Hooe, East Sussex

Infobox UK place
official_name=Hooe
country=England
region=South East England
static_

static_image_caption=
area_footnotes=cite web |url=http://www.eastsussexinfigures.org.uk/webview/ |title=East Sussex in Figures |accessdate=2008-04-26 |publisher=East Sussex County Council]
area_total_km2 =10.0
population=446 (Parish-2007)
population_density= Pop density mi2 to km2|116|precision=0|abbr=yes
os_grid_reference=TQ692106
latitude=50.87
longitude=0.40
post_town=BATTLE
postcode_area=TN
postcode_district=TN33
dial_code=01424
constituency_westminster=Bexhill and Battle
london_distance=convert|50|mi NNW
shire_district=Wealden
shire_county=East Sussex

Hooe is both a small village and a civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex; the village being located about two miles (3 km) north-west of Bexhill, and north of the A259 coast road, on the B2095 road from Ninfield. The parish name takes account of local usage, and the location of the parish church; in fact the main population centre is to the north, and is called Hooe Common.

History

The name Hooe comes from the Saxon word meaning a ridge, since the village stood on a ridge of land between two arms of the sea. Those areas are now low-lying land, one being the "Hooe Levels", across which flows the stream known as "Waller's Haven". The River Ashbourne flows into the Haven, down which iron products, particularly cannon, used to be shipped from the Wealden iron works at Ashburnham.

During the 18th century Hooe was connected with other local gangs in smuggling. [cite web |url=http://www.villagenet.co.uk/pevenseylevels/villages/hooe.php|title=Hooe (The Haunt of Smugglers)|accessdate=2008-05-05|date=2007-01-12|work=villagenet.co.uk|publisher=VillageNet]

The church, dedicated to St Oswald, is part of a combined ecclesiastical parish with that at Ninfield. [cite web |url=http://www.ninfield.org.uk/|title=The Parish Churches of Hooe and Ninfield|accessdate=2008-05-05|publisher=The Rural Deanery of Battle and Bexhill] Hooe church, both Saxon and Norman, was built in its location as meeting point of several of the surrounding hamlets, including Hooe Common. There were suggestions by a local historian that there was a village surrounding the church but this was burnt down during the plague and the village moved to Hooe Common but there is no archaeological evidence for this: although an abandoned village (Northeye) can be located on the Levels.

Landmarks

Hooe windmill was situated where the house the Retreat is now, next to the recreation ground.

Pevensey Levels, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, lies partially in the parish. The site is of biological interest consisting of low-lying grazing meadows, hosting a wide variety of wetland flora and fauna. [cite web|url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/sssi_details.cfm?sssi_id=1000914 |title=Natural England - SSSI (Pevensey Levels)|accessdate=2008-10-10|publisher=English Nature]

Hooe today

There are now no shops in Hooe, although over the years it has had a post office, a general stores (once owned by the Mayes family) and at least one butchers shop, at 2 Victoria Villas. The village school has also closed: children now attend the school at Ninfield. There is a farm shop and fruit picking farm, and two pubs: the "Red Lion" in Hooe Common and the "Lamb Inn" on Pevensey Marsh in the south of the parish.

References