58 High Street (The Rowans)

58 High Street is one of many houses in the village that used to be thatched and has had a varied life. In fact, it was originally two thatched cottages, joined together at some time during the 1800s.

Around 1840 the house was the home of Levi Langley, a stone mason. But the 1861, 1871 and 1881 Censuses show that the house was then the village post office; James Arundle / Arundell was the village postmaster. By 1871 he was a widower and lived there with his unmarried daughter Hannah (a cook) and a servant, Jane Miles. By 1881 James was 78 years old; Hannah was still with him as a 'Domestic Servant' but he was assisted by his older daughter, Jane. She was shown as 'Assistant to Sub Postmaster'.

The 1885 Ordnance Survey map indicates that the Post Office was still at 58 High Street, but both James and Jane died in the 1880s. The 1891 Census shows that Hannah was now the Sub Postmistress, but in 1891-1892 the Post Office moved to 24 High Street (Bell Hatch).

58 High Street became a family home again in 1892, when it was occupied by Lewin Heath, a farm labourer, with his wife; they eventually had 8 children. According to a lease dated March 1892, he paid a rent of £2 2s 0d every 6 months.

The coloured 1920 Auction map shows that the house - together with the large plot to the east, was Lot No 102. It was presumably bought by Lewin Heath, and members of the Heath family continued to live there for many years. But in the mid-1960s it was bought by Dr Robinson, and the house became the village Surgery until about 1990. it is now a family home again.