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Parish Church - The Parish church
is dedicated to St Mary. The construction of the present
building seems to have been started during the 11th century.
It was placed close to a yew tree which was already approximately
1000 years old, and may have marked the site of a pre-Christian
place of worship. The influence of the Church in the village
has greatly diminished over the last Century. In 1890 the
living provided some £490.00 per annum from tithe
rent charge, and came complete with residence and 36 acres
of Glebe Land. To judge from the size of what was The Rectory,
the adjoining stable block now "The Coach House"
and the adjacent Glebe Lands this must have been a comparatively
rich parish. The incumbent in his role as village school
master was paid £50.00 per annum
Phone Box - The village has a phone
box, which is of the traditional red-painted type. Its proximity
to the BT local exchange means that it is serviced reasonably
regularly, and it is becoming less susceptible to vandalism,
probably due to the current mobile phone culture. However
mobile telephones are notoriously unreliable in the area.
Playground - Eastling does not
have one. Many villages have playgrounds with climbing frames,
swings, seesaws, roundabouts, and slides. They give children
the opportunities to hone their gymnastic skills, and develop
an element of body awareness. However, concern for the Health
and Safety of the users, and an increasingly litigious society
has led to the demise of many facilities. Local Councils
are understandably reluctant to sustain the increasing maintenance
costs and escalating insurance premiums.
Playing Field - The village has
no playing field available for public use. In the past the
school allowed children access to its playing field, but
recent Health and Safety awareness and insurance restrictions
mean that children in the village have no public field in
which to play. Ball games on the land in front of the cottages
at The Glebe are specifically forbidden. Ironically, in
the past, this was the site of a bowling green, and the
area where the Water Works is now situated was a football
pitch. Perhaps our ancestors were more aware of "Mens
sana in corpore sano". A recent poll of the residents
relating to the possible use of a piece of land from the
Belmont Estate, in accordance with the wishes of the late
Lord Harris, to provide a village green resulted in an overwhelming
vote in favour of the project, which was to be established
on the site opposite the Carpenters' Arms. However, concerns
from the residents living close to the proposed site, led
to the Parish council deciding not to proceed.
Public Transport - The village
is serviced by buses to Faversham. Nonetheless the service
is efficient, and usually seems to run on time.
As can be seen Eastling does not score
well if the above criteria are used to measure the quality
of life of its residents. However, for many living within
the confines of the village, it is, indeed, a rural idyll.
The built up area is family conscious, concentrated along
the incoming roads and lanes and adjacent surrounds. There
are, however, several houses outside the village. The surrounding
area is honeycombed with footpaths and bridleways, which
make exploration a constant delight.
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