Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Streat. Sussex.
Streat....we had never been there.
But unless you have some family connection, why would anybody visit Streat?
Streat is almost hidden from view, tucked in the crevice of a narrow lane between Wivelsfield Green and The South Downs.
The population is a mere 179 - and those people must travel to other villages for shops and schools and such like.
They have services though, each Sunday, in the church.
I like to explore a place not yet discovered by me - and yesterday I explored Streat (pronounced Street).
It was intended to be a non muddy sort of walk.......but apart from the solid surface of the narrow lane, all other by-ways were tracks; well maintained tracks, but muddy after all the rain we have had.
We parked on the track outside the church, with lovely views to The Downs.
The early morning fog left droplets clinging to the pine needles.
But we had stopped to see the church.
Streat Church.
It is unusual in that it has no dedication to any saint.
There has been a church on the site for centuries, but now has quite a Victorian feel to it inside.
I suspect that the owners of Streat House, adjacent to the church, reflected their Victorian wealth by making additions to the church.
It is bigger than the local population now needs.
The 18th century mansion remains privately owned.
Iron grave stone.
There was an even bigger one, reputedly the biggest in the country, naming almost everybody, dead or alive, in the Gott family in the 1700s.
My first snowdrop sighting of the year.
Streat phone box, outside the church.
Caked in mud at the base after the recent floods.
There is still a phone within.....I wonder how many of the 179 Streat people need a working phone box these days.
Track opposite the church.
I love windows - and the hung tiles.
This window made me smile.
Who lives in a room with all those bottles of nail varnish?
We could clearly see the V on The Downs.
It was planted to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887.
3060 plants were used at a cost of £12 10 shillings and 4 pence.
And looking northwards we glimpsed the Wealden view.
January 2014.
But unless you have some family connection, why would anybody visit Streat?
Streat is almost hidden from view, tucked in the crevice of a narrow lane between Wivelsfield Green and The South Downs.
The population is a mere 179 - and those people must travel to other villages for shops and schools and such like.
They have services though, each Sunday, in the church.
I like to explore a place not yet discovered by me - and yesterday I explored Streat (pronounced Street).
It was intended to be a non muddy sort of walk.......but apart from the solid surface of the narrow lane, all other by-ways were tracks; well maintained tracks, but muddy after all the rain we have had.
We parked on the track outside the church, with lovely views to The Downs.
The early morning fog left droplets clinging to the pine needles.
But we had stopped to see the church.
Streat Church.
It is unusual in that it has no dedication to any saint.
There has been a church on the site for centuries, but now has quite a Victorian feel to it inside.
I suspect that the owners of Streat House, adjacent to the church, reflected their Victorian wealth by making additions to the church.
It is bigger than the local population now needs.
The 18th century mansion remains privately owned.
There was an even bigger one, reputedly the biggest in the country, naming almost everybody, dead or alive, in the Gott family in the 1700s.
My first snowdrop sighting of the year.
Streat phone box, outside the church.
Caked in mud at the base after the recent floods.
There is still a phone within.....I wonder how many of the 179 Streat people need a working phone box these days.
Track opposite the church.
I love windows - and the hung tiles.
This window made me smile.
Who lives in a room with all those bottles of nail varnish?
We could clearly see the V on The Downs.
It was planted to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887.
3060 plants were used at a cost of £12 10 shillings and 4 pence.
And looking northwards we glimpsed the Wealden view.
January 2014.
