East Grinstead Living March 2021 Issue

EA ST

March 2021

RINS TEAD Living

YO U R L O C AL B U S I N E S S D I R E C T O RY S I N C E 20 0 5 T O ADV E R T I S E C AL L 0 134 2 3001 5 2

~ Design & Build ~ Pondless Waterfalls ~ Ponds ~ Water Features ~ Bridges ~ Fire Pits ~ Refurbishment ~ Clean-Outs Email: ryan@afriponds.com Mobile: 07500493793 Website: www.afriponds.com

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After You can only become truly accomplished at something, if you thoroughly enjoy what you’re doing...my passion for various water features goes back to the days when my two brothers and I helped our Dad and his team design and build a number of Ponds, both large and small, on our farm in Zimbabwe. I’ve adopted an African theme in my design work, by using various size rocks in all my Ponds and Pondless Waterfalls, thus retaining that “close to nature” look, which everyone here in the UK admires and really loves about my work

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T I ME S GON E BY

East Grinstead High Street - 1939

East Grinstead, London Road - 1904

Dear Residents,

Whats inside this month

Welcome to the March issue. It’s been a long winter and I’m sure we can all say we are looking forward to the beginning of spring this month. With the 80th anniversary of the Guinea Pig club this year, we bring you a feature about the world famous club started in this town.

Forest Row: Hugo’s Memorial

We have stretched our history a little further afield this month with two other features, one about Pippingford in Ashdown Forest, the other a potted history of neighbouring ‘Royal’ town, Tunbridge Wells. Local History Notes: E&F

The Guinea Pig Club

Sowing the Seed

If you are a local charity or community group that needs help with promotion, please drop us a line. Thank you for supporting our local businesses. We really hope you have a lovely start to spring. History of Royal Tunbridge Wells

Tally & Chris

Monthly Recipe

East Grinstead Living To advertise call 01342 300152 info@egliving.co.uk www. egliving.co.uk

CROSSWORD ANSWERS QUICK CROSSWORD QUICK CK CROSSWORD CROSSWORD 3

1 6 S E I G E N S T 11 12 B A S E H 16 Q U 18E U R 19 E P I S F 21 T O F 5

9 11 13 15 16

C O 3N D 4C L 5A S R B I R E 8G E O R D I 9 DOH F O 10 T EMP T I E T E S 13 C O 14G N 15A 17 E N A O D O 18M R S V S O D E 20S H I C I S R F E E A P P L E

S C E P T I C

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ANSWERS ACROSS: 1 Labour 7 Power 8 Meringue 9 Cameo 10 Rust 12 Ease 13 Tiny 14 Onyx 15 Soon 17 Eggs 19 Fever 20 Antelope 21 Check 22 Hamlet ANSWERS DOWN: 1 Lemur 2 Bird’s-eye

Pippingford Park

March Quiz

East Grinstead Living Notice: East Grinstead Living prints various articles, features, and advertisements. Although these appear in East Grinstead Living, any opinions expressed are the opinion of the author, these are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher. ©Copyright East Grinstead Living 2021. The contents of this publication are written specifically for our readers, no part may be reproduced elsewhere without express and prior permission.

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Local History Notes: E&F Dorothy Hatswell of the East Grinstead Museum, brings us the next installation, E&F, of her A through Z of local history. married men five shillings and his wife sent meals to the older women who could not get to the main celebrations.

Forest Row, lying just four miles to the east of East Grinstead, is an independent parish now, but a century ago it was considered to be part of the town. It is also another manifestation of our geographical ambiguities, in that it is now in a different county, namely East Sussex. However, on a personal note, I do not put East Sussex or West Sussex on anything but the most legal of documents, to have a small personal victory over the 1974 act which transferred the town and some villages, from East to West Sussex at the stroke of a pen on a map. The Freshfield family were great patrons of Forest Row in the C19th and early C20th. Henry Freshfield built the village hall in memory of his oldest son, also Henry. In 1895 the day Henry Freshfield senior was buried, the hall burnt down. His widow had it rebuilt and it was given to the residents in 1914. On the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, Mr Freshfield gave all the

