Robertsbridge is a village in the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge, and the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Hastings and 13 miles (21 km) south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells. The River Rother passes through the village.
| Robertsbridge | |
|---|---|
 View of High Street | |
  Robertsbridge Location within East Sussex | |
| Area | 18.15 km2 (7.01 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 2,641 (Parish-2010)[1] 2,624 (2001 census) |
| • Density | 146/km2 (380/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ737235 |
| • London | 44 miles (71 km) NW |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ROBERTSBRIDGE |
| Postcode district | TN32 |
| Dialling code | 01580 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Salehurst and Robertsbridge Parish Council |
History
editThe village is thought[by whom?] to date back to 1176 when a Cistercian abbey was founded there by the Abbot, Robert de St Martin. When a market charter was granted in 1198 by Richard I to Robertsbridge (Pons Roberti in Latin) it was the first recorded use of the name.[citation needed] The abbey was dissolved in 1538;[citation needed] however, the town flourished, and many of the oldest existing houses in the village date from the 14th and 15th centuries,[2] including The Seven Stars Inn in the High Street.[citation needed] From the village was discovered the Robertsbridge Codex (1360), a music manuscript from the 14th century. It contains the earliest surviving music written specifically for keyboard.[citation needed]
Transport
editRobertsbridge Railway Station is on the main railway line from Hastings to London, and the A21 trunk road. The Robertsbridge bypass opened in 1989.[citation needed]
Education
editRobertsbridge Community College, a specialist mathematics and computer college, is the smallest such in the county of East Sussex.[3][failed verification] Salehurst Church of England Primary School is also located in the village.
Community facilities
editRobertsbridge cultural organizations include Robertsbridge Arts Partnership (RAP], a Jazz Club and Robertsbridge Wine Club (RWC) which is affiliated to the Eureka natural wine society[citation needed] Sports clubs include Robertsbridge Cricket Club.[4] and formerly Robertsbridge Rugby Football Club, which disbanded in the 2008-2009 season. Robertsbridge has a bonfire society.[5]
Economy
editRobertsbridge is the home to several notable sporting equipment brands. Parent company Grays International have been based in Robertsbridge since moving from Cambridgeshire in the 1990s. The company makes cricket equipment under the Gray-Nicolls brand, netball and rugby equipment as Gilbert, and hockey equipment as Grays.
Religion
editRobertsbridge United Reformed Church, a Grade II-listed chapel built in 1881, stands on the High Street.[6] The former Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel, built in 1842 and also listed Grade II, is nearby.[where?] [7] A residential Bruderhof community, known as Darvell, is located on the outskirts of the village.[8][9][10]
Notable people
editPeople who have lived in Robertsbridge include educationalist and women's rights activist Barbara Bodichon,[11] journalist Malcolm Muggeridge,[citation needed], model Heather Mills,[12] and footballer Sam Jennings who died there in 1944.[13]
Demography
edit| Population Salehurst and Robertsbridge Parish CP | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Count | ||
| All people | 2624 | ||
| All males | 1271 | ||
| All females | 1353 | ||
| People aged 0–4 | 169 | ||
| People aged 5–15 | 415 | ||
| People aged 16–24 | 229 | ||
| People aged 25–44 | 684 | ||
| People aged 45–64 | 675 | ||
| People aged 65–74 | 251 | ||
| People aged 75 and over | 201 | ||
The demographics above are drawn from the National Statistics Office, 2001 Census. As data is not available for Robertsbridge in isolation, the table includes the entire parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge.[14]
| Ethnic and Religious Breakdown for Salehurst Ward, compared by percentage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Salehurst Ward | Rother District | South East England | England |
| White | 98.48 | 98.11 | 95.1 | 90.92 |
| Mixed | 0.75 | 0.62 | 1.07 | 1.31 |
| Asian | 0.11 | 0.44 | 2.33 | 4.57 |
| Black | 0.25 | 0.19 | 0.71 | 2.3 |
| Chinese | 0.41 | 1.73 | 0.78 | 0.89 |
| Christian | 77.55 | 76.5 | 72.78 | 71.74 |
| Buddhist | 0.18 | 0.18 | 0.28 | 0.28 |
| Hindu | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.56 | 1.11 |
| Jewish | 0.11 | 0.15 | 0.24 | 0.52 |
| Muslim | 0.11 | 0.64 | 1.36 | 3.1 |
| Sikh | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.47 | 0.67 |
| Other religions | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.36 | 0.29 |
| No religion | 13.89 | 13.91 | 16.5 | 14.59 |
| Religion not stated | 7.67 | 8.1 | 7.46 | 7.69 |
As data for the table above is not available for Robertsbridge in isolation, it is drawn from the Salehurst Ward which covers a larger area including Salehurst, Robertsbridge and Bodiam.[15][16]
-
Ruins of the Robertsbridge Abbey, 1783
-
Robertsbridge station and level crossing
-
The High Street
-
The Ostrich public house
-
Half timbered cottages in the High Street
-
Cottages in Fair Lane
References
edit- ^ a b East Sussex in Figures, East Sussex County Council Retrieved 27 October 2010
- ^ "Robertsbridge Medieval Village". aboutrobertsbridge.org.uk.
- ^ Robertsbridge Community College
- ^ "Robertsbridge CC". play-cricket.com.
- ^ Bonfire society website
- ^ Historic England (2011). "The former United Reformed Church, High Street (east side), Robertsbridge, Salehurst, Rother, East Sussex (1221451)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ^ Historic England (2011). "Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel, High Street (east side), Robertsbridge, Salehurst, Rother, East Sussex (1221399)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ Times, The Sunday (21 July 2019). "Spectrum: an exclusive look inside the Bruderhof communes in Kent and East Sussex". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ "Darvell Bruderhof | Diggers and Dreamers". www.diggersanddreamers.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ "A Day With The Bruderhof". james clarke photography. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ Hirsch, Pam. "Bodichon, Barbara Leigh Smith". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/2755. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Heather Mills treated all her staff badly, nanny claims". The Argus. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Baggaley, Michael (12 November 2017). "Tribute to Port Vale players who gave their lives in the World Wars". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
External links
edit- Media related to Robertsbridge at Wikimedia Commons
