Ticehurst, Kent

Ticehurst is both a village and a large civil parish in the Rother District. The parish lies in the upper reaches of both the River Teise before it enters Bewl Water and in the upper reaches of the River Rother flowing to the south-east. The parish includes the Parish wards of Ticehurst, Flimwell and Stonegate and is home to some 3,500 people. The name probably originates from the Anglo Saxon tice meaning goats and hyrst a wood.The largest parish within the hinterland, Ticehurst is home to Pashley Manor Gardens “One of the finest gardens in England”. Ticehurst is also home to Dale Hill Golf Course and Hotel, a splendid course designed by Ian Woosnam.There are a number of excellent public houses including The Cherry Tree Inn, The Royal Oak, The Chequers and The Bell (currently undergoing refurbishment). The Weald Smokery, producer of award winning smoked fish, meats and cheeses is located in Flimwell.The village is the headquarters of the Antiquarian Horological Society, a learned society formed in 1953. It exists to promote the study of clocks and watches and the history of time measurement in all its forms.Ticehurst claims home to the first Pick-Your-Own fruit farm to open in Britain, Maynards Fruit Farm.The Scottish singer/guitarist Bert Jansch lived in Ticehurst in the late 1960s and recorded tracks for the classic 1971 “Rosemary Lane” album at his house in the village.Ticehurst House Hospital (now part of the Priory Group) specialises in the treatment of psychiatric disorders and is located in the village. Samuel Newington opened the original Ticehurst House in 1792 as a place dedicated to the care and treatment of psychiatric illness.