I love reading books, and one of my favourite pastimes is visiting a bookshop. Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved the smell of new books, and I’ve bought so many recently that I really need to carve out some proper time to read. Over the past few years, I seem to have gravitated more towards non-fiction. I suppose when someone said, “truth is stranger than fiction”, they really did have a point.
When I was growing up, The Jungle Book was one of my favourite books, so when I was driving through East Sussex and found myself with a bit of free time, I checked my National Trust app. I was delighted to discover that Rudyard Kipling’s former home, Bateman’s, was only a few minutes’ drive away. I had to go and see it for myself.
A small warning though — if you don’t like oak, this probably isn’t the house for you, because it’s full of it! I, on the other hand, absolutely loved it.
I’m sharing a few photos of the interiors here. I took quite a lot, so I’ll try to share more soon. For now though, I have to dash. I hope you enjoy them.
Bateman’s is a beautiful 17th-century Jacobean house tucked away in the East Sussex countryside, and it really does feel as though it belongs exactly where it stands.
It sits just outside Burwash, surrounded by rolling fields, woodland, and little streams — the kind of quiet, unspoilt landscape that clearly seeped into Kipling’s later writing.
Kipling lived here from 1902 until his death in 1936, and what I loved most is how unchanged it feels. The house has been carefully preserved, so you get a real sense of how he lived and worked day to day. It’s all set within gardens, with a watermill and peaceful walking paths that make you want to slow down and stay a little longer.
Inside, it feels intimate rather than grand — more like stepping into someone’s home than visiting a stately house. His study, in particular, feels almost untouched, as though he’s just stepped out for a moment. There’s something very still and atmospheric about it.