Henfield

Henfield is an ancient village, much older than it might first appear. In this carefully-researched new book the authors explain how, by looking at the often fragmentary evidence, we can understand its origins and establish why and when it has prospered - or otherwise. The settlement owes its existence to a ridge of sandstone, producing workable soils amid the surrounding, intractable wealden clays. Adjacent to the flood-plain of the River Adur, it was near prehistoric trackways and the Roman 'Greensand Way' - and by the time of the Domesday Book was a flourishing village with a church, a mill and a fishery. The principal industries - farming, tanning, milling and brick-making - all owe their existence to locally available natural resources; but in the Regency period, with the growth of Brighton, Henfield developed the facilities to support stage coaches while market gardens grew food for the fashionable resort and Brighton businessmen built country retreats there. After the coming of the railway local industries declined and the 20th century Henfield began to develop into a commuter and retirement village. It has produced a number of notable characters, nurtured long-established families, supported a wide range of sports and pastimes, and encouraged its pioneering schools, cricket club and scout troop. The authors, who have been curators of Henfield Museum for more than a decade, have succeeded in producing a meticulous and comprehensive village history which is both very readable and splendidly illustrated. Though the place may be small, their timescale and their insights are large. Their book will be warmly welcomed throughout the area and is a significant contribution to the published history of Sussex.