Piltdown

The Piltdown Man was a paleoanthropological fraud in which bone fragments were presented as the fossilised remains of a previously unknown early human. Although there were doubts about its authenticity virtually from the beginning (in 1912), the remains were still broadly accepted for many years, and the falsity of the hoax was only definitively demonstrated in 1953. An extensive scientific review in 2016 established that amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson was responsible for the fraudulent evidence.In 1912, Charles Dawson claimed that he had discovered the "missing link" between early apes and man. In February 1912, Dawson contacted Arthur Smith Woodward, Keeper of Geology at the Natural History Museum, stating he had found a section of a human-like skull in Pleistocene gravel beds near Piltdown, East Sussex. That summer, Dawson and Smith Woodward purportedly discovered more bones and artifacts at the site, which they connected to the same individual. These finds included a jawbone, more skull fragments, a set of teeth, and primitive tools. Smith Woodward reconstructed the skull fragments and hypothesised that they belonged to a human ancestor from 500,000 years ago. The discovery was announced at a Geological Society meeting and was given the Latin name Eoanthropus dawsoni ("Dawson's dawn-man"). The questionable significance of the assemblage remained the subject of considerable controversy until it was conclusively exposed in 1953 as a forgery. It was found to have consisted of the altered mandible and some teeth of an orangutan deliberately combined with the cranium of a fully developed, though small-brained, modern human. The Piltdown hoax is prominent for two reasons: the attention it generated around the subject of human evolution, and the length of time, 41 years, that elapsed from its alleged initial discovery to its definitive exposure as a composite forgery.

Fletching is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. It is located three miles (4.8 km) to the north-west of Uckfield, near one of the entrances to Sheffield Park. The A272 road crosses the parish. The settlement of Piltdown is part of the parish. The Piltdown Man discovery in 1912 was thought to be the 'missing-link' between humans and apes. The significance of the specimen remained controversial until, amidst great publicity, and much embarrassment in scientific circles, it was exposed in 1953 as a forgery thought to have been committed by Charles Dawson. The village is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Flescinge, an Old English name meaning "(settlement of) the family or followers of a man called Flecci." Despite this, the name has given rise to a belief that the village was a medieval centre for arrow production.The hamlet of Sharpsbridge lies in the south of the parish. It has an historic church of St. Andrew and St. Mary the Virgin dating from the twelfth century. Simon de Montfort prayed there before the Battle of Lewes. Historian Edward Gibbon (1737–1794) is interred in the Sheffield Mausoleum attached to the north transept of the church, having died in Fletching while staying with his great friend, John Baker-Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sheffield. The school is Fletching CE Primary school. There are two public houses in Fletching: The Griffin Inn (which calls itself a gastropub) and The Rose and Crown. Nearby is The Piltdown Man at Piltdown. The village was once the home of the comedian Jimmy Edwards (1920–1988). Fletching is home to Fletching Football Club also known as The Archers. Fletching 1st team play in the Mid-Sussex Football League division 2 - South with the 2nd team playing in Division 5 - South.

Newick is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. It is located on the A272 road six miles (9.7 km) east of Haywards Heath. The parish church, St. Mary's, dates mainly from the Victorian era, but still has a Norman window. Zion Chapel, a Strict Baptist chapel, was built in 1834 and converted to flats in 2001. Newick Evangelical Free Church, originally a mission hall, opened in 1892.The village is home to three pubs (The Crown Inn, The Royal Oak, and The Bull Inn), one restaurant (Newick Tandoori), a butcher, a baker, a pharmacy, as well as a number of other businesses. There is also a primary school, a health centre, a village hall known originally as the 'Derek Hall', and a post office. Like many other places in Sussex, Newick holds an annual Bonfire Night celebration on the Saturday before Lewes Bonfire Night. Many of the local bonfire societies join the procession.

West Park is a 10.5-hectare (26-acre) Local Nature Reserve on the western outskirts of Uckfield in East Sussex. It is owned and managed by Uckfield Town Council.This site has grassland, woodland and a marshy area which provides a habitat for several orchid species, including the southern marsh orchid. There is also a population of dormice.Access points include Princes Close.

Sheffield Park is a cricket ground at the Sheffield Park estate, located near Uckfield, East Sussex, England. From 1881 to 1896 it was the home ground of Lord Sheffield's XI, organised by Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield, who in 1891 donated £150 to the New South Wales Cricket Association which was used to purchase a plate and establish the competition known as the Sheffield Shield. Cricket had been played at the ground for the previous 30 years before 1881, but these matches were unrecorded. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1881, when Lord Sheffield's XI played Alfred Shaw's XI, which was also the first first-class match on the ground. From 1881 to 1896, Lord Sheffield's XI played 9 first-class matches, the last of which came against the touring Australians. During this match, 25,000 people were allowed to watch the match for free; Lord Sheffield never charged for people to come and watch matches at the ground.Lord Sheffield had an octagonal pavilion constructed during 1881-1882, and later a separate ladies pavilion was built. Following Lord Sheffield's death in 1909, with him cricket largely died out at the estate. During World War I the ground was requisitioned for farming, wiping out the cricket ground. Subsequently trees were planted on the site but most were blown down in the 1987 hurricane. In 2009, a new square was laid, a pavilion was built and the outfield was restored in its parkland setting. The reopening of the ground was celebrated with a match between an Old England XI and a Lord Sheffield Australian XI. Today, the restored ground is the home of the Armadillo Cricket Club.

A.F.C. Uckfield Town is a community football club based in Uckfield, East Sussex, England. They are currently members of the Southern Combination Premier Division and play at The Oaks.

Association Football Club Uckfield was a football club based in Uckfield, East Sussex, England.

The River Uck is a river in East Sussex, United Kingdom, which drains a catchment starting near Crowborough in the North, Hadlow Down to the East and Laughton, East Sussex to the South. It flows through the town of Uckfield and into the River Ouse about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Lewes. The River Uck has a scenic walk alongside it. The river burst its banks in 2000, flooding much of Uckfield and the surrounding countryside.The signs indicating the name of the river have been subject to frequent vandalism, resulting in the council fitting specially shaped signs which reduce the ability of vandals to add the letter 'f' to the word 'Uck'.In the Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman novel Good Omens the Uck provides a small but important scene in the narrative.

Sheffield Park and Garden is an informal landscape garden five miles east of Haywards Heath, in East Sussex, England. It was originally laid out in the 18th century by Capability Brown, and further developed as a woodland garden in the early 20th century by its then owner, Arthur Gilstrap Soames. It is now owned by the National Trust.

Zion Chapel is a former Strict Baptist place of worship in the village of Newick in Lewes District, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex. The tiny building was opened for worship in 1834 in a part of Sussex which was a hotbed of Protestant Nonconformism, and remained as one of three places of worship in the small Wealden village until 2001, when it was sold for conversion to houses. The chapel is protected as a Grade II listed building.

Maresfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The village itself lies 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north from Uckfield; the nearby villages of Nutley and Fairwarp; and the smaller settlements of Duddleswell and Horney Common; and parts of Ashdown Forest all lie within Maresfield parish.

Copping Hall is a Grade II* listed house in Uckfield, East Sussex, England. It is located at 1 Pudding Cake Lane, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1BT. Built in the eighteenth century, it is two-storey high and contains an attic, three windows and two dormers as well as grey headers with red brick dressings and quoins. It also has a dentilled cornice, a tiled roof, and casement windows with small square panes. Moreover, there is a doorway with flat hood on brackets and door of six fielded panels.It was listed as Grade II* by English Heritage on 26 November 1953.