Fascinating Things You Didn’t Know About Sussex
This week saw locals out in force to celebrate Sussex Day. On 16th June events were held throughout the county to mark its rich heritage and celebrate what a great place it is to live.
Image Photo by Gary J Stearman on Unsplash
The annual event is held on this day each year as it is St Richard’s Day, honouring the patron saint of the county. To mark this celebratory day, we take a look at some interesting facts about our county that you just may not have known…
Sussex has the oldest aquarium in the world
Sea Life Brighton, now home to 5,500 creatures for you to see up close, has a rich history and stunning architecture to explore. Brighton Aquarium, as it was called then, was built in 1872 after a project which took three years to complete. Originally designed by architect Eugenius Birch – who was also responsible for the West Pier in Brighton – over the years it has gone through changes and modernisations, but its longevity means it is now the oldest continuously running aquarium in the world.
The oldest human remains discovered in the UK found in Sussex
The oldest human fossils that have been found in the UK were discovered in Boxgrove in West Sussex. Believed to date from around 500,000 years ago the discovery of part of a lower leg bone and fossil teeth was made in the 1990s.
Sussex saw the heaviest fig in the world grown there
In 2015 Guiness World Records verified that the heaviest fig in the world was grown by Lloyd Cole from Worthing. Weighing in at 295g it was of the ‘Brown Turkey’ variety.
Sussex has the largest marina in the UK
Covering 127 acres, Brighton Marina is the largest in the UK. With more than 1,200 berths, there is plenty to attract both those arriving by boat or by foot with its independent shops, eateries and hotels, plus an eight-screen cinema, bowling alley and glow in the dark golf! And don’t forget of course, there’s always the chance to go on a boat trip!
Sussex has the largest Roman home in Britain
Fishbourne Roman Palace in Chichester is believed to date back to 75AD and is the largest Roman home in Britain. It also the location of the earliest gardens found in England, which have been recreated for you to enjoy.
Sussex has the largest depiction of a human figure in Europe
For hundreds of years The Long Man of Wilmington has been a mystery to historians trying to work out its true meaning. The 72-metre creation is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is considered the largest depiction of a human figure in Europe. Now cared for by The Sussex Archaeological Society it is free for the public to access.
Sussex has Britain’s oIdest cinema
The Grade II listed Duke of York’s located in Brighton was opened it 1910, making it Britain’s oldest purpose-built cinema. To add to its standout points, if you make a trip to the independent venue on Preston Road you’ll easily spot which building it is from the pair of can-can dancer’s legs protruding from the roof of the building! These were acquired in 1991 after the Not The Moulin Rouge Theatre in Oxford closed.
Sussex has the ‘World’s Smallest Vineyard’
Upper Lodge, located in Lewes is believed to be home to the world’s smallest vineyard, alongside its house, eco-holiday cottage and artist’s studios. Set on the edge of the South Downs National Park, Upper Lodge registered the world’s smallest vineyard in 2019 when the FSA designated at as UK’s vineyard number 9321.
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Sussex’s Literary Links
Poet William Blake lived in the county for several years in Felpham – and The Blake Cottage Trust are currently working to save the listed building Blake's Cottage – which they say "is one of the most important buildings in English literary history" – which is in urgent need of repair.
On a trip to Bateman’s in Burwash, you can visit the Jacobean house where Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book among others, and his wife lived for over 30 years. There you can see the rooms of the house just as they were left by the family and talk to experts who can share their knowledge of the family.
Sussex proved a draw to American Henry James, writer of titles such as The Turn of the Screw and The Portrait of a Lady, who moved to Rye in the 1890s and lived in Lamb House. Now under the ownership of the National Trust, Lamb House celebrates 300 years of literary connections and you can explore its house and garden on a visit to the town.
Arguably, one of East Sussex’s most famous authors is AA Milne, who has made our beautiful Ashdown Forest famous for the lovely tales of Winnie the Pooh and his friends Piglet and Christopher Robin. You can still go and throw sticks off Pooh Bridge on the forest and then follow it up with a pot of tea and refreshments at the nearby Pooh Corner tea room in Hartfield with its museum and gift shop dedicated to the classic stories.
Just down the road in Crowborough was where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote many of his Sherlock Holmes stories, and today a statue stands on the crossroads of the town centre in memory of him. Local buildings and roads have also been aptly named nodding to the fame he brought to the town.
Famous faces linked with Sussex
- Piers Morgan spent much of his childhood in Newick
- Kate Winslett bought a home in West Wittering
- Billy Idol attended Worthing High School for Boys and spent a year at the University of Sussex
- Paul McCartney bought a farm near Rye
- Harry Enfield was born in Horsham
- Gareth Southgate attended school in Crawley
- Cate Blanchett bought a manor house in Crowborough
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