Furner's Green, East Sussex

Furner’s Green is a small hamlet situated within the civil parish of Danehill in East Sussex, England. It lies on the Greenwich Meridian, about nine miles north-west of Uckfield and seven miles east of Haywards Heath, positioned on the southern edge of Ashdown Forest.

Historically, the area was known by various names, including ‘Turners Green’ in the late 18th century and ‘Furriers Green’ in local recollections from the 19th century. The hamlet features properties such as Colin Godman’s Farm, which dates back to at least 1550 and was once linked to wool smuggling. Ownership records from 1768 note John Baker-Holroyd, later Baron Sheffield, as a landowner.

Furner’s Green has a notable industrial past connected to the iron industry. Sheffield Mill, nearby, was once a site of ironworks and corn milling, equipped with waterwheels and various infrastructure for processing raw iron during the Tudor period. Although much of this industrial heritage has vanished, historical documents detail its former significance.

The local geology includes lime kilns at Annwood Farm, used historically to improve the heavy clay soils and for construction purposes. While there is no natural limestone in the immediate area, chalk was likely imported from the South Downs, with abundant local timber supporting lime production.

Before the 20th century, many properties in Furner’s Green were part of the Sheffield Park or Danehurst estates, reflecting the area’s longstanding ties to regional landownership and rural industry.