Aldingbourne (original) (raw)

Village and parish in West Sussex, England

"Westergate" redirects here. For the river in Germany, see Westergate (river).

Human settlement in England

Aldingbourne
Church of St Mary
Aldingbourne is located in West SussexAldingbourneAldingbourneLocation within West Sussex
Area 12.53 km2 (4.84 sq mi) [1]
Population 4,443 (Civil Parish.2021)[2]
• Density 355/km2 (920/sq mi)
OS grid reference SU923054
• London 52 miles (84 km) NNE
Civil parish Aldingbourne
District Arun
Shire county West Sussex
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CHICHESTER
Postcode district PO20
Dialling code 01243
Police Sussex
Fire West Sussex
Ambulance South East Coast
UK Parliament Arundel and South Downs
List of places UK England West Sussex 50°50′29″N 0°41′23″W / 50.8413°N 0.6897°W / 50.8413; -0.6897

Aldingbourne is a village, Anglican parish and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. Its centre is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Bognor Regis and 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Chichester with the A29 and A27 main roads running through it.

The civil parish is named for the small village of Aldingbourne, but most of the population is in Westergate, and the smaller settlements of Norton, Nyton, Woodgate, Lidsey and part of Shripney.[3] The ecclesiastical parish extends to 3,060 acres (1,240 ha),[4] and was a significant settlement at the time of the Domesday Survey of 1086.

The developed south and east of the parish is on fertile soil 7–15 metres above sea level, whereas north of the A27 road at the foot of the South Downs National Park the land reaches 37 metres in altitude. Eartham is the neighbouring parish to the north.

First documented in 683 AD as Aldingburne, then 200 years later as Ealdingburnan, the name describes a stream or bourne (now known as Aldingbourne Rife)[5] belonging to Ealda, a Saxon settler.[6] Aldingeborne is described in the Domesday Book of 1086 as having 69 households (28 villagers, 38 smallholders and three slaves), a value to the lord of the manor of £18 and in the largest 20 per cent of settlements recorded in the survey; as well as agricultural holdings and resources, the church was listed, and the tenant in chief was the bishop of Chichester. It was in the Hundred of Boxgrove.[7]

In 1861 the parish extended to 3,060 acres (1,240 ha) and had a population of 772.[4] The population in 2011 was 3,819,[8] and had increased to 4,443 by 2021.[2]

The ancient Grade-I-listed Anglican parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.[9][10] According to Sussex Notes and Queries, the history of the church building "is not clear". Different parts of the church date from both the twelfth and thirteenth century, with the chancel having been built in the thirteenth century. Later additions include a porch dating from the seventeenth century and an organ chamber that was "wholly modern" in 1944.[11]

Economy and locality

[edit]

Agriculture occupies most of the land use and is a major employer. Other key industries include food and hospitality, general retail, the public sector, care, science and automotive-related careers.[12] In the parish is Fontwell Park Racecourse, a venue in horse racing which has a compact figure-of-eight chase course and an oval hurdles course.[3] Nearby Denmans Garden, a Royal Horticultural Society partner garden open to the public, features some exotic and unusual plants.[13]

There are 33 listed buildings in the parish, including the Regency-period Aldingbourne House.[14] The Prince of Wales pub is beside the A29 at Woodgate.[3]

Ormiston Six Villages Academy (OSVA) is the main secondary school for the parish and surrounding area. It opened in 2013 and was formerly called Westergate Community School.[15] Aldingbourne Primary School is on Westergate Street.[16]

Lord Henry Howard-Molyneux-Howard owned Aldingbourne House in the 19th century[17] and racing driver Dick Seaman was born there in 1913.[18]

  1. ^ "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish" (PDF). West Sussex County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Aldingbourne Parish Council: About our parish". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Ordnance Survey
  4. ^ a b "GENUKI: Aldingbourne, Sussex". Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  5. ^ "British Government catchment planning". Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  6. ^ Glover, Judith (1997). Sussex Place Names: Their Origins and Meanings. Countryside Books. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-85306-484-5.
  7. ^ "Open Domesday: Aldingbourne". Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  8. ^ Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density Archived 11 February 2003 at the Wayback Machine United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  9. ^ "British Listed Buildings: Parish Church of St Mary". Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  10. ^ Historic England. "The parish church of St Mary (Grade I) (1027736)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  11. ^ Sussex Notes and Queries, Vol. 10, Number 1, February 1944, p. 2
  12. ^ "Aldingbourne Parish Council: About Aldingbourne". Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  13. ^ "RHS: Denmans Garden". Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  14. ^ "British Listed Buildings: Aldingbourne". Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Ormiston Six Villages Academy". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Aldingbourne Primary School". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Obituary". Gentleman's Magazine: 81. 1824.
  18. ^ "Dick Seaman races, wins and teams | Motorsport Database". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 15 January 2022.