Pulborough Signal box from Geograph 4009033 by Peter Trimming.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Pulborough is a large village and civil parish in the
Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
district of West Sussex, England, with some 5,000 inhabitants. It is located almost centrally within West Sussex and is south west of London. It is at the junction of the north–south A29 and the east–west ( A283) roads. The village is near the confluence of the River Arun and the River Rother, on the Stane Street Roman road from London to Chichester. It looks southwards over the broad flood plain of the tidal Arun to a backdrop of the South Downs. It is on the northern boundary of the newly established South Downs National Park. The parish covers an area of 5,183 acres (2,098 hectares). The twelfth-century parish church is dedicated to St Mary. In the 2001 census there were 4,685 people living in 1,976 households of whom 2,333 were economically active. At the 2011 Census the population of
Bignor Bignor is a village and civil parish in the Chichester (district), Chichester district of the England, English county of West Sussex, about north of Arundel. It is in the civil parish of Pulborough. The nearest railway station is south east of ...
was included and the total population was 5,206.


History

Historically, it was a fording place over the River Arun used by the Romans, who had a ''
mansio In the Roman Empire, a ''mansio'' (from the Latin word ''mansus,'' the perfect passive participle of ''manere'' "to remain" or "to stay") was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or ''via'', maintained by the central government for the use ...
'' across the river at
Hardham Hardham is a small village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It is on the A29 road southwest of Pulborough. It is in the civil parish of Coldwaltham. Archaeology The village is on the line of Stane Street Roman road, which cha ...
, one day's march from Chichester on the London road. The Saxons bridged the River Arun here and at nearby Stopham, north of its confluence with the River Rother. It became an important watering and overnight halt for cattle drovers providing easy access to water. A mile to the west in woodland are the earthwork remains of a
motte and bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortification ...
castle known as Park Mound, dating from the 11th century. Transport connections afforded by the River Arun, its navigation, and later by the LBSCR Arun Valley Line brought Pulborough into the industrial age. Good road connections permitted, in the 20th century, the development of manufacturing industry, notably heavy engineering in London Road. This has long since closed down and the site now supports, among other things, a supermarket and a health centre. The village is served by Pulborough railway station.


Attractions

Each year, Pulborough hosts the 12-hour lawn mower race which runs continuously for 12 hours. On the fourth Saturday of September Pulborough hosts a traditional Harvest Fair complete with old time fair ground, welly wanging and a scarecrow competition, and in June the Pulborough duck race society holds its annual duck race, a charity event. Pulborough is also home to the
South Downs Light Railway The South Downs Light Railway is a gauge railway at Pulborough in West Sussex, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lie ...
with its steam and diesel trains running regularly throughout the summer, and a more limited service through the colder months.


Local cricket

Earliest records suggest
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 striki ...
has been played in Pulborough since 1799. Now based at the Recreation Ground, Pulborough Cricket Club boasts numerous Senior and Junior (Colts) teams. Previously a member club of the Sussex Invitation League, Pulborough's 1st and 2nd Elevens were invited to join the Sussex Cricket League ("the county league") from the 2004 season. A 3rd League XI plays in the West Sussex League, home matches being played nearby at Watersfield. Pulborough was a founder member of the North West Sussex Colts Cricket League (now known as the iDentilam League) in 1987, when it became apparent that schools were not providing adequate cricketing opportunities to local youth. Various age-groups (Under 9s, 10s, 12s, 14s and 16s) now provide ample opportunity to develop cricket skills, played in a competitive environment and ultimately secure the long-term future of the club. The club also provides a mechanism for younger players to progress into senior cricket, with two non-league senior teams playing matches on Sunday afternoons. In 2006, the Sussex Cricket Board recognised the club's efforts towards youth sport, and awarded it ECB 'Focus Club' status. In 2008, the Club launches a junior girls team, thereby continuing the club's ongoing progressive and ambitious plans.


Other notable events

On 17 July 2000, Pulborough made the headlines when the body of missing girl Sarah Payne was found in a field off the A29 near the village. She had been reported missing some away near Littlehampton 16 days earlier. Roy Whiting, a 42-year-old convicted paedophile, was found guilty of her murder on 12 December 2001 and sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
.BBC News
Retrieved 2009-11-04
On 19 April 2003, the body of 31-year-old
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
music teacher Jane Longhurst, who had been strangled some weeks earlier, was found at Wiggonholt Common. Her best friend's partner
Graham Coutts Graham and Graeme may refer to: People * Graham (given name), an English-language given name * Graham (surname), an English-language surname * Graeme (surname), an English-language surname * Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer * Clan Gr ...
was found guilty of her murder on 4 February 2004 and sentenced to life imprisonment.


References


External links


Pulborough Parish Council
{{authority control Horsham District Villages in West Sussex