Forest Row

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Forest Row
The centre of Forest Row
Forest Row shown within East Sussex
Area[1]	12.5 sq mi (32.5 km²)
Population	5054 (2007)[1]
- Density	402/sq mi (155/km²)
OS grid reference	TQ427348
- London	29 miles (47 km) NNW
District	Wealden
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FOREST ROW
Postcode district	RH18
Dialling code	01342
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Wealden
Website: http://forestrow.gov.uk/
List of places: UK • England • East Sussex

Coordinates: 51°06′N 0°02′E / 51.1, 0.04

Forest Row is a village and relatively large civil parish^[2] in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England The village is located three miles (5 km) south-east of East Grinstead.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Religion 4 Education 5 Leisure and Culture 6 Literary Connections 7 Notable people 8 References 9 External Links

[edit] History

The village draws its name from its proximity to the Ashdown Forest, a royal hunting park first enclosed in the 13th century. From its origins as a small hamlet, Forest Row has grown, first with the establishment of a turnpike road in the 18th century; and later with the opening of the railway between East Grinstead and Tunbridge Wells in 1866; the line, which included an intermediate station at Forest Row, closed in 1967 as a result of the programme of closures put forward by East Grinstead resident and British Railways Board Chairman Richard Beeching.

The village inn (now known as The Swan, originally the Yew Tree), part medieval, was a centre of smuggling in the 18th century ^[3].

Brambletye House (known locally as Bambletye Castle) was built by Sir Henry Compton in 1631. This building features in the 1826 Horace Smith novel: Brambletye House.

A mail coach robbery occurred at the bottom of Wall Hill on June 27, 1801. John Beatson and his adopted son William Whalley Beatson hid in a meadow at the foot of Wall Hill, by the entrance to an old Roman road. The mail coach made its way up Wall Hill, where it was stopped by them just after midnight. The Beatsons took between £4,000 and £5,000. Judge Baron Hotham sentenced the two men to death by hanging at the trial on March 29, 1802. Gallows were erected on the spot where the robbery took place, on April 17, 1802. Beatson and his adopted son were hanged in the presence of 3,000 people.^{[citation needed]}

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, came to Forest Row in 1963^{[citation needed]} during his visit to the UK, attending a service at the Our Lady of the Forest church. At the time he was engaged in a series of discussions with the Prime Minister Harold Macmillan at his home in nearby Birchgrove.

[edit] Geography

The civil parish of Forest Row is in the north-west corner of East Sussex, and has borders on West Sussex, Kent and Surrey. Ashdown Forest surrounds the village on three sides, and the upper reaches of the River Medway flow through the parish. The main village lies at the intersection of the A22 road, the erstwhile turnpike, and the B2110 to Hartfield and Tunbridge Wells. Here the compact village centre shops serve a comparatively large surrounding area.

The hotels in the village are The Brambletye Hotel, The Chequers and The Foresters Arms. The Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club was partly closed during the 2006 radiation scare surrounding KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko^[4]. Italian security expert Mario Scaramella may have stayed there but tests showed no evidence of "radiation toxicity".

The village's architecture is a mixture of traditional and modern. As well as many cottages in the classic style of Sussex there are a variety of more modern developments which fit in well with this village's look and personality. Gage Close, with its copper-roofed houses is a possible example of the "quirkier" side of the village.

In addition to the businesses in the village centre, there is also an industrial estate.

[edit] Religion

The Church of England eccesiastical parish combines two churches: Holy Trinity, Forest Row, and St Dunstan's Ashurst Wood. ^[5] There are also other denominational churches: Our Lady of the Forest (Roman Catholic); a Baptist chapel; Providence church; and the cemetery chapel.

[edit] Education

State education is provided at Forest Row CE Primary School.^[6] There are also independent educational establishments: Greenfields School, catering for all ages. ^[7] Institutions associated with the Anthroposophical movement of Rudolph Steiner are located in or near the village, notably Michael Hall^[8] and Emerson College.^[9]

[edit] Leisure and Culture

The village hall, at the centre of the village, is quite distinctive in its style. It has an almost Germanic and British look to it. The Forest Way, on the trackbed of the disused railway line, passes through the village from East Grinstead. In the other direction there is a 10 mile (14.5 km) route towards Groombridge. Both directions on the route are fairly flat and are used for cycling and horse riding.^[10]

Forest Row provides many opportunities for leisure activities. In the performing arts there are The Forest Players amateur dramatic society; ^[11] the Ashdown Pantomimers;^[12] the Forest Row Film Society; The Binkell-Bing Magic Club; and the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra^[13]. In sport there are football clubs^[14]; the Cricket Club; Anderida Golfers; Weir Wood Sailing Club; and the One Planker Club who organise Snowboarding and Monoskiing trips to the Alps each winter. Two other groups are the Ashdown Forest Conservators and the Forest Row Modelling Club.

The Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club was established in 1889: there are two courses.

The Scapegoat Society is a psychologically-based group ^[15]. The village also has practising alternative therapists and two bio-dynamic organic farms. Yoga classes are available in the village.

The Forest Row Community Website keeps villagers abreast of current happenings;^[16] as does the Community Magazine.^[17]

[edit] Literary Connections

The Brambletye Inn was frequented by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and features in the Adventure of Black Peter in which Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson stay at the hotel in Forest Row whilst they investigate the murder of a retired sea captain.

[edit] Notable people

There have been a few notable residents of Forest Row in the past and present. These include Ben Elton (1959- ) the comedian and novelist, David Gilmour (1946- ) from the band Pink Floyd, Richard Jones, bass player and background singer in the Feeling, Jonael Schickler (1976-2002), a Swiss Philosopher and Sean Yates (1960- ), professional cyclist. The singer Engelbert Humperdinck 1936- ) had a holiday cottage in the village during the 1980s. Ed Sanders (1993- ) who played the part of Toby in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is from the town.^[18]

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

• Forest Row Community Website - Village voice and community website. News, what's on, local facilities, business index and forums.
• Forest Row Parish Council - Contact details of councillors, meetings calendar (DOC Format) surgery dates and newsletters. Includes community centre information.
• Forest Row Village Hall - Includes information about bookings, events, fundraising and the history of the hall.
• Forest Row Film Society - Founded in 1978. Provides history, what's on and non-mainstream cinema film listings. Also includes past programmes.

Forest Row at the Open Directory Project