Balcombe#St Mary's Church

The name Balcombe may mean "Mining Place Camp". Bal is a Cornish word meaning a mining place as in Bal Maidens, and the same word may have existed in Ancient British Celtic. Although Coombe or Combe can mean a valley, it can also come from the Roman "camp".{{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=Bruce|title=An Invitation to Old English and Anglo-Saxon England|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|location=Oxford|year=1995|isbn=0-631-17436-2}}{{Page needed|date=October 2024}} So possibly from its name Balcombe could have once been a Romano-British mining settlement.

South of Balcombe on the London to Brighton railway line is the Ouse Valley Viaduct. Designed and engineered by John Urpeth Rastrick (1780–1856) in consultation with the talented architect David Mocatta, it was completed in 1842.{{cite book|last=Hollingsworth|first=J. P.|title=Old Balcombe|year=2009|publisher=Stenlake Publishing|location=Catrine, East Ayrshire|isbn=9781840334661|pages=1–3|url=http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=586}} It is {{convert|100|ft|m}} high and 500 yards long. It has 37 arches and was built with 11 million imported Dutch bricks.{{cite magazine|last=Snow|first=Jon|date=September 2008|title=Brave New World|magazine=Saga Magazine|page=61}}

The village has a series of murals about World War I in its Victory Hall. Lady Gertrude Denman commissioned artist Neville Lytton{{cite book|last=Huxley|first=Gervas|title=Lady Denman, GBE 1884–1954|year=1961|publisher=Chatto& Windus Ltd|location=London|page=132}} to paint the {{convert|34|ft|m|spell=in}} long by {{convert|10|ft|m|spell=in}} high frescoes.

Balcombe was the birthplace of Colour Sergeant (later Lieutenant Colonel) Frank Bourne DCM, who fought at the battle of Rorke's Drift in the Zulu War. He was the last British survivor of that battle when he died in Dorking in 1945.Rorke's Drift, Adrian Greaves, Cassell, 2003, See also 1861 Census for Balcombe. Famous residents included actor Paul Scofield who is buried with his wife Joy in St. Mary's churchyard.

The River Ouse was once navigable from the south coast to Balcombe, for the delivery of Dutch bricks to the viaduct.

Balcombe civil parish contains 59 listed buildings. Of these, two are Grade I, four are Grade II* and the remaining 53 buildings are Grade II.

The Grade I listed buildings are:

• The Parish Church of St Mary (List Entry Number 1354797) - see below.
• Stone Hall (List Entry Number 1286412), a late C17 house. It was the dower-house of the Balcombe Place estate.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1286412|desc=Stone Hall}}

The Grade II* buildings are:

• Balcombe Place (List Entry Number 1025775), a Tudor-style country House, built in 1856 by Henry Clutton for John Hankey of Naylands.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1025775|desc=Balcombe Place}}
• Kemp's House (List Entry Number 1192986), a late C17 house.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1192986|desc=Kemp's House}}
• Edmund's Farmhouse (List Entry Number 1193049), a C15 timber-framed building, with a C16 wing added behind.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1193049|desc=Edmund's Farmhouse}}
• Ouse Valley Railway Viaduct (List Entry Number 1366101), designed by John Rastrick and David Mocatta; constructed in 1839–41.{{National Heritage List for England|num=1366101|desc=Ouse Valley Railway Viaduct}}

The parish contains no scheduled monuments.

File:St. Mary's church, Balcombe.jpg

St Mary's Church is Balcombe's parish church, located to the north of the village, on London Road (B2036), at {{Coord|51|03|45.6|N|0|08|10.3|W|display=inline}}. The original church was built in the late 13th or early 14th century; it consisted of a chancel (now the south chapel) and a narrow nave (now the south aisle). The west tower, with a shingled broach spire, was added in the 15th century. The church was rebuilt in 1847–50, adding a north aisle (now the nave);{{cite web |last1=Clutton |first1=Henry |title=Balcombe, St. Mary: ground plan and gallery |url=http://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/s/06m0q4 |publisher=Lambeth Palace Library (Church Plans Online project) |access-date=26 December 2019}} and again in 1872–72, when the current north aisle and chancel were built.{{cite web |last1=?Christian |first1=Ewan |title=Balcombe, St. Mary: groundplan |url=http://images.lambethpalacelibrary.org.uk/luna/servlet/s/lxv4lx |publisher=Lambeth Palace Library (Church Plans Online project) |access-date=26 December 2019}} The church is built of local sandstone, with a Horsham Stone roof.{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=John |title=Balcombe – St Mary |url=https://sussexparishchurches.org/church/balcombe-st-mary/ |website=Sussex Parish Churches |access-date=26 December 2019}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Salzman |editor1-first=L. F. |title='Parishes: Balcombe', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 7, the Rape of Lewes |date=1940 |publisher=British History Online |location=London |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol7/pp132-136 |access-date=26 December 2019}} The church is a Grade I listed building, listed for the tower (List Entry Number 1354797, first listed 28 October 1957).{{National Heritage List for England|num=1354797|desc=The Parish Church of St Mary}}

The actor Paul Scofield and his wife Joy are buried in the graveyard.

The church is in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester, Archdeaconry of Horsham.

The village has a railway station which lies just north of Haywards Heath on the Brighton Main Line. Balcombe railway station helped expand a predominantly farming community into one of the popular London commuter villages. The station offers direct services to London Victoria, Cambridge (via London Bridge), and Brighton. To the north of the village is Balcombe tunnel.

