Twinkle at Orleston Church, Kent

Twinkle at Orleston Church, Kent
Twinkle at Orleston Church, Kent

KENT


The white horse and the motto 'Invictus' on the Kentish flag, are to be seen everywhere throughout the county. The word 'Invictus' means 'Unconquered'.
Following the Norman invasion in 1066, peasants in Kent refused to acknowledge Duke William's rule and ambushed his men near Strood. 
In return for them ceasing their protests and accepting his authority, the Duke pardoned them, and permitted them to use the white horse emblem and the motto of 'unconquered'.

Kent is my home county. They say you never see what's on your own doorstep - which probably accounts for there having not been much on this page until now. However, I came across these amazing QuizTrail books, which not only keep you and your family amused, but which teach you a whole new way of looking at places. 

A BALLOON FLIGHT
ALDINGTON
ASHFORD
AYLSFORD
BARHAM
BETHERSDEN
BIDDENDEN
BILSINGTON
BONNINGTON
BROADSTAIRS
BROOKLAND
BURMARSH
CHATHAM DOCKYARD
CHILHAM
CLIFFSEND AND PEGWELL BAY
DEAL & WALMER
DENTON
DOVER
DUNGENESS & THE R.H.D.R.
EASTWELL
EGERTON
ELHAM
ETCHINGHILL
EYNSFORD
FAVERSHAM
FOLKESTONE
GOUDHURST
GRAVENEY
HAM STREET
HERNE BAY
HEVER CASTLE
HIGH HALDEN
HYTHE
IVYCHURCH
KINGSNORTH (ASHFORD)
LYDD
LYMINGE
LYMPNE
MAIDSTONE
MARGATE
NEWCHURCH
NEWNHAM
OFFHAM
OLD ROMNEY
OTFORD
PALMARSH
PHILIPPINE VILLAGE
RECULVER
ROLVENDEN
ROLVENDEN LAYNE
RUCKINGE
SANDLING
SANDWICH
SELLINDGE
SISSINGHURST
SITTINGBOURNE & KEMSLEY LIGHT RAILWAY
SMALL HYTHE
SMARDEN
ST-MARY-IN-THE-MARSH
TENTERDEN
TUDELEY
WEST HYTHE
WEST MALLING
WHITSTABLE
WOODCHURCH
YALDING

Over the centuries, Kent has been home to many famous - and infamous people. But some of the more unusual residents are wallabies, who have been spotted around the Bethersden and Tenterden areas.

A BALLOON FLIGHT OVER EAST KENT

Something I love is hot-air ballooning. The following pictures were taken on a flight over East Kent, in particular, the Elham Valley, early one evening.
This is Broome Park, between Canterbury and Dover, where the flight started.
Broome Park, now a golf club, lays on the edge of Barham, in the Barham Downs. This elegant 17th. century mansion was designed by Inigo Jones.
In 1911, it was sold to Lord Kitchener, who had  cupboard built into the panelling of his study so that he could hide whenever he spotted a lady approaching the house, in case she turned out to be a suffragette!


It does have the most exquisite formal gardens




the verdant Kent countryside

looking down on Lyminge


ALDINGTON

Aldington is the next village along from where I grew up. 
Not being on a major road, it has managed to retain its quiet aspect, and has a very good community spirit.  The wide-reaching views are stunning.


The village revolves around Reynold's Field, the Village Hall and the Walnut Tree Inn opposite. The village school and a couple of local shops are visibly within reach too.


The “Walnut Tree Inn” was built during the reign of Richard II (1377-1399) in the year of the crusades. 
The pub has retained its historic interior and the food is worthy of the surroundings.


During the Napoleonic wars Aldington was the stronghold of the Aldington Gang, an infamous band of smugglers that roamed the marshes and shores of Kent plying their nefarious trade. The gang’s prolific leaders, Cephas Quested and George Ransley, both natives of Aldington, made the “Walnut Tree” their headquarters and drop point for their illicit contraband. High up on the southern side of the inn is a small window through which the gang would shine a signal light to their confederates up to Aldington Knoll.

After the death of their leader, the gang was taken over by one George Ransley, members of whose family still live in the area. Ransley and several others were eventually captured and tried for murder. They were sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to transportation to Tasmania for life. Sadly, one of them was an ancestor of mine (Thomas Gillham)
The “Walnut Tree’s” association with lawlessness did not end with the demise of the smugglers for as late as 1904 the inn was centre of the cock fighting contests.