The other village which falls into the museum’s area, is, of course, Felbridge. It is now contiguous with the town, as you travel east on the concurrent A22 and A264, you cannot see the join, except by the signage. It does, however, have a very disparate identity, encouraged by the sterling work of the Felbridge Local History Group, whose meticulously researched publications are a revelation. Please look them up, online. The titles alone will give you feeling for the richness of its past. One of them will give you a fuller history of the Evelyn Chestnuts and the monument, which was given a new life in Northumberland, than I can here. James Evelyn, who erected the monument in honour of his father, left money in his will for a “Beef and Faggot” charity. Four stones of beef must be made into soup every Thursday from November to April and a similar weight of beef be provided every Sunday in the year. The schoolmistress was given the task of serving this together with faggots and bread. For this she was paid sixpence and one penny for beer to go with it. This largesse was available to anyone within two and a half miles of the school. East Grinstead received its first Royal Charter from King John’s son, Henry III, to hold fairs in the High Street, in 1247. These annual events were supported by weekly markets which allowed people over a six-mile radius to come into the town to trade, and was the prime source for food and other goods for the residents, to supplement those they could not provide for themselves. Prior to 1895, the main way of extinguishing serious fires was by means of the rudimentary equipment kept in the vestry of St Swithuns Church. This included the grappling irons, now in the entrance to the museum. In 1902 the town’s first fire station was built at 108,

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LOCAL HISTORY NOTES: E&F CONTINUED

London Road. The lookout window and bell turret are still visible to this day. It was soon superseded by a building further north. By the beginning of WWI, the station was manned by four officers, a steam engine, 1300 feet of hose and two hose carts. Horses had to be called for, when the latter could not be pulled by the men. The water pressure was very inadequate, so the water tower opposite Chequer Mead was erected. It has recently been converted to a residence. Pre-dating the welfare state, friendly societies were formed to help members in times of need. In return for a weekly payment, members could draw out money in lieu of the wages they would not earn, if sick or out of work. The Ancient Order of Foresters was formed in 1857 in the Dorset Arms. Fifty years later it had a membership of nearly five hundred and an astonishing bank balance of over £10,000. An off-shoot of the Foresters was the Ancient Order of Shepherds, started by those members who could afford a higher weekly subscription for higher pay-outs. In 1864 they were joined by the “Princess Alexandra Lodge of Odd Fellows”. Just why these societies chose such extraordinary names is not known. The Temperance Movement was strong in the town in the mid C19th. Thomas Cramp, whose clock stands opposite the top of Railway Approach, was the leading light in the area. He was supported by Mr & Mrs Oswald Smith who opened a coffee house in Queens Road called the “Elephant’s Head”. It was later given by the Smiths to the town to house the third cottage hospital. Opened in 1901, it was renamed The Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital in honour of the monarch who had recently died. The Queen Vic, as it is now called affectionately, still plays an important part in the lives of the residents in the East Grinstead area, especially in the present pandemic. Long may it continue to do so.

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THE GUINEA PIG CLUB 1941 -2021

standing outside Sackville College at the entrance to the town, on what is now known as the McIndoe Lawn. The town museum itself, who in 2015 established an exhibition named Rebuilding Bodies & Souls, which showed the story of both McIndoe and the club, and since becoming the club’s own museum, holding many records and artefacts for the future generations. 2021 sees the 80th anniversary of the Guinea Pig Club. It was formed on July 20th 1941 by a group of allied airman, who were suffering from burns or other crash related injuries whilst being treated at the Queen Victoria Hospital. Looking back over the years, many tributes have been paid to honour the members of this unique club, not only by the people of East Grinstead, but by the town itself. Reflecting on just a few, we find places such as the Queen Victoria Hospital, who, in the year 2000 commissioned a local sign writer to design a roll of honour naming the 649 members, which now hangs proudly on the wall within the Canadian wing, as well as by naming their main beverage & food outlets as The Spitfire Restaurant, The Hurricane and The Lancaster Lounges. St Swithun’s church, the building where some of the members were married, and for many years the annual service was held during

the reunion weekend there is a stained-glass window incorporating the guinea pig logo, a memorial tablet dedicated to Henry Standen & his fellow guinea pigs. And in the small chapel, to the left of the main alter, a chair in memory of chief guinea pig Grp/Capt Tom Gleave. The local council have also been very supportive by naming streets, roads & buildings in East Grinstead in their honour, especially on the estate opposite the hospital in Holtye Road. By generously hosting, from time to time, special events & reunions at the council offices. And becoming the custodians of the statue to Sir Archibald McIndoe which was unveiled in June 2014,

