There are a few explanations to the derivation of the name. One that it came
from the colour of the Charcoal burners when they emerged from the woods, but
the more likely explanation is that the name means Black Wood, from the soot
deposited in the woods by the charcoal. The village seems to have the same
type of background as that of Kilndown in Kent. There is also a possibility
that the name is devived from Richard Blakeboy who lived here in the 1300's.
General Details
Blackboys is a small village which lies inland from the South Downs and near
to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex in Southern England . It lies on the
Heathfield to Lewes main road.
The Blackboys Inn was founded in the 1300's and was known as a coaching
establishment. It is also possible that the Inn was founded as a drivers
overnight resting place for those transporting the charcoal from the local
woods to Lewes and other towns.
It is likely that the majority of the charcoal was used by the nearby
Buxted foundry where it is believed that the first iron cannon in England
was made in 1543. The main business of the village stopped in the early
1800's when the iron industry moved north to the Midlands with their large
deposits of coal.
Services
The village only has a few local services, with the nearest
shopping centres in Heathfield to the east and Uckfield to the west.