Publications
The History of Tunbridge Wells, by Thomas Benge Burr, published 1766 (317 pp., Tunbridge Wells: E. Baker) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries View Online
The Tunbridge Wells Guide or An Account of the ancient and present state of that place to which is added a particular description of the Towns and Villages, Gentlemens Seats, Remains of Antiquity, Founderies, &c.&c. within the circumference of Sixteen Miles, by J. Sprange, published 1797 (Tunbridge Wells: J. Sprange) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries View Online
An Act for making a Railway from the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway at Uckfield in the County of Sussex to Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, and for other purposes, published 1861 (ii + 20 pp., J. B. Nichols & Sons) accessible at: British Library
Forest Chapels: Gilderedge, by Mark Antony Lower, published 1868 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 20, notes & queries, p.231) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2105] & The Keep [LIB/507132] & S.A.S. library View Online
Crowborough, by Mark Antony Lower, M.A., published 1870 in A Compendious History of Sussex, Topographical, Archaeological & Anecdotal (vol. I, p.125, Lewes: George P. Bacon) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8946][Lib 3314] & The Keep [LIB/500159] View Online
Observation of the Transit of Venus, 1882, December 6, made at Crowborough, Sussex, by C. L. Prince, published 12 August 1882 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (vol. 43, no. 2, article, pp.64-66)
Observations upon the Late Great Comet and Transit of Venus, Made at Crowborough, Sussex in the Year 1882, by Charles Leeson Prince, published 1883 (Lewes: H. W. Wolfe) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries View Online
Observations upon the Topography and Climate of Crowborough Hill, Sussex, by Charles Leeson Prince, published 1885 (312 pp., Lewes: Farncombe & Co.) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/503802] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries View Online
Richard Jefferies' Last Essays: Field and Hedgerow, by Richard Jefferies, published 1889 (viii + 331 pp., London: Longmans) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 12461] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
An Illustrated Guide to Crowborough, by Boys Firmin, published 1890 (187 pp., London: Hansard) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries View Online
An Account of Sir Henry Fermor's Endowment at Crowborough, by Boys Firmin, published 1891
Isaac Roberts' New Observatory on Crowborough Hill, Sussex, by Isaac Roberts, F.R.S., published 1 September 1891 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (vol. 51, no. 3, article, p.118) View Online
An Illustrated Guide to Crowborough, by Boys Firmin, published 1897 (second edition, 192 pp., Brighton: A. M. Robinson & Son) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
A History of the Rise, Progress & Present Position of the Forest Fold Baptist Chapel, Crowborough, by Ebenezer Littleton, published 1898 (iv + 98 pp., London: F. Kirby) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Herons Ghyll, the seat of Mr James Fitzalan Hope, by Country Life contributor(s), published 16 May 1903 in Country Life (vol. 13 no. 332, article, pp.638-642) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9148]
Historical associations of the free churches of Tunbridge Wells, &c., 1642-1904: including Pembury, Crowborough, Forest Fold, Forest Row, Matfield Green, by Luke Pearce, published 1904 (Sidney Kiek)
Crowborough and Mayfield, by E. V. Lucas with illustrations by Frederick L. Griggs, published 1904 in Highways and Byways in Sussex (Chapter XXXII, London: Macmillan & Co.) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 41][Lib 12792][Lib 15825] & The Keep [LIB/500142] View Online
Gossip in the Sussex Oberland, by Rev. W. Connor Sydney, published 1904 in The Gentleman's Magazine (vol. 296, Jan to June, article, pp.114-131, London: Chatto & Windus) View Online
An Illustrated Guide to Crowborough, by Boys Firmin, published 1905 (third edition, 210 pp., Brighton: A. M. Robinson & Son) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
A Memorial of Mr. George Frost, for twenty-one years pastor of Rehoboth Baptist Chapel, Jarvis Brook, Sussex., by George Frost, published 1906 (viii + 95 pp., London: Farncombe & Son) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
A Jubilee of Ministerial Mercies; or 55 Years' Labour in the Vineyard, by Ebenezer Littleton, published 1908 (156 pp., London: Farncombe & Son) accessible at: British Library
Being the autobiography of Mr E Littleton (Minister of the Gospel). Written after nearly forty-one years of my ministry at Forest Fold Baptist Chapel, Crowborough
The Geology of the country between Goudhurst (Kent) and Ticehurst (Sussex): With special reference to the Excursion to Goudhurst, Lamberhurst Cousleywood and Wadhurst, Saturday, June 21st, 1924. Weald Research Committee Report No. 1, by H. B. Milner, M.A., D.I.C., F.G.S., published 1924 in The Proceedings of the Geologists' Association London (no. 35 issue 4, article, pp.383-394) View Online
Abstract:The country included in this area lies to the east of Tunbridge Wells, and embraces the picturesque East Sussex-Kent borderland with the villages of Goudhurst, Lamberhurst, Wadhurst and Ticehurst, comprising a district of thirty-five square miles. It lies principally in the southern part of the Medway basin, though it also takes in a portion of the watershed between that and the Rother basin, the divide being formed by the high ground of Ashdown Forest (Crowborough) and Rotherfield to the west, continuing eastward to Wadhurst, Ticehurst, Cranbrook and beyond. Geologically and tectonically the main features of interest centre round the compound Crowborough-Ticehurst fold, extremely fractured in its eastern development, and in the relationship of that fold to the more northerly Chiddingstone-Pembury anticline, already alluded to in a previous paper.
The Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, by Bernard Darwin, published 1926
Abstract:The book is a hole-by-hole guide to Crowborough Beacon golf course and contains unique photographs of some of the holes.
The Sussex Highlands: Including Crowborough, East Grinstead, Uckfield, Ashdown Forest and surrounding villages, by George Gibbard Jackson, published 1927 (xxxi + 96 pp., London: Homeland Association) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
The Trial of Norman Thorne. The Crowborough Chicken Farm Murder, edited by Helena Normanton, published 1929 (367 pp., London: Geoffrey Bles) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
Crowborough, Sussex. Official guide, by Arthur B. Neal, published 1931 (40 pp., Croydon: Abbey Publicity Service, Ltd) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
1832-1932. A History of the Rise, Progress and Present Position of Forest Fold Baptist Chapel, Crowborough, by S. Delves, published 1932 (47 pp., C. J. Farncombe & Sons Ltd.) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries View Online
The Story of Crowborough, published c.1933 (74 pp., Tunbridge Wells: Courier) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
The Buckhurst Terrier, 1597-1598, by Ernest Straker, published 1933 (vol. 39, Sussex Record Society) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2255][Lib 8038] & The Keep [LIB/500411] & East Sussex Libraries View Online
Abstract:The Buckhurst Terrier, though known to and quoted by the Rev. R. W. Sackville-West (afterwards Lord Buckhurst) in his "Historical Notices of Withyham" (London, 1857), and also to the Rev. C. N. Sutton, who used it in his "Historical Notes of Withyham, Hartfield and Ashdown Forest" (Tunbridge Wells, 1902), had been missing for nearly a generation.
The former Stoneland Lodge, now called Buckhurst House, built in 1743, has undergone many changes. The recess of a disused door in the library had been fitted with shelves, but during the tenancy of the late Mr. Robert Benson, about 1905, a wall-covering was carried over this recess, and by some carelessness the Terrier and other books were covered up by it. At the end of the tenancy, in March, 1931, this covering was removed and the Terrier recovered.
Earl De La Warr, whose property it is, has very kindly given permission to the publication of an epitome by the Sussex Record Society.
The Terrier gives a remarkably complete survey of a large area in North-East Sussex, comprising the greater part of the parishes of Hartfield and Withyham, together with much land in East Grinstead and other parishes bordering on Ashdown Forest, as it was in the closing years of the reign of Elizabeth. The date of compilation, as stated on the title page, is the 39th and 40th years of that reign, i.e. between 17th November, 1596, and 16th November, 1598, but the date of the last lease entered is 8th June, 1599.
Review in Sussex Notes and Queries, August 1934:The former Stoneland Lodge, now called Buckhurst House, built in 1743, has undergone many changes. The recess of a disused door in the library had been fitted with shelves, but during the tenancy of the late Mr. Robert Benson, about 1905, a wall-covering was carried over this recess, and by some carelessness the Terrier and other books were covered up by it. At the end of the tenancy, in March, 1931, this covering was removed and the Terrier recovered.
Earl De La Warr, whose property it is, has very kindly given permission to the publication of an epitome by the Sussex Record Society.
The Terrier gives a remarkably complete survey of a large area in North-East Sussex, comprising the greater part of the parishes of Hartfield and Withyham, together with much land in East Grinstead and other parishes bordering on Ashdown Forest, as it was in the closing years of the reign of Elizabeth. The date of compilation, as stated on the title page, is the 39th and 40th years of that reign, i.e. between 17th November, 1596, and 16th November, 1598, but the date of the last lease entered is 8th June, 1599.
