Robertsbridge is a village in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
of
Salehurst and Robertsbridge, and the
Rother district of
East Sussex
East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...
, England. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...
and 13 miles (21 km) south-east of
Royal Tunbridge Wells. The
River Rother passes through the village.
History
The village is thought to date back to 1176 when a
Cistercian
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...
abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conce ...
was founded there by the Abbot, Robert de St Martin. When a
market charter was granted in 1198 by
Richard I to Robertsbridge (''Pons Roberti'' in Latin) it was the first recorded use of the name. The abbey was
dissolved in 1538; however, the town flourished, and many of the oldest existing houses in the village date from the 14th and 15th centuries, including
The Seven Stars Inn in the High Street. From the village was discovered the
Robertsbridge Codex (1360), a music manuscript from the 14th century. It contains the earliest surviving music written specifically for keyboard.
Transport
Robertsbridge Railway Station
Robertsbridge railway station is on the Hastings line in the south of England and serves the village of Robertsbridge, East Sussex. It is down the line from London Charing Cross. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeast ...
is on the main railway line from
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...
to London, and the
A21 trunk road. The Robertsbridge
bypass
Bypass may refer to:
* Bypass (road), a road that avoids a built-up area (not to be confused with passing lane)
* Flood bypass of a river
Science and technology Medicine
* Bypass surgery, a class of surgeries including for example:
** Heart bypas ...
opened in 1989.
Education
Robertsbridge Community College, a specialist mathematics and computer college, is the smallest such in the county of East Sussex. Salehurst Church of England Primary School is also located in the village.
Community facilities
Robertsbridge cultural organizations include Robertsbridge Arts Partnership (RAP], a Jazz Club and Robertsbridge Wine Club (RWC). Sports clubs include Robertsbridge Cricket Club. and formerly Robertsbridge Rugby Football Club, which disbanded in the 2008-2009 season. Robertsbridge has a bonfire society.
Economy
Robertsbridge is the home to several notable sporting equipment brands. Parent company Grays International have been based in Robertsbridge since moving from Cambridgeshire in the 1990s. The company makes
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
equipment under the
Gray-Nicolls brand,
netball
Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
and
rugby equipment as
Gilbert Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South A ...
, and
hockey equipment as Grays.
Religion
Robertsbridge United Reformed Church
Robertsbridge United Reformed Church (originally Robertsbridge Congregational Chapel) is a former United Reformed Church place of worship in Robertsbridge, a village in the Districts of England, district of Rother District, Rother in the English c ...
, a
Grade II-listed chapel built in 1881, stands on the High Street.
The former
Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel, built in 1842 and also listed Grade II, is nearby.
A residential
Bruderhof community, known as Darvell, is located on the outskirts of the village.
Notable people
People who have lived in Robertsbridge include educationalist and women's rights activist
Barbara Bodichon, journalist
Malcolm Muggeridge,, model
Heather Mills
Heather Anne Mills (born 12 January 1968) is an English former model, businesswoman and activist.
Mills first came to public attention in 1993 when she was a model and was involved in a traffic collision with a police motorcycle in London. T ...
, and footballer
Sam Jennings
Samuel Jennings (26 December 1898 – 21 August 1944) was an English footballer and football manager. A tall player, he was a goal-scoring centre-forward, with a ratio of a goal every two games.
After playing for various amateur sides, he joi ...
who died there in 1944.
Demography
The demographics above are drawn from the National Statistics Office, 2001 Census. As data is not available for Robertsbridge in isolation, the table includes the entire parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge.
As data for the table above is not available for Robertsbridge in isolation, it is drawn from the Salehurst Ward which covers a larger area including Salehurst, Robertsbridge and Bodiam.
References
External links
*
Salehurst and Robertsbridge Parish CouncilRobertsbridge Community College
{{authority control
Villages in East Sussex
Market towns in East Sussex
Rother District