This walk, lead by me, focused on the history of the old grammar school in Cuckfield.
The earliest known record is from 1521 and the school was later funded by William Spicer in 1529.
Between the school and the church is the memorial, designed by Kempe, to the four Cuckfield men who died in the Boer war -- three from disease, one from wounds. To my knowledge there is no memorial in Cuckfield to the 30,000 Boers, mainly women and children who died of disease in the concentration camps into which they were herded by our soldiers.
We touched on the great wealth that the Elizabethan wars created for the High Weald from the production of cannons, cannon balls and iron products in general.
This stone in the church buttress shows the presence of iron in the local stone.
In 1822 Dr Gideon Mantell discovered the fossilised remains of the first dinosaur to be found in England at Whitemans Green.
We passed Spicer's Farm, the home of the Rev. William Spicer, Rector of Balcombe, who in 1529, gave endowments to Cuckfield Grammar School and a new constitution requiring teaching along the lines of Eton.
These various shots are pictures that I took earlier in the year.
Lunch was taken in
the Jolly Tanners , which is a wonderful pub for real ale drinkers and everyone else too.
Our route took us past Bigges Farm, which is an exquisite 15th century building.
It was a joy that Caroline, left (and Betty right) could join us on this walk. Caroline knows this house well and was able to explain the interior and just what a fine house it is.
My thanks to all fifteen of you who joined this walk and made it a day to remember and a pleasure to lead. For information on other walks that I and my associates lead in Sussex, please click
www.peterlovettwalks.eu
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