The Cat House dates from the 16th century. In 1862 an eccentric owner decorated the painted cats on the house and had a thatched cat placed on roof, features which remain today. The object of this was to remind his neighbour the vicar, who walked past several times per day to the nearby church, that the vicar's cat had killed his canary. He also hung garlands of shells around the house which he jangled everytime the poor vicar passed by. A pub in Henfield was called The Cat & Canary, referring to this tale, but has recently been unimaginatively renamed The Railway Tavern.