Dial Post
{{Short description|Village in West Sussex, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| static_image_name = Worthing Road, Dial Post - geograph.org.uk - 149501.jpg
| static_image_caption = Worthing Road, Dial Post
| coordinates = {{coord|50.96377|-0.35651|display=inline,title}}
| official_name = Dial Post
| population =
| civil_parish = West Grinstead
| shire_district = Horsham
| shire_county = West Sussex
| region = South East England
| constituency_westminster = Arundel and South Downs
| post_town = Horsham
| postcode_district = RH13 8
| postcode_area = RH
| dial_code =
| os_grid_reference = TQ155195
}}
Dial Post is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. The civil parish, where the lowest level political meetings are held, is West Grinstead in the north-east - its biggest settlement is {{convert|2|mi}} east at Partridge Green. It has a population of around 100 based on the average headcount per inhabited dwelling. In 2001 the population of the civil parish as a whole was 2,934{{Cite web |url=http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=800495&c=west+grinstead |title=neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk 2001 census details |access-date=12 August 2012 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044643/http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=800495&c=west+grinstead |url-status=dead }}
History
The origin of the name is uncertain, Dial Post house, a large building dated 1712 post-dates the name of settlement as do Dial Post farm and Dial Post fields which were named in the early 18th century.{{cite book |last1=Hudson (Editor) |first1=T.P. |last2=Baggs |first2=A.P. |last3=Currie |first3=C.R.J. |last4=Elrington |first4=C.R. |last5=Keeling |first5=S.M. |last6=Rowland |first6=A.M. |title=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2: Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham |date=1986 |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |page=94}} Dial Post farm comprised {{convert|300|acres}} in c. 1710 when it was leased for 21 years.{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18331 |title=West Grinstead: Economic history |author=T P Hudson (Editor), A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling, A M Rowland |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1986 |work=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2: Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham |pages=94–99|access-date=12 August 2012}} A public house, the Crown, is recorded as having been established as early as the 1600s.{{cite web|url=http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p16445coll4/id/339958/rec/3 |title=Post Office Directory of Sussex |editor=E. R. Kelly |publisher=Kelly & Co. |year=1878 |page=3004 (211)|access-date=7 October 2016}}
The ruins of medieval Knepp Castle lie between Dial Post and Southwater by the A24.{{NHLE|num=1010765|desc=Knepp Castle|fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
Today
File:The Green at Dial Post - geograph.org.uk - 1158486.jpg
There is one public house, the Crown Inn, along with a café and barbecue at the Knepp Wilding Kitchen, a new development at Blakers Yard offering commercial space and dwellings, and a Garden Centre, but no church in Dial Post. The village centre retains four of the area's listed buildings, all of Grade II:
- New Lodge{{NHLE|num=1026870 |desc=New Lodge |fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
- Hazel Cottage{{NHLE|num=1181662 |desc=Hazel Cottage |fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
- Alma Cottage{{NHLE|num=1354274 |desc=Alma Cottage |fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
- Dial Post House{{NHLE|num=1354247 |desc=Dial Post House|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
A new village hall, built with the help of a £50,000 grant from the Sussex Downs and Low Weald LEADER programme, was completed early in 2010.{{cite web |url=http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/projects/project-detail?project=272 |title=Dial Post Village Hall |author=Richard Chalk |publisher=Rural Development Programme for England |access-date=19 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221160945/http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/projects/project-detail?project=272 |archive-date=21 February 2014 }}
The ecclesiastical parish centres on an ancient Grade I listed church, St George in the middle of West Grinstead{{NHLE|num=1284797|desc=St George's Church|fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol6/pt2/pp100-102 |title=West Grinstead: Churches |author=T P Hudson (Editor), A P Baggs, C R J Currie, C R Elrington, S M Keeling, A M Rowland |publisher=Institute of Historical Research |year=1986 |work=A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2: Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham |access-date=12 August 2012}} The parishioners have undertaken to maintain the chancel in exchange for the grant from the glebe estate in 1511 of the church house, see chancel repair liability. Similarly, across that village centre is the listed Catholic Church of our Lady of Consolation and St Francis.{{NHLE|num=1391890|desc=Our Lady of Consolation and St Francis |fewer-links=yes|accessdate=12 August 2012}}
Transport
Dial Post was originally on the main but picturesque A24 road linking London, Epsom, Leatherhead, Horsham and Worthing, between Southwater and Ashington, but a straighter bypass exists to the east.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Dial Post}}
{{Horsham|state=collapsed}}
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