The County of Sussex

After the Conquest. Sussex was divided into sections
known as Rapes

These extended in oblong tracts from South to North , each having a sea coast with a port,a river, an inland town and a region of forests. The latter were penetrated in places by smelters of iron and hewers of wood, The abundance of rich iron ore and timber gave cause for Sussex to become a County of great national importance.

In 1543 the first pieces of cast iron ever to be made in England were cast at Buxted.

The use of wood charcoal for the blasting furnaces caused such havoc in the woods that, in the time of Henry VIII and Elizabeth, laws had to be passed to protect the forests.
Coke was to be used instead.