The house and grounds have seen a lot of changes over the centuries including being sequestrated by Queen Elizabeth I who farmed them out to her master cook, William Cordell after John Ashburnham (1545-1591) did not take kindly to her reformed religion.

His son, also John, (1570-1620) recovered the estate but later had many debts and had to sell Ashburnham for £8,000 to the Relf family who were there for a short period before the estate returned into the hands of the Ashburnham family. With this Relf connection it was very appropriate that we were able to meet here once again in the Church Hall.

Saturday 9th September was a warm, humid day but, luckily, without rain. We arrived to be greeted with coffee and biscuits provided by Tina French and her band of helpers, Jenny French (Tina's cousin), Phyllis Relf (Tina's mum) and Merle Mumford. Congratulations must go to them for their hard work in feeding us all.

We had two rooms decorated with various family trees on the walls, drawers full of information, the International Relf Society Archives and Steve Chapman with his computer. I am sure a lot of information was exchanged during the day.

After the business side of the day we all walked around to the front of the house for a group photograph on the steps leading down to the gardens. Tina explained that the house had originally had three floors but because of the decline of the building in the 1950s it was decided to remove the top floor of the middle part of the house and the top two floors of each wing.

Lunch was next on the itinerary - a magnificent spread of lasagne, salads, bread, delicious desserts and fresh fruit salad. This was followed by time to walk to the Church (mainly late 17th century with parts dating back to 1400), around the grounds or just chat and research. A few of us were able to go with Tina and have a look at some of the rooms in the house - we saw where the huge staircase had been and looked at the library. The house is now used by The Ashburnham Christian Trust as a young people's conference centre.

The gardens are rich in wildlife and a part of the grounds has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature. It is a very peaceful, beautiful place to wander.

At around 2.30 we all gathered at the Church Hall again for a tractor ride to Penhurst Church. There were two tractors and trailers - one trailer had sides and the other just a rope to hang on to as we bounced over the lanes to Penhurst! Quite a 'white knuckle ride'.

We were given notes of places to watch out for on our journey - in particular the slaughter house, at present being restored; Tent Hill where William the Conqueror camped on his way from Pevensy just before the Battle of Hastings in 1066: Forge Cottages all linked to the Sussex Iron Industry. Ashburnham Forge was sold to William Relfe in 1611. Out of sight was Panningridge Furnace which was worked by Relfe and Jeffrey from 1563 - 1572. We saw the view over Ashburnham Deer Park once painted by Turner and entitled 'The Vale of Ashburnham'.

We arrived safely in Penhurst which consists of a 16th Century Manor house built on the site of an earlier Manor, a 14th Century Church built of Wealden stone with farm buildings around it. Very little structural alteration has taken place in the Church since it was built and Tina gave us a potted history of the Church and surrounding area. There has been a building on the site of the Manor as far back as the 11th Century and Penhurst is described as an exquisite manorial group consisting of a very small manor house of the period of Elizabeth I with a medieval Church of St Michael the Archangel and farm buildings clustering round it.

The manor house was thought once to be enclosed by a rectangular moat of which the village pond remains in evidence and which has probably not altered since the early Saxon days.

The point of greatest interest for us was the small 17th century chapel, now used as the vestry, which was built as a private pew by William Relf complete with its own fireplace (now a window). William Relf was also thought to have presented the silver chalice dated 1610 to the Church and may have even built the present day Manor House but evidence is skimpy. Many of our party of Relfs and Rolfs sat in the remaining pews in the vestry - we like to think for the first time full of our family since the 17th century. In the Churchyard extension were found one recent Relf headstone not far from a Rolfe one.

Back on the trailers we travelled a slightly, less bumpy, route back to Ashburnham past Pigknoll Farm - recorded as being owned by William Relf (gent) in 1611.

We arrived safely back in time for tea and anniversary cake, made by Jenny French, to celebrate 10 years of the International Relf Society. An excellent day was had by all who were there and we are now looking forward to next year, in Cranbrook, when we can all meet up again.

Helen Relf 29A

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Page last revised 17th September 2000.