a piece of land here; a church was then built by the Bishop. Crowhurst (then called Croghyrst) itself remained the king's land until 1412, although various landowners were given possession of it over that time:

Robert Count of Eu, after the Norman Conquest of England
the Fitz-Lambert family, until the 12th century
Walter de Scotney, given by Richard 1 after the Third Crusade, although Walter forfeited it in 1259, having been found guilty of a crime
Sir John Pelham, given to him by Henry IV in 1412; Pelham built the present parish church

[edit] The village

The parish church is dedicated to St George^[2]. The ruins of the manor house lie to the south of it^[3]

Although small and isolated, the village does have a railway station. It was built in 1902 as a junction station for a branch line to Bexhill. The line crossed nearby marshes on a 17-arch viaduct; the line was closed under the so-called "Beeching cuts" in 1964, and the viaduct was demolished in 1969.

The village has a primary school ^[4]. The village Post Office is to close shortly: until recently it served as a convenience store also^[5] There is a pub, The Plough; until 1998 there was a second pub, The Inn at Crowhurst^[6].

Crowhurst is also the home of musician Oliver Frost, guitarist in the alternative band Mumm-ra. It was at the Crowhurst village hall that the band put on the now legendary industry showcase in August 2005 that saw them gain a major label deal with Columbia Records. The village is home to a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Fore Wood.