Falmer
Falmer is a small village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England, lying between Brighton and Lewes, approximately five miles (8 km) north-east of the former. It is also the site of Brighton & Hove Albion's Falmer Stadium.
| Falmer | |
|---|---|
 Church of St. Lawrence | |
  Falmer Location within East Sussex | |
| Area | 17.0 km2 (6.6 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 284 (Parish-2011)[2] |
| • Density | 43/sq mi (17/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TQ347105 |
| • London | 43 miles (69 km) N |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRIGHTON |
| Postcode district | BN1 |
| Dialling code | 01273 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Falmer village is divided by the A27 road. North of the dual carriageway are a few houses and a pub, with a footbridge linking to the southern part of the village, where a large pond is encircled by cottages and the parish church, dedicated to St. Lawrence. The two halves of the village are also linked by a road bridge just outside this circle of houses. The village pond, home to a population of ducks and geese, accounts for the name of the village: Old English for 'fallow (pale-coloured) pond'[3] (though the reason for this precise choice of colour-term is unclear nowadays).
Campuses of the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton are nearby, as is The Keep—East Sussex County Council's new archive and record office, which opened in 2013.[4]
History
Before the Norman conquest of England, the manor of Falmer was held by Wilton Abbey.[5] After the conquest most of it appears to have been given to Gundred, wife of William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey.[5] In the 11th century the village name was variously spelled Falemela, Falemere or Felesmere.[5]
Edward II visited Falmer in 1324.[5] Charles I granted the manor to Edward Ditchfield in 1628 or 1629.[5] He sold it to William Craven, who lost it because of his support of the King during the English Civil War.[5]
Due to the proximity of Falmer to the city of Brighton and Hove, the parish has been substantially affected by the twentieth-century development of its large neighbour. Since the 1960s it has been home to the University of Sussex campus, and in the 1990s, the former Brighton Polytechnic Falmer campus became a principal base of the University of Brighton. The village lends its name to the University of Sussex's alumni magazine.
Governance
At a local level Falmer is governed by Falmer Parish Council. Its responsibilities include footpaths, street lighting, playgrounds and minor planning applications. The parish council has five seats.[6]
The next level of government is the district council. The parish of Falmer lies within the Kingston ward of Lewes District Council, which returns a single seat to the council. The election on the 7th May 2015 elected a Liberal Democrat.[7]
East Sussex County Council is the next tier of government, for which Falmer is within the Newhaven and Ouse Valley West division, with responsibility for Education, Libraries, Social Services, Civil Registration, Trading Standards and Transport. Elections for the County Council are held every four years. The Liberal Democrat Carla Butler was elected in the 2013 election.
The UK Parliament constituency for Falmer is Lewes. The Conservative Maria Caulfield, a local nurse, was elected in 2015 defeating the incumbent Liberal Democrat Norman Baker who was the constituency MP from 1997.
Prior to Brexit in 2020, the village was part of the South East England constituency in the European Parliament.
Notable buildings
Falmer barn is a grade II* listed building, re-thatched this century.[8]
Sport
Lewes Priory Cricket Club play some home games in Falmer and have Sussex and Brighton universities students and staff as members.
Stadium
The parish is also the site of Falmer Stadium, home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. After a lengthy process including a public enquiry, it was approved by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2005, but Lewes District Council subsequently mounted a legal challenge and overturned the decision on a technicality. The stadium was finally approved by Secretary of State Hazel Blears on 24 July 2007. The 30,500-seater stadium opened in July 2011.
Transport
Falmer is served by Falmer railway station which lies on the East Coastway line.
Media
The village church may be seen as the location of a funeral in an episode of the BBC television comedy, Waiting for God.
References
- "East Sussex in Figures". East Sussex County Council. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
- "Civil Parish 2011". Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- "A Key to English Place-Names". Institute for Name-Studies. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
- "Project timeline". East Sussex County Council. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7, edd. L.F. Salzman
- "Results – Town and Parish Council Elections" (PDF). Lewes District Council. 3 May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2008.
- "Election Results". Lewes District Council. 4 May 2007. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2008.
- Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1275514)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
