SLAUGHAM

A labyrinth of lanes leads to rural Sussex

Special feature by Vida Herbison Photographs by Roy Vandyke

Sussex Life May 1975

‘Them ole Jarvies were bad enough, but them ole oily - rags are worse’, commented a Slaugham farmer when a chauffeur drove his master up to the church in one of the early motor cars. In those days coachmen (Jarvies), like horse - dealers, were looked upon with distrust. By carriage or car, it was not easy then to drive down the often deeply rutted lanes to the enchanting little village set in the once densely forested heart of the Sussex iron master country. To-day, a labyrinth of lanes still converges on Slaugham, which lies north of Warninglid (on the Horsham - Cuckfield road), and west of the A 23, at Handcross. The London - Brighton coaching road went through Handcross, and on via Cuckfield, until in 1813 a faster route via Hickstead was developed.

St. Mary’s Church of Norman origin, with its squat tower, fine yew trees and the imposing old rectory beside it, contains some most interesting features, including the 15 - 16th century Covert brass and marble memorials, a unique Norman font, and a fine Flemish pulpit.

In the modern vicarage, now at Handcross, in the parish, the Rev. David Towne told me of a predecessor, the Rev. Robert Ellison (1800-1839) drove a spanking pair of cobs at break - neck speed between parishes, and became known as the flying parson. He was not only Rector of Slaugham, but ‘Perpetual Curate of Bolney’ and Vicar of Southesase, besides being Canon of Wolverhampton, then a collegiate church.

Tucked away behind the Slaugham church book stall is a marble column (1821), the memorial to his wife, ‘Sarah Ellison, the learned, non - ostentatious, domestic wife of —’. She must have been a rather delightful, Jane Austenian type of lady. Another predecessor, the Rev. W. A. Dengate (1911-23), wrote a most informative little history of the parish (published privately, 1929).

Also in Handcross, Mr. Roger Ray, mid - Sussex councillor and chairman of the parish council, showed me his fine collection of old local photographs. Mrs. Ray was born at Slaugham and her father, Jim ‘Atomic Thumb’ Longhurst, was famous for his prowess at the ancient game of marbles. With a flick of his thumb he could shatter a beer mug four feet away.

Outside St. Mary’s on the east wall is the Matcham family memorial. Catherine, Horatio Nelson’s favourite sister, met George Matcham in 1785, when only 17 and wintering at Bath. They came to live at Ashford Lodge in 1807. Both Nelson and Emma Hamilton visited them and when Emma died in 1815, their daughter, Horatia, became George’s ward and lived with the family until 1817, when she went to live with her other aunt in Norfolk. Sadly, Ashford was demolished in 1958.

Looking across the fields to the east of the churchyard, I saw the graceful ruins of Slaugham Place, home of the iron Master Coverts. Of the earlier noble families who lived in the parish, much has been lost in the mists of time, but it was said that in 16 - 17th centuries the Covert lands ‘stretched from the Thames to the sea (beyond Hangleton)’.

In their day, Slaugham Place, church and cottages (like Stanmer) were enclosed in a walled park of some 1,200 acres. The original house was re-built in the reign of James I by John Thorpe for Sir Walter Covert. It became a vast place housing more than 70, family and servants, within and about its precincts: Sir Walter, an M.P. from 1586, Father of the House for 40 years, became High Sheriff in 1583 and Deputy Lieutenant in 1604. He died at the then remarkable age of 88.

The great house descended, eventually via the female line, until in 1733 it was sold with the estate to Thomas Sergison. It is not recorded that the Sergisons ever resided at Slaugham Place, preferring Cuckfield Park, it being in a healthier position. Thus through the years Slaugham Place fell into disrepair. The magnificent Jacobean staircase went to grace the rebuilt Stanmer, Lewes, which later became the town hall. The fine clock went to Cuckfield Park.

There is a charming walk through the churchyard down to the lake of some 25 acres, which provided a constant supply of fresh fish, and powered the mill. The Mill House was built in 1742, and the mill was kept busy until 1878 and occasionally used later. Once the mill was grinding, the local farmers had to rush a continuing supply of grain to it, so that the revolving stones didn’t fire.

