Mayfield and Five Ashes is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the High

Weald The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...

of East Sussex, England. The two villages making up the principal part of the parish lie on the A267 road between

Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. ...

and

Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...

: Mayfield, the larger of the two villages is ten miles (16 km) south of Royal Tunbridge Wells; with Five Ashes being 2.5 miles (4 km) further south.

Mayfield village

Every September the village hosts its annual carnival. This is to commemorate the Protestants being condemned here on 23 September 1556, and being burnt at the stake in Lewes. The festival is part of the Sussex bonfire tradition of marking the discovery of the

Gunpowder Plot The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby who sough ...

. The procession marches through the village by torchlight on the third Saturday in September, climaxing with a firework display in the recreation ground. The money raised through the street collection is spent on charities.

Governance

Mayfield and Five Ashes Civil Parish falls within the electoral ward simply called Mayfield. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 2,614.

Toponymy

The early village was recorded in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

of 1087 within the

Rape of Pevensey The Rape of Pevensey (also known as Pevensey Rape) is one of the rapes, the traditional sub-divisions unique to the historic county of Sussex in England. With an area of it is the largest of the Sussex rapes. History William the Conqueror gra ...

as ''Mesewelle'', which may indicate a well on tableland or more likely "belonging to Meese", a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

man's name, or less likely, a new well or well dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

. The meshing of Norman French and Anglo-Saxon into

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

meant that one person was often referred to by several spellings in a lifetime. Various spellings of Meese include Meece, Mese, Mece, Mees, Mey, and May. The village name derives from both "Maghefeld" (a field where

mayweed Mayweed is a common name for two different species of flowering plants and also a name commonly used for several genera of the tribe Anthemideae whose species are currently in a flux of renaming: Species with the common name of mayweed: :''Anthemis ...

grows) and "maid's field"–the village sign depicts a maid. A number of 15th century emigrants to the

new world The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

had the surname May rather than Maid, which indicates the

"mayde" in signage began as a

rebus A rebus () is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...

. Mayfield used to be a part of the manor of Malling, to the north west of Lewes, which belonged to the Kings of

Wessex la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...

. Between 823 and 836 CE, King

Egbert of Wessex Ecgberht (770/775 – 839), also spelled Egbert, Ecgbert, Ecgbriht, Ecgbeorht, and Ecbert, was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was King Ealhmund of Kent. In the 780s, Ecgberht was forced into exile to Charlem ...

and his son Æthelwulf gave it to Canterbury Cathedral: it became an Archbishop's ' peculiar' in the Diocese of Canterbury, and one of the Archbishop's palaces was built here. It was transferred to the

Diocese of Chichester The Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese based in Chichester, covering Sussex. It was founded in 681 as the ancient Diocese of Selsey, which was based at Selsey Abbey, until the see was translated to Chichester in 1075. The cath ...

in 1846.

16th and 17th centuries

Mayfield was at its height during the boom in the

Wealden iron industry The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Iron ...

, and many of the fine houses date from that time.

18th and 19th centuries

During the early 18th century, Mayfield became a centre for ''owling'' - smuggling wool for brandy and silk. Gabriel Tomkins was the leader of the local gang: in 1721 he was chased from

Burwash Burwash, archaically known as Burghersh, is a rural village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. Situated in the High Weald of Sussex some 15 miles (24 km) inland from the port of Hastings, it is located five ...

to Nutley and then was arrested. The gang had a reputation for not using violence; and also applying their profits to the benefit of the local community, unlike many other such gangs: the

Hawkhurst Gang The Hawkhurst Gang was a notorious criminal organisation involved in smuggling throughout southeast England from 1735 until 1749. One of the more infamous gangs of the early 18th century, they extended their influence from Hawkhurst, their base i ...

in particular. The Swing Riots affected the area with army arriving on 15 November 1830. Some local workers were imprisoned or transported. With the opening of the railway line in 1880 between Hailsham and Tunbridge Wells a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

was built to serve the village. On 1 September 1897, there was a railway accident on a curved section of track between Heathfield and Mayfield near Clayton Farm. A six-carriage train pulled by the engine ''Bonchurch'' was derailed and the driver was killed. the station closed in 1965 following the

Beeching Report Beeching is an English surname. Either a derivative of the old English ''bece'', ''bæce'' "stream", hence "dweller by the stream" or of the old English ''bece'' "beech-tree" hence "dweller by the beech tree".''Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames' ...

. The station building in Station Road is now converted to a private house and the route of the railway is now occupied by the re-routed A267 bypass of the village.

