Village Life by Chris Somersett - 'Onlooker' - December 1989

The people of Cuckfield like to rule their own destinies.

The first time they cocked a snook at the outside world was during the English Civil War in the 1600s when most of the menfolk expressed a preference for getting on with their working lives, rather than join the squabble between the royalists and the roundheads. Nevertheless some were enlisted against their will, and I shall tell you about the results of this shortly. The second time Cuckfield turned its face inwards was in the late 1830s when it shouted a resounding 'NO' to plans to give it one of those new fangled railway stations. Its citizens were doing too well off stagecoach traffic to contemplate a change. 

The third time was in 1966 when its people got cross with the urban council for not letting them hold donkey races on the local rugby pitches. Believe it or not, they responded by declaring themselves an Independent State owing allegiance to her Majesty. 

In a way this might have been regarded as a somewhat empty gesture, but it has had many beneficial effects as I shall explain. And, as one of the founders of the Independent State told me: “It was initially meant to demonstrate our annoyance with the council, and then it just grew and grew”.

The fourth time was this year when the people of Cuckfield welcomed the opening of a bypass south of the village, ending the unwanted movement of outsiders through its village and reducing its traffic by an astonishing 90%. 

It's only a little place, but pleasant, on the edge of the Sussex High Weald and a dozen miles from the south coast, with about 3000 people living in its main built-up area, the High Street plunging steeply from the London Road into the village centre. And it has five pubs, which are useful for thirst quenching purposes after walking up and down that hill. 

Cuckfield was first documented as 'Kukefeld', back in 1091 and they say the name means the field where there are cuckoos. This may or may not be so.... why not cucumbers? - but in any case the signposts on the village outskirts have a picture of a Cuckoo in a tree.

General agriculture, and hunting deer and wild boar in the forest surrounding the little settlement were its early pursuits, but by the 16th century Cuckfield was beginning to assert its importance. 

It became a major centre for the iron industry at the time of the threat of an invasion from King Philip of Spain and one result of its consequent prosperity was the establishment of a highly regarded grammar school next to Parish Church of Holy Trinity. 

Today the Grammar School is the Church of England Primary School, although it's going to be shut down and a new bigger one built elsewhere in the village. 

It is interesting that many years ago a stipulation was included in the deeds of the present building that if it were ever sold, the proceeds should be used to help the needy people housed in Newgate prison.

Prison

This may have been repealed later but in any case there is no longer a Newgate prison.

At the moment the school has about 155 to 11-year-olds on its books, and when children leave there they go on to the more senior Warden Park School, also in Cuckfield, which has some 1400 pupils up to the age of 16. 

And then those boys and girls who want to continue their education after that go to the nearby town of Haywards Heath. Anyway back in the days of the old Grammar School, as the advantages of education became steadily more recognised, so did the influence of the Church. 

People were made to take their religion seriously as can be seen by a perusal of records from the court of the Archdeacon in Lewes. In 1588 a Cuckfield man named Thomas Brett was reprimanded on a charge that ‘he useth commonly to slepe in sermon time’. Poor chap.

In 1605 even the vicar of Cuckfield, a master Waterhouse, came under fire. He was told off for not wearing a surplice or using the cross in baptisms and I bet he was informed on by some member of this congregation who had a grievance. 

And in 1624 the court expressed its displeasure to a lady called Elizabeth Collins for washing clothes on Easter day. However, life went on until there came the Civil War.

A lot of ordinary folk were not unduly concerned over whether they were to be ruled by the king or the parliamentarians as long as they were left in peace to get on with their farming.

So, when the noble High Sheriff Sir Edward Ford secured Chichester for the King by force of arms, and then began moving his troops through Sussex to attack Lewes, there was a notable lack of applause as he forced able-bodied men from Cuckfield and surrounding villages to join his army. 

In the first week of December 1642 Sir Edward, his proud Cavaliers and his unwilling volunteers left Cuckfield to march on Lewes with glorious victory their intent.

Unfortunately for them they were less than 2 miles along the road when they encountered a large Parliamentary force on Haywards Heath - and it was a heath in those days, not a town or a village, or even a hamlet.

A spanking good fight broke out, hand-to-hand and it was still going on after an hour, when reinforcements arrived for the Cromwellians. The result was not unexpected. 

Some 200 royalist soldiers were killed, the reluctant volunteers from Cuckfield and other rural outposts broke ranks and legged it homeward to resume tilling the fields, and the more disciplined Cavaliers retired to the Downs then regrouped and made their way as chastened warriors back to Chichester.

Part 2 tomorrow.....