Arlington | |
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Arlington Reservoir |
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Arlington shown within East Sussex | |
Area | 18.4 km2 (7.1 sq mi) |
Population | 490 (2007) 770 (2011) |
• Density | 69/sq mi (27/km2) |
OS grid reference | TQ543072 |
• London | 47 miles (76 km) NNW |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | POLEGATE |
Postcode district | BN26 |
Dialling code | 01323 |
Police | Sussex |
Fire | East Sussex |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Website | http://www.arlington-parish-council.org.uk/ |
Arlington is a village and civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The parish is on the River Cuckmere, and is the location for a medieval priory, a reservoir and car racetrack.
The area has been settled since Anglo-Saxon times. It is suggested that the wooden church in Arlington built by them, having been destroyed by invaders, was later rebuilt with bricks from the nearby Roman road. Apart from the Anglo-Saxon type of quoin stones, the church shows a splayed window of Anglo-Saxon type next to the porch. Supporting an early date is the dedication of the church to St Pancras, the Roman martyr, relics of whom were given to one of the Anglo-Saxon kings: he was reputed to be a teenager when put to death in one of the Roman persecutions of Christians. There is a statue of this saint in the RC church at Lewes: it is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that the church at Arlington dates from early in the Anglo-Saxon period. It was enlarged in the 13th century.Michelham Priory, at Upper Dicker, was founded by the Augustinians in 1229. Today it is a tourist site and has major drug related problems.
Arlington village stands above the left bank of the River Cuckmere. The parish includes the two villages of Arlington and Upper Dicker. It is on a minor road leading north from the A27 road between Polegate and Lewes, and near Berwick railway station on the East Coastway Line. The village of Upper Dicker, the site of a medieval trade centre (Dicker = barter), is on the river, 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) to the north.
Arlington Reservoir, on the opposite side of the river, was opened in 1971, and supplies water to the local area, including Eastbourne. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs and is an award-winning conservation site, being both a local nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is an important site for bird life, with up to 170 species breeding in the area and 10,000 migrating birds using it each year and is popular with walkers, and for horse riders and anglers.