Another interesting volume has been published by the Sussex Record Society. It consists of the Buckhurst Terrier, the property of Earl De La Warr, who has kindly given permission for this publication to be made.
The Terrier is a full manorial account of some 17 manors in the Rape of Pevensey and mostly in the immediate neighbourhood of Ashdown Forest. The survey was made by Thomas Marshall for Sir Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (1536-1608), a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and one of the most prominent men of his time. He was created Earl of Dorset in 1604.
The Terrier is in excellent preservation, notwithstanding that it was lost for a considerable time behind some panelling in Buckhurst House. It is invaluable to those who are studying the history of the neighbourhood, besides being a first-rate example of its own class. A special feature of interest is the series of 40 maps covering the areas of the manors.
The whole Terrier has been epitomised by Mr. Ernest Straker, F.S.A., and most carefully edited by him. He gives an excellent Introduction dealing with the family of Sackville, the previous history of the manors recorded and a full account of the Terrier itself. He has taken endless pains in producing an accurate condensation of a very valuable source of the history of the large part of Sussex covered by the Manors.
Both he and the Society are to be congratulated on the volume.
The Terrier is a full manorial account of some 17 manors in the Rape of Pevensey and mostly in the immediate neighbourhood of Ashdown Forest. The survey was made by Thomas Marshall for Sir Thomas Sackville, Lord Buckhurst (1536-1608), a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and one of the most prominent men of his time. He was created Earl of Dorset in 1604.
The Terrier is in excellent preservation, notwithstanding that it was lost for a considerable time behind some panelling in Buckhurst House. It is invaluable to those who are studying the history of the neighbourhood, besides being a first-rate example of its own class. A special feature of interest is the series of 40 maps covering the areas of the manors.
The whole Terrier has been epitomised by Mr. Ernest Straker, F.S.A., and most carefully edited by him. He gives an excellent Introduction dealing with the family of Sackville, the previous history of the manors recorded and a full account of the Terrier itself. He has taken endless pains in producing an accurate condensation of a very valuable source of the history of the large part of Sussex covered by the Manors.
Both he and the Society are to be congratulated on the volume.
History as She is Wrote at Crowborough, by Admiral B. M. Chambers, C.B., published 1934 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. VIII no. 9, article, pp.558-559) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9329] & The Keep [LIB/500178]
Crowborough, Sussex. Official guide, by Arthur Francis Boughton Neal, published 1935 (2nd edition, Croydon: Abbey Publicity Service, Ltd) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Richard Jefferies in Sussex, by S.C.M. Contributor(s), published 1936 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. X no. 5, article, pp.322-324) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2315][Lib 9331] & The Keep [LIB/500181]
Richard Jefferies and Sussex, by A. H. Anderson, published 1937 in Sussex County Magazine (vol. XI no. 8, article, pp.524-530) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 2316][Lib 9332] & The Keep [LIB/500182] View Online
The Residential Attractions of Crowborough and District, Etc. With Illustrations, published 1939 (20 pp., British Publishing Company)
The Buxted Parish Boundary at Crowborough Warren, by I. D. Margery, published August 1946 in Sussex Notes & Queries (vol. XI no. 3, article, pp.56-57) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 8229][Lib 2210] & The Keep [LIB/500213] & S.A.S. library
Around Crowborough (Footpath Guide No 7), by Ray Silver, published 1947 (71 pp., London: Saint Catherine Press) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/502603] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Penn's Rocks, Withyham, Sussex, by Christopher Hussey, published 23 March 1961 in Country Life (article, pp.644-647)
Crowborough, Sussex. The official guide. With maps and illustrations, by Leslie Elgar Pike, published 1962 (Croydon: Home Publishing Co.)
Excavations 1972: Morphews Bloomery, by C. F. Tebbutt, published March 1973 in Sussex Archæological Society Newsletter (no. 9, article, p.36) accessible at: S.A.S. library Download PDF
The History of Crowborough War Memorial Hospital 1897-1948, by W. H. Hill, published c.1975 (20 pp., published by the hospital) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
Excavations 1975: Crowborough, Maynards Gate, by O. Bedwin, published April 1976 in Sussex Archæological Society Newsletter (no. 18, article, p.81, ISSN: 0307-2568) accessible at: S.A.S. library Download PDF
Bloomery Furnaces at Maynards Gate, Jarvis Brook, by Pam Combes, published 1977 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 12, report, pp.4-7) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
The Excavation of a Late Sixteenth/Early Seventeenth Century Gun Casting Furnace at Maynard's Gate, Crowborough, East Sussex, by Owen Bedwin, published 1978 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 116, article, pp.163-178) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 7197] & The Keep [LIB/500313] & S.A.S. library
Review by C. F. T. [C. F. Tebbutt] in Wealden Iron Research Group: Bulletin 16 Spring 1979:This was a rescue dig, in advance of industrial development, by the Sussex Field Unit, ably undertaken by Dr Owen Bedwin. Although extensive robbing of stonework had taken place since the furnace was abandoned, and little of the furnace itself remained, other features of great interest were found and recorded before destruction. The carefully-contrived pattern of drains under the furnace was still intact, emphasising the importance of dryness in furnace working, and much of the wheel pit remained with its ashlar walls and timber base (rather surprisingly of chestnut).
