England & Wales Hardwicke Marriage Index
Marriages 1754 - 1837
Buxted St Margaret

The Parish

The parish of Buxted lies in northeastern Sussex roughly 2 miles northeast of the market town of Uckfield. Buxted sits on the short A272 road which connects the village with the A26 linking Uckfield with Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Buxted has a length of the A272 for almost half a mile as well as modern development to both north & south of it. Buxted sits at the heart of the Sussex Weald, a former Royal Hunting Reserve, that sits on generally poor soils, consequently farming of any kind was limited, a few pigs were kept but large areas were forested and managed for woodland products including timber for shipping. The rocks, however, were rich in iron and the area was productive with iron smelting, usually on a small scale, indeed it is believed that much of the ordnance for the fleets were cast in this area. Today there is little sign of such heavy industry and accompanying pollution, Buxted is perhaps better known for raising chickens in the modern era. Modern developments arrived with a railway line connecting Uckfield to London with a station sitting at the western end of Buxted village. Buxted is drained southwestwards by the infant River Uck which passes through Uckfield and onward join the Sussex Ouse, that river heads through Lewes and reaches the English Channel through Newhaven. The western end of Buxted sits at 50 metres above the sea by the Uck, the eastern end, however, is at double that height and land continues rising eastwards to reach just short of 150 metres in places, not for nothing is the area known as the "High Weald". Buxted parish was a large parish covering just over 8,200 acres, necessary given the poor land for providing food, that area would, however, have supported a population of around 1,550 parishioners. Domesday Book has little coverage for the Weald, it was reserved for the hunting elite of the Normans consequently Buxted is not mentioned in it.

The Church

St Margaret's church sits someway from its congregation within the grounds of Buxted Park, now a luxury hotel. Despite heavy restoration by the Victorians enough medieval survives to construct the church's likely order of construction. The earliest remaining fabric is 13th century and of the Early English Gothic era, the 4-bay arcades being of this era, the southern being slightly earlier than the northern. In addition the basal stages of the western tower are of the 13th century albeit topped by Georgian additions from the 18th century. At the eastern end Pevsner assigns a c1300 date to the chancel placing it within the brief Transitional period when both Early English Gothic, it has 3 lancets, and Decorated styling, the eastern window originally but restored, intermingled for a while. The late medieval period of the Perpendicular is represented by the northern porch and the aisle walls. Most churches then remained static until Georgian & Victorian restorers got to work, not so here as c1600 saw the delightful canted ceiling and the clerestory added. Finally the topping to the western tower was added in the 18th century. Whilst Pevsner tuts about the restoration he fails mention the date of the alleged work which was undoubtedly in the Victorian period. The church is approached along the access driveway for the hotel from the A272, there is a widening of the road to allow parking at the church, a few trees stand around but they are confined largely to the west and north leaving the favoured aspects for the photographer.