Over the years, many social events and visits were arranged and hosted by organizations, private firms or individuals, which were always gratefully appreciated by all who attended, together with the RAFBF who helped with the welfare of the members in need. Now sadly, as the years pass by and the numbers of the members get fewer, the club will still be remembered, not only by the statue of Sir Archibald in East Grinstead, the memorial stone in the National Arboretum in Staffordshire, the town’s own museum, but by the many places which have been named in their honour, also the people themselves of East Grinstead, within the town they regard as “theirs”. R Marchant FCODP Secretary of the Guinea Pig Club A Trustee of EG Museum

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March

Quiz

Answers on page 26 1. What did the Romans call Scotland?

11. How was New York known prior to 1664?

2. Who was the youngest British Prime Minister?

12. What is the capital city of Brazil? 13. What was the old name for a Snickers bar before it changed in 1990?

3. Since 1977, where has snooker's World Championship taken place? 4. Which nuts are used in marzipan?

14. Which legendary surrealist artist is famous for painting melting clocks?

5. What is the chemical formula for Table Salt?

15. What is the smallest planet in our solar system?

6. What was Britney Spears’ first single called?

16. Which comedian was the second permanent host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks after Mark Lamarr?

7. Who is the only musician ever to have been awarded the Nobel prize for literature?

17. In what US State is the city Nashville?

8. Which city is further east, Edinburgh or Carlisle?

18. Which of the following empires had no written language: Incan, Aztec, Egyptian, Roman?

9. Which two of Henry VIII’s wives were executed?

19. What country has the most islands in the world?

10. How many children did Queen Victoria have?

20. Which language has the most words according to dictionary entries?

QUICK CROSSWORD 1

9 11 12

15 16

19 20 21 22

CLUES ACROSS:

1 Toil 7 Controlling

Across 1 Toil 7 Controlling strength 8 Crisp cake of egg whites an sugar 9 Token film role 10 Corrosion 12 Comfort and relaxation 13 Very small 14 Marbled quartz 15 Shortly 17 Easter gifts 19 A high-temperature disease 20 Gazelle 21 Plaid or gingham fabric 22 Small village

I E M E R Down 1 Huge-eyed Madagascan U D monkey 10 1 2 High-flyer’s field of sightR U S 12 (4’1-3,4) E 3 West Indian rock music 14 O N Y 4 Slang for glasses 5 The baths (8,4) E F 6 ‘With it’ in 60’s parlance19 F E V 11 Government levy 13 Foot digit I I 14 Business room 21 C H E 15 Whisky 16 Male duck E W

Answers on page 6

QUICK L A B QUICK CROSSWORD 8

18 Mingled rain and snow

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FOREST ROW:

HUGO’S MEMORIAL we are now facing a big financial challenge to get this extension built.

In 2019, following the presumed drowning of our nephew, we decided to try and get Forest Row Skate Park extended in his memory. Hugo Palmer (20) and his best friend (both Forest Row locals) were on a backpacking trip in Australia when they disappeared from the beach. Nearly 2 years down the line, we have good news and bad about the progress of Hugo’s memorial. To start with the good news - we officially have planning permission! It's been a long and expensive journey to get there, but we finally have it.

The original skate park building firm who quoted £30K (which we managed to raise) are no longer able to be involved. This has been a huge blow at the 11th hour, to put it lightly. The company who we are now speaking to have crunched the numbers, and are saying that in order to build the design we have, it'll be more like £50K. Which leaves us £20K short. And trying to set about raising a sum of money like that during a global pandemic/recession, is no mean feat. We are exploring potential grants (lottery, etc.), but have already had a couple of applications declined as certain grants are now being allocated to Covid-related efforts.

QUICK CROSSWORD Unfortunately, though, 1

10 12 13 16

17 18

It's a tough one. We are down, but not defeated. We’re determined to build Hugo's memorial, but also to extend and expand this wonderful amenity in our village, that will benefit so many people for generations to come. For further information please see www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/aliceslatter-hugo

QUICK

QUICK CROSSWORDSI 1

Answers on page 6

8 9

The company we are speaking to have said that they could build a pretty small extension for the £30K that we have, but it would be disappointing (for everyone concerned) for it not to be the very best extension that it can be. The more expensive quote includes full repairs and resurfacing of the existing park, which would mean a clean, fresh slate and an exciting new space to enjoy.

