Hadlow Down

Hadlow Down is a village and civil parish[3] in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located on the A272 road three miles (4.8 km) north-east of Heathfield. The parish is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It came to prominence with the Wealden iron industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. The majority of the population of Hadlow Down now commute to a place of work outside the boundaries of the parish but it still has a strong community atmosphere centred on the New Inn pub, St. Mark's school and St. Mark's church.

Hadlow Down
Hadlow Down Location within East Sussex
Area	17.0 km2 (6.6 sq mi) [1]
Population	857 (Parish-2011)[2]
• Density	109/sq mi (42/km2)
OS grid reference	TQ533240
• London	37 miles (60 km) NNW
District	Wealden
Shire county	East Sussex
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	UCKFIELD
Postcode district	TN22
Dialling code	01825
Police	Sussex
Fire	East Sussex
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Wealden
Website	http://www.hadlowdown.com

The parish church, built and consecrated in 1836, is dedicated to St Mark, and was rebuilt just before World War I.[4][5] Edmond William Costello (1873–1949), holder of the Victoria Cross, is buried in the churchyard; and Diana Rowden (1915–44), SOE agent, lived at Hadlow Down before World War II. A former Calvinistic chapel, Providence Chapel, stands on Main Road; it was built in 1849 and converted into a house in 1996.[6]

There is a village school is St Mark's CE Primary School.[7]

The village pub is the New Inn.[8] An historic pub interior of "national importance" Listed Status: Grade II. This red-brick hotel-cum-pub built in 1885 for the South Down & East Grinstead Brewery retains its plan-form and fittings virtually intact at present. The central entrance has 'Hotel Entrance' etched glass in the doors and to the right are a pair of doors leading to the public bar with one remaining 'Public Bar' etched panel. To be noted is the ceramic button with the figure '1' above the inside of the front doors – a requirement of licensing magistrates. The pub part is small with a long public bar fronting the main street (there was probably a screen dividing it originally) and one small room behind. The spartan public bar fittings are much as they were in Victorian times with a wood-block floor, a long Victorian counter with the front painted cream, bar back fitting with three large cash drawers (note two slots for notes) and four ceramic spirit barrels (note ‘I Whisky’ from the days before the fad of inserting an ‘e’ to distinguish the Irish from the Scottish variety). There are two sections of wall bench seating attached to matchboard dado panelling and a small early 20th century tiled fireplace with decoration on the wood surround and with a log fire. To be noted is the hatch on the left of the servery for customers of the hotel and waiters who would have served the former restaurant. At the rear right is the snug, a small room which now has a carpet and is home to a bar billiards table, The matchboard dado panels have been painted white and service is via the original split doors with a hatch/shelf to the back of the bar. On the front left side of the building are twin currently out of use doors with ‘Hotel Entrance’ etched panels which lead into a corridor and off to the left is the former dining room with further matchboard panelling and an ornate cast-iron fireplace. The pub still retains its outside gents’ and ladies’.