Ford Maddox Ford, who lived in Aldington for a while, wrote a poem called 'Aldington Knoll', The Knoll is a grassy mound just outside the village, and the poem tells how the landowner wanted to level it, but nobody would do it because of a local legend that anyone who disturbed it would meet a sticky end.
Eventually, a man from outside the village did it, and he dug up a skeleton and a sword before he died. You can read the poem here
It is said that from the top of the Knoll, you can see the towers of 36 churches.

Opposite the pub, lies Reynolds Field. A large expanse given in perpetuity to the youth of Aldington, by Captain Jack Wells Reynolds in remembrance of his son. If you enlarge the photo above, you can read all the details. I don't need to reprint it here.

As teenagers, we played football out here - our village (Lympne) youth club against Aldington Youth Club. The village hall, just out of shot to the right of the field, was one of three village halls, together with Lympne and Sellindge, where Saturday night dances were held on consecutive weeks. And of course, it simply wasn't true that if you were under age you could get served beer out of a small window round the back of the Walnut Tree. Someone made that story up - honest! The local police officer, Danny, would maintain control by boxing your ears and threatening to tell your Dad, who, if he did, would then repeat the punishment on the basis that if Danny had done it, we must have earned it!

The history of Aldington has not always been good. Even ignoring the Ransley gang of smugglers, it has a far darker point of history. 
Down a little path from the top of Knoll Hill, lies the ruin of a small chapel and hermitage. It is hard to get to, as it lies at the foot of a steep bank. And indeed, when you reach it, there is little to see - just a few broken down stone walls, and the remains of a well. There are several other footpaths down to it, but the shortest one is on private land.

This was the home of Elizabeth Barton, the servant girl from Tudor times, who became known as the Holy Maid of Kent.
History now shows that she was probably a pawn in the political shenanigans of the reign of Henry VIII, but at the time she was revered by common folk as someone who saw visions during 'ecstasies'. These were more probably something like catatonic attacks, or epileptic 'absences'.
She spoke out against Henry's divorce from Catherina of Aragon and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn. She urged Henry to mend his ways, or suffer the loss of his kingdom. 
As her reputation grew, she was arrested and incarcerated in the Tower of London. Some of her followers admitted (probably under torture), that they had controlled her and her visions, and they were all executed at Tyburn

ASHFORD

Ashford is my home town. Once a busy little market town, in recent years it has been developed out of all recognition. On the whole, it's going to be very hard for me to say much in praise of the town that is nearest to my home.

The town lies within a large bend of the Great Stour, and appears to have developed around  ford or river-crossing, as the name stems from 'a ford by an ash-tree'

When I was a kid, we looked forward to going into Ashford once a month in the sheep lorry, when Dad went to the livestock market.  The market then was at the bottom of Bank street, and there used to be pens where the cattle could be held and loaded directly onto trains. This made the town a very busy place.
Then, as a teenager, it was a wonderland of dance halls (the Corn Exchange) cinemas (the Odeon and the Cinema), coffee bars (Tiffany's on East Hill was our one of choice - even if we did tell our parents we went to the BonBon!), and boys with big motorcycles!
Then, in the mid-70s came the Inner Ring Road, and the town died....................
This one-way system has much the same effect as a city wall in places like York, Chester and Canterbury. Everything within the centre was cut off from the outside world, and there was no room within those bounds for further development.
As the population grew, residential development happened outside the 'wall', businesses followed and eventually that meant the supermarkets moved to where the people lived and worked. The market, too, moved to the outskirts, and that sounded the beginning of the long slow decline.
Since then, subsequent Town Councils have piled bad decision upon bad decision....................
However, the central part of the town, the oldest part, is quite picturesque. Here you can see the parish church of St. Mary, as seen from the Lower High Street, looking towards Middle Row.

Anyway, let's start with Ashford Borough Councils attempt to brighten up the town centre. They invited local artists to paint on the many blank walls, and there is a trail map you can download to follow. I've not done it yet - these are just one or two I spotted as I strolled round


This one points towards the railway station, where you can at least catch an HS1 Javelin to London, even if the Eurostars no longer stop here.


Sad to see the Odeon all boarded up and down at heel. It was never one of Odeon's more spectacular buildings, but it did still have some of its' Art Deco points inside. It struggled on as a bingo hall for a while, but now is rapidly falling into disrepair.




These empty picture frames are in Elwick Place, outside the new cinema. The cinema itself, looks like it is scaffolding covered with hessian sacking.





This is called 'The Flume' - unimpressive and ignored by most people


The fountain in the Lower High Street, is centred around an old locomotive wheel, displaying pride in Ashford's railway heritage. The railway works were once the largest employer in the area. Can't remember when I last saw it playing. It's lovely when it's working and safe for children (and Dogs) to paddle and play in.


