Forest Row, East Sussex

Forest Row is a village and large civil parish in East Sussex, nestled close to the Ashdown Forest, a royal hunting park dating back to the 13th century. Located just three miles south-east of East Grinstead, it blends traditional Sussex cottages with modern developments like Gage Ridge and Michael Fields, known for their distinctive copper roofs.

The village has a rich history, including a medieval public house once central to 18th-century smuggling and the 17th-century Brambletye House, featured in Horace Smith’s 1826 novel. A notable event was the 1801 mail coach robbery at Wall Hill, where the culprits were famously hanged on the spot. In June 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited Forest Row, attending mass at Our Lady of the Forest church during talks with Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

Forest Row is surrounded on three sides by Ashdown Forest and includes the Weir Wood Reservoir, a significant Site of Special Scientific Interest hosting diverse birdlife. The village offers a variety of shops, businesses, and hotels such as The Brambletye, The Chequers, and The Swan. The Forest Way, a 10-mile footpath along a former railway line, is popular for walking, cycling, and horse riding.

Culturally, the village hall was gifted by mountaineer Douglas Freshfield in memory of his son, and the Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, established in 1889, provides two courses. Literary connections include visits by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and filming locations for John Fowles’s novel The Collector. Forest Row also hosts institutions linked to the Anthroposophical movement, including Michael Hall Steiner Waldorf School and Emerson College.