Stanmer
| Stanmer | |
|---|---|
 Stanmer Church | |
  Stanmer Location withinEast Sussex | |
| OS grid reference | TQ335095 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIGHTON |
| Postcode district | BN1 |
| Dialling code | 01273 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Stanmeris a village on the northern edge of the city ofBrighton and Hove,in the ceremonial county ofEast Sussex,England. It was formerly acivil parishuntil 1952 when it was split between Brighton andFalmer.In 1951 the parish had a population of 1097.[1]
History
[edit]The etymological root of the name is "Stony Mere",Old Englishfor "stone pond", referring to thesarsenstones around Stanmer village pond. The stones are not in their original situation, but have been gathered from theDownsand landscaped into the park's appearance. There have been rather inconclusive archaeological excavations at Pudding Bag Wood and Rocky Clump in the north of the park, and in Stanmer Great Wood, producing evidence of occupation fromNeolithictimes onwards.
The village is first recorded in about 765 A.D. when (if the document is authentic) land there was granted by kingEaldwulfof Sussex to Hunlaf in order that he might found a college ofsecular canonsatSouth MallingnearLewes.In theMiddle Agesit had the curious distinction of forming a detached part of theRapeofPevensey,which is otherwise east of theOuse.
Landmarks
[edit]It was for long a closed village ruled by the resident lords of Stanmer, with a population static at just over 100. From the eighteenth century onwards the lords were thePelham familywho received the titleEarl of Chichesterin 1801 in addition to the Baron Pelham of Stanmer they had had since from 1762. They lived in the mansion calledStanmer House,built in its presentPalladianform in 1722, a Grade Ilisted building.It stands at the centre ofStanmer Park,landscaped byHumphry Repton,which was awarded Grade II "park of special historic interest" status byEnglish Heritagein 1983. In the eastern portion of the park was built, from 1960 onwards, theUniversity of Sussex.
Stanmer Church,with a narrow spire unusual in Sussex downland, is adjacent to the pond and to Stanmer House. Its historic dedication is unknown. It was built in 1838 on the site of a 14th-century predecessor destroyed by fire.
Stanmer has a working farm at its centre. Near the church is an unusual survival, a donkey wheel, i.e. a treadmill formerly operated by a donkey. There are 18th-century lodge-houses at the upper and lower ends of the park. The village also possesses formeralmshousesin the Chichester name, built around 1900.
TheStanmer Preservation Societyhas been responsible, over the years, for the maintenance and upkeep of many of the agricultural artifacts which were discovered and excavated in the Stanmer Park locality. Included in with some of these include those from Rocky Clump, first discovered by Walter Gorton and Charlie Yeates in the 1950s. It also now maintains the church, Rural Museum and Donkey Wheel.
Stanmer and Brighton
[edit]On 1 April 1952 the parish was abolished and merged with Brighton andFalmer.[2]The park is now a major public space for the residents of the city ofBrighton and Hove,and regularly hosts such events askite-flying andcombined driving(horse-driving trials). Stanmer House was used as offices by the university in the 1960s and 70s, but was recently derelict and in need of restoration. It is now partlyopen to the publicagain and is licensed as a wedding venue.
Sources
[edit]- Berry, Sue (2005)."Stanmer House and Park, East Sussex: the evolution of a small downland country house and its settingc.1710-1805 ".Sussex Archaeological Collections.143:239–55.doi:10.5284/1086742.
- Brighton Archaeological Society (2000) Field Unit Archive 2000,http:// brightonarch.org.uk/13_1.htm(scroll down).
- Carder, Tim (1990)Encyclopaedia of Brighton.Lewes: East Sussex County Libraries.
- Funnell, John (2000) Excavations at Rocky Clump, Stanmer.Flint43.
- Gorton, W.C.L.& Yeates, C.W. (1988)Rocky Clump, Stanmer: a forgotten shrine?Stanmer Preservation Society.
- Warne, Heather (1989)."Stanmer: a restructured settlement".Sussex Archaeological Collections.127:189–210.doi:10.5284/1086585.
- Yeates, C.W. and others (?1980s)Stanmer,2nd edn. [Ditchling]: Stanmer Preservation Society.
- Yeates, C.W. (1986)Hovel in the wood.Privately published. [Partly reminiscence, partly archaeology.]
An important documentary source, the estate accounts from 1769 to 1950, is housed inEast Sussex Record Office,Lewes.
References
[edit]- ^"Population statistics Stanmer AP/CP through time".A Vision of Britain through Time.Retrieved3 February2023.
- ^"Lewes Registration District".UKBMD.Retrieved3 February2023.
External links
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