AN ENGLISH SHIRE. 209 



with the dale of Aclur ; Lewes with the western dale of 

 Ouse ; Pevensey with the eastern dale of Ouse ; and 

 Hastings with the insulated region between the marshes. 

 In other words, Sussex seems to have been cut up into 

 six natural divisions along the sea-shore ; while to each 

 division was assigned all the Weald back of its own shore 

 strip as far as the border. Thus the rapes consist of 

 six long longitudinal belts, each with a short sea front and 

 a long stretch back into the Weald. 



Increased intercourse with the Continent brought 

 the Cinque Ports into importance ; and, as premier 

 Cinque Port, Hastings grew to be one of the chief towns 

 in Sussex. The constant French wars made them 

 prominent in mediaeval history. As trade grew up, other 

 commercial harbours gave rise to considerable mercan- 

 tile towns. Eye and Winchelsea, at the mouth of the 

 Bother, were great ports of entry from France as late as 

 the days of Elizabeth. Seaford, at the mouth of the 

 Ouse, was also an important harbour till 1570, when a 

 terrible storm changed the course of the stream to the 

 town called from that fact Newhaven. Lewes was like- 

 wise a port, as the estuary of the Ouse was navigable 

 from the mouth up to the town. Brighthelmstone was 

 still a village ; but old Shoreham on the Adur was a 

 considerable place. Arundel Haven and Chichester 

 Harbour recalls the old mercantile importance of their 

 respective neighbourhoods. The only other places of 

 any note in mediaeval Sussex were Steyning, under the 

 walls of Bramber Castle ; Hurstmonceux, which the 

 Conqueror bestowed upon the lord of Eu ; Battle, where 

 he planted his great expiatory abbey ; and Hurst Pier- 



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