Visit Bateman's from Judins Cottage
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Rudyard Kipling called Bateman's "a good and peaceable place", and it is easy to see why he chose the Dudwell Valley as his home. The handsome Jacobean house just outside Burwash village was where Kipling lived from 1902 until his death in 1936, and where he wrote Puck of Pook's Hill, drawing on the very hills and woods you can see from the garden. Today it is cared for by the National Trust, with the rooms kept much as Kipling left them, his Rolls Royce in the garage, and gardens that run down to the River Dudwell and a working watermill.
Judins Cottage is about a mile from Bateman's across the fields, or a 1.3 mile drive through the lanes, so you can arrive on foot the way Kipling's visitors once did. It makes an easy, unhurried outing: mornings in the house and gardens, lunch in the tearoom or back at the cottage, and the afternoon free for the rest of the village. Burwash itself is one of the prettiest villages in the High Weald, with its lime tree lined High Street, weatherboarded cottages and the church where Kipling's memorial can be found.
If you are planning a stay around a visit to Bateman's, Judins Cottage is one of the closest places to stay, and a natural base. It is a five star, two bedroom cottage in Burwash Weald with free Wi-Fi throughout, electric vehicle charging, and a large secure garden, and dogs are very welcome. The surrounding countryside is threaded with footpaths, so you can walk from the door into the landscape that shaped so much of Kipling's writing.
For those travelling with dogs, Bateman's welcomes dogs on leads throughout the grounds and gardens, though not inside the house or the tearoom itself. There is outdoor seating at the tearoom, so you can still stop for tea and cake together. With the walk across the fields from Judins Cottage, it makes a proper dog friendly day out without the car.
Bateman's is open most of the year, though times vary by season, so it is worth checking the National Trust website before you visit. If you would like to make a stay of it, you can check availability and book directly with us at judinscottage.com.
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