Perhaps the find of greatest interest was the second Wealden gun casting pit to be excavated. This dated from 100 years earlier than the first to be found, in 1974 at Pippingford Furnace. At Pippingford the timber pit lining was intact and, short of partial destruction, it had been impossible to determine by excavation exactly how it had been constructed. At Maynards Gate, perhaps fortunately, all the upright timber staves had been robbed, leaving, down the sides of the pit, a regularly-spaced series of horizontal wooden hoops to which the missing perpendicular staves had been fastened. The laths forming the hoops had overlapping chamfered joints; these were nailed together in such a way that this could only have been done before they were placed in the pit. One may therefore surmise that the large barrel- like structure, 1.5 m. across and 3 m. deep, was built on the surface and lowered into the pit. Elaborate precautions, clay caulking, had been taken to make the pit watertight. Excellent photographs and drawings illustrate the finds.
The Maynards Gate excavation has added significantly to our knowledge of the Wealden gun-casting industry and we are grateful to, the Field Unit for undertaking it at short notice and in limited time.
Perhaps the find of greatest interest was the second Wealden gun casting pit to be excavated. This dated from 100 years earlier than the first to be found, in 1974 at Pippingford Furnace. At Pippingford the timber pit lining was intact and, short of partial destruction, it had been impossible to determine by excavation exactly how it had been constructed. At Maynards Gate, perhaps fortunately, all the upright timber staves had been robbed, leaving, down the sides of the pit, a regularly-spaced series of horizontal wooden hoops to which the missing perpendicular staves had been fastened. The laths forming the hoops had overlapping chamfered joints; these were nailed together in such a way that this could only have been done before they were placed in the pit. One may therefore surmise that the large barrel- like structure, 1.5 m. across and 3 m. deep, was built on the surface and lowered into the pit. Elaborate precautions, clay caulking, had been taken to make the pit watertight. Excellent photographs and drawings illustrate the finds.
The Maynards Gate excavation has added significantly to our knowledge of the Wealden gun-casting industry and we are grateful to, the Field Unit for undertaking it at short notice and in limited time.
Forest Fold Pulpit: Sermons of Stanley Delves of Crowborough, by Stanley Delves, published 1980 (148 pp., Stanley Delves Trust, ISBN-10: 0904435385 & ISBN-13: 9780904435382) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
A Source of Ore fro Maynards Gate Furnace, by C. F. Tebbutt, published 1980 in Wealden Iron Research Group (First Series No. 17, article, p.18) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506558] Download PDF
Place, work and folk: A study of the development of Crowborough, Sussex, by A. J. Fielding, published 1981 (Research Papers in Geography No. 5, 70 pp., University of Sussex) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Crowborough, Sussex. Official guide, published 1982 (44 pp., Parish Council Crowborough)
The Crowborough Warren Estate, 1809-1844, by Pamela Combes, published 1985 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 123, article, pp.215-224) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 9514] & The Keep [LIB/500310] & S.A.S. library
Crowborough - The Growth of a Wealden Town, by Malcolm Payne, published 28 February 1985 (136 pp., K. A. F. Brewin, ISBN-10: 0947731040 & ISBN-13: 9780947731045) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/503799] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries View Online
Bygone Crowborough, by Malcolm Payne and Luther Batchelor, published 1 January 1987 (112 pp., Chichester: Phillimore & Co. Ltd., ISBN-10: 0850336473 & ISBN-13: 9780850336474) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/503800] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Forest Camera: Portrait of Ashdown, by Peter Kirby and edited by Rosalind Bowlby, published 22 October 1988 (176 pp., Sweethaws Press, ISBN-10: 0951179551 & ISBN-13: 9780951179550) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/503107] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
A New Forgemaster, William Bassett and an Old Name, Grubsbars, for Crowborough Forge, by Brian G. Awty, published 1989 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 9, article, pp.33-37, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 16400] & The Keep [LIB/506560] Download PDF
