Tilling (Sussex) of Elizabeth Mapp and subsequently of Lucia, who renamed it Mallards House. Cynthia & Tony Reavell (1984) "E F Benson: Mr Benson remembered in Rye, and the World of Tilling" contained a map of Tilling that drew on references in the books and the layout of Rye itself. A similar plan was reproduced in Holt's novels. In some instances, the street names of Tiling and Rye coincided – for example, High Street (the location of Godiva Plaistow's house, "Wasters") and West Street ("Quaint" Irene Coles' "Taormina") – but there were some variations: Mermaid Street became, in Tilling, Porpoise Street (where
Tilling-Stevens a cheaper steel pressed bonnet and a small diamond-shaped "TSM" badge. Leading up to World War II they specialised in the searchlight trucks for which they are probably still best known today. In 1950, the company was sold to Rootes Group. Complete vehicle production ceased in 1953, as Rootes' own truck brands had developed heavier trucks themselves. The plant continued to produce light commercial engines (particularly the iconic Commer TS3 two-stroke diesel, which had been intended for introduction by Tilling-Stevens in 1954) and vehicle bodies, before finally closing in the 1970s, some years after the group had been acquired by