West Sussex County Times

January 4th 1985

History a la carte

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 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 many snippets that appear in a recently published book, ‘Cuckfield in old Picture Postcards’. In pictures, photographs and postcards, the book tells of life in Cuckfield in days gone by. Most of the pictures come from the late 19th and early 20th centuries and feature both people and places from old Cuckfield. The book records events such as the departure of Cuckfield suffragettes to a rally in London in 1913, an outing arranged in 1919, by the Temperance society and one of the first charabanc 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 is the derelict swimming pool built in 1906 on part of Laine Brook.