POSTLING

 Located on one of the minor Pilgrim’s Ways, Postling is the source of the East Stour with a number of natural springs coming from the hill behind the church and running through the village. In the past, the area was notable for being very wet and swampy due to the number of springs in the area. Today however, the soil of the flat land is stiff clay. It is also of considerable wildlife interest with the grassland supporting a rich diversity of fauna and flora, typical of old unimproved chalk grassland.

The name Postling has undergone many forms, amongst them: ‘Postinges’, ‘Pistinges’ and ‘Postlynge’. Recorded in the Doomsday Book as ‘Postlinges’, the name is said to mean ‘something swollen’ or ‘the small hill’.

In literary circles, the village has had some interesting visitors in days past. Joseph Conrad chose the seclusion of Postling to write some of his greatest novels. Between 1899 and 1920 he rented Pent Farm on the outskirts of the village, and wrote ‘Lord Jim’, ‘Typhoon’ and ‘Nostromo’ there. Among his visitors were HG Wells and Bernard Shaw. It has been suggested had Conrad followed Kipling in writing downland verse, the gentle green hills around Postling might have become as famous as the Sussex Downs.

Adjacent to St Mary’s Church is a Grade ll listed cast iron ‘K6’ telephone kiosk, designed in 1935 by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Together with a fingerpost signpost and a post box from the Queen Victoria era, these well designed items of street furniture make a positive contribution to the public realm and character of the setting.

Ss. Mary & Radigund’s church

The Rood beam has been cut off and still sticks out of the wall north and south. Close inspection shows that it is still carrying its original bright medieval paint. In the chancel is another cut off beam. This would have carried the Lenten veil which shielded our eyes from the altar in medieval times. 

There are several layers of wall paintings, some recently uncovered. 

The most important feature is the small carved square plaque on the north wall of the chancel. This is a rare dedication stone, probably of thirteenth century date, but whilst it gives us lots of information the one thing it doesn’t tell us is the year. It is inscribed with the date of dedication ‘the day of St Eusebius the Confessor’

And so to the random pictures and those that I need to investigate further..............

The memorial to those lost in World War II. 4 people lost seems a lot for such a small village. 

Prettily carved pews

Memorial to the Rev. John Vinter M.A. and his wife.

The altar cloth and reredos could almost be described as 'rustic' It certainly suits this pretty rural church.

To the left of the churchyard, stands the old manor house, once called Postling Court. 

Postling Court. 

Grade II listed, the origins of Postling Court, now referred to as The Manor House and The Amnesty date back to the Norman conquest. This timber framed building retains its exposed framing to the first floor with rendered infilling. The ground floor level is clad and underbuilt with red and blue grey brick in Flemish bond.

On the same site and originally the great barn to the manor house, Court House has undergone a relatively undistinguished 1980’s conversion into 4 units. The building’s timber frame is medieval in origin with C18th additions. Previously of weatherboard construction, the walls are now rendered with a plain tiled roof.

There is another converted barn to the right of Postling Court. It now forms the garages for the residents. In the end wall is this Victoria Regina postbox, and an engraved indistinct date.

Court Cottage. opposite Postling Court, stands this attractive cottage. There is a public footpath along the right side of the garden, which enabled me to catch a glimpse of the side of the building.

The pretty-as-a-picture three-bedroom cottage, in half an acre of gardens, was once a timber-framed hall house, which was later given a Flemish brick exterior and a Kent peg tiled roof. Just opposite the church, it has lovely gardens and a charming catslide roof sweeping down almost to the ground on one part of the back of the house.