Frant is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located on the Kentish border, about five miles (8 km) south of Tunbridge Wells. The settlements of Bells Yew Green and Eridge are both located within the parish.

When the Wealden iron industry was at its height, much of the village was owned by ironmasters. Smuggling occurred here in the 17th and 18th centuries; and one of the turnpike roads (now the A267) came through here at that time.

Frant church is dedicated to St Alban; and there is a church school .

There are two public houses in the parish: The Abergavenny Arms in Frant; and The George Inn at Bells Yew Green.

History

Frant is an ancient village, and although it was not mentioned in the Domesday Book, a settlement certainly predates the Norman Conquest; indeed, excavations in 1929 by S. E. Winbolt uncovered pottery fragments and ironworkings that indicated the presence of a settlement dating back to 100 BC. The village fell under the rape of Pevensey and the hundred of Rotherfield.

Toponymy

From the 1100s onwards Frant appears in charters and records, in as diverse spellings as Fernet, Fernthe, Fernth, Ferthe, Ferring, Vernthe, Franthe, Fraunte, Feruthe, Frenthe and Fant; these variations notwithstanding, the etymology of the name has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon meaning "place of the fern" or "place of the bracken", a reflection of the verdant countryside around the settlement.

Governance

Frant is part of Wealden District Council and, along with Withyham, makes up one of the District's 35 wards. The ward contributes two of the District's 55 Councillors.

The Member of Parliament for Wealden is the Conservative Charles Hendry. He was elected in 2005 with a majority of 15,921.

Geography

Neighbouring towns, villages and places

Landmarks

There are a few Sites of Special Scientific Interest within the parish. Eridge Park is a site of biological interest, consisting of park and ancient woodland, hosting a wide variety of flora and fauna. The site encloses the National Trust reserve known as Nap Wood. Eridge Green is an area of ancient woodland with outcrops of sandstone that hosts some unusual fauna.

Another site is High Rocks, a site of geological interest due to the weathering patterns of the local sandstone.

Demography

The population of Frant rose steadily from just under 1,100 in 1801 to a peak in 1891 of around 3,500. The records show a marked drop to 1,692 in 1901, but this is due to the transfer of the Broadwater Down parish to Tunbridge Wells that took place in 1894. Over the course of the 20th century the number of people living in the parish has declined slowly, and a 2007 estimate by East Sussex County Council put the population of Frant at 1,367.

Population of Frant Year 1801 1811 1821 1831 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891 Population 1090 1439 1727 2071 2280 2447 2469 3263 3481 3565 Year 1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 Population 1692 1671 1621 1604 ? 1513 1445 1403 ? ? Year 2001 2007 Population 1387 1367

Transport

Frant is situated on the A267, which runs south from Tunbridge Wells to Hailsham. The B2099, which branches off the A267 just south of the village, runs south east to Wadhurst.

Frant railway station, actually located at Bells Yew Green, is on Southeastern's Hastings Line.

References