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Star Inn
Old Heathfield
East Sussex
TN21 9AH
THE STAR INN
Old Heathfield
Free House
The Star Inn is sited very near to the parish church of All Saints in the centre of the village. It is an amalgam of many builds, the core is what remains of a two-bay medieval hall house dating from the mid to second half of the 15th century. The hall would have contained a central hearth, open to the rafters, where the smoke escaped through the roofing material or end gable's. The multi-flued chimney stack was added a century or so later. In the late 18th century a western addition and the fine function room to the north were built, followed not long after, c. 1800, by the eastern bay with the cellar. The present Star Inn was built in 1348 to serve the masons working on the church and this was also the year of the terrible Black Death.
Documentation for the Star first appears in 1716, in the "Tythe Book of Heathfield" with an entry " Jeremiah Heathfield for the Star-10s", this sum was part of an ecclesiastical tax imposed on all parishioners. The Land Tax entry for 1757 shows "Thomas Hoade for the Star" paying a tax of 2s on a valuation of 8s.
Over the years the Star had many landlords but in 1821 there was an important change of ownership, when a brewing company, Wood & Tamplin, bought the Star, and from now on it was always tenanted. As already said the northern wing was added in the late 18th century and from now on acted as a meeting room for important village business. One such meeting of interest was held on the 22nd April 1830. It was a "General Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Heathfield paying Poor Rates... for the purpose of taking into consideration the expediency of apportioning a portion of the paupers of the parish with the means of going to America." No doubt the most troublesome of the pauper families would have been chosen and they were supplied with free passage and subsistence plus some ready money to help with their needs in America until they could find employment. Fourteen families were named and at another meeting a few days later three more were added to the list. As one can see for many centuries The Star Inn has played a central part in the lives of the inhabitants of Old Heathfield and the surrounding area as it continues to do to this day.
The views of the local area inspired Joseph Mallord William Turner to paint The Vale of Heathfield, when commissioned by wealthy landowner, Jack Fuller c 1850 and this now hangs in the Tate Gallery.
Another link to the world of fine art is that Joshua Reynolds painted Lord Heathfield who was incumbent at Bayley Park from 1766 until his death in 1790 when the house’s name was changed to the current, Heathfield Park.
All Saints Church - Built in the 13th century. Probably on the site of a much older church, All Saints is situated next to the Star Inn with which it formed the tiny and ancient community of Heathfield at the time.
One of the stained glass windows depicts the expedition when the first Christians left from Heathfield to settle in the New World in what was to become the United States of America. The spire of the church was originally some 70cm off kilter and remained so until the 19th century when, amongst other repairs, it was taken down and replaced. The weathercock was used for target practice by Canadian soldiers billeted in the village during WWII. On taking it down for re-gilding in 1995, it was discovered that some had scored direct hits.