Eckington House

Ripe is an undisturbed, picturesque village with many fine old buildings, several of which date from 15th and 16th centuries. The earliest mention of the village is in the Domesday Book of 1085 where it is referred to variously as Ripe or Echentone, the latter name living on at Eckington House and Eckington Manor. However, there is evidence to suggest that a larger settlement existed here in Roman times ("Roman Ways of the Weald" I.D. Margary 1948).

The historic parts of Ripe occur along Main Street and in the vicinity of Eckington Corner, which is dominated by the impressive 15th Century tower of the Parish Church of St John the Baptist. The buckle motif on the tower indicates that its construction was paid for, like many others in this part of Sussex, by the Pelham family.