St. Peter's Church
Stonegate, East Sussex
The current village of Stonegate is located at the cross roads of two old Roman roads, one linking Pevensey with the inland hills, and the other linking Bardown (a Roman iron works to the north of the village), with the sea either at Etchingham or Salehurst.
Once the Romans left, the area returned to its rural existance. After the Norman invasion it became part of the Robertsbridge Abbey lands, and on its dissolution in 1539 by Henry VIII, its ownership was transferred to the Sidney family.
In 1836, Stonegate became a district in its own right and the small village was given a church in 1838. This was demolished in the early 1900's due to bad workmanship and a new one built in 1904.
In 1851 the railway built from Royal Tunbridge Wells, originally known as Witheringden, became the Ticehurst Road Station, as it is the nearest rail station to the large settlement of Ticehurst. Eventually in later years the village became known as Stonegate. Today the former Ticehurst Road Station is known as Stonegate Rail Station.
The British Newspaper Library
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