The County Boundary at Lamberhusrt

Lamberhurst: Sussex’s Forgotten Village and Castle

It may come as a shock to many, particularly to the modern residents of Lamberhurst, that much of this beautiful village in the Weald actually resides within the County of Sussex.

How, after 123 years of administration under Kent County Council, can this possibly be?!

Well, we have to take you back 129 years to 1888. This was the year County Councils were established under the ‘Local Government Act 1888’. These County Councils were to administer areas to be known by the Act as “Administrative Counties” this title was given to distinguish from the counties built around geography, heritage, culture and identity over many centuries, termed in subsequent Government Census Reports as “Ancient/Geographical Counties”. Today the government refers to these as “Historic Counties”.

In 1894, it was decided under the ‘Local Government Act 1894’ that should any parish lie within two “administrative counties” that the said parish should be move wholly within one “administrative county” for the convenience of local administration. The Parish of Lamberhurst was one such example. The River Teise and River Bewl formed the boundary between the “Administrative County of East Sussex” and the “Administrative County of Kent”, and the border between the Ancient/Geographical Counties of Kent and Sussex. Lamberhurst lay right across these entities.

The same year, it was decided, as a result, that Lamberhurst south of these rivers should be moved entirely into the “Administrative County of Kent” under Kent County Council.

It is here that a very important distinction must be made. Lamberhurst, south of the rivers was never removed from the Ancient/Geographical County.

This was highlighted in the 1901 Census Report. The report listed “Lamberhurst, part of” as one of the “Parts of the Ancient County of Sussex, In the Administrative County of Kent”. Thus demonstrating that the southern part of Lamberhurst had not actually geographically left the County of Sussex at all!

Sadly, as time went on, “administrative counties” took precedent over Ancient/Geographical Counties in the everyday geography and mindsets of the general public. After 123 years of Kent Council control, Lamberhurst’s place in Sussex has been slowly eroded and forgotten. A postcard, pictured, of the Broadway Bridge dating from 1906 still recognised the ancient boundary describing the background rightly as “The Sussex Side”.

Over a century on, how many residents today of southern Lamberhurst recognise realise that their house sits on Sussaxon soil? Very few indeed we imagine!

Last year, the Office for National Statistics acknowledged and confirmed that the Ancient/Geographical counties, now termed “Historic Counties” (sometimes “traditional”) as an existing form of geography in the United Kingdom. This places Lamberhurst as history intended; straddling the boundary of two grand counties, Kent and Sussex, as pictured. A landmark worth celebrating.

So what gems sit within Sussex’s part of Lamberhurst?
There’s the alluring heathland hamlets of The Down and Hook Green. There’s also small matter of the magnificent Scotney Castle.

Built around, 1378 by Roger de Ashburnham, the old castle at Scotney was probably constructed as a defence against French forces who had the year before attacked Winchelsea, Hastings and Rye during the Hundred Years War.

The Ashburnham family had very strong links with the County of Sussex; Roger de Ashburnham was a ‘Conservator of the Peace’ for Sussex, a very close relation John de Ashburnham was ‘Knight of the Shire’ and Sheriff of Sussex in the late 14th Century, the family also founded the estate of Ashburnham near Battle. Later in 1779 the castle, as pictured, was sold to the Hussey family of Burwash, Sussex. Throughout its lifetime as a working castle, the old castle at Scotney clearly lay within Sussex and much a part of the fabric of Sussex’s heritage, when it was deliberately left to ruin in 1836.

A whole 639 years of history in Sussex since it was built, it’s plain to us today that Scotney is as much a castle of Sussex, as Lewes or Arundel!

Bottom right of the image; the county flag of Sussex on the Green in Lamberhurst. Note the Sussex style fingerpost in the background.

For more information on the boundary of the County of Sussex, please see the ‘One County’ page.