Uckfield facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Uckfield
Uckfield town centre
Uckfield
Area	7.5 km² (2.9 sq mi)
Population	14,493 (2011)
• Density	4,810/sq mi (1,860/km²)
OS grid reference	TQ473212
• London	38 miles (61 km) NNW
District	Wealden
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
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	East Grinstead and Uckfield
Website	Uckfield Town Council
List of places UK England East Sussex 50°58′N 0°06′E / 50.97°N 0.10°E / 50.97; 0.10

Uckfield United Reformed Church

Uckfield is a town in East Sussex, England. It is located in the Wealden District in the South East of England. The town sits on the River Uck, which flows into the larger River Ouse. Uckfield is found on the southern edge of the Weald, an area known for its woodlands.

What's in a Name? The Meaning of Uckfield

The name "Uckfield" was first written down in 1220 as "Uckefeld". It comes from old Anglo-Saxon words. The name means "open land of a man called Ucca".

"Ucca" is an old English personal name.
"Feld" is an old English word for open country or clear ground. It can also mean farmland from the 10th century onwards.

Many other places nearby also have "feld" in their names. This might show that these areas were open land, different from the thick forests of the Weald, especially the Ashdown Forest to the north.

A Look Back: Uckfield's History

Uckfield first appears in historical records in the late 1200s. The town grew as a place for travelers to stop. It was on an important route for people going on pilgrimages between Canterbury, Chichester, and Lewes.

The town started to grow around the place where the river could be crossed. This area included a famous spot called Pudding Cake Lane. Here, travelers could visit a pub for slices of pudding cake. The oldest house still standing in Uckfield is the 15th-century Bridge Cottage, which is now a museum. The town expanded along the High Street and into the New Town areas.

The Eversfield family, who became very important in Sussex, first lived in Uckfield. They later owned a large house called Denne Park in Horsham. This family became very wealthy through marriage, buying land, and working with iron. They quickly rose from being simple farmers to important local landowners.

Church Street: The Old Heart of Uckfield

Church Street was the very first part of Uckfield. It was near a medieval chapel built around 1291. The current church was built in 1839. This street is on an old road that went from Winchester in the west to Rye and Canterbury in the east. Along this route, you could find old inns like the Maiden's Head and the King's Head. Uckfield was part of a large area owned by the Archbishop of South Malling.

Church Street has many old buildings. These include the Old Grammar School, Bakers Cottage, and the Malt House. These were all built before 1700. Other buildings like Church House and Copping Hall are from the 1700s.

Bridge Cottage: A Historic Home

Studies show that Bridge Cottage was built around 1436. From 1500 to 1900, many local families lived there. In 2014, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave one million pounds to help restore the cottage. The restoration work began in October 2014 and finished in late summer 2015.

How Uckfield is Run: Local Government

Uckfield has a town council made up of 15 councillors. These councillors represent five different areas of the town: West, New Town, North, East, and Ridgewood. A new mayor is chosen every year.

Uckfield is also represented in the UK Parliament. This is the main government of the country. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Uckfield's area is Nus Ghani. She was first elected in 2015.

Uckfield's Location and Surroundings

Uckfield has grown into an important road hub. It is also located where the River Uck can be crossed. Major roads like the A26 road (from Tunbridge Wells to Lewes) and the A22 road (from London to Eastbourne) meet around the town. The A272 road, an old pilgrimage route, also crosses these roads north of the town.

As Uckfield has grown, new housing areas have been built. These include Hempstead Fields, Harlands Farm, Rocks Park, and West Park.

Because it is on a river, parts of Uckfield have had floods many times. Big floods happened in 1852, 1962, 1974, 1989, 1994, and 2000. Local people have asked for flood defenses for a long time. Now, a new wall has been built at the car park of a local supermarket. This wall helps to hold back flood water until it goes down. The lowest parts of the town centre and industrial area are affected by floods, but homes are built on higher ground and are usually safe.

The Hempstead Meadows Nature Reserve is a great place to see meadows formed on the river's flood plain. The West Park Nature Reserve also has many different types of habitats.

**Neighbouring areas**
Fletching	Maresfield, Buxted	Crowborough
Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath		Heathfield
	Uckfield

Lewes	Seaford	Hailsham, Eastbourne

Nature Reserves: Exploring Uckfield's Green Spaces

Uckfield is home to several lovely nature reserves. These are special places where nature is protected.

West Park

West Park is a Local Nature Reserve. It has ancient parkland, wet meadows with many herbs, and woodlands. You can find thriving wildlife here. There are also signs of people living here a very long time ago, during the Mesolithic period.

Hempstead Meadows

Hempstead Meadows is another Local Nature Reserve. The River Uck flows through this flood plain. It is an important wetland area. This place has many unusual plants and animals. A new path, called the River walk, has recently been added.

