Slindon is a mostly rural village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, containing a developed nucleus amid woodland. Much of Slindon's woodland belongs to the National Trust on the southern edge of the escarpment of the South Downs National Park. Slindon is centred 6 miles (9.7 km) north-east of Chichester.
| Slindon | |
|---|---|
 Slindon post office | |
  Slindon Location within West Sussex | |
| Area | 12.87 km2 (4.97 sq mi) |
| Population | 595 (Civil Parish.2011)[1] |
| • Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SU961084 |
| • London | 49 miles (79 km) NNE |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ARUNDEL |
| Postcode district | BN18 |
| Dialling code | 01243 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | West Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
History edit
The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Eslindone", the name having the probable meaning in Old English of "sloping hill".[2] The Domesday Book records Slindon as having 35 households, putting it in the top 20% of settlements.[3]
St Mary's 12th-century parish church contains a memorial to Stephen Langton (c1150–1228), the Archbishop of Canterbury who attended the signing of Magna Carta and who died in Slindon.
In the Middle Ages Slindon House (now Slindon College) was the site of one of the Archbishop's residences. In 1330 Thomas de Natindon, who was a legal representative of the Pope, was sent there to serve a writ on the archbishop. His party were not well received by the archbishop's servants who stripped and bound them, then threw cold water over them, apparently with the archbishop's consent. Natindon escaped revenge and was pursued over the hills to Petworth where he was caught and held in prison for three days.[4]
The village war memorial was unveiled in 1921, with the names of 14 residents killed in World War I; a further three names were added after World War II.[5]
The writer Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953) lived in the village.
In the mid-18th century, Slindon Cricket Club achieved fame through the excellence of its team which featured Richard Newland (1713–1778).
Amenities edit
In May 2012, the process began of renovating and converting the old village forge into a shop, cafe and information centre; this opened on 16 October 2012.[6]
The village has been called the "pumpkin capital of Britain", and an annual display of pumpkins attracts tourists to the village.[7]
A short walk from the village is Nore Folly (aka Slindon Folly), a structure built during the 18th Century by the Newburgh family, whose seat was at Slindon. The Folly resembles a gateway but leads to nowhere.[8]
Former amenities edit
Slindon post office closed in 2008.[n 1] The Newburgh Arms closed in 2001.[7][9]
Notes and references edit
- Notes
- References
- ^ Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 10 May 2014
- ^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place Names (Oxford 1991, revised 1996)
- ^ "Open Domesday: Slindon". Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ Peter Jerrome, Petworth. From the beginnings to 1660. The Window Press 2002 p31-32
- ^ Historic England. "Slindon War Memorial (1436576)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- ^ Slindon Forge. "The History & Restoration of Slindon Forge".
- ^ a b Wintle, Angela (11 October 2008). "The pumpkin king's crowning glory". Telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "The Folly and Trig Point, Nore Hill". Geograph site - sponsored by Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ "Decisions On The Future Of Post Office Branches In Sussex". Royal Mail. 29 January 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
External links edit
Media related to Slindon, West Sussex at Wikimedia Commons