Kipling at Bateman’s
Rudyard and Caroline Kipling bought Bateman’s in 1902. Tradition has it that Bateman’s was built for a Wealden ironmaster. There were several forges in the area, so it is plausible. Bateman’s was built, extended and renovated over a long period of time, parts of the house are even older than the 1634 date above the door. Kipling continued this process. He commissioned his cousin Ambrose Poynter to undertake work, and installed a turbine at the mill, to generate electricity for the house.
Why Bateman’s?
The Kipling’s fell in love with the house at first sight. It is still easy to see why. The soft warm colour of the local sandstone, the oak beams and panelling, the terraced lawn and walled garden make for a beautiful house, nestled in the Sussex Weald. The romance and the sense of history appealed to Kipling, a vision of a seemingly unchanging England.