Mayfield churches

Both village and church are said to have been founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, St Dunstan, in 960 CE, and there are legends surrounding his connection with the village. Dunstan is supposed to have become an ironworker and run a small forge next to the church. The legend goes that he was confronted by the devil, either making offensive remarks, or disguised as a young woman. He then pinched the devil's nose with the tongs. The devil then fled to Tunbridge Wells and doused his burnt nose with the spring water. Some sources note that the story happened in

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

rather than Mayfield, and that Dunstan may have in fact clamped tongs around someone's nose, with the story of it being the devil added later. The Anglican

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

is dedicated to Dunstan. In 1389 much of the village and most of the church were destroyed by fire; the latter was struck by

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

in the 17th century. The church was subsequently rebuilt in the fifteenth century. The church is in a mostly Perpendicular style and has a "squat, shingled broach spire". Inside the church there are a number of graves made of iron for the families of Mayfield's ironmasters. Mayfield Baptist Chapel

There are three other religious buildings in Mayfield: the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

church of St Thomas of Canterbury (in Station Road), Coggins Mill Church (a Free Church, also in Station Road), and Mayfield

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

Chapel (on South Street).

Shops and businesses

There are a large number of shops and other commercial properties in Mayfield High Street. There are two pubs in Mayfield: the Middle House (in the High Street) and the Rose and Crown (in Fletching Street). The multi-award winning retreat venue, Fair Oak Farm, often frequented by celebrities and hired by internationally recognised brands, is located on Witherenden Road, a country lane just outside of the village.

Mayfield schools

St Leonards-Mayfield Roman Catholic girls' boarding school, which has existed since 1872, is situated on the High Street. The school consists of years seven up to thirteen. The head mistress is Miss Antonia Beary. The school is on the site of the Mayfield Old Palace which, after being founded by St Dunstan, used to be a lodging place for archbishops before being given to Henry VIII. It was rebuilt in the fourteenth century by Archbishop

Simon Islip Simon Islip (died 1366) was an English prelate. He served as Archbishop of Canterbury between 1349 and 1366. Early life Islip was the uncle of William Whittlesey. He was a cousin of Walter de Islip, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer:Ball, F. ...

, and was owned by

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry ...

before being given to Henry VIII in 1545. It was also used by Edward I and Queen Elizabeth I. After this, it fell into ruin but was purchased in 1863 by the Duchess of Leeds and given to the Society of the Holy Child, who established a convent there. The school was opened in 1872.

Mayfield College Mayfield College is a defunct Roman Catholic boys' boarding school founded as thin 1865–1866 by the American-born Dowager Duchess of Leeds one mile from Mayfield, East Sussex. The main building and attached chapel were built in the Gothic sty ...

, a now-defunct boys' boarding school run by the Xaverian Brothers, was located in nearby Little Trodgers Lane. Following its closure its main building, designed by

E. W. Pugin Edward Welby Pugin (11 March 1834 – 5 June 1875) was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect an ...

, has been converted to luxury apartments. The village's Church of England primary school is mainly

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

but has modern additions.

Five Ashes village

Between Mayfield and Heathfield lie two small hamlets: Cross-in-Hand and Five Ashes. The latter is part of the same parish as Mayfield.

Churches

The small village church was dedicated to The Good Shepherd until its demolition and replacement by an end of life hospice in 2019.

Commercial businesses

There are no retail shops in the village apart from a Porsche car dealership. There is also a pub called The Five Ashes Inn.

Schools

Five Ashes C of E Primary School - geograph

There are two schools in Five Ashes. Five Ashes Primary School is a small voluntary controlled Church of England school with around 45 children on roll. Skippers Hill Manor Preparatory School is a small private school founded in 1945 by Ray and Maureen Ward, remaining in the family until it was sold to

Bellevue Education Bellevue Education is an international private schools group founded in 2003 and based in London, UK. By 2019 it has grown to consist of 19 schools in the UK and 1 each in France and Switzerland. The Group also provides educational support to Bel ...

in 2010.

Parks and recreation

In Five Ashes, there is a large playing field where football and other games can be played and a skateboarding park. Adjoining the playing field and village hall is a children's playground. In Stonehurst Lane, there is a park with wooded areas and ponds called Foxes Copse where dogs can be walked.

Argos Hill

Rising about south of

, Argos Hill is between the villages of Rotherfield and Mayfield. It is known for the landmark of Argos Hill Windmill, a

grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

that was built between 1831 and 1843 and operational until 1927. It was restored in the 1960s, and was under threat of demolition in 2008.Friends of Argos Hill Windmill
/ref> In 1939

Counties Ship Management Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. (CSM) was an ocean-going merchant shipping company based in the United Kingdom. During the Second World War CSM merchant ships made a substantial contribution to supplying the British war effort, at a cost of ...

renamed the cargo ship ''"Argos Hill"''.

References

* {{Wealden Civil parishes in East Sussex Wealden District