Which towns and villages best epitomise the real Sussex?

[KZNSeagull]

Always preferred Lindfield to Cuckfield. Dunno why - probably the pond!

What about Horsted Keynes? Typically Sussex in as much as you cannot get to it without driving along typical Sussex narrow lanes with high banks on each side. Village green with war memorial. Plus Bluebell Railway as an added bonus.

Also rather like Fletching (the village I will hasten to add).

 

[portlock seagull]

Balcombe. Once had 3 pubs and 10 shops supported by local community. Property prices ballooned in 80s, commuters influx and now no po, just 1 shop and 1 struggling pub left with hardly any of the scores of clubs and socities that used to exist because all the real locals have been forced out and commuters don't have time etc. That's the real Sussex village today so yes, I'd say Balcombe is pretty typical Sussex village today!!

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Horsted Keynes is a good call,what about Fairwarp or Isfield ? Maybe Piltdown ?

 

[goldstone]

Agree with you about Horsted Keynes. Many good points ... off the beaten track being an important one ... but lack that "special" feel of Alfriston or Lindfield.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Always preferred Lindfield to Cuckfield. Dunno why - probably the pond!

What about Horsted Keynes? Typically Sussex in as much as you cannot get to it without driving along typical Sussex narrow lanes with high banks on each side. Village green with war memorial. Plus Bluebell Railway as an added bonus.

Also rather like Fletching (the village I will hasten to add).

In this instance the War Memorial is to be found in the churchyard some distance from the green
But i get your point

 

[maresfield seagull]

Balcombe. Once had 3 pubs and 10 shops supported by local community. Property prices ballooned in 80s, commuters influx and now no po, just 1 shop and 1 struggling pub left with hardly any of the scores of clubs and socities that used to exist because all the real locals have been forced out and commuters don't have time etc. That's the real Sussex village today so yes, I'd say Balcombe is pretty typical Sussex village today!!

This

 

[clapham_gull]

Big fan of Mayfield. Although biased as I grew up there.

Yes, I spent a lot of time their too as a teenager.. particularly the Middle House.

When these posts come up they are usually centered around one side of the county. I wonder whether most Brightonians have ventured further then Lewes.

Can I add Burwash to the list ? Sank 5 pints of Harveys there last night.

 

[wunt be druv]

What about Petworth,Midhurst and my ancestral family home,Sutton (the tiny village near Bignor Roman villa) utterly Sussexly

 

[Cantona's Flying Dropkick]

Clayton

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Clayton?

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Lindfield! for sure!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Which village best epitomises the real Sussex?

Can I nominate ... FALMER?

A place where the residents imagine an idyllic past, but everyone else knows that things have moved on ... for the better.

 

[SeagullTim]

Fletching
Poynings
Ditchling

 

[slinky]

what about Uckfield as the sussex town. It has old parts to it, such as the bridge cottage, and the old picture house. The whole town is surrounded by typically sussex countryside and the town has history. Such as royalty staying there, the last sighting of Lord Lucan etc.

As for the Village, i would say Horsted Keynes has my vote.

 

[perseus]

Five rivers run thru Sussex and three are important: Arun, Adur and Ouse.

The major towns were Arundel, Steyning or Bramber (and then Shoreham) and Lewes.

And Chichester was always an important port, and Hastings (and Pevensey until AD 495) was important if you really think this is Sussex.

And then the Royals made Brighton important, and Horsham was important because of the iron works. And because Brighton was so important and expanding, they had to put the sports grounds on the available land outside which happened to be Hove which was not important at all.

I think Sussex was named by the Romans but only really became important with the Saxons (land of the South Saxons), so Fishbourne, Southwick etc do not count cause they are Roman.

The DNA exponents picked Midhurst for genuine locals.

 

[kevo]

Didn't we do this a while ago? I'm sure Lindfield came out top then too.

 

[kevo]

what about Uckfield as the sussex town. It has old parts to it, such as the bridge cottage, and the old picture house. The whole town is surrounded by typically sussex countryside and the town has history. Such as royalty staying there, the last sighting of Lord Lucan etc.

A vote for Uckfield! Agree with all the above, and it does have its good points, but still quite incredible. Uckfield went a bit downhill when it basically doubled in size with the building of new housing estates, to some extent filled at the time with Sarf London overspill. You used to hear the old rural Sussex accent in those parts, but now it's all estuary English, innit?

 

[Kazenga <3]

Haywards Heath

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[Gwylan]

Amberley. Lovely village with thatched cottages, some decent pubs and its own castle.

It has also the museum of rural life (or whatever it's called) - what could be more Sussex than that?

 

[n1 gull]

I used to love the Kings Head Cuckfield, spent all my youth in there, my favourite pub by a mile, but its been shut down
for years. The Talbot used to be decent too, a bit of a dump but good fun, it's now a gastro pub. The Wheatsheaf is a B and B,
The Rose and Crown a Tapas bar, The White Harte is struggling - so I don,t think Cuckfield has a decent pub. In the whole
of the village not one of them has Sky Sports.

I now live in Hurstpierpoint which is a decent Sussex village. Good butcher, green grocer, pubs and deli - well worth a shout