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.  

Copyright Valerie Martin 2002

c. 1640

The property named "Kenseys" in Cross Lane, (immediately on the right after turning in from Nepcote Lane), was built around 1640. There is reputed to have been a tunnel leading from the cellars at one time in the cottage, leading straight to the Gun Inn - no doubt for the easy transportation of contraband. The damp cellar at "Kenseys" has since been filled in and no evidence of this remains.

c.1677

In 1516 King Henry VIII initiated a postal service exclusively for himself and no one else.   It was not until 1535 that King Charles I introduced a mail service for the public.   It cost 2d to send a letter eight miles.  The postal service then arrived in Findon.  An exceptionally early map of the nearby Coombes Farm in the Adur Valley shows saltings, some narrow field strips and the starting post for early “letter races” along the post route to Findon!   I wonder if these races culminated at the Gun Inn?

1686

A ministry survey of inns, taverns and alehouses gives a brief insight into the life style at the end of the seventeenth century at the Gun Inn. It records that the establishment was now capable of sleeping five weary guests, and providing stabling and watering for six tired horses after clattering over the chalky ups and downs of the Findon countryside.

There have been an illustrious band of men and women coming under the umbrella of "innkeeper" over the centuries at the inn. They have spanned the romantic years of coaches and horses on the intersection of the Findon highway. Whether they called themselves landlord, licensed victualler, publican or merely an innkeeper, their names were proudly depicted on the swaying tavern sign in years gone by. They saw the coaching days and provided hostlers, servants and barmaids to serve the travellers on the crossroads of two carriageways at the centre of Findon. Many of these villagers and their families of yesteryear have disappeared into obscurity but an interesting list can still be discovered and now recorded for posterity.

1698

In May 1698 there was a great snowfall in Findon..... I wonder if it interferred with the coaches running passed the Gun Inn?

Continue if you would like to read about The Lasseters at the Gun Inn in the 1700s.

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