The Fernhurst Society
The Fernhurst Society was formed in 1998 and has 200 members.
It is a registered UK charity (no. 1074564).
The Society's aims
- Enrich the enjoyment of Fernhurst village and its surrounding countryside in West Sussex, England
- Promote interest in local history, local life, traditions and customs
- Advance and disseminate knowledge of the archaeology, geography, natural history, buildings and architecture of the local district
- Seek the protection and improvement of the amenities and appearance of Fernhurst village and its environs
Village centre (photo © Richard Ranft)
News
- Major building development at Fernhurst Park (an ex-ICI/Syngenta site): Comer Homes Ltd plan to build 210 new homes (at "Forest Park"). View the planning application on the South Downs National Park Authority Planning website 2019 Planning Application; enter the reference no: SDNP/19/00913/FUL, or Syngenta, in the search box.
- Check our upcoming events list.
- Researching your family history? We have unique transcripts of 1841-1911 censuses, 1840s tithe records of Fernhurst and neighbouring parishes, wills and probate records, and other data. Now with a complete names index - a rich resource for genealogy!
What you can find on this website:
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our programme of walks, talks, exhibitions and other events.
- membership of the Fernhurst Society including recent members' newsletters
- information about Fernhurst village and parish and an interactive map
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village local history: the Fernhurst Archives, with information about the May Revels celebrations, the Verdley estate, and historical maps; the recent history of shops, roads, and railways in and around Fernhurst village; photos of the area; schooling and social life in Edwardian times; and our oral history recording project
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the history of Fernhurst Parish including parish boundary walks and the 17-18th century local iron industry; a survey of homes and families during the 1841-1911 censuses and land rents from 1840s tithe records
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Fernhurst Society publications, including the book Voices of Fernhurst, booklets and a millennium map
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our biodiversity project
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links to local organisations and information sources, including family history and genealogy.
The Society arose out of the work undertaken by villagers to produce the Fernhurst Village Design Statement. Adopted by Chichester District Council in 2000, the Statement provides guidelines for future building developments in the area.
Village green (photo © Dave Spicer)
View from Blackdown Hill (photo © Robin Webster)
