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The first mention in historical documents is in the late thirteenth century, although evidence has been found of stone age tribes here c9000 BC Uckfield developed as a stopping-off point on the pilgrimage route between Canterbury, Chichester and Lewes. The settlement began to be develop around the bridging point of the river: including the locally-famous Pudding Cake Lane where travellers visited a public house for slices of Pudding Cake; and the 15th century Bridge Cottage, the oldest house still standing in Uckfield today, now a museum. The town developed in the High Street and in the New Town areas (the latter to the south of the original town centre).
The Eversfield family, who would later become prominent in Sussex history, giving their name to the prime waterfront street of St. Leonards-on-Sea, originated in Uckfield.[3] The family, who later owned the mansion Denne Park in Horsham, which they represented in Parliament, acquired a large fortune through marriage, real estate acquistion and iron foundering.
[edit] Governance
The town council consists of 15 councillors, representing four wards: Central ward (3 councillors); New Town (3); North (6); and Ridgewood (3). The current mayor (2007-2008) is Louise Eastwood: mayoral elections take place every year[4].
[edit] Geography
The town of Uckfield[5] has grown up as road hub, and on the crossing point of the River Uck. Traffic on the A26 between Tunbridge Wells and Lewes, from the north-east to the south-west, joins with that on the A22 London - Eastbourne road around the town on its bypass; whilst the long-distance cross-country A272 road (the old pilgrimage route) crosses them both north of the town.
As the town has grown, new housing estates were developed: Harlands Farm, Rocks Park, West Park, Manor Park and Ringles Cross among them.
Parts of Uckfield, owing to its location on the river, have been subject to extensive flooding on a number of occasions, the earliest recorded being in 1800 [6]. More recent floods have occurred approximately every nine years: in 1962, 1974, 1989, 1994, 2000 and 2007 (although those in 2007 were not as severe as previous floods)[7] Members of the Uckfield and surrounding area have long been lobbying for flood defences in the town, although at present there is little progress on this front.
The ‘’West Park Nature Reserve’’ contains a wide variety of habitats; it is located on the western edge of the town [8]
[edit] Demography
The population of Uckfield in 1811 was 916; in 1841 was 1,534; in 1861 was 1,740; in 1871 was 2,041; in 1881 was 2,146; in 1891 was 2,497; in 1901 was 2,895; in 1911 was 3,344; in 1921 was 3,385; and in 1931 was 3,555. In 2001 it was 13,697.
[edit] Economy
The Economy is affluent all though in recent years it seems that smaller buisness are being pushed out because of higher rent costs but with a Tesco and Somerfield it has good services. It also has a cinema and a high amount of eating establishments as well as much history.
[edit] Transport
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Uckfield is connected to London Bridge railway station by Southern rail services on its Oxted Line via East Croydon. Until 1969 the rail link continued to Lewes; after it was closed Uckfield became the terminus; the station building was rebuilt in 1991 to avoid the necessity of a level crossing. The Wealden Line Campaign hopes to reopen the closed section to Lewes.
There is a total of 20 local bus services in the Uckfield area; and National Express coaches operate to London.[9]
[edit] Education
Uckfield Community Technology College is the secondary school in the town. There are five primary schools: Manor Primary School, Harlands Primary School, Holy Cross CE Primary School: [10] Rocks Park Primary School[11]; and St Philips Catholic Primary School.[12]
[edit] Churches and chapels
The Church of England parish church is named Holy Cross. The Roman Catholic church is dedictaed to Our Lady Immaculate and St Philip Neri. Other churches and chapels include Baptist, Methodist, Evangelical, United Reformed Church and the King’s Church.
[edit] Public services
It is served by buses too Eastbourne, Brighton, Haywards heath, Tunbridge Wells these are just a few of the major places that you can go to also there is trains every hour to London Bridge giving people a direct link to the capital.
[edit] Notable people
Emma Lee French was born in Uckfield in 1836. Uckfield was the last place Lord Lucan was seen, at Grants Hill House, the home of his friends Ian and Susan Maxwell-Scott. Nicholas van Hoogstraten, the property developer, owns property in the area. He is engaged in a long-running dispute with the Ramblers' Association about a local footpath running through his land. Van Hoogstraten is currently building a mansion, Hamilton Palace, on the outskirts of Uckfield.
[edit] Mysteries
There are a number of mysteries and myths associated with the town and surrounding areas. The disappearance of Lord Lucan is one. In addition, the hoax of the Piltdown Man occurred in the nearby village of Piltdown. There is also the tale of Nan Tuck's Ghost, in which an old witch is said to have lived in a wood in nearby Buxted. There is an area of the wood where nothing grows, and the ghost is said to chase people who wander along Nan Tuck's Lane at night.
[edit] Culture
Uckfield is twinned with the town of Quickborn, Germany.
The Picture House is the town's cinema, opened originally in 1915, and refurbished twice since then, the latest reopening being in February 2000 [13]. Uckfield FM is the community radio station that supports Uckfield for its four-week festival in June and at Christmas each year [14]
Uckfield has featured several times in notable literary works.
[edit] References
- , a b East Sussex in Figures. East Sussex County Council. Retrieved on 2008-04-26.
- , Historical notes about Uckfield
- , A Compendious History of Sussex: Topographical, Archaeological & Anecdotical, Vol. I, Mark Antony Lower, London, 1870
- , Uckfield Town Council
- , Website includes maps of the town
- , ’’ibid’’ The Weald of Kent, Surrey and Sussex’’
- , Report on the flooding of the Ouse catchment in 2000
- , [http://www.biols.susx.ac.uk/westpark/startset.html West Park Local Nature Reserve}
- , Bus and coach services
- , Holy Cross CE Primary School
- , [1]
- , St Philips Catholic Primary School
- , [2]
- , Uckfield FM Community Radio for Uckfield
(Source: Wikipedia) |