Hamsey Community Website

Welcome to the website for the community of Offham, Hamsey and Cooksbridge

We hope you enjoy using our community website.Click the buttons on the left to link onto activities within the parish. There has been some confusion regarding " Logging on" to the parish website.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO LOG ON TO ACCESS PARISH NEWS AND INFORMATION.

GO STRAIGHT TO THE GREEN BOXES ON THE LEFT TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE.

However, if you wish to place a small-ad, post your club meeting date, or suggest a new community initiative, you need to be given security clearance via a password.

This prevents any unauthorised person putting undesirable information on the website.This is a simple and confidential process. See bottom of page for details.

If you've got news to share, we'd welcome your input!

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About our parish

The parish of Hamsey stretches from the River Ouse in the east to Mount Harry in the west, from Landport in the south to Bevern Bridge in the north. It includes the villages of Offham, Cooksbridge and Hamsey, each of which has its own distinctive character, but with just over 450 people on the electoral roll, the population is small and, for the most part, fairly scattered.

It is an area of deep contrasts. The landscape ranges from high chalk Downland, to the water meadows of the Ouse and the heavy clay pasture and woodlands of the Gault and Low Weald. The architecture is similarly diverse, ranging from medieval timber-framed buildings to Georgian manor houses and modern low cost homes.

The parish has a rich and fascinating history. Find out more by visiting Hamsey Past.

The river was canalised in the 18th century.

The railway arrived in the 19th century and this led to the growth of a new settlement around the station at Cooksbridge. It is now the parish’s biggest residential area.

Farming has been the main activity in the parish for many centuries, but a tannery existed in the 16th-century while local people also found employment in the chalk pits at Offham, the brickyard at Bevern Bridge and the old brewery at Cooksbridge.

The church at Hamsey served the parish from before the Norman Conquest until the new church of St Peter was built at Offham in 1859.

Hamsey Primary School was built in Cooksbridge in 1907 to replace the old schoolhouse at Offham. The Malthouse at Cooksbridge was built in the 18th century and last used for malting in 1912. It was used as the village hall as early as 1919 but was given up in September 2007 when Beechwood Hall, was opened. Situated at the recreation ground in Beechwood Lane the hall is available to hire.

Susan Rowland

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Register as a community user for this site

To register as a user for this website please go to Community services>register. This will give you access to the notice board in order to place small ads or to contact other community users. Your details will remain confidential and are only needed in order to issue you with a password. The help button will tell you more. All registered users have the option to be notified by email when this site is updated; a useful way of getting information quickly.

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