Around and about in Brightling

Books and Publications

The Messenger The Messenger is a monthly magazine for the parishes of Brightling, Dallington, Mountfield and Netherfield. It is a means of communication for all matters of local interest connected not only with the churches but with all aspects of village life. It also includes adverts from local trades people. Contributions from all sources are…

Bus Services

Brightling has a bus service that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays: route 255. As of November 2016, this service stops at Brightling (Village Hall) by advance request only. To book the bus to stop at Brightling, phone 01892 771332, giving at least 24 hours notice. Full timetable The service is operated by North Wealden Community Transport Partnership with…

Defibrillators

There is one defibrillator mounted on the wall of the Village Hall. A second defibrillator has been installed at the bottom of Cackle Street just before you get to the cross roads with the B2096 at Darwell Hole.  It is mounted on a post almost opposite to the entrance to the Forestry Commission car park.…

Emergency_& Resilience Plan

There are a number of volunteers in the parish who have kindly agreed to be ready to help those in the locality in the event of an emergency, similar to the 1987 hurricane. To see the full details of the plan and all necessary contact numbers etc, please click on the link below. Maybe print…

Neighbouring Areas

Village web sites MountfieldRobertsbridge (Salehurst)NetherfieldDallington District Council Rother District Council County Council East Sussex County Council

Local pubs

The Swan InnPicture © Copyright Julian P Guffogg The Swan Brightling’s local pub is The Swan at Woods Corner The Swan Inn,Woods Corner,Dallington,TN21 9LB Telephone: 01424 838242E-mail: enquiries@swaninndallington.co.uk

The Pyramid

Jack Fuller’s grave is in Brightling Churchyard.

Trees, forests and woodlands

Brightling’s tree warden is Mr Doug Edworthy, who is also the tree warden for our neighbouring parish of Dallington. Doug can be contacted at treewarden@dallington.org.uk Follow the links below for more information about our trees, woodlands, and forests. The PoW tree

Community First Responders

Volunteering to be a community first responder What is a Community First Responder (CFR)? – CFRs are volunteer members of their community who are trained to respond to emergency calls in conjunction with the SouthEast Coast Ambulance Service. As they respond in the local areas where they live and work they are able to attend…

Brightling in two World Wars

War memorial

The war memorial stands in Brightling churchyard. Here is the story behind every name. Research by Jane and Geoffrey Beard, for the centenary in 2018.

World War Two

Local memorials to airmen killed in action to WW2 The following article, by Brian Holliday (writing as “Bloke on a bike”), first appeared in the Messenger magazine in December 2011.  (The picture of the memorial to P/O Meaker was taken by Charlie Leslie in 2020). As a relative newcomer to the Brightling area, and recently…

Exhibition of WW1 artefacts

After the performance of the film shown on 15th September 2018 to commemorate the men of Brightling, who died  in WW1,  we held an exhibition of WW1 artefacts lent by the people of Brightling.  We were asked if we could provide a record of the evening.  Here it is:- Photo of film screen showing the…

General history

Notable People

John ‘Mad Jack’ Fuller Squire John Fuller (aka ‘Mad Jack Fuller’) lived at Brightling Park in the 19th century. He was outspoken, eccentric and rich, a patron of the arts and sciences, and sponsor and mentor to Michael Faraday. He endowed Eastbourne with its first lifeboat, financed the building of the Belle Tout lighthouse at…

The Follies

Brightling is famous for its collection of follies that were all built by John ‘Mad Jack’ Fuller in the early 19th century. The Summerhouse: Believed to be the first of Jack’s follies, the Summerhouse is situated amongst trees to the west of Brightling Park. The Temple: Fuller often entertained at this circular Grecian temple in Brightling Park, which contains…

History

The name ‘Brightling’ is said to derive from the settlement of Britas people. In common with many Wealden settlements, the main village has always been very small with many hamlets and scattered farms. There are no known prehistoric finds in the parish but early man certainly was in the area, clearing the land, farming and…

Brightling Old Photos

The following 4 photos were given to Jane Beard by Jeff Green who lived in the wheelwright’s cottage in the 1930s.   They are likely to have been taken in the 1930s Chester French Brightling School 1930’sBack row L to RJeff Green, ?, Gordon Baker, Derek French, Jimmy GroombridgeFront row L to RPat Croft (Riverhouses), George…