Hartfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hartfield |
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| Village and civil parish | |
 Hartfield Parish Church |
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 Hartfield
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| Area | 42.0 km2 (16.2 sq mi) |
| Population | 2,179 (2011) |
| • Density | 133/sq mi (51/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TQ479359 |
| • London | 29 miles (47 km) NNW |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HARTFIELD |
| Postcode district | TN7 |
| Dialling code | 01892 01342 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Parish Council |
Hartfield is a lovely village and civil parish located in the Wealden area of East Sussex, England. The parish also includes smaller communities like Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood, and Holtye. All these places are found on the northern edge of the famous Ashdown Forest.
Contents
Where is Hartfield?
The main village of Hartfield is about seven miles (11.2 km) southwest of Royal Tunbridge Wells. It sits where two roads meet: the B2110 (between Groombridge and Forest Row) and the B2026 (between Edenbridge and Maresfield).
How Hartfield is Governed
Hartfield has a Parish Council made up of 13 members. These members help make decisions for the local community. In 2011, about 2,639 people lived in this area.
Exploring Hartfield's Communities
Hartfield is the main village in the parish. It's located near the start of the River Medway and right next to Ashdown Forest. An old Roman road, which once connected London to Lewes, crosses through the parish, west of the village.
Long ago, in the Domesday Book (a very old survey from 1086), Hartfield was mentioned as having six manor houses and a water mill. For many centuries, a powerful family called the Sackvilles (Dukes of Dorset) owned much of the land. The village street is still quite narrow today.
The local church is called St Mary the Virgin. Hartfield once had three pubs: the Anchor Inn, the Gallipot Inn, and the Haywagon Inn. The Haywagon Inn, which used to be called The Dorset Arms, was a very old building from the 1500s. It closed in 2015 and was turned into homes.
Popes Cottage is thought to be the oldest building in the village. It was built way back in 1236!
Some famous people are connected to Hartfield. Frederic Maugham, 1st Viscount Maugham, a well-known lawyer and judge, is buried in the churchyard. He was the older brother of the famous writer W. Somerset Maugham. Frederic's son, the author Robin Maugham, is also buried there.
Cotchford Farm in Hartfield was the home of A.A. Milne (1882–1956). He was the author of the beloved Winnie the Pooh books. Many of his stories are set in this area! Later, the farm was owned by Brian Jones, a guitarist and founder of The Rolling Stones. Today, you can find a shop in the village dedicated to all things Winnie the Pooh.
It's believed that Henry VIII used Bolebroke Castle, which is close to the village. He would hunt wild boar and deer in the nearby Ashdown Forest. He is also thought to have met Anne Boleyn at this castle.
Hartfield used to have a train station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line. It closed in 1967. Now, much of the old railway path is part of the Forest Way. This path is great for walkers and cyclists and is part of National Cycle Route 21. The old station building is now used as a pre-school. There are also bus services connecting the village to Crawley, East Grinstead, and Tunbridge Wells.
The village is home to several local businesses.
Colemans Hatch
Colemans Hatch is a small group of homes southwest of Hartfield. It's spread out around several road crossings. The church here is called Holy Trinity Church. It shares a priest with St Mary's in Hartfield. You can also find The Hatch Inn here.
South Hartfield House, a large and impressive home, was where General Sir Reginald Hildyard lived until he passed away in 1965.
Hammerwood
The name Hammerwood comes from the old Wealden iron industry. This area had many "hammer-ponds." A hammer-pond was a special lake built to power water-driven hammers and furnaces used to make iron. Even today, some streams in the area can look reddish because of the iron in the water.
Besides houses, the most important buildings here are St Stephen's Church and Hammerwood Park. Hammerwood Park was once the center of a huge country estate.
The church was finished in 1880. Oswald Augustus Smith, a local landowner, paid for it. He also paid for the rebuilding of St Peter's Church in Holtye. Inside St Stephen's Church, there is a pipe organ built in 1884.
There is also a Scout campsite at Hammerwood. It is run by the Lewisham North District Scouts.
Hammerwood Park
Hammerwood Park is a large country house south of the village. It's a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building. It was built in 1792 and was the first project by architect Benjamin Latrobe. He later designed the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C..
The famous rock band Led Zeppelin bought the house in 1973. Later, in 1982, new owners began a big project to restore it. This restoration won awards and was even shown on television. Today, the house is often used for filming movies and TV shows. You can visit it in the summer, and concerts are often held there.
Holtye
Holtye is just northeast of Hammerwood. The local pub, The White Horse Inn, closed in 2014. The church here is dedicated to St Peter, but it is no longer used for services.
Marsh Green
Marsh Green is a small group of buildings near Colemans Hatch. This area has been mentioned in official records since 1841. Marsh Green is very close to the famous Poohsticks Bridge. Visitors looking for the bridge sometimes find themselves here!
Newbridge
Newbridge is a small community known for the remains of England's earliest blast furnace. This furnace, which was used to make iron, was built around 1496. It was probably built on the site of an even older iron-making place. Newbridge also has an 18th-century corn mill and mill house, both of which are historic buildings.
Important Landmarks
Part of Ashdown Forest is within the Hartfield parish. This forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, meaning it's a very important area for nature. It has woodlands, heathland, and bog areas.
St Mary's Church is another important landmark in Hartfield. The oldest part of the church, the nave, dates back to the 1200s. The south aisle and tower were added in the 1300s. In the 1400s, a shingled spire was added to the tower. In the 1800s, the roof was repaired, and many of the church's current decorations were added.
Population Information
In 2001, there were 2,105 people living in the Hartfield parish. About 28% of the people were aged 0–15, 49% were aged 16–59, and 23% were aged 60 or older. In 2001, the average price of a house in Hartfield parish was about £286,736.
See also
In Spanish: Hartfield (Sussex Oriental) para niños