Mr. Doodle has designed a wall elsewhere in the town, but this is he taking time out for a well-earned beer

This is the painting on the rear wall of the Odeon, overlooking the car park. More than one bodice-ripper was watched when it was a cinema.....


This one shows Ashford Windmill, which is just off Hythe Road in Willesborough, and the Hubert Fountain in Victoria Park


One of the left-over 'snow dogs' from a previous art trail, has taken up residence in the Vicarage Lane car park.



The bandstand in the centre of town. Seldom used......................



The World War I tank. Ashford was among 265 UK towns to be awarded a tank after WWI. This was due to the amount of war bonds that had been purchased. Today, it is one of seven that remain in the world and the only one still on public display. It is also Grade II listed and a registered war memorial.
When I was young, it had been fitted with an electricity substation inside. This saved it. During World War II, these gifted tanks were recalled by the Government to be melted down for the war effort. The Ashford tank was left in place because it was the substation for the town, including the nearby barracks. Thankfully, it has now been restored, become a listed monument, and had a protective roof put over it. 



One of the few banks that is still in Bank Street, and in its' original building. Wonder how many people miss the lovely view of the parish church through it's archway?



The Whitfeld Hall and Institute, founded in 1873 to the memory of Mr. Henry Whitfeld, and used for public meetings.


I can't remember what this building used to be, but each window has a different head above it, and my gory older brother used to say they were the heads of all the criminals that were executed on that spot.


Not so long ago, County Square shopping mall was almost doubled in size as part of a regeneration move, and the biggest space was taken by the Debenhams department store. Now Debenhams are no more, and the building just stands there empty. 
This whole area of roads is a 'shared space' where no one form or traffic, be it wheeled or pedestrian, has a right of way. That in Ashford is particularly nasty. The ground is covered with almost identically coloured bricks, (except at one end where there is a ludicrously haphazard colour scheme), that makes it difficult to understand where you're supposed to drive or walk. Even where there are pedestrian crossings, these are so poorly marked that it must give visually impaired pedestrians nightmares. This system is another reason for the lack of footfall in this area


The flower tubs in Elwick Place proudly bear the civic arms. The three ash sprigs represent three early civic areas, - East Ashford Rural, West Ashford Rural and Ashford Urban. There is  wavy line representing the rivers, and a single lion ship representing the Cinque Ports of the area.


Strangely, I rather like this bridge. It leads from Elwick Place, across the railway to Victoria Way, which in turn gives access via a little bridge over the River Stour to Victoria Park.




The Hubert Fountain in Victoria Park was commissioned for the International Exhibition of 1862, the successor to the 1851 Great Exhibition.


The visitors to the exhibition in 1862 would have also been entertained and delighted by the fountain’s original water operated organ, which contained sixty-four whistle pipes set at different pitches. This no longer exists


After the exhibition, the fountain was purchased by John Sawbridge Erle-Drax, along with two cast-iron stags, to sit among the gardens of his family home, Olantigh Towers in Wye. Unfortunately Olantigh Towers burned down in 1903. It was at this point that the Earl-Drax family began selling the house’s contents and assets, and the fountain became available. 


After the fire of 1903, the Chairman of the Urban District Council, Mr George Harper, made a request of the council to purchase the fountain and place it in the recently completed Victoria Park. However, the Council were dissuaded by the purchase, transportation and installation costs, and refused. 


Eventually, in 1911 George Harper decided to make an anonymous offer to purchase the fountain and the two accompanying stags. This was under the condition that it be turned on every year on July 23rd, his birthday. 


The Council finally agreed, and on the 24th July, one day after his 71st birthday, it was presented to the park by Mr Harper’s niece, Miss Miles.  Mr Harper was unfortunately too ill to attend the unveiling, and tragically some three weeks later, committed suicide. 


The fountain is listed Grade II*.


The fountain has undergone two major restorations, and during this time, the two stags disappeared. The Council set about trying to find them. They failed, but managed to find other stags which now adorn the park.






This gate marks the site of the former Ashford Livestock Market




This statue commemorates Princess Marie of Edinburgh, the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria. She was born in 1875 at Eastwell Manor and went on to marry King Ferdinand, the last king of Romania, where she died in 1938. The statue was presented in 2018 on behalf of the Romanian Government.


Strangely pleasing juxtaposition of large Victorian villas and ultra-modern street lamps in Elwick Road



The War Memorial Gardens are a place of peace and quiet. The memorial itself is relatively plain, but is of great personal interest to me, as amongst the names inscribed on it are those of one ancestor of my step-father, and two members of my maternal grandmother's family



The parish church of St. Mary the Virgin. Despite the big board outside saying church open - visitors welcome, all the doors were locked. I shall return at a later date to look around inside.