East Sussex Census 1851 Index: Rotherfield (inc. Crowborough) and Mayfield, by June C. Barnes, published May 1989 (vol. 14, booklet, C. J. Barnes & printed at Battle Instant Print Ltd., ISBN-13: 9781870264129) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 11243] & The Keep [LIB/503433] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Crowborough in Old Picture Postcard, by Malcolm Payne, published 1 April 1992 (80 pp., Europese Bibliotheek, ISBN-10: 9028853510 & ISBN-13: 9789028853515) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Recollections of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Residents of Crowborough, by Malcolm Payne, published 1993 (26 pp., The Conan Doyle Crowborough Establishment) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
Sir Henry Fermor School, 1794-1994: A History, by John Hackworth, published 1994 (230 pp., Crowborough: Ashdown Press, ISBN-10: 0952290707 & ISBN-13: 9780952290704) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries View Online
Arthur Conan Doyle - Physician, Author and Spiritualist: A Diversified Genius , by Alvin E. Rodin and Jack D. Key, published May 1994 in The Journal of Medical Biography (vol. 2, no 2, article, pp.98-102) View Online
The Life and times of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, 1895-1995, edited by Alistair MacDougall, published 1995 (44 pp., Crowborough Beacon Golf Club) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/502621] & East Sussex Libraries
The Society of Friends of Montargis: 30 Anniversary of Twinning 1966-1996 Establishing a Bond: The Early Years (Crowborough), by John Hackworth, published 1996 (78 pp., Crowborough : The Society of Friends of Montargis) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/502607] & East Sussex Libraries
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), by Alex Sakula, published November 1997 in The Journal of Medical Biography (vol. 5, no 4, article, p.239) View Online
Rotherfield - 18c. Schools, edited by John Caffyn, published 1998 in Sussex Schools in the 18th Century (Sussex Record Society, vol. 81, pp.223-225, ISBN-10: 0854450424 & ISBN-13: 9780854450428) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 13825][Lib 13828] & The Keep [LIB/500458][Lib/507864] & West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Grandfather's Disappearance, by Mrs. Anne Cook, published December 2000 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 14 no. 4, article, p.145) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 14881] & The Keep [LIB/508823] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:Irwin Cook was manager of the Gas Works at Jarvis Brook, Crowborough from 1907 to 1914. He married Louisa Margaret née Wade in 1910. He disappeared on the 14th February 1914 when it was discovered that there was a shortfall in the accounts of the Gas Works.
King's Standing, Crowborough, by Ron Martin, published 2001 in Sussex Industrial History (issue no. 31, article, pp.28-35, ISSN: 0263-5151) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506529] Download PDF
Abstract:"Germany Calling" was William Joyce's (Lord Haw-Haw's) catch phrase from quite early in WWII, his first broadcast being in September, 1939. The British response was to set up a network of short wave transmitters based at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire under the control of the Political Warfare Executive (PWE) with the object of countering the enemy propaganda. Most of this material was of a comparatively innocuous nature, and was really preaching to the converted.
In May 1941 a more ambitious project got the backing of the Prime Minister to use German wavelengths to transmit confusing broadcasts and Harold Robin, the chief Engineer was sent to USA to purchase a large transmitter for £165,000.
There was a search on for a suitable site for the transmitter. By now it was being jocularly known as the "Aspidistra" after the Gracie Fields song "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" and this was shortened to ASPI. The first one was ASPI 1 and subsequent ones numbered consecutively. A 70 acre site was eventually found on the Ashdown Forest near the parish of Crowborough at King's Standing 620 feet above sea level and work commenced to excavate a large hole to house the transmitter. At first, the task seemed interminable until a team of Canadian Engineers, stationed nearby, were brought in, extensively bribed with the promise of unlimited quantities of beer and the excavation was completed within six weeks. The rest of the building works was carried out by a team of 600 men working round the clock.
There were also two Parasitic Aerial Tuning Buildings in underground bunkers, and a third bunker under the Driven Tower Mast which was on top of and accessible from the main bunker. In the eastern Parasitic bunker was located ASPI 2 and this could be used as a backup in case ASPI 1 failed!
Other buildings that were erected in 1941-42 were the No.1 Power House and Cooling Tower, the Transformer House, the Power Maintenance Workshop, which was also believed to have been used by Harold Robin as his office, and two pillboxes.
