YAPTON

'Yapton' is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is three miles (4.8 km) to the north-west of Bognor Regis. The civil parish covers an area of 790.57 ha and has a population of 3522 persons (2001 census).
St Mary the Virgin parish church, 13th century in origin, is in the centre of the village. It houses the oldest font in England.
The village includes Yapton C of E Primary School.
The parish of Yapton lies on the coastal plain south coast of Arundel.

Contents

Were you born in Yapton?

External links

Were you born in Yapton?

There is a well-known joke in Sussex: "Were you born in Yapton?" This question is asked when someone has forgotten to close a door. It is believed to refer to the eighteenth-century practice of leaving doors open or unlocked so that smugglers could hide their goods in the nearest house when they were being chased by excise men. The village of Yapton was noted as a centre of smuggling, especially of wines and spirits from France. Since these were heavily taxed, the profits could be very considerable.

External links

★ Yapton Parish Council website

★ St Mary's church

★ Anarkick band website