The Villages
Our four very different villages
HANDCROSS This is the largest of the four villages, consists of a a good mix of properties and is blessed with many shops and businesses for a rural community. It also has two schools, the Handcross Primary School and Handcross Park School, a private co-educational school,both in the Old Brighton Road.
One of the shops, now Roystons automobile memorabilia, used to be the village petrol station and you can still see the old petrol pump outside.
There are also two churches, All Saints, Cof E in the Horsham Road and Zoar Baptist Chapel in the High Street.
The High Street is flanked by good examples of Victorian properties and is the hub of the village and Parish life.
It is also blessed with three public houses, The Fountain, in the High Street adjacent to the recreation ground, The Royal Oak, in Horsham Road and The Red Lion, an old coaching inn, situate at the junction of the High Street and Horsham Road.
In addition, there is the Handcross Parish Hall in the High Street. This is the largest community facility in the Parish and is available for hire and there is a Social Club on the first floor.
The recreation ground in the High Street is owned by the Parish Council and has a large pavilion which is used by a variety of organisations as well as the local sports clubs.This is also available for hire. see Halls for hire
One of the shops, now Roystons automobile memorabilia, used to be the village petrol station and you can still see the old petrol pump outside.
There are also two churches, All Saints, Cof E in the Horsham Road and Zoar Baptist Chapel in the High Street.
The High Street is flanked by good examples of Victorian properties and is the hub of the village and Parish life.
It is also blessed with three public houses, The Fountain, in the High Street adjacent to the recreation ground, The Royal Oak, in Horsham Road and The Red Lion, an old coaching inn, situate at the junction of the High Street and Horsham Road.
In addition, there is the Handcross Parish Hall in the High Street. This is the largest community facility in the Parish and is available for hire and there is a Social Club on the first floor.
The recreation ground in the High Street is owned by the Parish Council and has a large pavilion which is used by a variety of organisations as well as the local sports clubs.This is also available for hire. see Halls for hire
PEASE POTTAGE
So called, it is said, because convicts on their way to Horsham Gaol were given a bowl of pottage here.
The village green is fragmented now because of the alignment of the roads. The greens are kept in beautiful condition thanks to the local residents' society. The entrance to Pease Pottage in the spring is quite magnificent when all the bulbs are in flower and the shrubs have gained their leaves once more.
There is now (December 08) only the one public house in the village,The Black Swan Public House, Horsham Road,
Pease Pottage was once the popular stopping off point for "charabancs" (coaches as they are now called) on their way from London to Brighton taking Londoner's on their days out to the seaside. In those days it was not unusual to see the visitors sitting on the greens around the public house having their picnic lunches. Alas, these days, nearly every household has a motor car and this is now the popular method of travelling on days out which has led to some of the huge increase in traffic on our roads. No longer do they stop for a picnic en route - preferring to get straight to their destination without stopping to look and "stand and stare".
The Grapes Public House, Old Brighton Road, Pease Pottage:
This pub was closed at the end of 2008. It was on the old London to Brighton Road and many travellers enjoyed stopping for a break. However, since the new A23 London to Brighton Trunk Road was re-aligned there is no longer the passing traffic and the road is a dead end now. This is possibly just one of the reasons for its demise
This pub was closed at the end of 2008. It was on the old London to Brighton Road and many travellers enjoyed stopping for a break. However, since the new A23 London to Brighton Trunk Road was re-aligned there is no longer the passing traffic and the road is a dead end now. This is possibly just one of the reasons for its demise
There is only one shop in Pease Pottage since the re alignment of the A23 London to Brighton Trunk Road, a florists. Prior to that there was a garden nursery and a garage with a shop.
Pease Pottage Village has had some development of mixed housing in the past but now (2007/8) has substantial additional housing on the site of the old garden nursery centre.
SLAUGHAM (pronounced Slafam)
This is a pretty village much untouched by time. The Village has just the one main street, called 'Park Road' where the main population resides. The Village Tap - no longer working - is quite quaint and now carries the village notice board. There is also another unusual feature, a white telephone box, possibly the only one in the country.(This is now a Grade II Listed Building). The Street also has two unique lamp posts which have the royal crown on top.
The Parish Church of St. Mary is here. This is a Norman church with a 13th century clock tower and a Victorian clock. Nelson's sister is buried here. The church was originally obscured from view by a public house but the late Colonel Warren had it pulled down to bring the church to view. He also paid for all the overhead cables to be placed underground.
There is a large lake nearby called Furnace Pond, the name derives from the times when there were iron works in the area. The lake is surrounded by Slaugham Common and it is worth spending time walking around the lake for the beautiful sights.
WARNINGLID
This is a pretty village much untouched by time. The Village has just the one main street, called 'Park Road' where the main population resides. The Village Tap - no longer working - is quite quaint and now carries the village notice board. There is also another unusual feature, a white telephone box, possibly the only one in the country.(This is now a Grade II Listed Building). The Street also has two unique lamp posts which have the royal crown on top.
The Parish Church of St. Mary is here. This is a Norman church with a 13th century clock tower and a Victorian clock. Nelson's sister is buried here. The church was originally obscured from view by a public house but the late Colonel Warren had it pulled down to bring the church to view. He also paid for all the overhead cables to be placed underground.
There is a large lake nearby called Furnace Pond, the name derives from the times when there were iron works in the area. The lake is surrounded by Slaugham Common and it is worth spending time walking around the lake for the beautiful sights.
WARNINGLIDor Warningeld as it was once known.
This is the second smallest of the four villages within the Parish.
There is a primary school in Slaugham Lane, Warninglid and one public house, The Half Moon, in The Street, Warninglid.
There is also a Mid Sussex District Council recreation ground in Cuckfield Lane, which is used by various cricket clubs and a village hall, the Seaforth Hall, Cuckfield Lane, which is available for hire and is used by various groups in the village, including a doctor's surgery on Monday afternoons and by the Amateur Dramatic Society who produce some well attended stage plays each year.
It has no other facility, many of the old businesses have long gone but the names of some of the houses reflect the variety of businesses that were in existence, e.g. Forge Cottage, the home of the old blacksmith.
There is an active resident's society and a good Drama Group which has as stated earlier has at least two productions a year.
There was one church, St. Andrew's Church which is now a subject for re-development for housing.
This is the second smallest of the four villages within the Parish.
There is a primary school in Slaugham Lane, Warninglid and one public house, The Half Moon, in The Street, Warninglid.
There is also a Mid Sussex District Council recreation ground in Cuckfield Lane, which is used by various cricket clubs and a village hall, the Seaforth Hall, Cuckfield Lane, which is available for hire and is used by various groups in the village, including a doctor's surgery on Monday afternoons and by the Amateur Dramatic Society who produce some well attended stage plays each year.
It has no other facility, many of the old businesses have long gone but the names of some of the houses reflect the variety of businesses that were in existence, e.g. Forge Cottage, the home of the old blacksmith.
There is an active resident's society and a good Drama Group which has as stated earlier has at least two productions a year.
There was one church, St. Andrew's Church which is now a subject for re-development for housing.