Kemps, Portslade Old Village
Portslade Old Village, Sussex, History
Portslade Old Village has all but been forgotten by the passage of time. Portslade Old Village is distinct from the rest of what is generally referred to as Portslade. The Old Village can be traced back to Roman times, Saxon times, and is mentioned in the Domesday book. The area that is now known as the Old Village started became established in the 11th century with the building of the manor and church. The area began to develop during the mid 16th Century becoming a desirable place to live during 19th Century, with many of the large houses being built during this time. The coming of the railway in the mid 19th century, gave birth to industrial and residential Portslade.
Unfortunately the Old Village is often mistaken for its younger cousin Portslade-by-Sea. The Old Village, is to this day a picturesque quiet area. A brief walk around the Old Village area is all that it takes to appreciate the fabulous feeling of the village.
The church of St Nicholas nestling in the heart of the Old Village is of Norman origin and became the parish church of Portslade in 1368. The church was built in flint in the comtemporary early English style and consisted of a nave, chancel and south aisle until 1849 when the north aisle was added.
Until recently the Old Village housed Dudney's brewery, established around 1850 expanding into custom built premises around 1880. The brewery was producing 1,500 barrels of Southdown Ale per week.
Over the years, Old Portslade became a typical Sussex village and was made a Conservation area in 1974.
