Billingshurst is another local village to me and the one that I lived in when we first moved to West Sussex as a child. Ice Badger lives even closer to it, but only comes in occasionally to buy food. For that reason alone it was going to be a dead cert that we were both going to see new things! There has been a settlement here since Roman times and Stane Street [Roman road] runs straight through the centre of it. It has always been a prosperous place and in earlier times its wealth came from coaching and market trading. These days with its medieval centre still largely intact and decent modern facilities it is continuing to attract people wanting to make it their home.
The parish church of St Mary has parts dating back to the 1200s, but it saw a major refurb in the Victorian era so the inside is pleasant, but not one that particularly appeals to me. I did think that the lion artwork was rather appealing though. On the shingled broach tower is a half sized replica of London's Big Ben clock. It was interesting to read in the info about the church that back in 1520 there were four lock up shops in the graveyard that were rented out to a butcher, a carpenter, a shoe-maker and a weaver. You can tell what people were up to in churchyards by what they got fined for....dancing on a Sunday, playing games on Saint days....they certainly viewed the sacred space differently to how we do in this modern age.
I did rather like this play on words on the shop sign of the local dog groomers. I guess as the face of retail on the High Street continues to change we will see more of this type of business thriving rather than the more traditional retail models we are more accustomed to. Incredibly R Rhodes and Son [Raymond Rhodes] has been on this same spot in this purpose built shop since 1934 and it's now in its 4th generation. It was actually set up in the 19th century by Raymond's ancestor Michael, but elsewhere.
With many village pubs sadly closing in this day and age it's good to see the village supporting two. This 16th century one was actually a farmhouse until the Victorian era. Originally it had a windmill behind it which burnt down on 5th November 1852. Reading about the village's Guy Fawkes custom of a man dressing up as a devil and running to the top of the bonfire as the villagers recited their Bonfire Hymn and then running down before he got burnt I hope that it's just a coincidence that it happened on the same date!
Here's a blast from the past on the outside of what is now an Indian Restaurant. The first of the Lyons teashops opened in 1894 in Piccadilly and continued well into the 20th century. Their famous waitresses were called Nippies for their quick and efficient table waiting!
There are some cracking houses, but this brick one made a bit of a change from the black and white ones I normally show. As for that name of one of the ones further up the road I am frankly foxed. I tried Google to see if I could find out the history of it. but all Google could suggest was "did you mean to type Middle Fingers Cottage". Erm no!! A mystery it must remain! [not now see below]
And that as they say was Billingshurst done!
Arilx
Footnote- a member of the village history society very kindly explained to me that originally the land opposite was owned by a house called Gingers and there was an antique shop called "Little Gingers". In time Gingers was knocked down and the land sold off for a shopping arcade called Jengers Mead. Jengers is the 14th century version of Gingers! The middle bit comes from it being the middle cottage in what originally was a 17th century coaching house [you can see the old entrance for the coach above the window].
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