1 Slower mail (6,5) CLUES ACROSS: 7 Inheritance chromosome 8 Tynesider

Across 1 Slower mail (6,5) 7 Inheritance chromosome 8 Tynesider 9 First note of musical scale 10 Persuade to do wrong 11Pours fat over roasting meat 13 French brandy 16 Mature female cat 18 Married woman’s title 19 One part of a TV serial 20 Ocean liner 21 Caramelcoated fruit on a stick (6,5)

Down G E 1 Afternoon nap S 2 A plus sum in the bank T 3 Evenings 11 A B 4 Small tenant farm in Scotland 5 The belly E 6 A doubting Thomas 16 Q U 11 Legacy U 12 USA law enforcer 19 E P 13 Snapshot taker 14 Tittle-tattle, chatter S 21 15 Guidance, words of wisdom T O 17 Looped rope to tether ponies 7

S H E R I F F

ANSWERS 7 Gene 8 G

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Pippingford Park By Alan Morriss

The Pippingford Estate lies at the heart of Ashdown Forest, it has a fascinating history which we are pleased to bring you: My father, Hayley Morriss, bought the estate in 1919. He was in Shanghai when it came up for sale and following a telegram from my grandfather took the Trans-Siberian Railway home and just made it to the auction. Here is a brief history, of local interest, which is inextricably linked to that of Old Lodge and the Ashdown Forest in general: Up until the civil war, all the land - both that which is now in private hands and what is now the forest proper- were one and the same. The whole comprised a royal hunting preserve, with commoner’s rights being held by custom and tradition. With the overthrow of the monarchy and the execution of Charles I the situation was set for, “all change”. The parliamentary survey of 1685, carried out by William Dawes and others, is somewhat scathing about Pippingford. It refers to “Pippingford Lodge, and parcel of Ashdown Forest, late property of Charles Stuart, late king of England”. The occupant was one John Franke, described as a gentleman, and keeper of Pippingford Walke and the West Ward. The buildings were said to consist of a brew house, kitchen, parlour, larder, and a buttery below stairs in addition to the main house a stable, ox stall and barn also feature. The land was assessed at “one and twenty acres” and the buildings were said to be “out of repaire”.

Attached to Pippingford was a “parcell of open common and waste ground sett for and to the common wealth”. This stretched from Wych Cross, eastward down the gill to the head of a brook called Deep Deane Gill at Stony Brook, down to where it joined the steel forge river, and thence southwards for three quarter of mile to sixty perches below three wards and then back to Wych Cross. The woods and trees were said to be of little value except “for firing” and they were valued at forty pounds. In another survey, the land was claimed to be good for little else save growing rabbits. However, all was claimed by the common wealth. After the restoration of the monarchy, all presumably reverted to Charles II and due to his chronic shortage of money, he supposedly gave the land on which they lived to people such as gamekeepers, wardens and foresters in lieu of wages owed.

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John Newnham of Maresfield Park enclosed this area by simply buying them out and then joining up the dots. This is why the centre of the forest is now in private hands. Mr. Newnham is said to have set it up in more or less its present configuration, and planted many trees. Pippingford and Old Lodge then comprised 2175 acres. After passing through the hands of the Newnham heirs and successors, the estate was acquired by William Bradford in the early nineteenth century. He built the first mansion, which was later destroyed by fire on the fifth of November 1833. The local legend has it that no one came to help extinguish the flames, because it was thought in the village that it was a Guy Fawkes celebration. The fire is supposed to have been started by a drunken butler knocking over an oil lamp. Most of the contents were saved, but the house was destroyed, and was not apparently insured. The estate fell into the hands of the unfortunate Bradford’s lawyer, Henry Shirley.

