The Middy May 6 1999

Landowners had great influence on Village Life

The village telephone directory in 1914 lists just 43 names; prominent were two families who had dominated life in Hurst over the previous century, the Borrers and the Campions.

Chairman of the first-ever Hurst Parish Council in 1894 was William Henry Campion and his great grandson, David Campion lives at The Ham today.

The campion family home, Danny house – acquired when Barbara Courthope married Henry Campion in the early 18th century – was used as a country retreat by Prime Minister Lloyd George during World War I.

In October 1918 the Imperial War Cabinet including Winston Churchill met in the Great Hall to agree the terms of the Armistice.

The house saw a royal visit when Queen Mary called in on Sir William and Lady Campion in 1934 and in World War II the house was a billet for Canadian troops mustering prior to D-Day.

The Borrer family of Pakyns were influential landowners and employers; Hurst’s rector in 1841 was the Reverend C. H. Borrer who presided over the rebuilding of the church, formerly known as Saint Lawrence.

After the Great War, a newly mobile and aspirational middle-class commuted to business in London and Brighton.

Some travelled on the new Southdown Bus Company’s omnibus which ran an hourly service to Brighton through the village from Bolney or Lewes.

The village still boasted seven grocers, two banks and two dairies – families walked into the High Street and placed their orders which were delivered to their front doors.

An important village landmark – the Kings Head pub at Holborn – was built in 1937 with a bright copper dome.

This had to be camouflaged during World War II as it proved a landmark for enemy planes; it's now the headquarters of a property company.

During World War II a low-flying German raider dropped bombs on the village fatally injuring a four-year-old girl and hurting about 20 others.

The village had its fair share of evacuees from London and Saint Lawrence School used the cellars of the Sussex Arms as an air raid shelter.

Joan Black whose family had owned the Mansion house and later Down House and Norton House, did voluntary work as an Air Raid Warden responsible for the High Street.

The siren was on the roof of Norton house; she said she had to set it off when she was on duty which was “a complete waste of time because you'd hear the planes go over first.”

The Home Guard trained in Joan’s garden, firing rifles through holes in the wall and making bloodcurdling noises during bayonet practice amongst the Little Park Farm cows.

Canadian troops were billeted to the east and south of the village around Belmont School, Clayton Wycombe and Danny Park.

Peter Nelson remembers the village still only half his current size by the end of World War II but still vibrant and prosperous.

Both his sons attended Hurstpierpoint College when fees totalled £250 a year – all in.

After the war cheap American and Far Eastern imports flooded in reducing the price farmers could expect for their products.

Coupled with mechanisation this led to a drastic cut in the number of people employed on the land.

Like many other Sussex villages Hurst saw an influx of newcomers in the 1950s and 60s who settled in homes built to the north of the village.

However, instead of extinguishing the character of the community they enhanced it; now these postwar “incomers” run local businesses, serve on the parish council, organise voluntary groups, ring church bells, open their gardens will teach at Saint Lawrence school.

Land around Farms close to the High Street was sold for housing in the 1960s; since 1900 the population has doubled and now numbers about 6000.

Village fundraisers have lavishly endowed local good causes; Saint Lawrence school has expanded into fine new buildings to accommodate an influx of youngsters; the scouts now have a smart new HQ and the local charity shop notched up £35,000 of sales in the last 12 months.

Saint Lawrence fair – set up by charter in 1313 by Edward the second – still brings traffic to a halt on the first Saturday in July.

Holy Trinity is packed on Sundays and the village playgroups have waiting lists.

But Bishop Hannington's house – the former St George’s residential home – still stands for lonely empty awaiting a purchaser.

Closing the circle, nails are still the staple stock in trade of a shop on the corner of Cuckfield Road... But instead of the ironmongery variety they are now the sort you vanish gold for parties. The business is now a beauty therapists.

The information technological revolution now means a local directory lists hundreds of village businesses including high-tech publishers, graphic designers and publicity consultants – but there are still 16 farms, six carpenters, vet and assorted Equestrian specialists.

And the handsome horses the truck to the High Street are on their way to the downs – not the trenches.