The witch of Lindfield is a legendary figure often associated with witchcraft and the occult. Lindfield is a village located in West Sussex, England, and it is believed that the witch resided here during the 16th century. The tales surrounding this mysterious woman are shrouded in myth and speculation, but they have become a popular part of local folklore. According to legend, the witch of Lindfield was a woman who possessed supernatural powers and was feared by the villagers. She was said to have the ability to conjure storms, cast hexes, and communicate with the devil. Many claimed to have witnessed her engaging in dark rituals and practicing witchcraft.

[Albion] RIP Gerry Ryan

Very sad news. Gerry very often left comp tickets for us at away games, thanks to his friendship with a close friend of mine. Was only talking about him earlier today at a lunch and got this news just after getting back. Many a happy, drunken time spent in the Witch on Friday nights and particular xmas and new year's eve.

The Rattler

Well-known member

Rogero

Well-known member

AK74

Bright-eyed. Bushy-tailed. GSOH.

Rest in Peace, Gerry.

Condolences to the Ryan family.

The Oldman

I like the Hat

kemptown kid

Well-known member

Stato

Well-known member

My overriding Gerry memory is his solo goal at the Goldstone in front of the North Stand in December 1979, thankfully in front of the big match cameras, well actually it’s not, I later got to know him and had the privilege of him being a guest at a couple of Gulls Eye Dinners, and he was a true Gent and very much one of us.

RIP old boy, the Albion will never forget you

Farehamseagull

Solly March Fan Club

Oh my Dad is going to be so upset. Him and Wardy are his hero’s. I was too young to have watched him but read and heard so much about him growing up.

Really sad, RIP Gerry x

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati

Thanks for posting @Lenny Rider

I just about remember Gerry playing. I was a young boy but even to me he stood out.

However, I very much remember him as landlord of The Witch in Lindfield. We’d drop in after cricket matches in the area and I would anyway if I was nearby. A lovely man.

RIP and sincere condolences to his family and friends

"Not that hard, he's a f**king King"

"You buried VAR with full military honours" - Henry Winter

Questions

Habitual User

I’ve never heard a bad word said against the man and he was great in one of our best ever teams.
Condolences to his friends and family.

maresfield seagull

Well-known member

ozzygull

Well-known member

thedonkeycentrehalf

Retired

A player from my childhood. Lots of people remembering his goals but also not forgetting his role as emergency right back in the 1983 cup final.

Met him at The Witch and also used to see him at Plumpton races.

Lindfield History Project Group

Today nothing exists of the West Common and you would be forgiven for thinking the area completely lacks historical interest. Less than two hundred years ago the unfenced common extended from Sunte Avenue down to the stream that runs close to Blackthorns and from Hickmans Lane south to Summerhill Lane and then east along Scrase Stream. the southern part belonged to the Manor of Ditchling with the remainder by South Malling Lindfield and Framfield Manors. The land is mainly flat and in parts sloping with good well drained soil. In early medieval times, could this land have been the ‘west field’ of the Lindfield cultivated in strips by villagers in the open field system? Perhaps we will never know.

What we do know is that in the 1820s the land was largely unenclosed and contained only a few dwellings. In the north western corner, at the junction called Pickesgreen Cross, was a small old farmstead dating from at least 1600, part of Framfield Manor, called Wigsel’s Watering, that extended into the area now Oakfield Close. This was replaced by the Bricklayers Arms, now the Witch Inn. In the 1870s the Bricklayers became a popular venue for ‘bean feasts’; annual works outings travelling by train from as far afield as London and Brighton.

following the arrival of the railway, the road running along the western edge was made up and named Station Road [Sunte Avenue] as it was the most direct route from Lindfield to the station. The first housing built was Albert Cottages, typical small Victorian houses with shared wells and privies at the bottom of the garden.

Towards the southern end, near Oakbank, stood two cottages known as Golden Nob. the 1851 Census listed four families, the Beard, Bish, Gorrange and Miles families, totalling 19 men, women and children living in the cottages. All the adult men were agricultural labourers. the Gold Nob cottages were demolished around 1860, when Summer Hill was built by Charles Catt of the Bishopstone Tide Mills. The Catt family lived in the house for many years and farmed nearby land. From the late 1940s it became a school.

In 1835 three acres of unenclosed land held by the Manor of South Malling Lindfield was sold for £56 5s. of to John Elliott, a Lindfield blacksmith. John Elliott operated the forge in the middle of the High Street [mentioned in last month’s article] and built the forge at Spongs in Brushes Lane. Perhaps with an eye for a quick profit, John Elliott sold the land to Edward Humphreys in October 1838 for £153. In today’s terms this is the land of Chestnut close across to the west side of Summerhilll Drive and north to Hickmans Lane.