{{Main|Balcombe drilling protest}}

Test drilling and possible fracking for petroleum{{cite news|title=Goals Collide in Drilling Protests|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/business/energy-environment/08iht-green08.html|access-date=8 August 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 August 2013|author=Stanley Reed}} deposits was proposed in 2012. A protest group was formed and a picnic was held. There was considerable opposition in the local population to exploration plans. Cuadrilla Resources, the company that proposes to drill the well, engaged in public relations efforts attempting to convince villagers that the project was both useful and safe. Previous exploration by Conoco in the same area in 1986 was abandoned.{{cite news|title=British Villagers, Fearing Fracking, Protest Plan for Drilling|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/business/global/british-village-protests-plan-for-shale-gas-drilling.html|access-date=25 May 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=24 May 2013|author=Stanley Reed}}

In July 2013 a licence to drill the well was granted by the Environment Agency and Cuadrilla began transporting equipment and supplies to the test site. The well would be {{convert|3000|ft}} deep with a possible {{convert|2500|ft}} horizontal leg. As of August 2013, Balcombe had emerged as a focus of opposition to fracking in the Weald Basin of southeast England and vigorous protests were in progress.{{cite news|title=The UK's anti fracking movement is growing|url=http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2016997/the_uks_anti_fracking_movement_is_growing.html|access-date=29 July 2013|newspaper=The Ecologist|date=July 2013|author=Jan Goodey}}{{cite news|title=Fracking faces tough foes in leafy Sussex Shale gas and oil may hold the key to Britain's energy troubles – but not if grassroots protesters have their way|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10148552/Fracking-faces-tough-foes-in-leafy-Sussex.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702071442/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/10148552/Fracking-faces-tough-foes-in-leafy-Sussex.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 July 2013|access-date=29 June 2013|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=28 June 2013|author=Geoffrey Lean}}{{cite news|title=Anti-fracking protesters halt Sussex shale gas operation: Activists in Balcombe block lorry carrying equipment for drilling operation that is due to start next week|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/25/anti-fracking-protesters-sussex-shale|access-date=25 July 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=25 July 2013|author=Robert Booth}}{{cite news|title=Anti-fracking activists arrested at West Sussex drilling site: Police remove protesters blockading Balcombe site where energy company Cuadrilla is looking for shale oil|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/26/anti-fracking-activists-arrested-sussex|access-date=26 July 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=26 July 2013|author=Robert Booth}}{{cite news|title=Fracking Demo: Police Arrest 18 Protesters: A dozen people have been charged after scuffles at an anti-fracking protest in the village of Balcombe, West Sussex.|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1121010/fracking-demo-police-arrest-18-protesters|access-date=27 July 2013|newspaper=Sky News|date=27 July 2013}}{{cite news|title=Fracking protest: who's who in the battle of Balcombe?: The campaigners lining up against the exploratory shale-gas well in West Sussex are a surprisingly disparate bunch, including a pop star's daughter and a former page 3 model|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2013/jul/30/fracking-protest-battle-of-balcombe|access-date=1 August 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=30 July 2013|author=Jon Henley}}{{cite news|title=Frack Off protesters bring a little fire engine trouble to Balcombe oil site: Fracking firm's work at West Sussex drilling site brought to a halt after activists locked themselves to vehicle parked outside gates|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/01/frack-off-protest-fracking-fire-engine-balcombe-oil|access-date=1 August 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 August 2013|author=Peter Walker}}{{cite news|title=Shale Gas Company Suspends Drilling in Southern England|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/17/business/energy-environment/shale-gas-company-suspends-drilling-in-southern-england.html|access-date=16 August 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=16 August 2013|author=Stanley Reed}}{{cite news|title=Fracking protesters gather for six-day camp as Balcombe drilling suspended: Cuadrilla scales back operation on advice of police, with up to 1,000 more campaigners expected in West Sussex|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/aug/16/fracking-protesters-camp-balcombe-drilling|access-date=16 August 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=16 August 2013|agency=Press Association}}

In March 2014, a group of residents set up a renewable energy co-operative called REPOWERBalcombe, with a view to healing the rifts that emerged during the protests.{{cite news|last1=Lonsdale|first1=Sarah|title=Balcombe: divided by oil, saved by solar power|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/greenproperty/10935448/Balcombe-a-village-divided-by-oil-saved-by-solar-power.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702180146/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/greenproperty/10935448/Balcombe-a-village-divided-by-oil-saved-by-solar-power.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 July 2014|access-date=7 December 2014|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=2 July 2014}} REPOWERBalcombe aims to match the village's domestic electricity demand with community-owned solar power.{{cite news|title=Balcombe: 'now everyone's working towards the same goal'|url=http://www.channel4.com/news/balcombe-fracking-solar-now-everyones-working-towards-the-same-goal|access-date=7 December 2014|publisher=Channel 4 News}}

Balcombe was used as the location for Arthur Dent's house in the first episode of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (TV series) in May 1980. Dent wakes up to find bulldozers about to demolish his house. The show's producers said they spent two months searching for the ideal location, before finding the farmhouse at Edmonds Farm in Balcombe.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dwid0171bw|title = - YouTube|website = YouTube}}{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/justin-k-prim/filming-locations-for-the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-and-more-8018c4fb9437|title = Filming Locations for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and More|date = 4 March 2018}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Balcombe}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090116204642/http://balcombevillage.co.uk/BalcombeHistorySociety.htm Balcombe History Society]
• [http://www.frackfreebalcombe.org.uk Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association]

{{Mid Sussex}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Villages in West Sussex

Category:Civil parishes in West Sussex

Category:Mid Sussex District