Mysteries of Sussex: Mysteries of Sussex, #2

By David EP Dennis

Volume 2 Introduction

Welcome to the second of many volumes of Sussex Mysteries. In this book you will discover a Stone Age journey from Dorset to Sussex, the perils of illegal metal detecting, the sad case of the demolition of a beautiful house, what may have happened to a missing palace, how people panicked when the Normans were landing, how it is easy to get confused by ancient names, how we ended up with a navy, the alleged crimes of an overzealous museum curator, the tale of a possible Bond-style spy and a crime story that Sherlock Holmes should have investigated.

Rather than just repeat what others have said, I have tried to give an opinion, in some cases based hopefully on logic derived from academic evidence – or to flesh out possibilities where mysteries still pertain. Any mistake are mine.

Ten tales. Enjoy!

David EP Dennis

Bexhill-on-Sea

• Language: English
• Publisher: David EP Dennis
• Release date: Dec 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201853358

David EP Dennis

David EP Dennis is a retired RAF officer. He lives in East Sussex, England. He is married and has three children and six grandchildren. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development and a Licentiate of City & Guilds International. David is a member of the Open University Poetry Society and a Saatchi artist. He has founded two national charities. He now engages in extensive historical research and works to inform and preserve heritage and wildlife through his photography.  David has had a remarkably wide-ranging career: as an RAF Mountain Rescue Team member, PA to the Red Arrows, many important military posts and as inspector and consultant for education and vocational training. He currently works as a Sussex Police volunteer writer. He has travelled worldwide, especially in the Arctic, Scandinavia, the Middle East, and Australia. David has just completed his studies for an Honours degree in Creative Writing, Classic and Linguistics with the Open University and his intention is to create poems, books, articles, and historical research until the universe stops him. 

Book preview

Mysteries of Sussex: Volume 2

A series exploring the mysteries of Sussex

David EP Dennis

image-placeholder

Outset Publishing Ltd

Published in Great Britain by Outset Publishing Ltd.

Published December 2021

Copyright © David EP Dennis 2021

ISBN: 978-1-872889-41-2

David EP Dennis has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Cover image: Hastings fishing fleet, © DEPD, 2021

Contents

Foreword

Introduction to Volume 2

1. 10,000 BCE - Stone Age Combe Valley

2. 250 BCE – The Excavations of Cissbury Ring

3. 681 CE – Selsey or Church Norton?

4. 771 CE – The origin of Hastings

5. 1066 – Panic at Sedlescombe

6. 1100 – The Barons of the Cinque Ports

7. 1885 – The Woman at Belmont House, Hastings

8. 1853 – The Curious Curator of St Leonards-on-Sea

9. 1915 – Crowborough’s Famous Detective

10. 1994 CE – Destruction at Beddingham

Conclusion

Bibliography

More about the History and Mysteries of Sussex

About the author

Foreword

Welcome to the second volume of our new series of mysteries about the wonderful county of Sussex, now divided politically into East and West, yet in our hearts unchanged. The South Saxons are a hardy breed, encountering and dealing with Angles, Jutes, Danish and Norwegian Vikings, Mercians, incursions by the French - and putting up with the Normans! Despite the many changes of ruler, the core of Sussex by the Sea remains strong. We love our county and in this series of publications, we hope to remind everyone of our great heritage.

We showcase the struggle for living and life, for good combatting bad, for kindness and mendacity, for the landscape and wildlife and our deep concern for the way that the balance between nature and civilisation is tipping in the wrong direction – more featureless housing estates, more roads driven through sensitive landscapes with ensuing pollution, and separating people from the great wild that Sussex once was.

We hope our writing will help to keep the heart of Sussex alive and beating strongly.

David E P Dennis BA (Hons) FCIPD LCGI RAF

Bexhill-on-Sea December 2021

Introduction to Volume 2

Welcome to the second of many volumes of Mysteries of Sussex. In this book you will discover a Stone Age journey from Dorset to Sussex, the perils of illegal metal detecting, the sad case of the demolition of a beautiful house, what may have happened to a missing palace, how people panicked when the Normans were landing, how it is easy to get confused by ancient names, how we ended up with a navy, the alleged crimes of an overzealous museum curator, the tale of a possible Bond-style spy, and a crime story that Sherlock Holmes should have investigated.

Rather than just repeat what others have said, I have tried to give an opinion, in some cases based hopefully on logic derived from academic evidence – or to flesh out possibilities where mysteries still pertain. Any mistakes are mine.

Ten tales. Enjoy!

David EP Dennis

Bexhill-on-Sea

A note about dates

In her helpful book – How to Research Local History, Pamela Brooks explains that under the Calendar Act 1752, the first day of the year moved from Lady Day on 25 March, to 1st January. Before that, the period from 1 January to 24 March was the last quarter of the year. So in the old records 1 February 1605 (old style) is actually 1 February 1606 (new style).

Also, in 1752 England switched from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian calendar. When this happened, Wednesday, 2 September 1752 was followed by Thursday, 14 September 1752, so removing eleven days, due to Julian Calendar Leap Year errors. Often now in history books you will see dates written as 1710/11.

Chapter one

10,000 BCE - Stone Age Combe Valley

Mystery: Why did Stone Age people walk from Dorset to make flints in the Valley?

Combe Valley is the ancient riverbed of the Combe Haven River, formerly called the Asten, and likely derived from the name of the leader of the Haestingas tribe that took the territory in ancient times – Haesten (see Chapter 4 for more information). It lies between Crowhurst and Battle in the north and Bexhill and St Leonards-on-Sea in the south. It is the source of water for the upper reaches of Bulverhythe ancient harbour, the original port of Hastings. It is fed by three streams, the Watermill, Powdermill and Hollington Spring Stream. Ancient maps show that part of the Watermill stream drained westwards into Pevensey Marshes, but this link has been lost through farming changes.

The Combe Valley water catchment area is not that large, around 2.5 to three square miles, but what makes it special is that it always floods in winter to form a giant lake, attracting much wildlife, especially water birds in nationally significant numbers. The Valley has a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) divided into two parts – the central valley banks of the Combe Haven with some fen landscape, and Filsham Reed Beds, the largest area of reeds in Sussex. The valley is mainly marshland with peat in the substrata, but the valley contains around thirty-three percent of all the peat-based