THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — the Findon Chronicles are created by Valerie Martin and contain great stories from her home village of FINDON, West Sussex, U.K.    Everyday tales about real people...... in fact, a potted history of the village.   The topics today, are history tomorrow.  

Text first published in Along The Furlong in November 1997

Copyright Valerie Martin 1999.

As the site of John the Baptist Church has a long and varied history, as does its most closest neighbour, the Manor of Findon, I wondered if there were any other ancient structures in our village.    I set out to discover and found there was considerable antiquity attached to the Gun Inn at the junction of School Hill and the Square.  

It is now celebrated as a Class II listed building and is one of our oldest surviving Medieval structures right in the centre of the village.  I sensed that a mystery was about to unravel when I learned that it started life in a surprisingly different way than that of an inn.  

A list of questions immediately unfolded needing answers.  What stood on the site before?   When was this property built?    Who was it constructed for?    When did it become a hostelry?    Some of these puzzles have yet to be concluded.

I dug harder and a little deeper into the mystery.   In recent years there was a revelation.   The property standing on the prominent corner in the centre of Findon was not always an inn waiting to serve weary travellers bumping over the Downs in horse-drawn coaches.   After much research by authorities (no doubt a lot better at doing this work than myself), I found they had unearthed clues that amazingly indicated its early foundations were laid some six centuries ago.

I know you do not want to hear lots of technicalities any more than I do, so I will put it very simply.   As unlikely as this may sound, it is now considered that the original architecture that we see today is on the foundations of an open Hall House (this just means with a hall as a distinguishing feature).     It would have been constructed as such around 1400 - 1420.   The initial main structure were designed with some architectural flair of the day and built by persons now unknown — in fact, for a gentleman or gentlewoman of some important standing in our neighbourhood.   Fascinating stuff and worth a little further investigation — and there was more to come.   I have read that the establishment may have been for the purpose of receiving and entertaining visitors or guests — or perhaps even used as a local community centre at this early stage in its life.    Maybe a kind of village hall of 15th century Findon?

The floor area was not over large and the initial property would have appeared to present day standards as lacking in décor of any pretentious nature (such as elaborate timber carving carried out in a larger manor house).   I wonder if this could indicate that it was constructed for, or by, an affluent mercer or yeoman — a villager in our midst of our past.   This form of building would certainly not have fitted the public image of any local aristocracy, rich Findon personage of influence and importance.   

One puzzle remains, did the property have a name?   If so, what was this?    I would dearly love to know.  This was the one vexing question I could not find the answer to.   It happened all too long ago so I will just call it The Gun for convenience sake.

A rather fascinating picture can be pieced together from the jigsaw of slow moving rural village life towards the end of the Middle Ages when the house on the corner site in The Square was under construction.  As the initial building work was being carried out at The Gun, other construction work was most likely in progress in the village. The church tower, Norman chancel/sacristy and South Chapel were in the process of being completed in the 15th century.

It is known that a vicarage stood close to the ancient lane leading to the church and the original village of Findon clustered in the field directly to the north. In the fifteenth century, simple dwellings still remained in that area, betwixt and between the church and the present location of the village. There was also another considerable settlement of mellow rustic dwellings situated further to the north at Muntham (now the crematorium site).

In Medieval times, a market place complete with a market-place hedge, a so-called butcher’s shop and a covered cross for the trading of local merchandise and produce, is chronicled as being situated in Findon. This would surely have also been conveniently located within sight of the church and village amenities of the day.    If all of this was going on near the church, the question remains as to why suddenly start building so much further west in the area we now know as The Square?

I can think of no further likely suggestion than it may have involved the Lord of the Manor at that time.   Did he order that the villagers move further west ..... did perhaps the stench from the hovels so near his gates offend his nostrils?

A popular weekly fair, which had been started during the 45th year of the reign of Henry III, was still being conducted in the village at this time. A Charter had been granted much earlier, in 1261, to the then Lord of the Manor, Walter de Clifford, for a weekly fair-cum-market to be held on Tuesdays. The licence was, not surprisingly for that era, written in Norman French. It is believed that these original weekly commercial fairs were of a general nature, sometimes known as pedlary. Again it is likely they were conducted in the locality of the church and habitation.

A larger annual Findon Fair was also held at this period. It was a much grander occasion of three days’ duration for the Decollation of St. John the Baptist. This fair had been granted many years before to the same Walter de Clifford, and was held every summer on 28th, 29th and 30th of August.   A predecessor of our own Sheep Fair and Village Festival.

The nearby Findon Manor (Findon Place), in the late Middle Ages comprised of a principal chamber with its own adjoining private chapel. There was also a latrine and an entrance gatehouse to the property. This latter had accommodation incorporated in the structure above. To complete the rural scene, a dovecote graced the grounds of the Manor. At this time Findon Manor also possessed a windmill. This would have been probably situated high on the Downs above the Church and Manor.

Thus a scanty but interesting illustration can be drawn of the pastoral Findon village scene towards the end of the Middle Ages when the foundations of the Gun Inn were laid.  To sum up.  Some unsophisticated abodes still survived near the Church and Manor House. A few simple dwellings had begun to spring up in the vicinity of the new main street area, including the corner property that was to eventually become The Gun Inn.    Regular country fairs were being enjoyed in Findon for business on a weekly basis. Also, one larger annual three-day affair, for the enjoyment and pleasure of the community of Findon, six centuries ago. 

Continue if you would like to read more on the Gun Inn in The Muskett Gun.

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This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.