Stedham


Stedham is a village and parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, on the A272 road west of Midhurst.
The village has a garden centre, social club and a pub, The Hamilton Arms, which has a Thai restaurant. The village shop closed in 1991.

Governance

It lies within the civil parish of Stedham with Iping where the 2011 Census population is included. An electoral ward in the same name exists. At the 2011 Census the ward had a population of 2,114.

Parish history

Church

The parish church of St James is at the north end of the village just above the River Rother. The original church was built c. 1040, however not much of this is left. The upper parts of the church are dated c. 1673. The churchyard contains a yew tree which is thought to be over 2,500 years old.

Domesday Book

The parish was listed in the Domesday Book, in the ancient hundred of Easebourne, as a large settlement having 49 households: 23 villagers, 16 smallholders and 10 slaves. Resources included ploughing land, meadows, woodland, three mills and the church.

19th century

In 1861, the parish extended to and the population was 530.
Stedham's watermill at the north end of the village was used for manufacturing blotting paper.

Education

Stedham Primary School is the main primary school serving the village. In 2014 Durand Academy in Stockwell, South London opened a boarding school for its senior pupils at the site of the former St Cuthman's School in Stedham, The school admits pupils from South London.