Harlands Pond

Harlands Pond is found near Mallard Drive. It is home to the common toad. You can often see grey herons visiting. The pond also has permanent residents like the coot and moorhen.

Nightingale Wood

Close to Harlands Pond is Nightingale Wood. This is a cool, shady place with many different kinds of trees. It is also an important spot for early purple orchids.

Uckfield Millennium Green

This is one of the largest Millennium Greens, covering 22 acres. It is south of the town in Ridgewood. The Green was created around the year 2000 on the site of three old clay pits.

New Buildings and Changes in Uckfield

East Sussex County Council has been working on improving Uckfield town centre. The first part of this work finished in 2014. In 2016, the second part began. These improvements included creating new shopping areas in the town. They also planned for about 1000 new homes to be built by 2027.

In 2015, plans were approved for the Ridgewood Farm development. This project will include 1000 new homes, with at least 15% being affordable housing. It will also have a new primary school, job spaces, and community facilities. There will be paths for walking and cycling, and a large green space nearby.

Network Rail also announced plans in 2015 to make the platforms at Uckfield railway station longer. This will allow for trains with up to 12 carriages.

How Many People Live in Uckfield?

Uckfield's population has grown a lot over the years.

In 1811, there were 916 people.
By 1931, the population was 3,555.
In 2001, it reached 13,697.
In 2011, the population was 14,493.

Getting Around: Transport in Uckfield

Uckfield railway station

Uckfield is connected to London Bridge station by Southern train services. These trains travel via East Croydon. Before 1969, the train line continued to Lewes. After that, Uckfield became the end of the line. The station building was rebuilt in 1991. Some people hope to reopen the train line to Lewes in the future.

There are also many local bus services in the Uckfield area. Different bus companies serve the town, connecting it to nearby places. National Express coaches also run services to London.

Learning in Uckfield: Schools

Uckfield College is the secondary school in the town, for older students. There are five primary schools for younger children:

Harlands Primary School
Holy Cross CE Primary School
Rocks Park Primary School
St Philips Catholic Primary School
Manor Primary School

Places of Worship

Statue of Jesus Christ by Marcus Cornish at Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri church. It is sometimes called "Jesus in Jeans".

The main Church of England parish church in Uckfield is called Holy Cross. The Roman Catholic church is named Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri.

Uckfield also has other churches and chapels. These include a Methodist church, an Evangelical church (Grange Evangelical Church), a United Reformed Church, and the King's Church.

Famous Faces: Notable People from Uckfield

Emma Lee French was born in Uckfield in 1836.
Frank Tuohy, a famous author, was born here in 1925.
The singer Rag'n'Bone Man, who won a Brit Award, is from Uckfield. He had a number one song called "Human".
The actor Roman Griffin Davis is also from Uckfield. He starred in the film Jojo Rabbit and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Local Stories and Legends

Uckfield and the areas around it have some interesting mysteries and myths.

One well-known story is about the disappearance of Lord Lucan. He was reportedly last seen at Grants Hill House in Uckfield.
The famous Piltdown Man hoax happened in the nearby village of Piltdown.
There's a tale about Nan Tuck's Ghost. People say an old witch lived in a wood near Buxted. There's a spot in the wood where nothing grows. The ghost is said to chase people who walk along Nan Tuck's Lane at night.

Fun and Culture in Uckfield

The Picture House Cinema

The Picture House is an independent cinema with three screens. It opened in 1916 and is one of the oldest cinemas in England.

Ashdown Radio (formerly Uckfield FM)

Ashdown Radio is a community radio station. It used to be called Uckfield FM and supported the town's festival and Christmas events. In 2009, it got a licence to become a full-time radio station. It started broadcasting live to Uckfield and nearby areas in 2010. The station has over 80 volunteers. In 2022, the station expanded its coverage to Crowborough and changed its name to Ashdown Radio.

Uckfield Festival

The Uckfield Festival was first planned as a one-time celebration for the Millennium year (2000). Since then, it has continued to promote arts like music, speech, drama, and visual arts. Many local groups and events, like The Art Trail and The Film Society, have grown from the festival.

Uckfield Carnival

Uckfield holds an annual torchlight carnival on the first Saturday in September. The High Street is closed in the evening. Local groups, sports teams, schools, and businesses join a procession through the town.

Twin Towns

Uckfield is twinned with two towns in other countries:

Quickborn, Germany
Arques-la-Bataille, France

Sports and Fun Activities

Football: A.F.C. Uckfield Town is the town's main football club. It was formed in 2014 when two local teams, A.F.C. Uckfield and Uckfield Town, joined together.
Rugby: Uckfield RFC is the town's Rugby Football Club. It has teams for men, women, and various age groups for younger players.