Link From Village To Mill

A Memory of Eastry.

The area called Mill Green is behind the photgrapher and the village ahead. The Mill was working up until about 1960 or so, as we used to buy corn from there to feed the chickens. To the right of the photo is the church/chapel for Eastry Hospital which catered for all sorts of mental illness or simply for men taken in after the war. The hospital was originally a workhouse and has extensive grounds and buildings and was a big employer. The thought of the men was unsettling, but I never heard of any mishap regarding them. As ever, they would be dressed in their suits and wander around the village or in summer they would go off to Margate and probably sit in a pub all day. Where the broken wall is was a huge shed housing a vary large traction engine which would be used at harvest time I believe. Mill Green behind us, a five minute walk, was apparently pretty crumby but we seemed to be decent enough. On the other hand, the house owners we met along the way seemed to be a grumpy lot who suspected us of trouble. It seems that owning too much makes people grumpy. The other housing estate was Cook's Lea and we used to have a cricket match among the boys at the Gunpark. Let's say, that Eastry's social groupings had an extensive and eclectic range. You either had a bike or a Range Rover. For locals, a history of the workhouse and hospital would make interesting reading. These days the hospital clientele would be not politically correct as it might upset the children. Actually, we all just got on with life as per normal. When I was in the church choir we had to go and perform there and sing Christmas Carols..... let's say it was eye opening! Broadened one's experience.