Postcard Album: Ye Olde Maypole, Hurstwood, Buxted

The postcard below shows what is probably the oldest building in High Hurstwood, East Sussex.

Even when this card was published (probably 1910-20) it had already acquired the prefix “ye olde”, although this might just be the publisher of the card trying to make it seem older than it was.

According to English Heritage it dates from the Fifteenth Century and it is a Grade II* listed building, in their records as Old Maypole Farmhouse. Surprisingly this is one of ten listed buildings (including the church) in High Hurstwood.

Copyright © 2012 John Gasson.

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Postcard Album: Olympia, London

Here is a historial view of a scene that will become familiar to many family historians by the end of this week, the Olympia exhibition centre, London, home to Who Do You Think You Are? Live.

This postcard was Published by C. Degen, London and was posted in West Kensington on the 19th December 1924.

Copyright © 2012 John Gasson.

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Postcard Album: Inside High Hurstwood Church, Sussex

Last week I showed you a postcard of the outside of Holy Trinity Church, High Hurstwood, Sussex, so this week I will give you a glimpse of the inside of the church.

This postcard is a bit of a mystery, it is unused and doesn’t name a publisher or photographer. The caption is of a style that I don’t recognise, so I am at a loss to tell you any more about this card. If I had to put a date on this card I would have to guess that it was around 1910-15.

I haven’t been inside this church (but I really should) and can’t find a photo of it online, so I don’t know whether it still looks the same inside.

Copyright © 2012 John Gasson.

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Postcard Album: High Hurstwood Church, Sussex

Several of my Finding Minnie posts have mentioned the High Hurstwood, Sussex and this postcard shows Holy Trinity Church, where my great-grandmother was married (twice) and where my grandmother was baptised.

This particular postcard is unused, but probably dates from around 1910, perhaps a little later. The style of the caption gives it away as being published by Cecil Travers and it is a really super photo.

Then line of the hedgerow clearly illustrates the fact that the church is built on a slope, and I love that the photographer must have been standing up to his waist in the meadow grass to get the photo.

I love this church, not just because of the family connections, but because it is one of the most unusual churches I have seen. I haven’t been inside yet, but the outside is a pleasing assortment of architectural features and adornments, and there have been more since.

I really must try to get back over to High Hurstwood this year and explore the area further.

Copyright © 2012 John Gasson.

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Postcard Album: Dyke Hill and Poynings Church, Sussex

Below is another view of Devil’s Dyke, West Sussex looking south-west towards the north face of the hill, showing Poynings Church in the foreground with it’s solid square tower, but then the caption already told you that.

This postcard is unused, but the back reveals that it was No. 30 in The Brighton Palace Series XVIII, which means it was published by the Handwercks of Brighton, Sussex and probably dates from around 1912-13.

Apart from the farm buildings and haystacks in the foreground, the other interesting feature of this card is the steep grade railway on the side of the hill. That light coloured strip running half-way down the side of the hill marks the course of the railway.

It was a funicular railway transporting visitors up and down the side of the hill, supposedly to enable visitors to the Dyke to all visit the villages at the foot of the Downs, but as you can see it didn’t really go all the way, and I suspect it was of little practical value.

Copyright © 2012 John Gasson.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.