Robertsbridge, East Sussex

Robertsbridge is believed to date back to 1176 when a Cistercian Abbey was founded there. It is likely that Robertsbridge got its name from Latin translation of ‘Pons Roberti’, the name given to the first bridge built across the river Rother by the founding Abbot – Robert de St Martin.

The village of Robertsbridge lies in the parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge in East Sussex, and the River Rother flows through it. A market charter was granted to Robertsbridge in the 13th century and the town prospered, and grew as shown by the number of surviving timber framed houses, the oldest dating back to 1390. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin is mentioned in the Domesday Book and lies across the valley in Salehurst, opposite the remains of Robertsbridge Abbey, which is privately owned.

Robertsbridge is home to the Gray-Nicolls company, which started in 1876 with L.J. Nicolls making bats in his workshop – he supplied W G Grace with the bat he used when he scored his 100th century. Today Gray-Nicolls manufactures and supplies world famous cricket bats to customers all over the world.

In 1999, the Robertsbridge and Salehurst parish twinned with the town of St. Brice Courcelles in France. Robertsbridge is a busy village with many amenities, shops and pubs. The village no longer has so much traffic rushing through it as the A21 by-pass was built and completed in 1992. Robertsbridge has a station, with a good service on the main Hastings to London line.