Hurstpierpoint, United Kingdom

History

The Hurstpierpoint manor held all the land in a giant parish. Before the Norman Conquest it was owned by Earl Godwin. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the settlement was named as Herst in the ancient hundred of Buttinghill. After the Conquest, it was held by the de Pierpoints for many centuries.

There were twin Parks at Hurstpierpoint through the later Middle Ages, Little Park north of the Greensand ridge and Danny, or Great Park (TQ 285 152) to its south. Danny Park was made by enclosing existing woodland in the early 13th century. It remained a special place right up until the 1970s, particularly for its many ancient elms, which formed an avenue northwards from the house.

The name "Hurstpierpoint" derives from two sources. The first source is 'Hurst' (also spelled 'hyrst', 'herst' or 'hirst'), the Saxon name for a wooded hill. The hill woodland is likely to have been on the shadier, northern side of the greensand ridge, for the sunny south side is partially on the Lower Greensand which is an area that early farmers would have settled for the fertile ground, for example at Wanbarrow, Washbrooks, Tott Farm and Bedlam Street. The second source is de Pierpoint family who were early owners of the property. Throughout the centuries there have been several variants on the Hurstpierpoint name e.g. Herst (11th century); Herstperpunt (14th century); Perpondesherst (15th century).

From the History section of Hurstpierpoint on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.