Falmer
| Falmer | |
| Sussex | |
|---|---|
 Church of St. Laurence | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ347105 |
| Location: | 50°52’48"N, 0°5’24"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 284 (Parish, 2011) |
| Post town: | Brighton |
| Postcode: | BN1 |
| Dialling code: | 01273 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Lewes |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Lewes |
Falmer is a small village in Sussex, sitting just inland of the south coast between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles north-east of the former. It is also the site of Brighton & Hove Albion's Falmer Stadium.
The dual carriageway A27 road divides Falmer village. North of the road are a few houses and a pub, with a footbridge linking to the southern part of the village, where a large pond is encircled by cottages and the parish church, dedicated to St. Laurence. The two halves of the village are also linked by a road bridge just outside this circle of houses.
The village is recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Falemere' which is likely to be Saxon for "fallow mere" and mean a dark pool. It is also suggested as 'fowl mere' as the village pond has a healthy population of ducks and geese.
The campuses of the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton are nearby,[1][2] as is The Keep, the local council's archive and record office, which opened in 2013.
Falmer Church
Falmer church is dedicated to St Laurence. The church was built in 1649. It consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel with a vestry to its north. It has a gallery and organ loft at the west end of the nave. It is particularly special because of the pond just outside it.[3]
History
Before the Norman Conquest, the manor of Falmer was held by Wilton Abbey.[4] After the conquest most of it appears to have been given to Gundred, wife of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey.[4] In the 11th century the village name was variously spelled Falemela, Falemere or Felesmere.[4] There is 13th century thatched barn, hidden from view behind the church, which was used by the monks of Lewes Priory for storing corn.
Edward II visited Falmer in 1324.[4] Charles I granted the manor to Edward Ditchfield in 1628 or 1629 and he sold it to William Craven. At this time its manor extended over 3,060 acre. The Craven family lost it because of their support of the King during the Civil War.[4]
Due to the proximity of Falmer to the city of Brighton, the parish has been substantially affected by the twentieth-century development of its large neighbour. Since the 1960s it has been home to the University of Sussex campus, and in the 1990s, the former Brighton Polytechnic Falmer campus became a principal base of the University of Brighton. The village lends its name to the University of Sussex's alumni magazine.
About the village
The South Downs Way passes through the parish from the south east to the north west and crosses the A27 at Housedean Farm. Falmer parish sits between Brighton to its west, St Ann Without parish (and then Lewes) to its east, Kingston parish to its south and the long thin parishes running down the scarp slopes to its north, which include Ditchling, Westmeston, Streat, Plumpton, East Chiltington, St John Without and Hamsey from north-west to north-east.
To the south of the A27 is the south half of the village, which includes the church and the large village pond. The Falmer Road travels south to Woodingdean and to the sea at Rottingdean. The downland to the east of the road is part of Falmer parish. To the west are the Falmer Stadium and the University of Brighton.
Perhaps what is most special about this village, except that for its misfortune of being cut in half by the fast A27, is its large gravel pond, which is a focal point of the village from where the village and parish got its name. Many people come from Brighton and Lewes to enjoy the pond and the green beside it, to picnic here and watch the ducks.
Behind the church is a manorial thatched barn of fourteen embayments which dates back to the 13th century. It is one of the largest mediæval barns in Sussex and was used by the monks of Lewes Priory, who owned the manor, for threshing and storing corn. Falmer barn is a grade II* listed building.[5]
Sport
- Cricket: Lewes Priory Cricket Club
- Football: Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., a professional team, plays at the Falmer Stadium
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Falmer) |
References
- ↑ "First day of uni for Afghan scholar who managed to get out of Afghanistan". Metro. 23 September 2021. https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/23/afghan-who-fled-taliban-praises-british-soldiers-as-he-starts-uni-15305891/. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ↑ "Campus in the spotlight: how Sussex became focus of row over trans rights". The Guardian. 16 October 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/oct/16/campus-in-the-spotlight-how-sussex-became-focus-of-row-over-trans-rights. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ↑ "Falmer Church". http://www.bevendeanhistory.org.uk/churches/falmer_church.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 A History of the County of Sussex - Volume 7 pp 223-227: Falmer (Victoria County History)
- ↑ National Heritage List 1275514: Barn, Court Farmhous, Falmer (Grade II* listing)