Bodiam
Bodiam maps (2 available)
Map of East Sussex
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
See this old map of East Sussex
Personalised maps
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Bodiam books (20 available)
Crawley Town Walk Guide
Paperback
Villages of Sussex Pocket Album
Paperback
Hailsham Photographic Memories
Paperback
- 3 photos on Bodiam appear in 3 Frith books - View photos of Bodiam
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on Bodiam and East Sussex
Bodiam memories
Read and share memories of Bodiam and East Sussex inspired by Frith photos
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You can also read memories of nearby places in East Sussex below.
East Sussex memories
Girl Born in Village in May 1925 - Martin Family
My late mother-in-law was apparently born in the village in 1925, but was unable to be kept, so was raised by the Martin family in Hastings. Did they also have any connections with Staplecross? Mum's family folklore believes the name Post and possibly Butchers Shop may hold a connection.
Mum was raised as Audrey Ruth Martin but the family understand that it is possible at least one of these names was NOT given.
Can anyone throw any light on a family mystery?
Thank you.
John Wells
A memory of Staplecross contributed by John Teddyfoot
Christmas in the Snow
My maternal grandparents owned "Old Timbers", the 15th century cottages in the High Street (numbers 55-59, I think) from the early 1950s to around 1970 or 1971. They actually lived in one of the cottages from 1960 to around 1966 or 1967. My family spent many happy summer holidays with my grandparents during the mid 1960s, but my favourite memory was the Christmas of 1962 when we travelled by train to spend that holiday with them.
It started to snow as we journeyed and I remember the train journey was long drawn-out. We had to change several times - I particularly remember sitting in the waiting room at Tunbridge Wells - in order to get there in the evening. It ...read more here
A memory of Robertsbridge contributed by Colin Harnett
Visits to my Uncle at Robertsbridge
As a small child I would travel down by train with my nan and stay at my Uncle George Bowen who lived in Langham Road,
Most important thing before boarding the train in London was to get in the right section for Robertsbridge, the platform was too short for the train - get in the wrong place and you would be outside the actual station.
His sister Ethel got on the wrong section on one occasion and found no platform so tried to get out and ended up falling out onto the railway line - she was always doing silly things like that.
We would walk along from the station and along a stony road, soon knew if ...read more here
A memory of Robertsbridge contributed by Geraldine Todd
Where I grew up
I was born at 19 London Road, Tanyard Cottages near Holy Trinity Church. My grandadparents lived in Station Road near the village hall. My great aunts owned Hope Cottage Farm, Station Road. Many times when I was a kid I would stay on the farm and helped in the shop, milking the cows, bottling the milk which then would be delivered by the family. Also helped at Christmas time plucking turkeys and chickens. The family had several P.O.W.s. helping on the farm. Look at the photos on this site, this is just as I remember the village when I was a child. My parents still live in the village and we often still go for walks in Burgh Wood. I also ...read more here
A memory of Hurst Green contributed by lily bennett
Extracts From Bodiam & East Sussex books
Bodiam, built in the 14th century, stands in the centre of a lake-like moat covered in water lilies. Bodiam was protected by three drawbridges, two fortified bastions, three portcullises, and an internal arrangement of rooms and doorways designed for defence. This photograph was taken before Bodiam’s restoration by Lord Curzon, who bequeathed the castle to the nation in 1925.
An extract from from"50 Classics - Castles".
Bodiam is a 14th-century moated castle, restored, like Tattershall in Lincolnshire, by Lord Curzon. The original approach was along a wooden bridge at right angles to the castle walls, thus exposing an attacker’s unshielded flank to fire from the defenders. Details are difficult to make out in this pre-restoration photograph, but in front of the gateway tower is the ruined barbican, and in front of that is the much overgrown octagonal island, which at one time might also have been fortified. Bodiam was protected by three drawbridges, two fortified bastions, three portcullises, and an internal arrangement of rooms and doorways designed for defence.
An extract from from"English Castles".
Following the burning of Rye in 1377 and of Winchelsea in 1380, Bodiam Castle was built in 1385 because of the imminent threat of invasion by the French. As the Rother, navigable to Bodiam Bridge, was part of the port of Winchelsea, a licence was granted to Sir Edward Dalyngrigge 'to make a castle thereof in defence of the adjacent country against the King's enemies'.
An extract from from"Sussex Revisited Photographic Memories".
Bodiam is located on the River Rother and was once a
port that shipped iron ingots and cannon, which were
made in the area. Bodiam Castle was constructed in
1388, the last castle to be built in England for coastal
defence. In the picture we can see the 14th-century Castle
Inn on the right and Bodiam Stores on the left.The scene
is similar today, but the shop is now a tearoom.
An extract from from"Villages of Sussex Pocket Album".
Before 1902, Bexhill was
governed by an Urban
District Council. However,
with the rapid growth of
the resort, it acquired
borough status; its area
extended from Pevensey
Sluice to Bulverhythe.
An extract from from"Hastings and Bexhill Photographic Memories".