The first broadcast made from King's Standing was in November 1942, when in support of the Torch Landings in North Africa, President Roosevelt's nephew spoke in French to the Vichy French. However there were still disagreements between PWE and the BBC and for a time ASP1 1 was only used by the BBC for their European Service.
In addition to this a new short-wave transmitter (ASP1 3) was installed at Crowborough in a building known as the "Cinema" because of its similarity to a 1930s cinema building.
In May 1941 a more ambitious project got the backing of the Prime Minister to use German wavelengths to transmit confusing broadcasts and Harold Robin, the chief Engineer was sent to USA to purchase a large transmitter for £165,000.
There was a search on for a suitable site for the transmitter. By now it was being jocularly known as the "Aspidistra" after the Gracie Fields song "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" and this was shortened to ASPI. The first one was ASPI 1 and subsequent ones numbered consecutively. A 70 acre site was eventually found on the Ashdown Forest near the parish of Crowborough at King's Standing 620 feet above sea level and work commenced to excavate a large hole to house the transmitter. At first, the task seemed interminable until a team of Canadian Engineers, stationed nearby, were brought in, extensively bribed with the promise of unlimited quantities of beer and the excavation was completed within six weeks. The rest of the building works was carried out by a team of 600 men working round the clock.
There were also two Parasitic Aerial Tuning Buildings in underground bunkers, and a third bunker under the Driven Tower Mast which was on top of and accessible from the main bunker. In the eastern Parasitic bunker was located ASPI 2 and this could be used as a backup in case ASPI 1 failed!
Other buildings that were erected in 1941-42 were the No.1 Power House and Cooling Tower, the Transformer House, the Power Maintenance Workshop, which was also believed to have been used by Harold Robin as his office, and two pillboxes.
The first broadcast made from King's Standing was in November 1942, when in support of the Torch Landings in North Africa, President Roosevelt's nephew spoke in French to the Vichy French. However there were still disagreements between PWE and the BBC and for a time ASP1 1 was only used by the BBC for their European Service.
In addition to this a new short-wave transmitter (ASP1 3) was installed at Crowborough in a building known as the "Cinema" because of its similarity to a 1930s cinema building.
Historical Essays and illustrations, by Malcolm Payne, published 2004
St Michael and All Angels parish church, Jarvis Brook: the first 100 years 1905-2005, by Michael Rabbetts, Megan Rabbetts, published 2005 (22 pp.) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Crowborough Beacon Golf Club: The Manor of Alchorne - The Lost Manor, by Andrea and John Bennett, published 2006 accessible at: The Keep [LIB/502623]
Crowborough, Historic Character Assessment Report, compiled by Roland B. Harris, published June 2008 (Sussex Extensive Urban Survey (EUS), 35 pp. + appendices, E.S.C.C., W.S.C.C. & Brighton and Hove City, funded by English Heritage) Download PDF
Conan Doyle: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes, by Andrew Lycett, published 1 November 2008 (xi + 527 pp. + 24 pp. of plates, London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, ISBN-10: 0297848526 & ISBN-13: 9780297848523) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:Though Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's name is recognised the world over, for decades he was overshadowed by his creation, Sherlock Holmes - one of literature's most enduring characters.
Conan Doyle was a man of many contradictions. Romantic, energetic, idealistic and upstanding, he could also be selfish and foolhardy. Lycett assembles the many threads of Conan Doyle's life, including the lasting impact of his domineering mother and his alcoholic father; his affair with a younger woman while his wife lay dying; and his fanatical pursuit of scientific data to prove and explain various supernatural phenomena.
Lycett combines access to new material with assiduous research and penetrating insight to offer the most comprehensive, lucid and sympathetic portrait yet of Conan Doyle's personal journey from student to doctor, from world-famous author to ardent spiritualist.
Conan Doyle was a man of many contradictions. Romantic, energetic, idealistic and upstanding, he could also be selfish and foolhardy. Lycett assembles the many threads of Conan Doyle's life, including the lasting impact of his domineering mother and his alcoholic father; his affair with a younger woman while his wife lay dying; and his fanatical pursuit of scientific data to prove and explain various supernatural phenomena.
Lycett combines access to new material with assiduous research and penetrating insight to offer the most comprehensive, lucid and sympathetic portrait yet of Conan Doyle's personal journey from student to doctor, from world-famous author to ardent spiritualist.
