Hellingly

Hellingly
Village
Aerial view of the village centre
Hellingly Location within East Sussex
Area	19.6 km2 (7.6 sq mi) [1]
Population	1,820 (2011)[2]
• Density	205/sq mi (79/km2)
OS grid reference	TQ581122
• London	45 miles (72 km) NNW
District	Wealden
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HAILSHAM
Postcode district	BN27
Dialling code	01323
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Wealden
Website	http://www.hellingly-pc.org.uk/
List of places UK England East Sussex 50°53′N 0°15′E / 50.89°N 0.25°E / 50.89; 0.25Coordinates: 50°53′N 0°15′E / 50.89°N 0.25°E / 50.89; 0.25

Hellingly (pronounced 'Helling-lye') is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England.

Geography[]

Hellingly contains the confluence of the River Cuckmere and one of its tributaries, the Bull River, close to the centre of the historic village. The village stands on the lower southern slopes of the gentle uplands forming the Weald and surrounds a circular mound on which the church stands. The entirely rural and suburban village is centred exactly 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the small town of Hailsham. The dependent village of Lower Dicker is within its boundaries.

History[]

The village, like many others on the Weald, was involved in the Wealden iron industry. The watermill connected with the industry is no longer in operation. The mill building is a Grade II* listed building^[3] and the associated miller's house is Grade II.^[4] Horselunges Manor is a moated Tudor manor house, originally built for the Devenish family and restored by Walter Godfrey in the 1930s, and is Grade I listed.^[5]

Hospitals[]

Hellingly Hospital once dominated the area east of the village and was the principal mental hospital for East Sussex. Opened in 1903 it remained in use until 1994. The buildings were derelict for some time until being demolished and replaced with a housing estate, named by the developer as Roebuck Park.

Sport[]

The main sports clubs in the village are Hellingly Rugby Club and Hellingly cricket club, which are both at Horsebridge recreation ground.

Governance[]

Hellingly is a ward in the Wealden parliamentary constituency, the MP since 2015 is Nus Ghani, Conservative. There are fourteen parish councillors on Hellingly Parish Council.^[6] The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 5,940.^[7]

Religion[]

The tower of the parish church

The 13th-14th century parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul. It is the only remaining example of a church built on a Saxon ciric, a circular mound, in the county.^[8] The chancel dates from about 1200, and the shafts with annulets round the windows and the band of palmettes under them are substantially original. There is stained glass in the east lancet windows by Morris & Co. The church is Grade I listed.^[9] Zoar Strict Baptist Chapel was founded in 1837 at Lower Dicker.^[10]

Transport[]

This settlement had a railway station on the Polegate to Eridge line which closed on the growth of motorised transport in the rural parts of county in 1968. The village is now served by buses run by Stagecoach.^[11]

Notable people[]

Horselunges Manor, Hellingly

• Margaret Fairchild (1911-1989) aka Miss Shepherd, the subject of the 2015 film The Lady in the Van, was born here
• Peter Grant (1935–1995), actor and music executive, lived in Hellingly, at Horselunges Manor, which was featured in the opening scene of the Led Zeppelin film, The Song Remains the Same, and is buried in the civil cemetery.

References[]

External links[]

Media related to Hellingly at Wikimedia Commons