Uckfield Past

Mesolithic artefacts have been found near the Rocks, and near Tower Ride (Manor Park) a Roman corn drying kiln has been uncovered. The Saxons then arrived to give the settlement its name - Uckfield - Ucca's open land. By 1220 Uckfield, a small borough in the Archbishop of Canterbury's Manor of South Malling, had a manorial prison and court and also (briefly) a market. Church Street was on an ancient ridgeway route to Rye, and at its entrance clustered several hostelries, the Red Lion (later the Maidens Head), the Kings Head (now the Cinque Ports) and the Spread Eagle. Bridge Cottage (built c.1436 and connected with the Archbishops) and Olives were neighbouring farmhouses.

By 1637 carriers linked Uckfield and London via the main London-Lewes Road, and by 1805 there were coaches daily to London. To accommodate an increase in population and for the benefit of the Streatfeilds, now at the Rocks Mansion (Buckswood Grange), the parish church was rebuilt in 1839, also the Union Workhouse (now demolished) at Ridgewood. From 1858, the new railway lines to Lewes and then Tunbridge Wells swelled the population further (811 in 1801 to 2,895 by 1901). Houses appeared in the New Town, at Ridgewood (where Ware's brickworks thrived) and at Ringles Cross. The corn and livestock markets prospered and other denominational churches were built. The Saunders School in Church Street became the Grammar School (closed 1930). 20th century developments included new estates (e.g. Church Combe, Manor Park, Rocks Park), the Secondary School (now the Community College), built 1951, and the Picture House, built 1916, which still flourishes today.

Church Street Uckfield

As its name indicates, Church Street was at the heart of the original settlement of Uckfield, near the medieval chapel (built c.1291), which was replaced by the present parish church in 1839. Situated on an ancient ridgeway route from the direction of Winchester in the west to Rye and Canterbury in the east, it would have seen many travellers (in the traditional sense) well before 1500. Some would have been on short journeys, either on foot or on horseback, to or from local markets and fairs, but others, bound for destinations further afield, would have spent the night at local hostelries along their route such as the Red Lyon (until recently the Maiden's Head), the King's Head (now the Cinque Ports) or the Spread Eagle. Since Uckfield was part of the Archbishop's extensive Manor of South Malling, some of these travellers could have been bound for Canterbury for business or other (e.g. religious) reasons, though others had destinations elsewhere along the route.

For those who care to spend an hour or so in the vicinity, Church Street contains a number of attractive post-medieval buildings. These include the Old Grammar School, Bakers Cottage and the Malt House with Malt Cottage (all built before 1700), and Church House with Andertons, Coppinghall and Milton Cottage (all 18th century). Notable inhabitants of these properties were the Markwicks (builders and carpenters, from 1700) at Coppinghall and Milton Cottage, Edward Kenward (19th century maltster) at the Malt House, Thomas Pentecost (a Victorian leather cutter and local poet) in a cottage near the Grammar School and General Sir George Calvert Clarke (commander of the Royal Scots Greys at Balaclava) at Church House.

Peter Ferguson