Westham
| Westham | |
| Sussex | |
|---|---|
 Stone Cross Windmill | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ637045 |
| Location: | 50°49’12"N, 0°19’12"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 6,314 (2011) |
| Post town: | Pevensey |
| Postcode: | BN24 |
| Dialling code: | 01323 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Wealden |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Bexhill and Battle |
Westham is a large village in Sussex, adjacent to Pevensey and five miles north-east of Eastbourne. The parish also includes such hamlets as Stone Cross; and Hankham. The parish is virtually part of the Greater Eastbourne conurbation, and much expansion has been occurring here: hence the large population.
Although overshadowed by its close neighbour, Pevensey, Westham is recorded in the Domesday Book. Its name derives from being a hamlet to the west of Pevensey Castle.
Churches
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The 11th-century St Mary's church at Westham[1] is reputed to be the first Norman church in England, although the church at Bramber also claims that title. St Mary's is depicted in a number of paintings by the Victorian landscapist Lewis Pinhorn Wood (1848-1918).
St Luke's Church at Stone Cross (also serving the settlement of North Langney)[2] is a more recent building of 1926; it stands at a crossroads near the windmill. The church fell into disrepair during the 1970s and was refurbished and re-opened in 1988. The church hall is a recent addition to the church and was built in 2003. To the front of the church is the war memorial.
About the village
In Stone Cross is the Stone Cross Windmill which stands on high ground above the village. This tower mill was built between 1875 and 1876, the last of the type built in Sussex. Although ceasing commercial operation in 1937, it has since been refurbished and is open to the public.[3] It is a Grade II* listed building.[4]
The Pevensey Levels lie partially in the parish. The site is of biological interest consisting of low-lying grazing meadows, hosting a wide variety of wetland flora and fauna.[5]
The village is served by Pevensey and Westham railway station on the East Coastway Line. The A27 trunk road crosses the parish from west to east.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Westham) |
References
- ↑ St Mary's Westham
- ↑ St Luke's Church
- ↑ Stone Cross windmill
- ↑ National Heritage List 1184750: Stone Cross Windmall (Grade II* listing)
- ↑ SSSI listing and designation for Pevensey Levels
