The Domesday Book then and now

The BBC in 1986 launched a programme of recording everyday life throughout the United Kingdom, since it was occurring 900 years after the original Domesday Book it was renamed the Domesday Project. The whole of the UK – including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man – was divided into 23,000 4x3km areas called Domesday Squares or “D-Blocks”. Schools and community groups surveyed over 108,000 square km of the UK and submitted more than 147,819 pages of text articles and 23,225 amateur photos, cataloging what it was like to live, work and play in their community. As the data was recorded on to large scale laser discs that were read by the BBC series of Master Computer series, it became less well known until it was recently revived by George Auckland and his innovations team. More of this exciting project can be found here.

However Whatlington, or Watlingetone as it was spelt in the old Domesday book, has very little information. As can be seen for the D-square for GB-576000-117000, there is a little information about Sedlescombe and Whatlington from the survey in 1986.

"The area around the small villages of Sedlescombe and Whatlington 

is essentially rural. It is especially picturesque and this, 

together with the close proximity of the historic site of the 

Battle of Hastings,attracts much tourism, especially in the summer 

months. 

There is a lot of farming and little industry, therefore, the area 

does not provide many jobs and most workers find employment in the 

near-by large towns of Battle, Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne and 

further afield in Tunbridge Wells and London." 

There are a few linked articles on Sedlescombe including government, employment, education, religion, recreation to name but a few; but nothing on Whatlington. And Vinehall Street and Whatlington Road had no information on it at all. Information, questions and queries can be added and asked here. The information has to be into the compilers by Hallowe'en (or the 31st of October 2011). Any takers?

And before you think, I am talking too much of the present and future. I have raided Mother's archive for something that was published, I think in the Battle Observer, on Friday the 15th of April 1994. "Weathervane keeps Ken's memory alive"- Ken Crouch, to those that knew him and knew of him, was a brother to Reg and Sid Crouch, an organist, a postman and a choir master to Whatlington choir. As the article says, "...was born in Whatlington and lived in Battle, died in 1986. He had been organist and choirmaster at the village church for 35 years." The weather vane was designed by Ralph Wood of Le Fevre,Wood & Royle and featured a man playing the organ and was partially gilded. (Does anyone know the website address for this company?) The weather vane was made by Derek Griffiths of Ironworks UK Ltd in Westfield. Can anyone remember this or what do they remember of Ken Crouch? Can anyone tell me, did the weather vane survive the fire that took the church? Does anyone have any pictures of the weather vane or Ken Crouch himself?

I remember Mr. Crouch, as I knew him, allowing the choir out early to get the conkers out of the large horse chestnut tree in the graveyard. It was around that time I found out that Malcolm Muggeridge's parents were buried in Whatlington Church's graveyard. He was still alive at the time. Can anyone tell me if the picture of Malcolm Muggeridge in a graveyard on his society website - the link is shown above - is it Whatlington? I hear rumours that he used to make his own fireworks, the Battle rouser.

One website describes the Battle Rouser as thus: 

"Regional traditions produced their own special fireworks. The "Battle"  rouser or rocket  for example was a powerful firework made in a wooden cylinder within a paper  container. The powder mixed with iron filings is tamped down with a wooden pestle. It was named for Battle in Sussex where it was produced. The materials for these were obtained up till about 100 yeas ago from the local government powder mills.  About 50 years ago the production of the rouser was banned.  It is recorded that during celebrations at Battle 2000,000 rousers were set off at one time."

Can anyone tell me if Mr. Crouch did make fireworks? Also, just as important, tell me what you would like to see in this blog. Yes, there will be some tales of what happened during the war, both of them, in the village, I just need to get a bit more information and permission to tell these tales.