Ashdown Forest - Oldlands

After walking from Fairwarp to the gates of Oldland Hall and slightly beyond, I became very intrigued about the place and did some googling.

Most of the following information is from the splendid article, Alexander Nesbit, a Sussex antiquary, and the Oldlands Estate, by Janet H Stevenson from Sussex Archaeological collections 137 (1999) pg 161-73. Once you have clicked the link, you will need to read and accept the easy-to-read terms and conditions. If you are interested in our local history it is well worth a read. Once you get past the first couple of pages, which focus on Nesbitt's earlier history, it is full of colourful and interesting details about the lands and the people who lived there and has pictures and maps showing Oldlands Hall and its grounds.

The first big surprise was that Oldlands Hall is not a particularly old house. Nesbitt had it built from 1869 in the style of a much older house. Edward Luckhurst, the head gardener, created the huge garden and park.  The garden included a big walled garden and a parterre. He created a highland-style glen and lake from the existing valley and ponds.  Nesbit was clearly a driving force in the area. Among other things he:

• (presumably) contributed money for the National school on the B2026, close to the Fairwarp turning
• was instrumental in the building of Christchurch, next to the school
• with other landowners got into (and won) a dispute with Earl de la Warr over commoners rights.

The house and grounds were occupied and owned by several different people until Frederick Eckstein from Stuttgart bought them in 1920.  The Ecksteins made significant alterations to the house and gardens.

If you visit the church, you will see the grand monuments to Eckstein and family in the graveyard. If you take a look inside the Forresters, you can see a photo of the spitfire that the village bought in WWII. The Ecksteins were big contributors to the fund. After Sir Bernard Eckstein died in 1948, the house was broken up into apartments.

Oldlands Farm.

Following Oldlands Hill past Oldlands Hall gate, leads you to a ford. From here, you can see Oldlands Farm house. According to Stevenson's article, William Levett, may have founded the first ordnance in England somewhere near here.  The farm house is 16th Century with 17th Century additions.  At the beginning of the 19th Century this building was called Oldlands House.

Finally, Stevenson's article contains an irresistible detail:

"A small freehold of Maresfield manor which Maud Oldland held in about 1290 for a yearly rent of two barbed arrows was, as her surname suggests, evidently at Oldlands." This, "Cinderbanks" Estate on the Maresfield (West) side of the Oldlands estate was purchased and added to the estate in 1869.