Dunford House
 
In the 17th. century Dunford consisted of a solitary farm house by the woods with a stream running by. Mr. Cobden was a farmer. In 1804 a son was born, later to become Richard Cobden M.P. He was born in the old farmstead. Through bad managemnet the farm was sold and Richard went away to school. Richard loved his birthplace, so he bought it in 1848. Five years later he pulled down the old farmhouse and built the present country house as we know it today.
 
The sun room on the southern side if the house was designed by Cobden's friend Joseph Paxton. All the rooms are named after people who had a connection with the Cobden family or the college at Dunford.
 
In the drawing room on the mantlepiece is a teapot and a bread board on which is inscribed " Do you wish the food of your children to be taxed and that of your pigs free". Also displayed is a Sevres vase, a gift to Richard Cobden from Napolean III. A silver tea caddy inscribed "presented to Miss Jane Cobden on her marriage. by the Pupils of the Heyshott National School February 2nd. 1892". There are other interesting items of furniture in the guest-room of the house.
 
After Richard Cobden died in 1865 many of his books including history, travel, biography, ecenomics and of politics were sold. Many of these are now in the Public Library at Brighton but some are still at Dunford. Of his papers, these are now either in the British Museum or in the archives at Chichester.
 
In 1928 Dunford house had to be used in some way to keep the the name of Cobden alive and so Jane Cobden Unwin with additional help put Dunford on a sound footing. The house was entrusted to an association to maintain it for the promotion of Richard Cobden's ideals. Jane was president of this association until her death in 1947 when regular conferences were held at Dunford. A great-niece of Richard Cobden, lived in Dunford from 1940 to 1952 with her husband Frances W. Hirst. In 1952 the estate was transferred to the National Council of Young Mens Christian Association. Family connections have been kept through Richard Cobden-Sanderson and since his death in 1964 his grand children who maintain the interest in Dunford college as it is now called.
 
The Unicorn Inn, at Heyshott.
 
It seems probable that the Unicorn came into being approximately 1880, as this was the time the Black Horse became the property of Mrs. Fisher Unwin. A man by the name of Mr. Pink had a cobbler's business at the Unicorn, where he made boots and clogs to measure and did repairs. Mr. Pink was a postman who lived at Midhurst and delivered the mail on the way to Heyshott and in the evening collected any letters or parcels and took them back with him after his day's work at the Unicorn.
 
Dances were held at the Unicorn in its infancy, where local people danced to the music made by local musicians, amongst which was a blind man from Hoyle. Some of the names of the dances have been handed down, they are:- 'The White Cockerel', 'The Rose', 'Speed the Plough', 'Hunt the Squirrel'. and 'The figure of Eight'.

 
Mrs. S. Parry remembers that in latter times she played with Mr. Fowler and Mr. Jenner and also another man from the village at the Unicorn.
 
In the 1930s Mrs. Richardson's daughter Ethel, of the Unicorn Inn ran a taxi service for the village, a trip to Midhurst costing 3/- in those days.
 
The present Landlord of the Unicorn has an old map of Heyshott which was made by George Phillips & son of Fleet St. London, Its scale is 25.344" to the mile. It is not dated but I would say it is about 1900. It has many details of the village including wells, chalk pits and sand pits. I was unable to get a copy of this map from the makers.
 
In the Unicorn are some very nice pieces of brass, such as plaques, horns, etc. Among other pieces hanging on the walls is a donkey collar and harness. To day many people enjoy the wonderful situation of the public house, which has fine views of the South Downs and the upper green looking north. Often a pony and a goat are tethered here, which is always pleasing to see.
 
The Old Thrashing Song of Sussex.
 
        It's all very well to have a machine to thrash your wheat and barley clean,
        To thrash it and wim it all fit for sale, then go off to market so brisk and well,
        Singing rumble-tum dairy flare up mary and make her old table shine.
 

        The man who made her, he made her so well,
        He made every cog and wheel to tell,
        While the big wheel runs the little one hums
        And the feeder he sits above the drums - singing, etc..
 

        Theres old father Howard the sheaves to put
        While old mother Howard she does make up
        And Mary she sits and feeds all day
        While Jonny he carries the straw away - singing, etc..
 

        At seven O'clock we do begin
        And we generally stop at nine or ten
        To have our beer and oil her up,
        Then away we go till one O'clock - singing, ect..
 

        Then after a bite and a drink all round
        The driver he climbs to his box again
        And with his long whip he shouts, 'Allright',
        And he drives 'em round till five at night - singing, etc..

 
Wells of Heyshott.
 
Many wells in the village were in use until the late 1940's. Each farm had its own well, usually in the garden. Groups pf cottages, such as Black Horse, Newells and Coldharbour, also Leggs farm cottages and Manor farm had a well between perhaps three dwellings. There are as many as 30 or 40 wells scattered about Heyshott. Many of the wells have been filled in, but a good many still have covers and structures which are very picturesque.
 
One of the wells which I remember being used in 1946 was at the Rectory, which pumped water into a tank in the roof of the house. I recall drinking water from this well which sparkled and was always cold.
 
I often went down to Miss E. Wrights cottage called Corner Cottage, below Cranmore, and drew water from the well just inside her gateway. This well was about 40 feet deep and the water was not all that clean on occcasions.
 
We had a well at Berrywood farm, just a few yards away from the back door, and covered with a large concrete block which had a grille in it. A stone took some time before it splashed in the water below. The old wells were anything between a few feet and 50 feet deep.
 
This year [1974] I operated three pumps in the village which were placed over wells and although the handles worked, no water came up. I could not prime the pumps but if I had I wonder if they would have worked. I have marked most of the wells on the map with a 'W', but I am sure that no wells are used now, except for watering the garden in time of drought.