HISTORIC VILLAGE
Rottingdean is an historic village which lies by the sea below the South Downs. The village developed in Saxon times as a small farming community around the pond opposite the church. In Old English the name ‘Rottingdean’ means ‘the valley of Rota’s people’.
The Doomsday Book records that Rottingdean was later given to William de Warenne, the Lord of Lewes, by William the Conqueror as a reward for the lord’s support at the Battle of Hastings.
For centuries the farming community of Rottingdean remained in relative isolation due to the poor quality of the roads. Legend has it the remoteness of the village combined with its secluded beach made it a popular spot for smugglers in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Black Horse public house in the High Street is reputed to have been the smugglers’ meeting place, and tunnels are said to connect several buildings in the village to the sea.
Towards the end of the 19th century writers and painters in search of peace and inspiration began to settle in Rottingdean. These included the artists Sir Edward Burne-Jones and Sir William Nicholson, and the writers Rudyard Kipling and Enid Bagnold. The same factors continue to attract visitors and residents to this day.