Anthony Fowle: Wealden Ironmaster and Lawyer, by Pamela Combes, published 2011 in Wealden Iron Research Group (Second Series No. 31, article, pp.31-59, ISSN: 0266-4402) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/506578] Download PDF
Abstract:The gazetteer in the latest edition of The Iron Industry of the Weald notes the interests of Anthony Fowle in various ironworks, including Markly Furnace in Warbleton, Maynards Gate Furnace in Rotherfield and Maresfield Forge, all of which are mentioned in his will. That document also reveals something of the extent of his landed property as well as the marriage alliances made by some of his thirteen children. Those connections demonstrate that the Fowles continued the tradition of intermarriage with the families of other ironmasters that was noted by Jeremy Goring as a trait of the immediate family of Anthony's uncle Nicholas Fowle (see Appendix 2, table 1). Nicholas Fowle and his family are frequently cited as notable ironmasters, possibly because Nicholas built the ostentatious Riverhall mansion house near their furnace in Frant that can still be seen today. It is curious that Anthony Fowle has remained comparatively unnoticed since there is no doubt that his influence within the wider community was significant. During his long and active life Anthony was not only a major ironmaster but also a lawyer, serving for many years as a JP, as sheriff of Sussex in 1637/8, and on the county committee during the Commonwealth. His son Richard, who inherited his Newick property, was also of some standing in the county community, serving as a grand juror at the Assizes on five occasions between 1653 and 1659.
This note seeks to demonstrate the position of Anthony Fowle in county society and particularly draws attention to the marriage connections of his children and of his sisters, especially those with other ironmasters. His will is of particular interest to members of WIRG and a transcription is included here as an appendix. The will itself identifies many of the family relationships. Where possible others have been researched in detail, but some information has been derived from secondary sources. It is clear that family relationships were important to Anthony Fowle, all his surviving children and his then living grandchildren received some remembrance in his will. After Anthony's time the story is one of slow decline. In the longer term only the Rotherfield branch of the family flourished - and then only into the mid 18th century.
As was customary, his will records only the land he held on lease. His major estate at Newick, does not appear, and there may have been other property which remains invisible for the same reason. Where possible his property has been located, not only that named in his will, but also some that is recorded in other sources but which he may no longer have owned in 1647. His interest in ironworks, in particular at Maynards Gate in Crowborough (formerly Rotherfield) and also Little Forge and furnace in Buxted, is of particular interest and is considered in detail.
This note seeks to demonstrate the position of Anthony Fowle in county society and particularly draws attention to the marriage connections of his children and of his sisters, especially those with other ironmasters. His will is of particular interest to members of WIRG and a transcription is included here as an appendix. The will itself identifies many of the family relationships. Where possible others have been researched in detail, but some information has been derived from secondary sources. It is clear that family relationships were important to Anthony Fowle, all his surviving children and his then living grandchildren received some remembrance in his will. After Anthony's time the story is one of slow decline. In the longer term only the Rotherfield branch of the family flourished - and then only into the mid 18th century.
As was customary, his will records only the land he held on lease. His major estate at Newick, does not appear, and there may have been other property which remains invisible for the same reason. Where possible his property has been located, not only that named in his will, but also some that is recorded in other sources but which he may no longer have owned in 1647. His interest in ironworks, in particular at Maynards Gate in Crowborough (formerly Rotherfield) and also Little Forge and furnace in Buxted, is of particular interest and is considered in detail.
A Chronology Of The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle: 22nd May 1859 to 7th July 1930, by Brian W. Pugh, published 3 October 2011 (Andrews UK ltd) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:A comprehensive chronology of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first section contains a detailed chronology of the major and minor events in the life of Sir Arthur and his family from 1794 to 1930. This is followed by a section on events from 1930 to 1993, the residences of Conan Doyle and his family, where are they buried, locations of plaques and statues, a list of biographies and semi-biographical works, a bibliography, a selective list of miscellaneous writings, works consulted and about the chronologist. Finally, there are a number of well-reproduced photographs of ACD and his family at various times of his life, some have not appeared in print before. This publication proves that there is more to Arthur Conan Doyle than just Sherlock Holmes.
Frequent Travellers, by Rosie Ansell, published June 2012 in Sussex Family Historian (vol. 20 no. 2, article, pp.49-52) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/508851] & CD SFH40 from S.F.H.G.
Preview:Among the collection of photos that my father had of his mother's family was one of her grandmother, Phoebe HENDLEY, posing for an 85th birthday picture with members of her family. They appear to be sitting in the road, maybe outside their house in Pilmer Road, Crowborough. Alongside Phoebe is her husband, Peter, father of 11 of her 14 children. Behind are three of Phoebe's daughters - my great grandmother Ann PRATT, probably Phoebe's only legitimate child, Kate HENDLEY, daughter of Peter and Phoebe, and "Aunt Em" Phoebe's eldest child, born before she was married. The identity of the other 3, younger, people was unknown.
