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Bishopstone
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(Largest Tide-Mill in Sussex)
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General Details
Bishopstone is a small village now lying inland from the coast between
Newhaven and Seaford . The village was settled by the Saxons , and the
church is part Saxon and part Norman. Originally the name comes from
Biscopes tun the bishops farmstead.
In 1324 King Edward II stayed with the Bishops of Chichester at Bishopstone
for a couple of days.
In 1780 William Catt was born at Buxted the son of a farmer. He was married
at 21 and his family bought a farm at Robertsbridge for the couple.
He was interested in automation of the flour grinding process, and had some
dealings with the mill at Lamberhurst . One of his cousins lived at
Bishopstone and had some land, Catt went into partnership, and leased the
mile or so of land between his cousins mill and the sea from Lord Sheffield .
In this area he built a resevoir, which was filled by the tide, and built a
mill which worked using the water from the sea for power. It grew into the
largest water-mill in Sussex from five pairs of grinding stones to sixteen
pairs. The area is still known as Tidemills.
During the Second World War the Tidemills area was used by the Army for
artillery practice from Newhaven Fort, and the TideMill and its
surrounding buildings were obliterated.
Many thanks to David Lyndhurst for the following information.
[Catt was 21 when he married, not 19 as given by Lower and subsequently
erroneously perpetuated by many others. See parish register entries for
his baptism and marriage. I have much information on Catt/Willett family
if of interest.]
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Services
 Bishopstone has no local services, and the nearest shopping is in
Denton about 1 mile west or Seaford 2 miles east.
The main shopping centre of Newhaven lies about 3 miles to the west.
Trains can be caught from Bishopstone station about 1 1/2 miles from the
village.
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