Laughton lies just off the main A22 Eastbourne to London road, on the B2124 Hailsham to Ringmer road. The village has been known by a number of names from Laughton in the Domesday Book , Lacton , Leghton , Layghton and now Laughton . Stone implements have been found nearby, and the Romans built a villa on land towards Ripe , probably for farming as the land is very fertile lying as it does on a tributary of the river Ouse . Until the Norman conquest in 1066 the area was owned by Earl Godwin, the father of Harold II the last Saxon King of England. The ownership was passed to Aquila family who founded Michelham Priory and who started to build the church in 1229. The Black Death appears to have effected the village as the church lies just under a mile from the village centre. In 1356 at the battle of Poitiers a local knight Sir John Pelham together with Sir Roger De La Warr captured Jean the King of France, because of this Sir John was given the Kings belt buckle as a badge of honour. This badge can be seen in many churches in the area showing the influence and power of the Pelham family. The Pelham family bought Laughton Place, an old fortified manor in 1466, this was rebuilt in 1534 by William Pelham . The Pelhams built a new house in Halland in the 1600's and moved there, but continued to be Lords of the manor. The area was once a major brick producer with four brickworks nearby. The bricks were used to build Laughton Place , with production continuing until the 1930's. During the Second World War the village was hit by a doodlebug ( Flying Bomb ) and unusually for the villages in the area four people were killed.

Services

Laughton has a few local services as you would expect from a small village. The nearest shopping centres are at Hailsham about 6 miles to the East or Lewes about 6 miles West. The nearest train service runs from Lewes with a regular service to London.

Views

Laughton is on a slight rise in the flatlands between the South Downs and the Ashdown Forest. It has views south to the Downs which can be spectacular on a late summer afternoon. Many of the houses in the village are old and attractive.

Businesses Servicing the Area

Service Web Business Name Location Phone Accountant Alison Stevens & Co (Robertsbridge) (01580)-880237 Bed & Breakfast Smugglers Barn (Jevington) (01323)-483855 Chair Doctor Holland of Rye (Rye) (01797)-222648 Fire Protection   Extinguished Fire Protection (Laughton) (01323)-811717 Record Producer Jelly Recording Studios (Whatlington) (01580)-882032

Local Amenities

Amenity Web Name Email Phone We currently have no information on the amenities in Laughton If you know of organisations in the village who would like to be included please click here

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Page Last Updated: 08:02 - 12/01/2007