Apparently, the house lay derelict until the estate was acquired by John Mortimer. He was obviously a man of some substance, as he had a town house in Hanover Square, London and was able to commission the famous French architect, Hector Horeau to build what must have been an exceedingly grand and expensive country one. Like another of Horeau’s creation, Normanhurst, near Battle, the house was modelled on a French chateau, and was hopelessly impractical. It was completed in 1857 and was three times the size of the present one. As a matter of interest, Hector Horeau won the competition for the design of the great exhibition of 1851 (Crystal Palace), but was not awarded the contract, no doubt because he was a foreigner. After Mortimers death in 1871, the property passed to a Mr Grey, who is believed to have been his nephew. He was reputed to have been a very pleasant man, and existing photographs seem to bear this out, he was well liked locally. Strangely enough the estate seldom seems to have been handed

on from father to son, and after his death it was owned by Captain Banbury, believed to have been in the Royal Engineers; He was supposedly Mr Grey’s nephew. Captain Banbury constructed, or perhaps reconstructed the existing middle lake, but the big lake, which now lies empty, was reconstructed by the previous owner. In 1914 Pippingford was acquired by a speculator, a Mr Anderson, who owned collieries. He cut down the vast majority of the trees, once so carefully planted by the previous owners, and effectively devastated the

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2 4 PIPPINGFORD PARK CONTINUED estate. Despite this, he eventually became bankrupt, and the property was sold to my father, Hayley Morriss. After this the character changed and the same family still run it today. My father was a keen naturalist, and with the exception of foxes, wildlife was encouraged, and the existing lakes built. During the depression there was considerable local unemployment, so he undertook the restoration of the chain of lakes which had been used to drive the blast furnace when the Sussex iron industry was at its height. Anyone who wanted work was welcome, and this resulted in the current chain of lakes which are now classified as a site of special scientific interest. The lake of 20 acres was retained as an ornamental feature and probably for fishing. The old dam kept water impounded except for periods when it was drained for maintenance right up until 1946. It then failed due to damage caused by the Canadian soldiers catching fish with hand grenades. The compensation paid was totally insufficient to rebuild it. The old lake has been split in two, and the upper part is now full. An interesting story is attached to this: in the months before D Day, the Canadians were practising river crossing under fire. They had the light canvas and plywood collapsible boats for this and the fire was simulated by throwing in hand grenades. This was a fascinating spectacle for a small boy, and I saw the inevitable happen when a boat drifted over a grenade and it split the bottom. The boat sank and the soldiers had to swim for it. Some kit was inevitably lost.

However, when the old lake bed was being cleared before flooding, I found a Canadian army helmet in fair condition in just that spot! Farming was a secondary consideration, although the farm was run for agriculture. At one time it was reputedly the third largest pig farm in England. With the coming of World War 2 in 1939, the army moved in. This is believed to have been to counter any German paratroopers’ landings in the Ashdown Forest which would have been part of Operation Sealion; this was the code name for their planned invasion of England. The farm was run by the Ministry of Agriculture and after the war was let to a fruit farmer. In 1986 the lease was terminated, and the farm like the rest of the estate is now run with nature conservation as a foremost objective whilst trying to sympathetically derive an income. The historical habitat of the heathland of Ashdown Forest, which rare species depend on, is a difficult landscape to maintain and the owners of the Pippingford estate are working on a long-term nature project in co-ordination with Natural England to support the flora and fauna, bringing Exmoor ponies in to help with the job. Today the Pippingford estate holds events, offers coarse fishing & rooms to rent, is used for filming and much more. For further information visit: www.pippingford.co.uk

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Chillies and tomatoes Chillies and tomatoes can be started off indoors from March through to mid spring. Plants will be ready to go outside in a sheltered, sunny spot from May or after the last frost.

Potatoes Potatoes are a family favourite and are very easy to grow. Buy seed potatoes, which are small potato tubers that are certified disease free (don’t be tempted to use old potatoes from the vegetable rack) and start chitting them in March. Chitting involves letting the potatoes grow shoots by placing them in trays or egg cartons and standing them in a cool, light spot until 1-2cm long shoots have formed. Work organic matter and a general fertiliser into the soil of an open sunny site.

few seeds into some seed trays or pots filled with compost, place indoors in a propagator, or in a greenhouse if you have one, water well and watch your plants grow. In no time they will be ready to be planted out (usually after the last frost). Now is a good time to plan what you are going to grow and choose your seeds.

Potatoes do not like frost so don’t rush to plant out too soon. Water regularly and you should be able to harvest after 10-12 weeks.

