Tismans Common, The Haven, Cox Green, Lynwick Street and Rowhook
Rudgwick is as much the sum of its parts as it is a village. These communities have lost many local services, but retain a distinct identity. In between are farms with former farmworkers’ cottages and converted barns creating clusters deep in the countryside. Unfortunately, old photographs are not easily come by, so this selection is not as representative as we would like. Can you help us find more?
Cox Green
Cox Green is an extension of Rudgwick, brought into the parish from Ewhurst, Surrey as recently as the 1990s. This view north is towards the Upper Smithy from Cousens, at the top of Lynwick Street. the furthest house and smithy are no longer thereThe Upper Smithy at Cox Green when William Meeton was blacksmithDukes is next to Rudgwick churchyard, yet was in Surrey. Home to London mercer Richard Burchatt who left money to Rudgwick church for internal refurbishment late 1840s. Has been a gentrified house for a long timeThe road through Cox Green was a turnpike to Cranleigh. Here it passes Jasmine House, left, and Oakfield, right, each a handsome Victorian villa, each occupied by builders, trading as Reeves & PortHermongers House was built at the farm of the same name in the 1860s, the first mansion to be built in the parish, for the Crighton family
Lynwick Street
Canfields FarmStbbons and Martins Cottage, with Canfields make up the original hamlet of Linnick StreetRudgwick church and Church Hill from “Linnick Street”, a view now less easily seen for treesThe Old Vicarage 1907 when Rev Ben Drury was still the long-standing vicarLynwick House and its estate of over 1000 acres stretching across Rudgwick from Tismans Common to Cox Green was sold and broken up on the death of John Aungier in 1922
Tisman’s Common
Tismans House, a large Georgian house, home to the Mann family, then the Nappers, then part of the Pallinghurst Estate for much of the C20th. Tismans gave its name to the South Stoke manor’s common which lay to the south of the house. Subsequently, the name was applied to all three commonsGreenhurst is close to Tismans House, and once had its own small green alongsideExfoldwood (1911) was the cottage and shop (enlarge to see shop window) first of the Borrer family and then of the Tuff family for many years in the C19th and early C20th. Exfoldwood is also the name of Drungewick manor’s common, enclosed in 1855, which included most of the houses now thought of as Tismans Common
The Haven
Gibbons Mill and the Miller’s House, the latter a quaint building from c1420. a mill has been here since at least 1341, but there is a period 200 or more years ago when there is no record of itThe Post Office and stores was the centre of life in The Haven, closed about 1963. The business was begun by the King family at Little Tittlesfold in the C19th. now a private house. Opposite was a bakeryThis picture of The Blue Ship Gun Club hangs in the pub
Rowhook
Honeywood House, before it became a nursing home, then owned by Lady Tredegar who died in 1946
As regards The Haven I am afraid you are totally wrong! We were still using the Post Office & Shop in the late 1950s & if memory serves me correctly, into the 60s. We have the original ‘photo’ as shown. (Would you like to know the names of the people in it)? My wife’s mother was born in the cottage across the road from the shop (1906) & she herself was born just up the road. (1936) Her aunt owned the Bakery & house opposite.
As regards The Haven I am afraid you are totally wrong! We were still using the Post Office & Shop in the late 1950s & if memory serves me correctly, into the 60s. We have the original ‘photo’ as shown. (Would you like to know the names of the people in it)? My wife’s mother was born in the cottage across the road from the shop (1906) & she herself was born just up the road. (1936) Her aunt owned the Bakery & house opposite.