Beckley, East Sussex
| Beckley | |
|---|---|
 All Saints Church | |
| Area | 22.8 km2 (8.8 sq mi) [1] |
| Population | 1,012 (Parish-2007)[1] |
| • Density | 115/km2 (300/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ852239 |
| • London | 48 miles (77 km) NW |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RYE |
| Postcode district | TN31 |
| Dialling code | 01797 |
| Police | Sussex |
| Fire | East Sussex |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | http://www.beckley-uk.com/ |
Beckley is a village and civil parish in the Rother district of East Sussex, England. It is located on the B2088 minor road above the Rother Levels five miles (8 km) northwest of Rye and ten miles (16 km) from Hastings. The northern border follows the river Rother.
History
Beckley was part of the Wealden iron industry.[2] An iron furnace was built in 1578, at the small settlement still called Beckley Furnace. A watermill powered the bellows. Production ceased in 1770.[3]
The 1830s saw a mass emigration of Beckley residents to New South Wales. At the time, the developing colony of New South Wales was in need of skilled agricultural labourers, whilst the English labourers were suffering hard times. Various schemes were introduced to provide finance for workers to emigrate. 165 Beckley residents took up the offer and emigrated. Amongst those residents were Thomas and Maria Ann Smith (née Sherwood), otherwise known as Granny Smith.[4]
The parish church is the All Saints church, which is located at the far west end of the town. Its isolated position indicating that the main village has relocated during its history.
Governance
The lowest level of government is the Beckley parish council which meets once a month. The parish council is responsible for local amenities such as the provision of litter bins, bus shelters and allotments. They also provide a voice into the district council meetings. The parish council comprises seven councillors with elections being held every four years. The May 2007 election was uncontested.[5]
Rother District council provides the next level of government with services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. Beckley lies within the Rother Levels ward, which provides two councillors. The May 2007 election returned two Conservatives councillors.
East Sussex county council is the third tier of government, providing education, libraries and highway maintenance. Beckley falls within the Northern Rother ward. Peter Jones, Conservative, was elected in the May 2005 election with 49.7% of the vote.
The UK Parliament constituency for Beckley is Bexhill and Battle. Gregory Barker was re-elected in the May 2005 election.
At European level, Beckley is represented by the South-East region, which holds ten seats in the European Parliament. The June 2004 election returned 4 Conservatives, 2 Liberal Democrats, 2 UK Independence, 1 Labour and 1 Green, none of whom live in East Sussex.[6]
References
- ^ a b "East Sussex in Figures". East Sussex County Council. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
- ^ "Wealden Iron Series 2". Wealden Iron Research Group. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Beckley Sussex". Villagenet.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Local History". Beckley History Society. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ Stevens, Derek (2007-04-04). "Election of seven councillors" (pdf). Rother District Council. Retrieved 2008-05-24. [dead link]
- ^ "UK MEP's". UK Office of the European Parliament. Archived from the original on 2007-01-24. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
External links
Media related to Beckley, East Sussex at Wikimedia Commons