Isfield

“Toad in the Hole”, “Tommy Trotting” ,a jolly but very short train journey or just enjoying fish and chips in the local pub are all reasons why you might visit this ancient village.

I can imagine you might now well be asking - what sort of nonsense is this?

Although Isfield village lies off the main A26 Lewes to Uckfield road it is well known, in particular for the Lavender Line Steam Railway - the shortest rail line in the county well under a mile long. It is part of the disbanded British rail line between Lewes and Uckfield built in the 19th century to cater for the local industry but finished service in 1967. Until the construction of the line, heavy goods produced here such as paper from the water powered Paper Mill, beer from the brewery and coal from the Merchant (after whom the present railway is named) was all carried by river barge to Lewes. Despite the old line becoming derelict it was revived as a leisure line in the 80s and is now a thriving tourist attraction.

Tommy Thompson a landlord of the pub (adjacent to the station) in the 50s organised a fun event for Easter Monday – Tommy Trotting, in which contestants run about a mile with a pint of beer in hand. The winner is the fastest runner

 having the most beer left in the glass – I suspect a considerable amount of supping goes on during the race.  Some say that it was Tommy who coined a new name for the pub –The Laughing Fish although no one seems to know for sure. It was changed during the 1950s and the landlord of the pub states that a resident seems to remember it being called the Laughing Fish in 1957. Previous to that  it had been called The Railway.

An intersting story on the back of the pub menu refers to a time in 1939 when the new landlord was about to sell the property because trade was so bad; an army officer arrived in a staff car and informed him that three and a half thousand Canadian troops were about to be stationed in the village; thefor sale notice was quickly removed. However it appears that on one occasion the Canadians didn't like being thrown out for being too drunk. They vented their anger by returning during the night with explosives and blew up the front porch. When this was reported to the  Commandent he quickly found the culprits and despatched them to rebuild the porch. I wonder if Fred the landlord offered them a drink while they were working?

Toad in the Hole is a bar game and the idea is to throw brass plaques (Toads) onto a special table with a hole in the centre from a short distance away, about the same distance as for darts. The game originated probably in Tudor times but the Lewes Lions Club were the first to organise the International Competition held at Lewes Town Hall annually (next 22/4/2009) and teams come from far and wide to compete. The game is one at which it seems clients of the Laughing Fish are particularly adept having won the international championships in 2003/4/5/ and 2008. You might say no Laughing Matter at the Laughing Fish.

Isfield or “Sifelle” as it was called in the Domesday Book has connections with both protagonists of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Legend has it that King Harold may have stopped over on the way to Hastings. However Wm the Conqueror’s daughter Gundrada very definitely had a “disturbed” stay here. She along with her husband Wm de Warrenne were found during 1775 in a black marble tomb in the Parish Church –St Margaret of Antioch. It was under the tomb of Sir Edward Shurley (or Shirley) Lord of the Manor, who it is thought rescued the bones when the Priory of St. Pancras at Lewes was sacked during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Later in the 19th century some navvies, cutting a railway line through the St Pancrass Priory in Lewes grounds, found two lead coffins denoting that this was where Gundrada and her husband had been interred originally. Sir Wm Burrell the renowned 19th century Sussex historian organised a public subscription to have them taken back to Lewes and placed in a specially built chapel in Southover church where they remain.

One of the most interesting characters who spent his childhood in the village was Nicholas Culpepper who was brought up by his grandfather a Puritan Rector of  St  George the parish church. He was to become a revered authority on herbal remedies looked upon by  many as the father of alternative medicine and, a  rebellious scourge of the medical profession in the 17th century. He still has a substantial following today and his books are seen as masterpieces by holistic medical practitioners. He had a fascinating life as given in more detail in my selection of People Profiles (see menu).

When you pass through the village note the cricket field and post office that  has found a space for itself in the cricket pavilion. The site of the original Post Office is a little further along the road is identified by an unusual plaque depicting a Penny Black stamp.

 Only some small ruins remain of the original Manor House and now form part of theIsfield Place estate. This is  private  property and not open to the public. 

However the Lodge  at the entrance of the estate was not part of the Manor being built much later by Henry King  a Lewes banker and land owner.The crest you can see above the door on the lodge house might well be his family crest.   

 When leaving the  village note the Old water powered Corn Mill on your right. This has now been converted to two houses                                                                                                               

 Before finishing one word for Steam Rail enthusiasts. The Isfield station waiting room you see today is a replica of the original that was bought in the 1980s and re-erected at the Sheffield Park Bluebell Railway station.