Poling is a small quiet village, which has few public facilities to speak of apart from an historical Norman church, a phone box and two post boxes. The only sort of industry to be found in this sleepy village is farming; as such, the majority of the village's land is farmland. However, it is not just arable farms found around Poling - there are cattle farms and there is also a mushroom factory.

The most locally-famous thing about Poling is the brand new children's hospice, The Chestnut Tree House Hospice, which is often thought of as being situated near the coastal town of Worthing. In truth, the hospice is inside Poling boundaries.

Poling is fortunate enough to have several picturesque ponds dotted throughout it where many different forms of wildlife may be observed.

In terms of purchasing anything in Poling you are extremely limited; you can buy eggs from Peckham's Farm, which are very good but that's about it. You should definitely stock up well before you arrive.

The History of Poling

Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book, Poling's past goes back to Saxon times and possibly Roman. There may have even been a lake settlement there 2000 years ago, when the sea was much further inland than it is now.

Nine different ways of referring to Poling have been found in antiquity. These are:

• Palinges in 1199
• Palyng in 1271
• Palyngg in 1279
• Polynge in 1305
• Palynge in 1341
• Paling in 1361
• Powling in 1610
• Poleing in 1846

Since 1715 it has been referred to as Poling. The origins of the name Palinges are believed by local historians to lie in 'people or dwellers by the pal or stake' which indicates some sort of palisade.

There are several historical features of Poling; one is that the fields were once home to a massive radar array which formed part of the country's defences in the Second World War. During this time the village was heavily bombed and as a result there are anti-aircraft positions and pillboxes¹ located around the village. The anti-aircraft positions did shoot down a German plane protecting the bombers. The famous author AA Milne and Christopher Robin lived in a 17th-Century house in the easternmost part of Poling. A swan on the lake by the house was named Hopper by AA Milne and was featured in one of the 'Winnie the Pooh' books.

The church is also of historical note, the location of it is peculiar in that it can only be reached by paths and over stiles. It has the country's only medieval iron church poor box. There is also evidence that at one time a Roman road ran through the village.

The final building of note of is St John's Priory. This is now a private residence, as are all of the related buildings in Poling. The Priory has been added to over the centuries and now only small parts of the original 13th Century Chapel can be seen. It was used by the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. This house has been inhabited by the explorer and painter Sir Harry Johnstone and he is responsible for many of the modernisations. It is said that ghosts of monks and Knights can be heard singing Gregorian Chants.

How to get to Poling

There are two ways to get to Poling: one is to walk from wherever you may be; this is likely to be long and tiring with little real sense of achievement once you arrive. The other (far more sensible) option of driving there along the only road that can get you to Poling (the A27), can be achieved by either hitching a ride or investing in a motor vehicle.

The road itself is a long one that goes across the bottom of Sussex from Eastbourne to Portsmouth. The road actually goes straight through the village but as no-one lives in the much smaller part of Poling, which is on the north side of the road, this causes no problems.

Something vitally important to understand when visiting Poling is that there are actually three streets in the village, all of which come off the A27. The main street is a bendy one called Poling Street, which is about a mile long, and has most of the houses on it. The second is a short road that runs parallel to the A27 and only contains houses; the third is about half a mile further east along the A27 and contains some houses and the mushroom factory.

Where to Eat

In terms of purchasable food there are no outlets. It is suggested you pack a big lunch beforehand or even a picnic as Poling is a lovely place for them.

Where to Stay

Poling is again rather limited in places to stay unless you know someone with a room to spare. Despite this, do not despair for there is a bed and breakfast which frequently has a few spare rooms.

Poling may not be a big city; it may not even be a small one but what it lacks in function it makes up for in pure simplicity. You can go there on a summer's day and totally forget yourself just exploring and walking. A truly remarkable place.