Ashburnham and Penhurst

Ashburnham and Penhurst are civil parishes in the Rother district of the local government county of East Sussex, England, within historic Sussex, situated to the west of Battle. The two parishes share a joint parish council which also covers the settlements of Brownbread Street, Ponts Green and Ashburnham Forge. Neither of the parishes have many dwellings, Ashburnham having a population of 303, whilst Penhurst has just 52 inhabitants.

Governance
At a local level, Ashburnham and Penhurst are governed by a joint parish council which is responsible for street lighting, allotments and recreational areas. They provide a local voice to the district and county councils. The parish council consists of seven councillors, split into two wards: five councillors from Ashburnham ward and two from Penshurst ward. The May 2007 election had six candidates standing in the Ashburnham ward. The Penshurst ward was uncontested.

Rother District council provides the next level of government with services such as refuse collection, planning consent, leisure amenities and council tax collection. Ashburnham and Penhurst are within the Crowhurst ward, along with the parishes of Catsfield, Crowhurst, and part of Battle. In the May 2007 election Crowhurst ward was won by the Conservative candidate.

East Sussex county council is the third tier of government, providing education, libraries and highway maintenance. Ashburnham and Penhurst falls within the Battle and Crowhurst ward. Kathryn Margaret Field, Liberal Democrat, was elected in the May 2005 election with 48.8% of the vote.

The UK Parliament constituency for Ashburnham and Penhurst is Bexhill and Battle. Gregory Barker was re-elected in the May 2005 election.

At European level, Ashburnham and Penhurst are represented by the South-East region, which holds ten seats in the European Parliament. The June 2004 election returned four Conservatives, two Liberal Democrats, two UK Independence, one Labour and one Green, none of whom live in East Sussex.

Ashburnham
Ashburnham takes its name from Ashburnham Place, a country house built by the Ashburnham family (now a Christian conference and prayer centre), a name which derived from the local stream named the Ashbourne. The 14th-century parish church, dedicated to St Peter, was rebuilt in 1665. The village was in the iron making district of the Weald, and its blast furnace was, in 1813, the last in Sussex to be closed.

Until 2006, Ashburnham was the home of musician James "Tate" Arguile, guitarist in the alternative band Mumm-Ra.

Penhurst
Penhurst is a village located on the Weald, four miles (7 km) west of Battle.

Penhurst Manor is now a Christian retreat centre and is used much in the support of missionaries from overseas. The views across the Weald, beautiful grounds along with the warm hospitality serve to create a haven of peace and tranquility.

The 14th-century parish church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel. The actor Harry H. Corbett (1925–82) lies buried in the churchyard.

Landscape
Ashburnham and Penhurst are located in the heart of the Sussex Weald within the designated High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Landmarks
Ashburnham Park falls within the area and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It comprises 100.7 ha ancient woodland and medieval deer park, containing a wide spread of flora and avian fauna. Part of the park lies in the neighbouring Catsfield parish.

Several features of the old iron industry can be found along the track from the hamlet of Ashburnham Forge up to the furnace site near Lakehouse Road.