The Jarvis Family of Crowborough and East Sussex, by T. G. Hill, published 2013 accessible at: The Keep [LIB/507836]
Another Way: The Horder Centre Sixty Years of Evolution, by Charles Gallannaugh, published 6 June 2013 (218 pp., AuthorHouseUK, ISBN-10: 1481796801 & ISBN-13: 9781481796804) accessible at: East Sussex Libraries
Abstract:At a time when the National Health Service (NHS) is undergoing critical scrutiny following numerous revelations of poor care and mismanagement, this book tells the story of an independent hospital, which working in partnership with the NHS yet remaining outside the state system, provides a very high quality of care for patients which is free at the point of delivery. The story of the Horder Centre falls conveniently into two parts. Part one describes the time from its founding until the death of its founder, Cecilia Bochenek, in 1981. Part two describes the establishment of the surgical unit there and the development of a modern joint replacement service. To maintain the status quo is no longer tenable. A radical change is needed in the NHS and if the independent sector or the private sector can assist in that endeavour, their contribution should be welcomed not resisted.
Crowborough's War 1914 - 1918, by Paul Adams, published 1 November 2013 (120 pp., Oak Moss Publications, ISBN-10: 0992641403 & ISBN-13: 9780992641405) accessible at: British Library & East Sussex Libraries
101 Amazing Facts about Arthur Conan Doyle, compiled by Jack Goldstein and Isabella Reese, published 3 April 2014 (26 pp., Andrews UK Ltd)
A Chronology Of The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle: 22nd May 1859 to 7th July 1930, by Brian W. Pugh, published 8 April 2014 (revised edition, 320 pp., London: MX Publishing, ISBN-10: 1780926383 & ISBN-13: 9781780926384)
Abstract:This 2014 edition is a fully revised, updated and expanded edition of the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and supersedes all previous editions. The first section contains a family tree and a very detailed chronology of the major and minor events in the life of Sir Arthur and his family from 1755 to 1930. This is followed by a section on events from 1930 to 1998, An Arctic Voyage in 1880, the residences of Conan Doyle and his family, where are they buried, locations of plaques and statues, Conan Doyle and cricket, Conan Doyle and football, Innes Doyle and Cricket, a list of biographies and semi-biographical works, a bibliography, a selective list of miscellaneous writings, works consulted and about the chronologist, plus a comprehensive index. Also included are a number of well produced photographs of Conan Doyle, his family at various times of his life; some of which have not appeared in print before. This publications proves that there is more to Arthur Conan Doyle than just Sherlock Holmes.
More Than a Team: A History of Crowborough Rugby Football Club: the First Ten Years 1936/7 - 1946/7, by John Hackworth, published 31 October 2014 (192 pp., Hackworth Crowborough Chronicles, ISBN-10: 0993000908 & ISBN-13: 9780993000904) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/508914] & British Library & East Sussex Libraries
Training for war: Plans of the three Great War Divisional Camps in Sussex, by Luke Barber and Justin Russell, published 2015 in Sussex Archæological Collections (vol. 153, article, pp.191-201) accessible at: W.S.R.O. [Lib 18934] & The Keep [LIB/509033] & S.A.S. library View Online
Abstract:During research on the Great War camps at Seaford, the authors located a set of 1916 plans in the Canadian national archives. Not only was Seaford covered but also the camps at Crowborough and Shoreham. These extensive sites have all but disappeared and the plans therefore provide an invaluable insight into the three divisional camps in the county. The plans have been redrawn and colour coded for reproduction here along with a brief explanatory narrative.
No Better Place: Arthur Conan Doyle, Windlesham and Communication with The Other Side (1907-1930), by Alistair Duncan, published 4 January 2016 (347 pp., Andrews UK Ltd.)
Abstract:Following his second marriage in 1907 Arthur Conan Doyle was looking to the future. The years ahead would see the birth of three children, fresh literary success and the discovery of his new faith. Those same years would also see the First World War, the final adventures of Sherlock Holmes and ridicule from the religious and scientific communities for his beliefs.
Crowborough, Jarvis Brook and Rotherfield War Memorials, by Nigel Allison, published 1 July 2016 (163 pp., Nigel Allison Publishing, ISBN-10: 1526204134 & ISBN-13: 9781526204134) accessible at: The Keep [LIB/509248]
1841 Census vol.16 - Rotherfield area, published (no date) by PBN Publications (Ref: BPCR, CD-ROM)