Rudyard Kipling returns to Burwash

There is a new star on the Burwash parish landscape – a bronze statue of our most famous resident – author and Nobel prize-winner Rudyard Kipling.

The seated statue, sponsored by the Parish Council, connects Burwash to its past and traditional glories. Parts of our High Street date back to Norman Times and Kipling himself wrote of the beauties of this area a century ago. This fabulous artwork by Burwash sculptor Victoria Atkinson represents a new future focus for our community – to improve our High Street and facilities for residents and to attract visitors to the area.

The driving force behind the statue was Parish Councillor Steve Moore, seen next to Vicky Atkinson on the bench. He attended the unveiling alongside local Councillors and people who had generously donated money to bring the project to life. Mike Kipling from the Kipling Society formally unveiled the sculpture, watched by donors, supporters and representatives from Bateman’s. Among the first people to see the bench were Richard and Lynda Maude-Roxby who kindly gave permission for us to site the statue outside their home, adjacent to the tiled Burwash map on the High Street.