Poling, West Sussex

Poling was an agricultural part of the Rape of Arundel, one of the traditional sub-divisions of Sussex and a former Norman barony. In the Anglo-Saxon era Poling, like most coastal villages, had outlying areas of land in the Weald (forest) within Sussex used for summer grazing and timber production. Thus Poling gave its name to Pallingham north of Stopham and Pallinghurst west of Rudgwick. Poling also had land north of Petworth, then known as "Palinga Schittas", mentioned in a charter of AD 953. in connection with the pannage of pigs to feed on acorns. Royal Air Force Station, Poling RAF Poling was in use until July 1956. Thereafter, the cost of guarding the site was about £5,000, mostly before the technical equipment was removed in March 1957 when the guard was downsized; in February 1955, the wire fence was renewed for £2,000. ==Parish church==

St. Nicholas' parish church is on the south-east edge of the village next to Manor Farm and is reached by a footpath from Poling Street, next to the Old Vicarage. Burials in St. Nicholas' churchyard include the Kent and MCC cricketer and cricket administrator Colin Cowdrey (1932–2000) and the explorer, botanist, artist and colonial administrator Sir Harry Johnston (1858–1927), who lived at St John's Priory. Johnston is also commemorated by a wall plaque in the nave carved by the Arts and Crafts sculptor and typeface designer Eric Gill, who lived at Ditchling, East Sussex. The main typeface used on the plaque seems to be Gill's Perpetua, which he designed in 1925 but did not release until 1929. The lower-case typeface used for the Latin quote below is not presently recognised. ==References==