Lamberhurst

St Mary's, Lamberhurst: The Annunciation to the Shepherds. Stained glass by John Piper.

The place-name 'Lamberhurst' is first attested in the Textus Roffensis of circa 1100 AD, where it appears as Lamburherste. The name means 'lambs' hill or wood'.[3]

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Lamberhurst was a centre for the Wealden iron industry, originally set up during Roman times. Since then it had some importance for the hop industry; was a weekend home to Margaret Thatcher; acquired an extensive golf course; has controversially been by-passed; and played a major role in English wine production.

The Church of England parish church is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of the village. The Church of St Mary The Virgin is a Grade I listed building[4] and includes stained glass by John Piper.

Lamberhurst civil parish on formation when such parishes first became possible in the 19th century was in both Kent and East Sussex. The line of the county border was adjusted following the Local Government Act 1894, which required that parish boundaries be aligned with counties.[5] The redrawing of county lines included transferring part of Bayham Lake so its entirety was in Kent.[6]

The village lies in the valley of the River Teise, one of the main tributaries of the River Medway. The valley of one of its tributaries, the River Bewl, was dammed and flooded between 1973 and 1975 creating the Bewl Water reservoir. The village itself has a large conservation area with a large number of 17th and 18th century buildings.[7] and the Strict Baptist Church, established in the village since the 18th century.

To the west of the high street, The Broadway are the ruins of Bayham Old Abbey opened up by English Heritage and its current replacement listed gardens and house[8][9] and the 14th century Scotney Castle to the east; a property of the National Trust. The moat and lake in the grounds of the latter is the result of a dam on the Sweetbourne stream.

The village was bypassed to the east in 2005 by the A21,[10] which previously ran through the village. The decision caused some controversy due to its location in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The closest railway stations (both about 3 miles (4.8 km) distant) are Frant or Wadhurst on the north-south London to Hastings line. Bus services are provided by Autocar and Countryliner Coaches.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lamberhurst.

• The Lamberhurst Village website
• Lamberhurst Music Festival
• Village notes
• Bayham Abbey