Editing Polegate (section)

==History==

Until the coming of the railways in the 1840s, Polegate was a small settlement within the parish of [[Hailsham]]. The [[Roman road]] from [[Pevensey]] to [[Lewes]] passed through here, and the [[toll road|turnpike]] between London and Eastbourne was developed in the 18th century; but it was the opening of the railway between Lewes and [[Hastings]], with later branches to Eastbourne and Hailsham, that meant growth for Polegate. It became a significant junction, with a freight terminal serving both the nearby [[market town]] of [[Hailsham]] and the local brick making industry.  The town grew partly to accommodate the railway employees.

In the 12th century, the [[Premonstratensian]] order of monks occupied [[Otham Abbey]] in the parish, before relocating around 1208 to [[Bayham Abbey]], near Lamberhurst.<ref name=ioe>{{NHLE |num=1353410 |desc=Otteham Court |access-date=19 April 2008}}</ref> Two buildings remain of that time, Otteham Court<ref name=ioe /> and its Chapel.<ref>{{NHLE |num=1182639 |desc=The chapel at Otteham Court |access-date=19 April 2008}}</ref>

In 1851 a church school was established in Polegate.

St John's Church was opened on 10 November 1876. The site of the church and the parsonage was donated by Mr Fuller-Meyrick, owner of the [[Brightling Park|Brightling Park Estate]]. The separate parish of St John's was formed on 26 October 1937, with the first vicar being Rev. John Catterall Salisbury (he had been curate since 1933). In 2013 the Parsonage building in Church Road was sold by the Diocese.

In the 21st century, with the closure of the line to Hailsham and the once direct route to Hastings, its importance as a railway hub has gone. It remains a road junction, with the erstwhile turnpike now being the [[A22 road]]; the junction with the [[A27 road|A27]] lies within the town boundary.

There are four streets in today's Polegate named for the [[Levett]] family (Levett Close, Levett Road, Levett Avenue and Levett Way). The [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman]] family were early Sussex landowners, and held manors and lands across the county, including [[Firle]], [[Bodiam]], [[Hollington, East Sussex|Hollington]] and elsewhere. The family's lands were carried into the families of Gildredge (and then to the [[Davies-Gilbert]] family of Eastbourne), the Eversfields of [[St. Leonards-on-Sea]], the Ashburnhams, the Chaloners and others.