Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is 1 mile (2 km) to the southeast of East Grinstead, just off the A22 arterial road. In 2001, the population was 1,771, increasing to 1,833 at the 2011 Census. Ashurst Wood is within the High Weald Area of Natural Beauty and has a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) inside its boundaries. The village has a history of agriculture and farming, and contains a church, village hall, primary school, two public houses, a general shop, post office and several small business premises. There is an independent school on the boundary of the village, called Brambletye School, and a former one, Stoke Brunswick School (the former junior school of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill), which closed in 2009. Bus routes run through the village with destinations of East Grinstead, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Tunbridge Wells and Brighton.
The date of when the village was formed is not known. Two of the main roads in the village and Lewes Road (now part of the A22) were used as a ridge-way track for animals and people 5,000 years ago. There is evidence of a Roman ironworks in the village.[citation needed] By 1066, the area had two established farms, the tracks between them are still in use today as roads. The name of Ashurst Wood dates back to 1164 when the region was known as Aesehyrst Wilde. There was no village then and the name was used for a common area. During the reign of Henry II, the area that is now Ashurst Wood was called, Esseherst. The names Aisherst, Askhurst and Eseherst were in use in the years 1186, 1248 and 1279 respectively. Around 1300 a house was built, part of which remains as the Headmaster's drawing room in Stoke Brunswick School, and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. By the time of the reign of Elizabeth I, Ashurst Wood had prosperous farms, with Water Farmhouse being built in the 16th century, Great Surries dating from the 17th century, and its barn being slightly more recent. The population grew and more houses were built in the village. in 1855, the nearby town of East Grinstead was connected to London by rail, and another rail connection to the area in 1884 meant that Ashurst Wood was more accessible. Many wealthy people bought property in the area and this provided work other than that of the agricultural type.
The village school began in new premises built for 240 children on 30 September 1910. It is still in use as the primary school. During World War I, many villagers volunteered to serve in the armed forces. Back in the village efforts to help the war included making sandbags to be sent to the front. In 1931, construction was complete on St Dunstan's Hall, which is now the Village Centre. The hall was immediately put to good use for many activities by villagers. Ashurst Wood experienced World War II first hand with bullets from planes hitting the school. Dogfights were regularly seen in the skies above and around the village, and buildings that used to be part of Stoke Brunswick School were used for nursing allied airmen. In 1944, the village was hit by a series of V-1 flying bombs, Doodlebugs, leaving craters that are still visible today. Since the Second World War, the village has been expanded by suburban development. In December 1978, construction started on the United Reformed Church in the village to convert it into the new and current St. Dunstan's Church. The work was completed in Summer 1979 and dedicated in September by the Bishop of Horsham. The lease for St. Dunstan's Hall was taken over by the Ashurst Wood Community Association from the church and became the Village Centre in 1980. The hall was then renovated by local builders and has since been put to use by youth clubs, local theatre and many more activities.
In the 1870s the ecclesiastical parish of Forest Row was formed and much of Ashurst Wood was included in its governing. In 1894 the civil parish of Forest Row was formed and the village was a ward within this parish, in the administrative county of East Sussex. In 1934 the village was transferred from the Forest Row parish council to the East Grinstead Urban District Council then in East Sussex. Under the 1974 local government reorganisation, East Grinstead Urban District Council was abolished with a new parish authority East Grinstead Town Council formed within the new Mid Sussex District. Under these changes the East Grinstead parish was also moved from East to West Sussex. Ashurst Wood was then governed by East Grinstead Town Council until 2000.
Up until 1992 Ashurst Wood was split by the administrative boundary of East and West Sussex, which meant parts of the village were under the control of Forest Row Parish Council and other parts East Grinstead Town Council. A plan to transfer land on the East Sussex part over to West Sussex County Council was submitted to the Secretary of State for the Environment, and in 1993 the boundary changes came into force.
In 2000, Ashurst Wood became a civil parish and a parish council was formed. Ashurst Wood Village Council is the official elected body of local government representatives for the civil parish of Ashurst Wood, having changed its name from Ashurst Wood Parish Council on 1 January 2016. There are nine councillors. The Village Council meets ten times per year and meetings can be attended by the public. In 2000, Ashurst Wood became a civil parish and a parish council was formed.
Ashurst Wood is now in the District of Mid Sussex (within the county of West Sussex). Most of Mid Sussex District was within the Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency. Following boundary changes in 2024, the village became part of the new East Grinstead and Uckfield parliamentary constituency.
In 2005 a committee formed with the aim of creating an action plan to implement progress for the village. In 2006 a comprehensive questionnaire was produced and given to the villagers to ascertain what actions should be taken. 55% of the questionnaires were returned and general population data recorded by this questionnaire echoed the findings of the 2001 census. The questionnaire resulted in a document called the Ashurst Wood – Village Action Plan which was published in April 2007. The document contained time scales for targets and actions that would be taken.
