Campsea Ashe
Introduction
The village name is also written on local signage (and maps) as "Campsey Ash"; it seems both spellings are considered equally acceptable.
The village sign bears the date 1937, which must make it one of the oldest in the county.
Abbey Mill is a late 15th or early 16th century watermill. Campsea Ashe Park is a post-Mediaeval deer park that belonged to the (demolished) Campsea House. Ashe Abbey (see the gallery) is an impressive Grade II* 14th century house (though much altered) on the road to Loudham.
The settlement is clustered around Wickham Market railway station (about 2½ miles from Wickham Market itself). The station was named Wickham Market because when the railway was built, the developers were desperate to make out that they served every major location in the area, but were too tight to spend the money necessary to divert the route through that village. There is talk of renaming the station to more accurately reflect its location.
Livestock and furniture auction rooms are located beside the station whilst High House parkland is also nearby.
At the time of Domesday, Campsea and Ashe were separate villages ("Campeseia", "Campsea" or "Capesia" and distinctly, "Esce")…
Acknowledgements
Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.
