A Forest Farm is the culmination of years of diligent research, recording the dynamic history of Tickeridge Farm in the hamlet of Kingscote, East Grinstead in Sussex. The book is a comprehensive study of the farm’s development from Neolithic times to the present day. Kim Bayne travelled all over the country to discover and bring to life the stories of its owners, tenants and workers, to produce a work which covers not only the changes and challenges encountered on the farm, but also those which affected the people who contributed to its history.

“Books such as this provide an impressive resource for our museum, offering such rich archive material and a fascinating insight into our local social history. Kim writes in a very accessible way that enhances the narrative and weaves stories of the owners, tenants, farmers & families, bringing to life such an important part of Sussex’s High Weald.” – Judith Burns, East Grinstead Museum

“Years of relentless research concerning Kim’s farm and its farmers is presented here. History is often heavy like the local clay soil. This book is light and airy like the blackthorn blossom that grows on it and like Kim herself.” – Dr John Ralph, author and archivist

Kim Bayne grew up and was educated in Brighton. With a Secretarial Diploma, she worked at the University of Sussex until her marriage to a dairy farmer from Balcombe, who farmed the Tickeridge Farm in Kingscote, East Grinstead. It was here, at Kingscote, that she found the focus for her study of local history. Having gained a Cambridge Information Technology Certificate, she was able to publish her first book in 2022.