Shipley, West Sussex

History

Shipley is first mentioned in a charter of 1073 as Scapeleia, and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Sepelei. The name derives from the Old English scēap ('sheep') and lēah ('open ground, such as meadow, pasture, or arable land'). Thus it means 'sheep-clearing' or 'sheep-pasture'.

Shipley was home to Hilaire Belloc who in 1906 purchased King's Land, with a house, 5 acre and Shipley Windmill, which was used in the television series Jonathan Creek as Creek's residence.

Geography

The western River Adur flows through the village, where it meets a significant tributary, Lancing Brook.

The parish has a land area of 3125 ha.

Knepp Wildland is a 3500 acre rewilding project in the parish.

Demography

In the 2001 census 1,075 people lived in 448 households of whom 596 were economically active. At the 2011 census the population included the hamlet of Coolham and increased to a total of 1,147. This had increased to 1,200 as of the 2021 census.

Landmarks

The parish contains the ruins of the medieval Knepp Castle which was likely established by the Braose family and in the 13th century was confiscated by the Crown.

King's Mill was built in 1879 and is a Grade II* listed building.

Education

There are two schools in the parish: William Penn School in Coolham and Shipley CE Primary School. The William Penn School is a Quaker foundation opened in 1973 and named after William Penn. It is a primary school and as of its 2024 Ofsted inspection it had around 80 pupils. The school was rated as requiring improvement. Shipley CE Primary School is a Church of England school which had around 80 pupils when it was inspected in 2024; Ofsted rated the school as good.

Religion

The church of St Mary the Virgin was established in the 12th-century. Some elements survive from this period including the tower, chancel, and a door at the west end of the church. The building was extensively renovated in the late 19th century. It is protected as a Grade I listed building. The churchyard is the burial place of composer John Ireland (1879–1962).

References

References

1. "2001 Census: West Sussex – Population by Parish". West Sussex County Council.
2. ''The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society'', ed. by [[Victor Watts]] (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), s.v. ''SHIPLEY''.
3. {{usurped
4. "Shipley Windmill". www.shipleywindmill.org.uk.
5. "Wildlife Safaris and Workshops".
6. "Civil Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics.
7. "Build a custom area profile - ONS".
8. (1986b). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2: Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) including Horsham". Institute of Historical Research.
9. {{NHLE
10. "William Penn School - Shipley Parish Council - Shipley Parish Council, Shipley, Horsham".
11. "Shipley CE Primary School - Shipley Parish Council - Shipley Parish Council, Shipley, Horsham".
12. "William Penn Primary School".
13. (2024). "Inspection of William Penn School". Ofsted.
14. (2024). "Inspection of a good school: Shipley CofE Primary School". Ofsted.
15. {{NHLE
16. (1986). "A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham". Victoria County History.
17. (2011). "The John Ireland Companion - Lewis Foreman - Google Books".
18. "Shipley Church Photos, West Sussex". Gravelroots.net.