Angmering
HISTORY OF ANGMERING
The village of Angmering has a rich, long, and fascinating history. On Harrow Hill - in its extreme north - Neolithic Man mined flint for tools and weapons, a process that continued into the Bronze and Iron Ages and beyond. Evidence of settlements in and around the village from these periods have also been discovered in recent years.
The village itself grew as a result of its geographical position, its access to materials, and to the nature of the land which surrounded it. Access to water was critical and the Black Ditch stream which coursed through Angmering provided this, while timber, flint and clay for building materials were readily available. The land, which is mainly rich brickearth in the south and chalk in the north, were ideal for both arable and sheep/cattle farming. Being on relatively flat land in its south, Angmering was easily accessible from the ancient highways along the coastal plain while the river to the sea was once navigable up to southern parts of the parish and provided a further communication link.
Later, the Romans took advantage of these benefits, and evidence of their settlements have been found in numerous locations, the most notable being the substantial Roman villa and bathhouse near the parish’s western boundary, and a smaller bathhouse on the slopes of Highdown - a Bronze Age settlement - to its east.
But it was not until the Saxons settled here that we can start to visualise a more permanent community. It is believed the name may have originated from a Saxon settler of status by the name of ‘Angenmaer’, the addition of ‘ing’ meaning ‘the people of’. Its first mention comes in the 9thC when Alfred the Great granted ‘Angmerengatum’ to his kinsman Osferthe.
With the Norman occupation and settlement of Britain, a system of manors evolved, and the 1086 Domesday Survey records the village as being divided into the two principal manors of ‘Angenmare’ (possibly East and West). These were later subdivided to include Ecclesden and Ham.
Angmering once comprised three parishes, namely, East and West Angmering in the south, and Barpham (or Bargham) in the north. All three were combined into one at the time of the 16thC Reformation as, by that time, the Saxon-founded churches of East Angmering and Barpham had fallen into ruin. Only the late-12thC Norman church of West Angmering remains today – St Margaret’s.
Angmering was at one time considered a small market town – granted a Charter by King Richard II in 1384 – and until c1830 was the location of an annual district hiring fair for securing the services of labourers and shepherds. The consequences of the Charter undoubtedly helped Angmering grow in importance.
Within its Conservation Area, Angmering is fortunate to have several houses with medieval and Tudor origins that have survived, and which are protected as Listed Buildings, as are many others from the Georgian and Victorian eras. The early-18thC Longback Cottages in Arundel Road, built originally as poorhouses for the aged and infirm, remind us that social responsibilities are not altogether a modern happening.
One of the earliest village schools in Sussex was established in Angmering. In 1682, a village yeoman, William Older, bequeathed money for the building of a school and, although rebuilt in the mid-19thC, it remained the principal education institution until 1965 when a new primary school was built in Arundel Road. Later, the old building was put to use as the village library. A smaller Roman Catholic primary school opened in 1872, and a large Comprehensive secondary school was constructed in 1975 in the south of the parish.
The railway came to Angmering’s southern boundary in 1846. This allowed greater movement of the population and easier export of produce. The produce largely came from a market gardening industry which was started in the mid-19thC and developed to serve the emerging local seaside resorts, and the needs of cities such as London and Birmingham. However, cheaper foreign imports in the 1950s/1960s saw that industry go into steep decline.
The demand for more houses and improvement in living conditions saw a steadily rising parish population through the 20thC, which accelerated further in the last 20 or more years. With a population of 708 in 1801, 1022 in 1901, 5812 in 2001, the number now exceeds 10,000 which presents challenges for Angmering and its infrastructure. Notwithstanding this, the village centre retains its rural charm and attractiveness, largely through the preservation of its old and ancient buildings, and the spirit of the Angmering community in ensuring this.
For more detailed history, visit: www.angmeringvillage.co.uk/history/hist_index.htm
Neil Rogers-Davis, 2021
