Chelwood Gate

{{short description |Village in East Sussex, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox UK place

| official_name = Chelwood Gate

| country = England

| region = South East England

| population =

| population_ref =

| os_grid_reference = TQ4159629872

| coordinates = {{coord|51.048|0.024|display=inline,title}}

| post_town = HAYWARDS HEATH

| postcode_area = RH

| postcode_district = RH17

| dial_code = 01825

| constituency_westminster = Wealden

| civil_parish = Danehill

| shire_district = Wealden

| shire_county = East Sussex

| static_image_name = Chelwood Gate Village Hall - geograph.org.uk - 54548.jpg

| static_image_caption = The village hall

}}

Chelwood Gate is a small village within the civil parish of Danehill in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. Its nearest town is Uckfield, which lies approximately {{convert|6.6|mi}} south-east from the village, just off the A22 road. The village is near the West Sussex border.

Chelwood Gate was one of the entrances into Ashdown Forest through which John of Gaunt, the third surviving son of King Edward III, would have entered the forest from his hunting lodge. There is an Iron Age enclosure which is a Scheduled Monument due to its importance as a relatively rare example of a Wealden Iron Age settlement.{{NHLE|num=1423862|desc=Chelwood Gate Enclosure|accessdate=2017-02-18}}

The village church forms part of the Parish of All Saints Danehill with Chelwood Gate. The church was built as a 'chapel of ease' not long after the main parish building in Danehill was completed so that the residents local to Chelwood Gate would not have to travel the longer journey on foot to the church at Danehill.{{Cite web|url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/chelwood-gate/|title=Chelwood Gate Church, Chelwood Gate|website=A Church Near You|access-date=2017-02-18}}

Behind the church, a single bell is hung in a timber bellcote. In 2006, the church was expanded to accommodate a toilet and kitchen. In the same year, The Whitechapel Bell Foundry supplied a bell tuned to the key of F.

It measures 13.81" (350.774 mm) in diameter, and is chimed by a rope. The rope itself has a block just above the hole in the floor to prevent it from being swung too high. In the past, it appears that it did hit, due to a dent on the side of the louvres.

It is inscribed:

20 (Fig. WBF,1) 06 / WHITECHAPEL

in small block-Roman capitals.

The partials are:

Hum – 698 Hz
Prime – 1397 Hz
Tierce – 1664.5 Hz
Nominal – 2698.5 Hz

The bell can be heard online.{{Cite web|url=https://thebellsofsussex.weebly.com/chelwood-gate-chapel-of-ease.html|title=Chelwood Gate Church Bell|website=The Bells of Sussex|access-date=2023-06-21}}

The village public house, the Red Lion, was built in the 19th century and was patronised in the past by Harold Macmillan and United States President John F Kennedy.{{Cite web|url=http://www.redlionchelwood.co.uk/|title=Red Lion, Chelwood|website=Shepherd Neame|language=en|access-date=2017-02-18}} Kennedy came to visit the then Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, in 1963 and a memorial to this event can be found on the Wych Cross road within the village.{{Cite web|url=http://sussex.villagenet.co.uk/chelwoodgate.php|title=Chelwood Gate Sussex - The Forest entrance and President Kennedy - an English Village UK|last=Simon|website=sussex.villagenet.co.uk|access-date=2017-02-18|archive-date=19 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219100436/http://sussex.villagenet.co.uk/chelwoodgate.php|url-status=dead}} The village also has a village hall which is visited by a mobile library service, a village market and there is also a nursery school.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/libraries/locations/mobile/chelwood-gate-village-hall/|title=Chelwood Gate, Village Hall|newspaper=East Sussex County Council|access-date=2017-02-18|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.chelwoodgatenursery.co.uk/about|title=About us {{!}} Chelwood Gate Nursery Group|website=www.chelwoodgatenursery.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2017-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219101834/http://www.chelwoodgatenursery.co.uk/about|archive-date=19 February 2017|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ashdownforest.com/events/chelwood-gate-village-market-8/|title=Chelwood Gate Village Market: Ashdown Forest|website=www.ashdownforest.com|access-date=2017-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219123056/http://www.ashdownforest.com/events/chelwood-gate-village-market-8/|archive-date=19 February 2017|url-status=dead}}

The Cats Protection National Cat Centre is located in Chelwood Gate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitsoutheastengland.com/things-to-do/cats-protection-national-cat-centre-p334461|title=Cats Protection National Cat Centre|work=visitsoutheastengland.com|access-date=8 September 2023}}