Broad Beans & Runner Beans Broad beans and runner beans can be sown indoors or straight in the ground outside as the soil warms up. They are easy to grow and you’ll be able to enjoy delicious freshly picked veg this summer.

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HISTORY OF

Royal Tunbridge Wells Tunbridge Wells in 1748. From an engraving by Samuel Richardson

Neighbouring East Grinstead, we bring you the first installment of a two part potted history of the famous town

In the Wealden tradition, the evidential history of the Tunbridge Wells area reaches back to the iron age, when people carved out an existence ploughing the land and mining the iron-ore from the rich rocky sandstone outcrops. Such landscape typifies the beauty of the Weald forest ridge area in which we live– one of England’s finest. Mid-20th century excavations by James Money at High Rocks (Tunbridge Wells) uncovered the remains of a defensive hill-fort thought to have been occupied in Roman Britain. The Wealden iron industry of 16th century fame continued into the late eighteenth century – the landscape today is still awash with evidence of the forges.

Returning to London on horseback, Lord North drank from the Chalybeate Spring to quench his thirst - chalybeate means iron-rich; the iron taste is evident in the water, it dyes everything orange too.

The history of the ‘wells of Tunbridge’ (old spelling for Tonbridge) began when, at the beginning of the 17th century, one very enthusiastic nobleman, Dudley, 3rd Baron North lauded its ‘magical’ qualities in a raving recommendation. A courtier to James I, Lord North had spent several days ‘recuperating’ at the Abergavenny Estate, Eridge, which happened to include gluttonous merriment of much rich food and wine.

The Coat of arms of Royal Tunbridge Wells from 1889 to 1972

Photochrom of the Pantiles, 1895

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3 4 HISTORY OF ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS He noticed the reddish-brown hue waters of the spring foaming slightly from the ground and took his chances. Feeling greatly refreshed and instantly ‘clearing his head’ he continued on his journey to the London court. Since that moment of inception, the wells continued to be known (second only to the Spa town of Bath), as the great place of English ‘water healing’ and drew the infirm, diseased and the curious. Thirty years after its discovery, the first buildings were erected: two small cottages, one for ladies and the other for gentlemen, set up as a coffee and pipe-smoking rest stop. Its rooted and unequivocal connection to royalty occurred when Charles I’s physician, sent his wife, Henrietta Maria, to the springs to “re-establish her health” after the birth of Prince Charles in 1630. She remained there for a full

six weeks. Soon after this prestigious visit, the area was renamed Queen Mary’s Wells – it didn’t stick and other names followed afterwards, including Frant Wells. Well into the 17th century the area came to have access to an assembly-room, a bowling green, in nearby Rusthall. At Southborough there was a bowling green, a coffeehouse, and a great number of lodgings. The advantages and diversions of the area increased but the distance to such nearby towns was inconvenient, especially in inclement weather when the route of escape to shelter, all became too much. The terrain of the (now) town is fairly hilly and was not conducive to widescale building. However, ‘Mount Sion’ the first to be built upon, as houses were transported and rebuilt on the hill. A chapel was soon established so people could attend religious duties, and shortly followed by taking in the various amusements at thereabouts. The connection to royalty continued with the appearance of a Danish princess and later Queen Anne brought her 9-year-old son Prince William, Duke of Gloucester. The prince fell on a slippery slope, so, the queen provided money to pave the walks.

Henrietta Maria painted by Sir Peter Lely after the restoration of her son Charles II to the throne.

The fame of the wells however, was only in its nascent years. The height of its popularity reached a crescendo in the

Frederick, Prince of Wales

following century. In 1739, Frederick, Prince of Wales and his wife, Princess Augusta of SaxeGotha, appeared in the now established spa town. The second daughter of King George II visited in 1762 and the Duke of York and the Duke of Gloucester in 1765 who were welcomed with a triple discharge of eighteen pieces of cannon. An eighteenth-century guide book described it thus: “The place itself is now in a very flourishing state, with a great number of good houses for lodgings, and all necessary accommodations for company; its customs are settled, its pleasure regulated, its markets and all other conveniences fixed, and the whole very properly adapted to the nature of a place, which is at once designed to give health and pleasure to all its visitants.” To be continued next month.

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East Grinstead Living March 2021 Issue

Articles inside

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