For a couple of years Humphreys rented the newly enclosed land to James Harding of burnt House Farm, before taking back the land on which he built a house in 1844. the Poor Rate Valuations in the late 1840s record this house as Westfield Lodge, owned and occupied by Edward Humphreys; no connection with the baker of that name. It was approached by a long diagonal drive, and when Summer Hill was constructed the drive was extended to this house and entrance lodges built.

By the mid 1850s Humphreys was living at Pear Tree House [junction of High Street and Lewes Road], another fine house he built along with St Annes. Westfield Lodge was rented to tenants before being acquired by William Copeland in c1870 when the property was renamed The Chestnuts.

The Mid Sussex Times in May 1877 carried an advertisement for the letting ‘unfurnished, a well-built detached villa residence, most pleasantly situated, approached by a carriage drive from the high road, and within 15 minutes walk of Haywards Heath Station, and known as The Chestnuts. There is a large drawing room and dining room, two other sitting rooms, six bedrooms, and a dressing room, kitchen, scullery, cellars etc., also a capital garden with greenhouse and vinery’. Even in those days easy access to the station was a desirable feature and evidence of Lindfield becoming attractive to commuters.

During the 1880s, The Chestnuts was taken by a Mr Hartland and then by Mrs Gertrude Lysons, the widow of Rev Canon Samuel Lysons, rural dean of Gloucester, a noted antiquarian and an early proponent of British Israelism. this was the belief that British people are ‘genetically, racially and linguistically the direct descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of ancient Israel’.

The Chestnuts was sole in 1895 for £2,000 and subsequently described as being ‘brick built and cement faced’, with grounds containing a good lean-to-vinery, stables, detached coach house with loft and a small cowshed. A substantial property but unfortunately we have no photographs of the house and grounds. . The new owner was Charles Catt of adjacent Summer Hill.

Following a succession of tenants, in 1909 William Lancelot Knowles J.P., a member of the Stock Exchange, and his wife took up residence, having previously lived at Pear Tree House. A county cricketer, he had played for Kent, Sussex and Gentlemen of England and in 37 first class appearances as a right-handed batsman scored 1439 runs with a highest innings of 127. He was unstinting in his community service being involved with many clubs and organisations in Lindfield, Cuckfield and Haywards Heath.

In 1933, The chestnuts became the new home for the Parents’ National Educational Union School [PNEU] started 12 months earlier at Plumpton by Mrs Seymour and Mrs Morgan. Called the Summerhill PNEU School it was the twentieth such school in Sussex and one of a family of about 800 scattered around the world. All the schools worked to a common ethos and curriculum. A notable local example, with its roots in PNEU system, in Burgess Hill Girls School which continues to thrive today.

After two years it ceased being a PNEU school and changed its name to Lindfield Preparatory School under the headship of Miss Arnold. Education was provided on the ‘Froebel and other modern methods’ for children aged 6 to 12 years, with a kindergarten for younger children. It advertised ‘Bright, colourful classrooms, Small Classes, Individual attention’ and ‘All general subjects taught’ with a large garden for games, tennis and cricket. A limited number of places were available for boarders. The school was short lived and closed in about 1937, the building reverting to a private residence. There was no connection between this school and the school later established at summer Hill. The house continued to be occupied as a private residence until being demolished in about 1960 and shortly after replaced by Nos. 1 – 8 The Chestnuts.

Returning to the 19th century, the Common was divided by a section of the New Chapel to Brighton turnpike road, now West Common. By the 1840s, the Common on both sides of this road had been enclosed with fields, except for an area around Appledore Gardens but this soon became enclosed. In 1852, at the Red Lion, four acres were auctioned as four building plots fetching £138, £145, £82 and £82. The first two lots restricted the building of any dwelling of less value than £2900. None of the plots were built upon at that time.

It was not until the interwar years that the area started to be developed with the building of Haywards Heath Senior School and housing at Oakbank and along West Common and Sunte Avenue plus the creation of a market garden, French Gardens. Houses started to appear along Summerhill Drive, and although Chestnut Close was constructed by 1937 houses were not built until a few years later. The remainder of the houses on West common land are predominantly post war.

Published in Lindfield life February 2018

Witch Inn Sluice Monitoring Station

Important! The levels for this location are measured relative to sea level, not relative to the riverbed. The levels shown here do not, therefore, necessarily represent the actual depth of the water.

Flood Warning Areas Covering Here

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No current or recent warnings.

Other Nearby Flood Warning Areas

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No current or recent warnings.

No current or recent warnings.

Seven Day Level Chart

Long Term Level Chart

Darker blue shaded areas on long term data indicate maximum and minimum levels for the date (you may need to zoom in closer to see them).

Long term data may have gaps where the API data was not available.

Note: CSV data will include any outlying values that have been ignored by our graphing system as probably erroneous (eg, because they are ridiculously high compared to the values either side of them). It is your responsibility to filter these out if necessary.

