Today, I am bringing to you my first ever visit to National Trust's Bateman's, the home of author Rudyard Kipling and his family. I made my visit in early November last year. Bateman's is located in East Sussex, surrounded by the Sussex Weald, an attractive and wooded area of southern England. The house dates from the 17th century (built in the 1630s), and it was lived in by Kipling from 1902 to 1936 and given to the National Trust after the death of his wife in 1939.
When Kipling purchased the house, it was acting as a modest farmhouse that needed to be repaired. It was bought with 33 acres of land; at the time, Kipling was the most famous author in England and the house was well within his means. Bateman's enchanted and inspired the author, and some of his work was penned in the house and is set in the house and grounds.
The interior of the house is retained as though the Kiplings are still living in it, and many items belonging to the family are on display. The study is one of the gems; Kipling would spend a lot of his time in the room and lock the doors as he was worried that someone would steal his ideas. He did have his work stolen before, so he only employed one person who was allowed to go into the room. His Nobel Prize and Rolls-Royce Phantom I is on display. Kipling also had a love for touring the East, so many items in the house relate to the lands of India and Asia.
There is a short walk down a gentle hill to the house. On the left is a vegetable garden with views over the house and the surrounding hills. The tearoom is located in a courtyard and working buildings in front of the house.
After the entrance, we arrived in a central room or hall. We were explained that the Kiplings had restored the house and bought furnishings to restore it to how it would have looked with wood panelling and other appropriate finishings.
Upstairs are a couple of additional rooms, including one bedroom that was shut (I'll have to return to visit), another bedroom, a room filled with a "museum" of items important to Kipling's life, and Kipling's office.
Kipling's only son, John, was killed in the Battle of Loos. One of the rooms was mocked up to be his bedroom. It contains an early example of an en-suite with chamber pot and a jug and sponge for washing and towels.
Kipling's office was a nice space. The office was a good place to work in the morning as the sun enters through the windows, and he spent his mornings in the room. He had a large collection of books and often made notes in his books.
A small room off to the side of the "museum" room contains a model of "The Jungle Book" and several prints as an ode to his famous novel. The prints are called "The Detmold Pictures", and information in the room explains that these were created by two brothers and printed by Macmillan along with the story.
An oast house is joined onto the original house, which you may have noticed from an earlier photograph. This was an area used as a kitchen and used by the dogs and staff.
The flowers had nearly all died in the garden, but the autumn colours on the trees in the garden were showing off. There is a small rose garden and groves of ornamental trees.
Located a short stroll through the gardens is the water mill, which is powered by the River Dudwell. It was restored by the National Trust in 1975. The mill was not used in Kipling's time; it contained an electric turbine to provide power for the house. The mill was open, so I had a quick look inside.
At the entrance to Bateman's was a colourful display of autumn harvest - pumpkins, squash, and gourds. They always look so colourful.
I hope to visit Bateman's again in the future to see how the property looks in the summer months and to see if the full house is open. I know National Trust have been having problems finding volunteers. Keep checking back.
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