Barnham, West Sussex

infobox UK place
country = England
latitude= 50.83109
longitude= -0.63824
official_name=Barnham
static_

static_image_caption=St Mary the Virgin Church,Barnham
population =
shire_district= Arun
shire_county= West Sussex
metropolitan_borough=
metropolitan_county =
region=South East England
constituency_westminster= Arundel and South Downs
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= SU959044

Barnham is a large village and civil parish in the Arun district of West Sussex, England, about five miles north of Bognor Regis. The civil parish had a population of 1,270 persons according to the 1991 census, although the adjacent area of 'West Barnham' (actually in the parish of Eastergate - see below) adds a further 3,107 (2001 census) to the total. The village covers an area of 373.3ha. As with many other such villages in the south-east of England, there are plans for many more houses to be built, mostly retirement apartments for the elderly.

Barnham is mentioned in the Domesday Book and the cattle market (founded in 1890 but now long gone) was, in its heyday, considered to be one of the most important in Sussex for both cattle and cereals.

In the 20th century this area, on alluvial soils, was important for market gardening; There are many large, industrial-sized greenhouses in the area, although very few actually within the parish boundary. There is a continuing debate about the amount of light pollution caused by them. Barnham Nurseries and F. Toynbee Ltd were two important horticultural nurseries based in the village, both now closed.

The parish church, dedicated to St Mary, was given to the Abbey of Lessay in Normandy in 1105 and later passed to Boxgrove Priory [ [http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/sx/barnh/ Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture] ] . There is an elaborate carved rectangular font of Sussex marble. The white wooden tower was once regarded as an important aid to shipping in the English Channel.

There are two public houses in the village, The Barnham Bridge Inn and the Murrell Arms - originally a farmhouse, built in 1750, and licensed since 1866. Barnham Windmill lies on the South-Eastern boundary of the village on the road to Yapton. The present windmill was built in 1829 and has undergone start-and-stop restoration for over a decade, although there appears to have been little progress for several years as of July 2007. The windmill used to be accessible through the adjacent tea rooms (albeit in a rather 'at your own risk', unofficial manner!), but when the tea rooms closed so did access to the mill.

Part of the Portsmouth-Arundel Canal (opened in 1823 but now disused and filled in) are visible to the SE of the village, including remains of the locks and pivots used for the locking mechanisms.

Barnham railway station (most of which actually lies within Eastergate parish) was opened in 1864 and lies on the West Coastway Line. The station was called "Barnham Junction" until 1929 because the branch line to Bognor Regis leaves the main line here. East and West Coastway (to Brighton in the East and Portsmouth in the West) and London services are operated by Southern, with South West Trains and First Great Western travelling as far afield as Reading and Cardiff.

Barnham's railway bridge is occasionally hit by high vehicles. In March 2007, a double decker bus, travelling into the village from Yapton, attempted passage under the bridge with the resultant removal of its top deck. Luckily, no-one was hurt.

Aesthetically, the village has little to offer. For accessibility and commuting to London however, as well as being convenient for the coast, the Downs, and places like Chichester and Arundel, its location makes it very popular, and homes in the village are in great demand.

Eastergate or Barnham?

St Mary's Church represents the heart of 'Old Barnham', but when the railway station and junction for Bognor Regis were built approximately 1 mile North of the church, the entire focus of the village shifted as businesses built premises adjacent to the station and this was followed by housing developments centred on this location. Soon, the area around the station took the 'feel' of the village centre. This shift generally explains why many features and facilities considered to be part of 'Barnham' are, in fact, in the parish of Eastergate. The postal district of Barnham is also based on this mindset and so many addresses in an area officially known as 'West Barnham' (a nomenclature not generally used by the locals) are actually in Eastergate parish.

References

External links

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22939 Barnham history]
* [http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=1462 Barnham Parish Council]
* [http://www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/sx/barnh/ St Mary's church history]
* [http://www.acny.org.uk/venue.php?V=4771 Church service and contact details]
* [http://www.roughwood.net/PostcardAlbum/Sussex/Barnham/BarnhamWindmill.htm Barnham Windmill]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/370791 Barnham Windmill]
* [http://www.arun.gov.uk/cgi-bin/buildpage.pl?mysql=3691 Barnham through the Ages (Arun District Council)]
* [http://www.al-scouts.org.uk Arundel & Littlehampton District Scouts]
* [http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=496500&y=104500&z=4&sv=496500,104500&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=494050&ay=105050 Map of Barnham and surrounding areas - note parish boundaries] mr fetteroll says its eastergate