Important! If you are planning to retrieve the csv data automatically, you must read and understand the limitations on the data and its availability.

Location and Technical Data

• Monitoring Station: WITCH INN SLUICE
• Watercourse:
• Nearest Town/Village: Lindfield
• Local Authority: Mid Sussex
• Ceremonial County: West Sussex

• Coordinates: 51°0'48"N 0°5'18"W (51.013588,-0.088368)
• OS Grid: TQ3419425540 (534194,125540)
• Mapcode (Local): GBR KN6.8H9
• Mapcode (Global): FRA B6PF.RDD
• Open Location Code: 9C3X2W76+CM
• Maidenhead Locator System: IO91wa93

• Environment Agency Location ID: 2135SO
• Environment Agency Gauge ID: 2135SO-level-stage-i-15_min-mAOD
• Level Datum: Above Ordnance Datum (AOD)

Please note: Geographic coordinates may reflect the access point for the gauge, and not the precise location in the watercourse that it is taking readings from.

The usual range of the Witch Inn Sluice Monitoring Station is between 39.27m and 39.63m. It has been between these levels for 90% of the time since monitoring began.

The typical recent level of the Witch Inn Sluice Monitoring Station over the past 12 months has been between 39.27m and 39.33m. It has been between these levels for at least 222 days in the past year.

Nearby Monitoring Locations

There are no other monitored rivers nearby

Reserve parking near The Witch

Guarantee parking near The Witch with over 85 reservable spaces available. We'll help you secure a space at the best priced car park or even help you find a local driveway to book.

Brilliant. Easy to use online and space was great plenty of room for car Good value and would recommend and use again

Great space, literally a few minutes from train station. Good size for large car and felt safe to leave and return to late at night. Thank you

Great parking space, easy to find and easy access. 5 minute walk to station. Will definitely use again and would recommend.

Easy to find, secure parking space that I was happy to leave my car in for the day. Just a few minutes to the station.

Many claimed to have witnessed her engaging in dark rituals and practicing witchcraft. The witch was believed to have a familiar, a black cat with piercing yellow eyes, which was said to be her companion and aide in her magical endeavors. It was often believed that witches used their familiars to spy on unsuspecting people or to carry out their evil deeds.

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The villagers lived in fear of the witch and would go to great lengths to protect themselves from her malevolent powers. They would leave offerings and talismans outside their homes to ward off evil spirits and keep the witch at bay. It was believed that certain herbs and plants, such as garlic and rowan, had protective properties against witches and were therefore used as repellents. As with many witch tales, the witch of Lindfield eventually met her demise. It is said that she was caught practicing dark magic and was subsequently captured by the villagers. Some versions of the tale claim that she was burned at the stake, a common form of punishment for accused witches during that time period. Despite the witch's demise, her legend lives on in the village of Lindfield. She is often the subject of ghost stories and local folklore, passed down from generation to generation. Today, Lindfield embraces its infamous witch and even celebrates her with the annual "Lindfield Bonfire Night," where a parade and bonfire are held in her honor. Overall, the witch of Lindfield represents a captivating figure in folklore, embodying the fears and superstitions of a bygone era. Whether she truly existed or is merely a creation of myth, her story continues to fascinate and intrigue those who visit the village..

Reviews for "The Witch of Lindfield: A Symbol of Female Power or Peril?"

1. John - 2 stars

I was really disappointed with "The Witch Lindfield". The storyline was weak and unoriginal, and I found the characters to be poorly developed. The scares were predictable and lacked any real tension. The acting was also subpar, with the performances feeling forced and unnatural. Overall, I felt that the film was a waste of time and money, and I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a good horror movie.

2. Sarah - 1 star

"The Witch Lindfield" was one of the worst horror films I've ever seen. The plot was nonsensical and confusing, and I found myself feeling bored and unengaged throughout the entire movie. The scares were few and far between, and when they did happen, they were not at all frightening. The special effects were also poorly done, with obvious CGI that took away from any sense of realism. I would advise anyone considering watching this film to save their time and skip it entirely.

3. Brian - 2 stars

I had high hopes for "The Witch Lindfield" based on the trailer, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and it took far too long for anything interesting to happen. The characters were unlikable and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fates. The scares were also lackluster, relying on cheap jump scares rather than building suspense. Overall, I found the film to be a tedious and underwhelming watch.

4. Jane - 1 star

"The Witch Lindfield" was an absolute disaster. The writing was terrible, with dialogue that felt forced and unnatural. The film lacked any cohesion, with plot threads that went nowhere and left me feeling confused. The scares were completely predictable, and I found myself rolling my eyes instead of feeling any real fear. The acting was also incredibly poor, with performances that felt wooden and unbelievable. I would highly recommend skipping this film altogether and saving yourself the disappointment.

The Witch of Lindfield: Her Impact on Local Folklore