WIVELSFIELD
AN INSIGHT INTO THE HISTORY OF OUR PARISH Wivelsfield is an ancient Wealden parish. Ever increasing evidence is coming to light of human activity in Wivelsfield from prehistoric times. Three Celtic habitation sites are along the high east/west ‘Long Ridge’, north of Green Road and Iron Age round houses, Roman finds and archaeological evidence of Anglo-Saxon activity have been found at a number of sites in the village. ‘Wifelsfelsa’ is first mentioned by name in the mid-8th century charter, from which we can deduce that there were already settlements here, that Wifel had given his name to the area and that, because feld means ‘open area’, there was arable land and a farming community here. The pattern of scattered farmsteads continued over the centuries with shops and an inn being built round the church in Tudor times and a blacksmith and other travel-related trades growing up at the junction of what is now Green Road and the roads to Chailey and Plumpton. The banks marking the boundaries of the Green can still be seen in places, behind the 19th & 20th century houses that now line Green Road. A second Post Office known as Wivelsfield Green post office, to differentiate it from the (then) existing post office next to the church, was placed there in the early 20th century, resulting in this settlement’s name. The central part of
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the village developed as Allwood Crescent, Downsview Drive and Strood Gate were built after the world famous Allwood Nursery site became available in the 1950’s. Wivelsfield parish was once much larger, a large part of northern Wivelsfield having been annexed by Haywards Heath (Franklands, Northlands Wood, St Francis Park, PRH). Houses were built on the west of the parish c.1920 when Antye and Theobalds farms were sold to cover death duties and marketed as ‘Homes for Heroes’, with further building in this area over the last few decades. This has led to the three settlements within Wivelsfield; Wivelsfield Green, Wivelsfield hamlet in the conservation area around Church Lane and West Wivelsfield bordering Worlds End. Sheila Blair – Wivelsfield History Study Group
If there is a particular aspect of Wivelsfield’s history that you would like to see featured in future editions of the magazine, please email clerk@wivelsfield.net to let us know.