Hub AI
Ashurst Wood AI simulator
(@Ashurst Wood_simulator)
Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It is 1 mile (2 km) to the southeast of East Grinstead, just off the A22 arterial road. In 2001, the population was 1,771, increasing to 1,833 at the 2011 Census. Ashurst Wood is within the High Weald Area of Natural Beauty and has a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) inside its boundaries. The village has a history of agriculture and farming, and contains a church, village hall, primary school, two public houses, a general shop, post office and several small business premises. There is an independent school on the boundary of the village, called Brambletye School, and a former one, Stoke Brunswick School (the former junior school of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill), which closed in 2009. Bus routes run through the village with destinations of East Grinstead, Crawley, Haywards Heath, Tunbridge Wells and Brighton.
The date of when the village was formed is not known. Two of the main roads in the village and Lewes Road (now part of the A22) were used as a ridge-way track for animals and people 5,000 years ago. There is evidence of a Roman ironworks in the village.[citation needed] By 1066, the area had two established farms, the tracks between them are still in use today as roads. The name of Ashurst Wood dates back to 1164 when the region was known as Aesehyrst Wilde. There was no village then and the name was used for a common area. During the reign of Henry II, the area that is now Ashurst Wood was called, Esseherst. The names Aisherst, Askhurst and Eseherst were in use in the years 1186, 1248 and 1279 respectively. Around 1300 a house was built, part of which remains as the Headmaster's drawing room in Stoke Brunswick School, and has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. By the time of the reign of Elizabeth I, Ashurst Wood had prosperous farms, with Water Farmhouse being built in the 16th century, Great Surries dating from the 17th century, and its barn being slightly more recent. The population grew and more houses were built in the village. in 1855, the nearby town of East Grinstead was connected to London by rail, and another rail connection to the area in 1884 meant that Ashurst Wood was more accessible. Many wealthy people bought property in the area and this provided work other than that of the agricultural type.
The village school began in new premises built for 240 children on 30 September 1910. It is still in use as the primary school. During World War I, many villagers volunteered to serve in the armed forces. Back in the village efforts to help the war included making sandbags to be sent to the front. In 1931, construction was complete on St Dunstan's Hall, which is now the Village Centre. The hall was immediately put to good use for many activities by villagers. Ashurst Wood experienced World War II first hand with bullets from planes hitting the school. Dogfights were regularly seen in the skies above and around the village, and buildings that used to be part of Stoke Brunswick School were used for nursing allied airmen. In 1944, the village was hit by a series of V-1 flying bombs, Doodlebugs, leaving craters that are still visible today. Since the Second World War, the village has been expanded by suburban development. In December 1978, construction started on the United Reformed Church in the village to convert it into the new and current St. Dunstan's Church. The work was completed in Summer 1979 and dedicated in September by the Bishop of Horsham. The lease for St. Dunstan's Hall was taken over by the Ashurst Wood Community Association from the church and became the Village Centre in 1980. The hall was then renovated by local builders and has since been put to use by youth clubs, local theatre and many more activities.
In the 1870s the ecclesiastical parish of Forest Row was formed and much of Ashurst Wood was included in its governing. In 1894 the civil parish of Forest Row was formed and the village was a ward within this parish, in the administrative county of East Sussex. In 1934 the village was transferred from the Forest Row parish council to the East Grinstead Urban District Council then in East Sussex. Under the 1974 local government reorganisation, East Grinstead Urban District Council was abolished with a new parish authority East Grinstead Town Council formed within the new Mid Sussex District. Under these changes the East Grinstead parish was also moved from East to West Sussex. Ashurst Wood was then governed by East Grinstead Town Council until 2000.
Up until 1992 Ashurst Wood was split by the administrative boundary of East and West Sussex, which meant parts of the village were under the control of Forest Row Parish Council and other parts East Grinstead Town Council. A plan to transfer land on the East Sussex part over to West Sussex County Council was submitted to the Secretary of State for the Environment, and in 1993 the boundary changes came into force.
In 2000, Ashurst Wood became a civil parish and a parish council was formed. Ashurst Wood Village Council is the official elected body of local government representatives for the civil parish of Ashurst Wood, having changed its name from Ashurst Wood Parish Council on 1 January 2016. There are nine councillors. The Village Council meets ten times per year and meetings can be attended by the public. In 2000, Ashurst Wood became a civil parish and a parish council was formed.
Ashurst Wood is now in the District of Mid Sussex (within the county of West Sussex). Most of Mid Sussex District was within the Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency. Following boundary changes in 2024, the village became part of the new East Grinstead and Uckfield parliamentary constituency.
In 2005 a committee formed with the aim of creating an action plan to implement progress for the village. In 2006 a comprehensive questionnaire was produced and given to the villagers to ascertain what actions should be taken. 55% of the questionnaires were returned and general population data recorded by this questionnaire echoed the findings of the 2001 census. The questionnaire resulted in a document called the Ashurst Wood – Village Action Plan which was published in April 2007. The document contained time scales for targets and actions that would be taken.