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Maresfield in East Sussex

Google map showing area surrounding Maresfield
(Soldiers and Iron)
Location: 50.997137,0.087439
General Details
The village was a rural community living on the southern edge of the Ashdown Forest which was a deer hunting reserve of the king. The Parish of Maresfield in East Sussex was quite large and also included the villages of Nutley and Fairwarp until the 1800's.

The Wealden iron industry was important to the area, as three foundries are nearby, the proximity to Buxted , where the first cannon was manufactured in 1543 by Ralph Hoggett must have helped the businesses locally. One of the foundaries was converted to produce gunpowder in the early 1800's.

In 1743 the Chequers Hotel was built as a coaching inn on the Brighton to London stagecoach route. Maresfield camp has been the home to many soldiers through the ages and recently was the home of immigrants during Idi Amin's reign in Uganda and the Vietnamese Boat People.
Views
Maresfield in East Sussex village centre near to the church is very attractive, and the car park opposite the church provides a good starting point.

Near the Chequers Inn is a milestone, which is unusually made of iron, as opposed to the usual stone ones.
Services
Maresfield in East Sussex has limited services as it is a small village, but it lies just north of Uckfield with its wide range of services.

Uckfield provides the nearest shopping centre , and also the nearest train service providing regular links to london.

The bypass has brought peace to the busy village centre, and it is now pleasant to walk through.
Map
Maresfield is shown as the red symbol on the map.

Nearby Villages

(click on symbol to see the village page)
Village= Town= Recorded in Domesday=
Blackboys (Charcoal and Soot)3.75 miles
Buxted (The first Iron Cannon in England)2.04 miles
Chelwood Gate The Forest entrance and President Kennedy4.47 miles
Cross in Hand (The Crusaders Assembly)6.19 miles
Fairwarp (Charcoal and the Army)1.59 miles
Five Ashes (Vast collection of rock plants)5.80 miles
Fletching (Simon de Montfort and Jack Cade)
2.38 miles
Framfield (380 years without a church tower)2.89 miles
Hadlow Down (Wealden Cannons and Charcoal)4.22 miles
Newick (Killer Cricket and Dirk Bogarde)3.52 miles
Nutley (Edward III and the Post Mill)
2.78 miles
Piltdown (The Piltdown Man hoax)1.97 miles
Rotherfield (Source of the rivers Rother and Uck)
6.69 miles
Sheffield Park (Capability Brown and the Bluebell Line)3.41 miles
Uckfield (Traction Engine destroys bridge)2.17 miles
Waldron (Fullers Earth)
5.99 miles
Copyright Villagenet 1998-2024
 
Local Interest
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The Bald Explorer for local documentaries
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Battle and District Historical Society
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Wadhurst History Society
Rye Museum
The Rudes as lots of people call us, are an outdoor touring theatre company specialising in taking new & original theatre to mainly small rural communities and a few towns across the South of England. We were founded in 1998 & first toured in the Summer of 1999. Currently we tour only in the summer performing 50+ times nightly during June, July & August. https://therudemechanicaltheatre.co.uk
Winchelsea Museum
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Ninfield History Group
Roman, Saxon and Norman History of the South East