Thrilling in Tilling
On any given day, at any time of the year, devotees of the comic novels of EF Benson can be seen mooching about the cobbled streets of the little East Sussex town of Rye. Sometimes their imaginations go into overdrive and they catch, in the corner of their eye, a fleeting glimpse of Benson’s characters. He renamed the town Tilling, and wrote with merciless wit of the struggle for social supremacy there in the 1930s between Miss Elizabeth Mapp, a devious, condescending middle-aged spinster, and Mrs Emmeline Lucas, a bright, shrewd and wealthy middleaged widow, known to all as Lucia.
Earlier this year you might have observed, among the Benson devotees, actor and writer Steve Pemberton, seeking inspiration that would help him with the screenplay for the BBC adaptation of the Mapp (played by Miranda Richardson) and Lucia (Anna Chancellor) stories. Since filming began, Tilling and Benson have wrapped themselves around Steve, and he revels in it. The garden of Benson’s home, Lamb House (renamed Mallards in the books and forthcoming adaptation) is sun-dappled and warm. ‘It’s really joyful to be here,’ says Steve, ‘knowing that EF Benson probably sat right here where I am now, writing these stories.’ He’s been to Rye Cemetery to pay his respects to Benson, standing at his grave and saying, ‘Thank you for the books.’ He says he felt the earth move, and hoped that beneath him the great man wasn’t spinning too madly.
1. Rye Castle, 2. St Mary's Anglican Church, 3. Lamb House
As Benson described Tilling, ‘its narrow streets abounded in red-brick houses with tiled roofs, that shouted Queen Anne and George I…’ They still do, but times have changed. The ‘Tilling’ High Street is now fringed with parked vans and cars, and quaint shop fronts are overlaid with modern emblems. You’d look in vain for Twistevant the greengrocer, or for the house agents Messrs Woolgar and Pipstow (misremembered by Lucia as Woggles and Pickstick). So, like Benson, the BBC had to create them. Shoppers in the right clothes, some of them genuine inhabitants thrilled to be asked, populated the street as carts and shire horses made their way over the cobbles. ‘A marvellous pageant,’ says Steve. This location is key to the narrative. ‘It’s what Mapp and Lucia is all about,’ says Steve, ‘elevating a snub in the High Street to the highest sort of act of war.’
Steve’s pleasure from writing the script was intensified by being offered the part of Georgie Pillson, Lucia’s confidante and loyal lieutenant, ‘not an obtrusively masculine person’, a part played by Nigel Hawthorne in a previous TV dramatisation 30 years ago. ‘I was a huge fan of that series,’ says Steve, conscious that it might prove a hard act to follow. But being followed it is, by him and the cast and crew, and if love of place and story and subject is any guide, it should be wonderful. ‘I hope it drives people to the books, as was done for me back in the 1980s,’ says Steve, still joyful.
The Lady will be running in-depth interviews (and gossip) from Tilling’s residents over the next few months.
Lamb House (known as Mallards)
Earlier this year you might have observed, among the Benson devotees, actor and writer Steve Pemberton, seeking inspiration that would help him with the screenplay for the BBC adaptation of the Mapp (played by Miranda Richardson) and Lucia (Anna Chancellor) stories. Since filming began, Tilling and Benson have wrapped themselves around Steve, and he revels in it. The garden of Benson’s home, Lamb House (renamed Mallards in the books and forthcoming adaptation) is sun-dappled and warm. ‘It’s really joyful to be here,’ says Steve, ‘knowing that EF Benson probably sat right here where I am now, writing these stories.’ He’s been to Rye Cemetery to pay his respects to Benson, standing at his grave and saying, ‘Thank you for the books.’ He says he felt the earth move, and hoped that beneath him the great man wasn’t spinning too madly.
1. Rye Castle, 2. St Mary's Anglican Church, 3. Lamb HouseAs Benson described Tilling, ‘its narrow streets abounded in red-brick houses with tiled roofs, that shouted Queen Anne and George I…’ They still do, but times have changed. The ‘Tilling’ High Street is now fringed with parked vans and cars, and quaint shop fronts are overlaid with modern emblems. You’d look in vain for Twistevant the greengrocer, or for the house agents Messrs Woolgar and Pipstow (misremembered by Lucia as Woggles and Pickstick). So, like Benson, the BBC had to create them. Shoppers in the right clothes, some of them genuine inhabitants thrilled to be asked, populated the street as carts and shire horses made their way over the cobbles. ‘A marvellous pageant,’ says Steve. This location is key to the narrative. ‘It’s what Mapp and Lucia is all about,’ says Steve, ‘elevating a snub in the High Street to the highest sort of act of war.’
Steve’s pleasure from writing the script was intensified by being offered the part of Georgie Pillson, Lucia’s confidante and loyal lieutenant, ‘not an obtrusively masculine person’, a part played by Nigel Hawthorne in a previous TV dramatisation 30 years ago. ‘I was a huge fan of that series,’ says Steve, conscious that it might prove a hard act to follow. But being followed it is, by him and the cast and crew, and if love of place and story and subject is any guide, it should be wonderful. ‘I hope it drives people to the books, as was done for me back in the 1980s,’ says Steve, still joyful.
The Lady will be running in-depth interviews (and gossip) from Tilling’s residents over the next few months.
Lamb House (known as Mallards)
- Lamb House was built in 1722 by James Lamb. Novelist Henry James lived there between 1897 and 1916. The house was subsequently occupied by EF Benson, author of the Mapp and Lucia stories.
- The house was used by Benson as a model for Mallards – Miss Mapp’s, and later Lucia’s, home.
- The Garden Room, which had a large bay window overlooking the street, was used by both James and Benson while writing their novels. Unfortunately, the room was destroyed by a German bomb in 1940.
- Lamb House is now under the ownership of the National Trust and is open to visitors.
- The house will be used as a film location for the new BBC production throughout this summer, and a temporary replica of the Garden Room will be constructed.
Mermaid Street (known as Porpoise Street and High Street)
- Mermaid Street became Porpoise Street (where Algernon and Susan Wyse lived) in the Mapp and Lucia books. However, for the TV production, Mermaid Street has been transformed into the High Street.
St Mary’s Anglican Parish Church (as itself)
- St Mary’s was built at the beginning of the 12th century. Mapp and Lucia often attend services at the church.
- EF Benson is closely linked to the church as he donated two stained-glass windows in memory of his brother, Arthur (in 1928), and his parents, Mary and Archbishop Benson (in 1937).
- EF Benson’s funeral was held at St Mary’s before he was buried at Rye Cemetery.
Rye Castle (always in the background)
- Rye Castle, also known as the Ypres Tower, was built in 1249 to defend Rye against attacks from across the channel.
- Inside, you can see where murderer John Breads was incarcerated before being hanged, where prisoners were chained and held, and a new relief model showing the development of the coastline over the last 1,000 years.
WHERE to stay
- Cadborough Farm Idyllic self-catering cottages and studios. 172 Udimore Road, Rye, East Sussex: 01797-225426, www.cadborough.co.uk
- Rye Lodge Perfectly located for exploring the heart of Rye. Hilder’s Cliff, Rye, East Sussex: 01797-223838, www.ryelodge.co.uk
- Why Rye Directory of excellent places to eat and stay in the area. 01797-226688, www.whyrye.co.uk
- Jeake’s House Enjoy a break in this five-star, 16th-century house. Mermaid Street, Rye, East Sussex: 01797-222828, www.jeakeshouse.com