During the Boer War a new house was built near the ruins on higher ground, and the ruins were used to enhance the garden. In 1870 there were three pubs in the village. At the north end, the landlord of the Carpenter’s Arms brewed his own beer from locally grown hops and fine soft water from the Conduit (locally called the ‘ole Condick’) in Slaugham Park. Down the lane towards the furnace pond, used in iron industry days to power the forge hammer, was the Sundial, a beer house, so called because the landlord, a keen amateur astronomer, enjoyed making sundials.

But almost as important to the village was the church, and right at its gate, stood the White Horse Inn. Here, through the years were held all manner of functions and meetings, social and legal, including the Court Baron of the Sergison Estate. The landlord did a brisk trade in foraging farmers, servants, villagers, visitors and horses.

Trade was especially brisk on St Crispin’s Night (Oct. 25) and on Guy Fawkes Night. On both occasions there were bonfires on the green and other celebrations. Margaret Cooper (a descendant of the Kensett family), in the old Sussex County Magazine (Nov. 1948), suggests that the former was celebrated because some of the Coverts fought at Agincourt.

One wet, dark night an old fellow had celebrated too well and, rather than totter home he crawled into an open-ended, table-topped tomb near the footpath and went to sleep. As it was getting light a farm labourer cutting through the churchyard on his way to work suddenly saw a ghastly head pop out and a sepulchral voice quaver ‘Marnin’ Garge’. No wonder ole Garge nearly died of shock and was ill for quite a while afterwards!

In 1920 Col Raymond Warren acquired a part of the Slaugham estate after it was divided and sold, and in 1922, thinking that the White Horse spoiled the view of the church, he purchased it and had it demolished.

But Slaugham was not to be without its pub and the old village cottage which had been built in 1837 on the foundations of what had been an ancient, stone-roofed building, became the Chequers Inn.

It was a bleak February day when I entered this focal point of village life; and a roaring log fire, the proprietor, Victor Parrish, and his nephew, Neil Mitchell, gave me a most warming welcome. During the war Lieut. Comm. Parrish served in the R.N.V.R. and was Beachmaster during the invasion of Sicily, at Salerno and at Anzio. Neil, an M.A. (Oxon.), plays rugby for Haywards Heath. Besides two homely, country-pub bars, there is a large room used chiefly for young people at weekends. Beneath it, entered via the garden is a large cool cellar bar which is very popular in warm weather. Mrs. Ada Parrish provides a variety of home-made hot snacks.

‘If you want to talk to someone most interesting,’ everyone said, ‘you must meet the Brigadier.’ So I walked up the green past the village pump and what is possibly the only white G.P.O. public telephone box in the country and knocked on his cottage door. Brigadier R.E. Loder is descended from the family famous for magnificent Sussex gardens, Wakehurst (now National Trust), Leonards Lee (also open to the public at certain times) and High Beeches.

His father, Basil Loder, after serving in the Scots Guards left the army when he married the beautiful young singer, Barbara Dean.

Educated at Lancing, young Robert spent most of his school holidays with his cousins at Leonards Lee. County life being worlds away from army barracks, he has said he always remembered the first time he was a small boy to stay with his great aunt at High Beeches. He came down to breakfast to find everyone, including the servants, at prayers.

Overawed, he snatched up what he took to be a prayer book. He told to his horror that instead of reading the psalm he was reading the times of the trains from London to Brighton — aloud! From Lancing, he won a cadet scholarship to R.M.C. Sandhurst, joined the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1931, eventually to become their colonel. His distinguished service career brought him many exciting and varied appointments: taking him to India, New South Wales, Germany (during the war, where he became a P.O.W.), Korea and Japan.

Always greatly interested in music, he became Commandant of the Royal Military School of Music 1958-61. He received the C.B.E. in 1965, and in 1968 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands presented him with the Order of Orange - Nassau. He became Deputy Lieutenant of the County in 1972. Retiring from the army, he has been busier than ever working on all manner of projects, boards and committees......

For more detailed information and fine images of Slaugham, Handcross, Pease Pottage, Warninglid and Staplefield please follow the link https://www.slaughamarchives.org/index.asp