Sussex (The County Book Series), by Esther Meynell, published 1947 (London: Robert Hale) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12494][Lib 10659] & The Keep [LIB/504641]
Review by A. E. [Arundell Esdaile] in Sussex Notes and Queries, February 1947:Between the upper and the nether millstone of the London and Channel suburbs, Sussex is so well-known that many "picturesque" books have been devoted to it. Yet, owing to its former seclusion in its woods, clay and waterless chalk, there is always more to find and enjoy. Nor can it be intelligently enjoyed without a knowledge of its history and also of its pre-history. Mrs. Meynell has grasped this fact, and the result is a book which is not only picturesque but intelligent. Dedicated to our Society by the author, a keen member, it draws largely on the Society's contributions made over the past century to the knowledge of the county's history.
Mrs. Meynell, like her present reviewer, can say with the Apostle "Others with a great price have purchased this freedom, but I was born free," and her love for her petite patrie disarms criticism in one who shares it. But, with all her hard work on the sources, there is here too much picturesque writing, and also some innocence. Let me make a few points. Sussex flint-knapping is not "dead thousands of years "; the latest example I know (at Lancing College) dates from 1930 and there was much in the nineteenth century. The round flint church towers of the Lewes Valley, Norfolk and the French coastal chalk were so built to avoid quoins, stone being scarce. (By a slip, Southover is given as one of them). On pp. 22-3 the Adur should have been added to the rivers which have lost their old names; it is in fact the most modern and least genuine name of all. Reference to The Place Names of Sussex would have saved the wild guess that Adversane (in Billingshurst) is a name of Roman origin. Paradise (at Winchelsea) is merely the old word for park; Parkinson gave his book the rebus title Paradisi in sole Paradisus terrestris. The Tudor dislike of south aspects, here referred to but not explained, was an unintelligent Renaissance importation from Italy, where the hot African wind brings "the plagues of the South." Court Farm, at Ditchling, probably has no royal origin, but, as elsewhere, merely refers to the Courthouse of the Manor. "A gentleman calling himself Horace Smith, Esq." was and is too well known as part author of Rejected Addresses to be so described. Surely the Roman Catholic tradition at Arundel was not unbroken, as here stated. Finally (a misprint?) the Roman weapon was the pilum, not the pillum :
Thine, Roman, is the pilum,
Roman, the sword is thine.
But the book is so sensitive and (in the best sense of the word) amiable, that these faults are only mentioned from a stern sense of duty and in the hope of a revised edition. The illustrations are lovely, but one misses specimens of Georgian Sussex, and in the bad modern fashion they are given no margin; binding cannot fail to crop them.
Mrs. Meynell, like her present reviewer, can say with the Apostle "Others with a great price have purchased this freedom, but I was born free," and her love for her petite patrie disarms criticism in one who shares it. But, with all her hard work on the sources, there is here too much picturesque writing, and also some innocence. Let me make a few points. Sussex flint-knapping is not "dead thousands of years "; the latest example I know (at Lancing College) dates from 1930 and there was much in the nineteenth century. The round flint church towers of the Lewes Valley, Norfolk and the French coastal chalk were so built to avoid quoins, stone being scarce. (By a slip, Southover is given as one of them). On pp. 22-3 the Adur should have been added to the rivers which have lost their old names; it is in fact the most modern and least genuine name of all. Reference to The Place Names of Sussex would have saved the wild guess that Adversane (in Billingshurst) is a name of Roman origin. Paradise (at Winchelsea) is merely the old word for park; Parkinson gave his book the rebus title Paradisi in sole Paradisus terrestris. The Tudor dislike of south aspects, here referred to but not explained, was an unintelligent Renaissance importation from Italy, where the hot African wind brings "the plagues of the South." Court Farm, at Ditchling, probably has no royal origin, but, as elsewhere, merely refers to the Courthouse of the Manor. "A gentleman calling himself Horace Smith, Esq." was and is too well known as part author of Rejected Addresses to be so described. Surely the Roman Catholic tradition at Arundel was not unbroken, as here stated. Finally (a misprint?) the Roman weapon was the pilum, not the pillum :
Thine, Roman, is the pilum,
Roman, the sword is thine.
But the book is so sensitive and (in the best sense of the word) amiable, that these faults are only mentioned from a stern sense of duty and in the hope of a revised edition. The illustrations are lovely, but one misses specimens of Georgian Sussex, and in the bad modern fashion they are given no margin; binding cannot fail to crop them.
Small Talk in Sussex, by Esther Meynell, published 1954 (173 pp., London: Robert Hale) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 15307][Lib 12870] & West Sussex Libraries
Portrait of Sussex, by Cecile Woodford, published 23 March 1972 (224 pp., Robert Hale Ltd., ISBN-10: 0709130260 & ISBN-13: 9780709130260) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
View of Sussex, by Ben Darby, published 19 June 1975 (224 pp., Robert Hale Ltd., ISBN-10: 0709147228 & ISBN-13: 9780709147220) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 17179] & The Keep [LIB/500131] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Curious Sussex, by Mary Delorme, published 1987 (240 pp., Robert Hale Ltd., ISBN-10: 0709029705 & ISBN-13: 9780709029700) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Sussex, by Peter Brandon, published 2006 (480 pp., Robert Hale, ISBN-10: 0709069987 & ISBN-13: 9780709069980) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:With an entertaining and highly detailed narrative Peter Brandon takes us on a tour of Sussex's market towns, hills, castles, seaside resorts, gardens and churches, from Brighton to Ashdown Forest, and from Gatwick Airport to the Ouse. Every feature of the county is covered. Sussex has often been featured in art and literature over the centuries, not to mention in the chronicles of history, and to this day it remains a centre of national cultural significance. With its exquisite natural beauty, varied landscapes, local traditions, international transport systems, diverse communities, and strong links with the worlds of education and music, Sussex is still one of the most interesting and important counties in Britain. Dr Brandon's erudition and his infectious enthusiasm for his native home make Sussex a fascinating read for anyone interested not only in the county but in English history.
Chichester Harbour: England's Coastal Gem, by Liz Sagues, published 31 October 2013 (224 pp., Robert Hale Ltd., ISBN-10: 0709097611 & ISBN-13: 9780709097617) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries
Abstract:Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a special place of tranquillity in the crowded south of England. It is recognized nationally and internationally and is appreciated by many hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. This book, which includes previously unpublished memoirs and features famous figures from King Canute to P.G. Wodehouse, draws together the myriad threads that have given the harbour and its surroundings their unique character, telling an engrossing story that stretches far into the past, present and future. It encompasses topics as varied as geological and historical tumult, the harbour's vital importance as a refuge for threatened wildlife, the change from commercial port to centre for leisure pursuits, the impact of war and the threat from climate change. Liz Sagues brings to life the people who have contributed so much to Chichester Harbour, from the saintly Saxon cleric whose practical fishing skills ended a village famine to environmentally committed twenty-first-century farmers, and from a king's favourite mistress to Olympic medal-winning sailors. The book is for those who already love the harbour - and for the many more who, as they read on, will join them. Provides a unique broad-ranging study of Chichester Harbour AONB and its close surroundings Richly illustrated with approximately 200 colour photographs Includes previously unpublished memoirs and features famous figures from Kings Canute and Harold to P.G. Wodehouse, Sir Henry Royce and Clark Gable Tours through the harbour villages and suggests walks which cover millennia in minutes and give a real taste of the harbour Written with magical, compelling style by an award-winning journalist