Hartfield is made famous as the home of the Milne family, where young Christopher Robin Milne visited the shops in the village with his nanny in the 1920's. His father, A.A.Milne, wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories which incorporated the young Christopher Robin.
The building of the present church was not begun until the 1250's. When we visited the church on fine sunny day in on June 5th 2003, the building was full of school children, with both doors open and the singing plain to hear in the churchyard. As this service was in progress, I didn't intrude to photograph the interior.
This church is flood lit at night, and makes a fine sight from the road.
The entrance to the church yard from the village is underneath this rather quaint building - a very unusual feature!
Digital photographs
From the 1882 Kelly's directory:
"The church of St. Mary is an edifice in the Early English and Decorated styles, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle and a tower, with shingled broach spire, containing 6 bells: there are tablets to the Maitland, Swiney, Henniker and Jowett families and a memorial placed by the rector in memory of his brother, the Rev. Henry Polehampton, chaplain to the garrison of Lucknow, who was killed during the siege of that place in 1857, to whom also a western memorial window has been erected by his schoolfellows ; the stained east window was inserted by Colonel Maitland, in memory of General Maitland: the church has been re-seated with open sittings and restored: the organ was presented by C. Liddell esq. of Landhurst. The register dates from the year 1697. The living is a rectory and vicarage, yearly value £902, with residence, in the gift of the Earl De la Warr, and held since 1859 by the Rev. Edward Thomas William Polehampton M.A. late fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford and chaplain to the patron."
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