The Locality

In this section of the domain we try to set The Old Rectory at Peasmarsh into context.

Peasmarsh is a small village close to the old town of Rye in East Sussex, part of the south east of England. This is the part of England which was once joined to the rest of Europe by a land bridge and is still the closest part of the British Isles to the continent, albeit now separated by a narrow strip of the English Channel, La Manche. Over the millennia it has therefore seen many people pass by, including the Romans and the Normans in more recent times.

Today the village is within Rother District Council but it was William, that first Norman king, who brought modern government here [building on the work of Alfred the Great] and he divided the land of the 'South Saxons' [the origin of the modern word Sussex] into four 'rapes', one of which was the rape of Hastings, more or less equivalent to modern Rother. Each rape was subdivided into 'hundreds', the most easterly of which in the rape of Hastings was Goldspur. That is where Peasmarsh was or was to be.

Geographically, Peasmarsh is in the eastern Weald but geologically really just off the edge of the High Weald so the land is the result of wealden erosion rather than wealden itself. This part of the south east of England is relatively warm even though it doesn't bask in the warm air that comes to the south west with the Gulf Stream. However, when it does turn cold it can be very cold as the winds sweep across the north sea from Siberia. Being away from the Gulf Stream influence means that it is relatively dry.

You can read more about the context of The Old Rectory by using 'The Locality' drop-down menu above.