Here is a little of background of Slaugham Manor, grounds and local area.
We shall not find Slaugham in the Domesday Book, for that valuable survey took no account of the dense forest which occupied the Northern half of Sussex. Slaugham was included in the Botingelle Hundred, which was part of the Rape of Lewes, held by William de Warenne who possessed forty-three manors in Sussex.
As is well known, Sussex had the unique distinction of being divided into six rapes. Each rape had a castle, a port, and a river, and extended northwards from the coast into the forest land, mostly uncleared and uninhabited. The central rape of Lewes was given to William de Warenne, one of the youngest leaders of William the Conqueror. Canon Cooper writes
"William de Warenne and his wife, Grunrada, tried to raise the spiritual life of the rape. They built a church at Cuckfield and procured some Cluniac monks from France to found the Priory of St. Pancras in Lewes. It was their most earnest wish that the monks 'go forth from it's gates to evangelise the rape'. We must conclude that our (St Mary's) church was built in accordance with this policy of the de Warennes."
Poynings: 1294 to 1475
In 1296 we find Michael de Poynings holding the park at Slaugham. It seems clear that at first the Poynings held Slaugham as sub-tenants of the de Warennes, but after 1290, when sub-infeudation became impossible, they held the manor in their own right. In the Feudal System, the greater landowners sublet smaller fiefs in return for certain services and this practice was called sub-feudation.
Coverts: 1495 to 1735
William Covert was the first of this family to hold Slaugham Manor. Mr. Lower, in 'Worthies of Sussex' writes
"The Coverts were hardly second to any of the noble families of Sussex, Kent and Surrey for the long period from the days of Henry II to those of Charles II. They were among the greatest landed proprietors ever known in these three counties. Their Manors having at one time extended continuously from the banks of the Thames to the English Cannel."
Sergisons: 1735 to 1928
Thomas Sergison bought Slaugham Manor from the descendants of the Coverts in 1735. Cuckfield Park was the family home of the Sergisons, who who do not seem ever to have resided at the old Slaugham Place. Indeed, the spendid old mansion of the Coverts soon fell into ruin. The estate soon began to follow the way of other great estates. The present Slaugham Place, close to the ruins of the Covert mansion, was built in the Boer War and was also sold.
Please take care when approaching the cache as the lake is often used by anglers, and the area is under tree cover so does take time for the GPS to home in to the cache location.