Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield, once had an alehouse in the churchyard which helped attract worshippers from all corners of the parish.

The churchyard cottages, which were built sometime before 1629 (as it is shown on the Manor of Great Haywards map) and which narrowly escaped demolition in 1924, were the original site of the White Hart Inn, where church-goers could refresh themselves after Mass.

This interesting piece of information is just one of the many such snippets that appear in a recently published book: ‘Cuckfield In Old Picture Postcards’. [Now out of print]

In pictures, photographs and postcards the book tells of life in Cuckfield in days gone by. Most of the pictures come from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and feature both people and places from old Cuckfield.

The book records events such as the departure of Cuckfield suffragettes for a rally in London in 1913; an outing arranged in 1919 by the Temperance Society; and one of the first char-a-banc parties to arrive at the Rose and Crown.

There are also a number of views in the book of sites which can no longer be seen. The now demolished Warden Court School for Girls is pictured, as in the derelict swimming pool built in 1906 on part of Laine Brook.

"Cuckfield In Old Picture Postcards’ is published by European Library and costs £6.95.

Wets Sussex County Times, 4 January 1985

Contributed by Malcolm Davison.

Visit Cuckfield Museum, follow the link for details https://cuckfieldmuseum.org.