Nutley, East Sussex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nutley |
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 Nutley village |
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 Nutley
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| OS grid reference | TQ442279 |
| • London | 33 miles (53 km) NNW |
| Civil parish | |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | UCKFIELD |
| Postcode district | TN22 |
| Dialling code | 01825 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Nutley is a village in the Wealden area of East Sussex, England. It's about 5 miles northwest of Uckfield, right on the A22 main road. Nutley, along with Fairwarp and Maresfield, are all part of the Maresfield civil parish.
The village is located on the southern edge of Ashdown Forest. This forest was once a special place for deer hunting, even back in the time of King Edward II. The area also has a long history with iron production.
Contents
Nutley's Past: A Look at History
Ancient Times: Romans and Saxons
Long ago, the Romans were active near Nutley, in places like Duddleswell and Maresfield. They dug up iron ore from the local clay. Then, they used special furnaces called bloomeries to turn the ore into iron. We know this because Roman coins and furnace waste have been found there.
After the Romans left Britain around the 5th century, Saxon settlers made their homes where Nutley is today. The name "Nutley" likely comes from "Hnut's leagh," which means "Hnut's Clearing."
Medieval Nutley: Chapel and Hunting Grounds
After the Norman Invasion in 1066, Nutley became part of the Rape of Pevensey. In 1176, a chapel was built by Richer de Aquila L'Aigle. It was thought to be in an area called Chapelwood, near the Chelwood Gate road. About 60 acres of land near Wych Cross on Ashdown Forest were given to the chapel. It was connected to the church in Maresfield. The chapel stopped being used after the English Reformation.
Later, in 1372, King Edward III gave the Chapel of Notlye (as it was then called) and nearly 1,400 acres of land to his son, John of Gaunt. Both the King and his son often visited Ashdown Forest, which was known as Lancaster Great Park back then. They loved to hunt there.
Smuggling and Windmills
In the past, people used to smuggle illegal goods through Nutley. These goods were shipped across the English Channel and then carried along a packhorse track from Duddleswell to Nutley.
One famous smuggler, Gabriel Tomkins, was caught in Nutley in 1721. He was chased all the way from Burwash. Tomkins was sent away for seven years, but he got his freedom by helping the police. He ended up working as both a smuggler and a customs officer!
Nutley Windmill, a very old and special type of windmill, was moved to Nutley from Goudhurst, Kent, around 1817. It stands on the edge of the forest and was used until 1908.
Modern Nutley: School, Church, and Utilities
The village school and the church, named after Saint James the Less, were built in the mid-1800s. The land for the school was given by the Earl and Countess De La Warr. Both the school and church are still used by the community today.
Piped water first came to Nutley in the early 1900s. However, electricity and telephones didn't arrive until the 1930s.
Nutley During the World Wars
During the First World War and Second World War, Canadian troops were stationed at Pippingford Park, near Nutley. In the Second World War, a Wellington bomber plane crashed nearby on Ashdown Forest, and all the crew members died. In 1944, some bombs from a German plane fell in Nutley, causing minor damage. A Spitfire plane flown by a Polish pilot also crashed nearby, killing the pilot.
Twenty local people from Nutley died fighting in the First World War. To remember them, a wealthy local businessman named Albert Turner gave a large building to be turned into a village hall and war memorial in 1921. Eighteen more people died in the Second World War. A second memorial hall was built in the 1970s, replacing the first one. This new hall is still used today for meetings and events.
Nutley's Location and Landscape
Nutley is located within the old area of Ashdown Forest. This means it is surrounded by beautiful countryside. The village sits right on the A22 main road, which connects London to Eastbourne.
The land near the main road in Nutley is mostly flat. But if you go further away from the main road, the land becomes more hilly. There are many smaller roads and country lanes that are important to the village's history.
Nutley's People
According to the 2001 Census, 1,342 people live in Nutley. About 47% of the people are male and 53% are female. These people live in 520 homes. More than one-fifth of the people live alone, including older residents. The number of people living in Nutley has grown by 5% since the 1991 census.
Nutley's Economy
Nutley has many local businesses and services. These include a social club, the village school, and a tennis and squash club. There is also an antique shop, a village pub, and Italian and Indian/Thai restaurants. You can find a petrol station with a shop, a village shop, and two care homes. There are also two car repair shops, a car showroom, and other small businesses. About 150 people work in these places.
More than 90 businesses are run from people's homes, employing about 150 more people. It is thought that about 50% of the people who work in Nutley travel to nearby towns for their jobs.
About 60% of Nutley's working-age people (16-74 years old) have full-time or part-time jobs, or they work for themselves. Very few people are unemployed. About 70% of this age group have some kind of qualification. Also, 20% have a university degree or a higher qualification.
Famous People from Nutley
- Author Neil Gaiman lived in Nutley from 1987 to 1992. His house there became the setting for his book Coraline.
- Musician Robin Romei lived in Nutley when he was young.
- Author Barbara Willard lived in Nutley for 39 years. She wrote many books about the area.
- Well-known English actor Campbell Singer lived nearby.
- Richard Caldicot, an English actor, lived locally and was involved with the Nutley Cricket Club.
- Dorothea Brooking, an English children's television producer and director, lived in Nutley.
- Kay Cavendish, an English popular pianist and radio entertainer, lived in Nutley.
- Francis Champneys, a famous doctor specializing in childbirth, lived in Nutley for 30 years. He died there in 1930.
- Herewald Davies, an important church leader in Tobago, was born in Nutley.
Images for kids
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William Figg 1858 copy of Kelton 1747 map of Ashdown Forest
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Bow Bells milepost at Nutley in 1906, 38 mile marker
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Opening of the original Nutley Memorial Hall in 1924
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A group of Canadian soldiers stationed at Pippingford Park near Nutley in 1941
