Batemans

Surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Sussex Weald, Bateman's is an idyllic spot in the Dudwell Valley. Owned and loved by Rudyard Kipling, Bateman's was his sanctuary. A member of his family once said "the house stands like a beautiful cup, on a saucer to match". An inscription of 'AD1634' over the front door is probably an indication of when Bateman's was built, and its first known occupancy was by John Britten, towards the end of the 17th century. It is generally believed that Bateman's was built by a Wealden ironmaster, and there is much evidence of forges in the area. It is also, perhaps, not a coincidence that there are many Sussex ironbacks and firedogs by the fireplaces in the house.

Bateman's is built largely of local sandstone, the tiles of the hipped roofs and six chimneystacks are made from Weald clay, and the staircase and wood panelling are from oak. The oak tree grows in such abundance in this part of the country that it is nicknamed 'the Sussex Weed'. Mullioned windows, pilasters, and the round arch of the porch give, a hint of the Renaissance. The front entrance is not symmetrical, as there is a gabled wing on the south side, but not on the north. On the outer left-hand pier of the porch are the carved initials of the family.

When Rudyard Kipling sought privacy, he and his American wife took up residence at Bateman's in 1902. Although the seclusion this house offered was perfect, the home comforts at that time were few, with no electricity, no running water upstairs, and no bathroom. A feature which Kipling had no intention of changing, however, was the lack of a telephone in the house. Furthermore, the abundance of open fireplaces throughout the house provided a useful means of disposal for the manuscripts that Kipling did not want the world to see.

The heart of Kipling's house was the study, where favoured friends were invited to sit whilst he worked. His collection of books cover a most interesting, and wide-ranging, array of subjects from rat catching to manures, or from gates and fences to bridges. It is known that, when Kipling had tired of his guests, he liked to take them into the garden to look at the sundial. After noticing the inscription 'it is later than you think' they, hopefully, took the hint to be quickly on their way! Despite his wish for peace and seclusion, Kipling did enjoy entertaining visitors and many were welcomed over the years. Among the most famous of them was Stanley Baldwin, the Conservative Prime Minister, and cousin to Rudyard Kipling.

With money he had received from winning the Nobel Prize, Kipling arranged the gardens on his ever-growing estate. Today, the visitor can still enjoy the terraced lawns, the walled garden, the working watermill, and his beautiful 1928 Rolls Royce, as well as the many personal possessions remaining in the house moreorless as he left them on this death in 1936.