Arlington, Sussex
| Arlington | |
| Sussex | |
|---|---|
 Arlington | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ543072 |
| Location: | 50°50’39"N, -0°11’28"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 490 (2011) |
| Post town: | Polegate / Hailsham |
| Postcode: | BN26 / BN27 |
| Dialling code: | 01323 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Wealden |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Lewes |
Arlington is a village in Sussex, beside the River Cuckmere, in the north of the county.
Within the parish are Michelham Priory, a mediæval priory, Arlington Reservoir, and Arlington Stadium, a car racing track.
Church and history
The parish church, St Pancras, contains elements of the village’s history: bricks from the nearby Roman road and Anglo-Saxon type of quoin stones. The church also shows a splayed window of Anglo-Saxon type next to the porch.[1]
The church at Upper Dicker is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
Michelham Priory, nearby at Upper Dicker, was founded by the Augustinians in 1229. It was dissolved at the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, and today it is a tourist site.
About the village
Arlington village stands above the left bank of the River Cuckmere. The parish includes the two villages of Arlington and Upper Dicker. It is on a minor road leading north from the A27 road between Polegate and Lewes, and near Berwick railway station on the East Coastway Line. Upper Dicker, believed to be the site of a mediæval trade centre, is on the river a mile and a half north of Arlington.
Arlington Reservoir, on the opposite side of the river, was opened in 1971, and supplies water to the local area, including Eastbourne. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs and is a conservation site,[2] being both a local nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is an important site for bird life, with up to 170 species breeding in the area and 10,000 migrating birds using it each year. It is a popular destination for walkers, horse riders and anglers.
Another SSSI within the parish is Lower Dicker, a disused quarry and an important site for the study of the palaeogeography of the Weald. Its geology of sand and sandstone indicating ancient river flows in the area.[3]
Some wild privet of the native species can be observed growing in the hedges in wintertime.
There are two village halls in the parish, at Arlington and Upper Dicker. That at Arlington holds a weekly Art Club and a village market.
There are three public houses: The Yew Tree Inn situated near the church; The Old Oak Inn in Caneheath, a hamlet to the east of Arlington; and The Plough Inn at Upper Dicker. Arlington also has its very own Tea Garden/ Nursery on Wilbees Road.
Raceway
Arlington Stadium, near Michelham Priory, used regularly in the summer for race meets. Arlington is also often referred to as Eastbourne and is one of the longest serving stock car tracks in the UK having opened in 1955. Racing contested is Superstox, Banger racing and Motorcycle speedway. The stadium is the home of speedway team the Eastbourne Eagles.[4] The stadium had its own team in the car racing leagues contested in the 1966 and 1972 seasons, also known as the Eastbourne Eagles.
Stock Car racing normally takes place on Wednesday evenings and Bank Holidays during the summer months.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Arlington, Sussex) |
- Arlington, Sussex in the Domesday Book
References
- ↑ St Pancras, Arlington
- ↑ Arlington Reservoir - East Sussex
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Lower Dicker
- ↑ Arlington Stadium Template:Webarchive