Lovely autumn tree in the churchyard. 





Apparently, this is the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo). I've never seen it before, and this example looks as though it's very old. It sits in the corner of the churchyard. It seems the fruits are edible, if a little grainy, and they take so long to ripen, the tree starts flowering again before they're ready. 


The church sits in a square, with  pretty brick walkway around all sides, lined with old buildings. This is now the Ashford Town Museum, but was formerly the old grammar school, and is an Historic Building of Kent.
It was erected by Sir Norton Knatchbull, MP, after whom the current boys' grammar school is named, in 1630. The school remained on this site until 1870, and the interior is pretty much preserved as it was.

If you walk from the main door of the church towards the High Street, you will pass through Middle Row. These old buildings were originally the Butcher's Shambles, and very fine they are too.

This one, on the corner of Middle Row and the High Street, I remember as being a coffee bar called the 'Mocha Bar', where you sat on high stools and had lime-flavoured milk shakes!


The oldest part of the building dates from the late 14th. century, and was once used as a jail. The remarkable pargetting was added in the 17th. century


At the bottom of the Lower High Street, stands the Twinning Stone. Ashford is 'twinned' with Bad Munstereifel, an historic spa town, in Germany.



And finally...............I love this sign. 'Vicarage Lane Halt' sounds so much better than 'car park'. The design of the sign harks back to the old railway station signs, and is a tribute to Ashford's railway history, which started when the railway arrived in Ashford in 1842. Gradually, Ashford became the centre of five railway lines.
In 1847, South Eastern Railway built  huge railway works, complete with its' own 'Newtown' for its workers. The railway works lasted until 1962.
In 1996, Ashford station was renamed 'Ashford International', with the advent of the Eurostar service to Paris. Sadly, it no longer stops there.


AYLSFORD

The name stems from a tribal chieftain, Aegel, whose settlement was at Aylsham, and denotes a ford crossing the Medway at this point.

Aylesford seems to have attracted famous battles throughout British history; Hengest the Jute fought the British leader Vortigern here in 455 AD, King Alfred defeated the Danes in 893 AD, and Edmund Ironside did likewise in 1016, pursuing the fleeing invaders all the way from Otford and killing many by the time they reached Aylesford. And the royals kept coming; William the Conqueror took Aylesford manor for himself after the Norman Conquest.

Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. Two pubs, a village shop and other amenities including a hairdressers, estate agents, two restaurants, a chiropodist and a coffee shop are located on the high street.
Due to the village's location on its banks, the River Medway has been a key influence on its development. It was also the place where one of the earliest bridges across the Medway was built, believed to be in the 14th century (although the wide central span seen today is later). Upstream from Rochester Bridge it became the next bridging point. The river was navigable as far as Maidstone until 1740, when barges of forty tons could reach as far as Tonbridge. As a result wharves were built, one being at Aylesford. Corn, fodder and fruit, along with stone and timber, were the principal cargoes.
There's a lovely green park between the car park and the village, right next to the bridge, and a handy path from there into the centre of the village. The village has been by-passed, so will remain unspoilt.


The one time vicar in Aylesford, was the Rev.Thorndike, father to the actress Dame Sybil Thorndike,  and the author Russell Thorndike, he of the Doctor Syn stories, about a vicar in Dymchurch.

BARHAM

This pretty village stands on the major road that connects Dover, Canterbury and Folkestone, at the head of the beautiful Elham Valley. It contains many historic buildings, and as yet, I've not had time to explore it fully.
Because of its' position, high on the Barham Downs on the main road between Dover and London, it has been used as a military staging post over the centuries, from William The Conqueror to the Napoleonic Wars.
The parish contains 77 listed structures, not only buildings but walls, a footbridge and -
...a 1936 classic telephone kiosk.
It provided the home for one of the four knights who, in 1175, murdered St Thomas Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral.   As a result the family adopted the name of this village and descendants with that family name can be found in many countries of the world. 
The parish church of St. John The Baptist stands on a hill, overlooking the oldest part of the village 
For a start, this is the Old Valley Road, now just a quiet lay-by.


In Spring, the village is alive with spring daffodils. They line the main road for about a mile outside the village and right through the centre. They also adorn  Church Lane, Old Valley Road, and just about every open green space. 



BETHERSDEN

Bethersden is a village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England, 5 miles west of the town of Ashford. Located on the main road, A28, between Tenterden and Ashford. The suffix 'den' means a woodland pasture, and in this case, was one belonging to Beaduric.

Entering Bethersden from the A28, along Forge Hill, the first building to strike you is this one - formed from two oast houses and a barn.  Currently the offices of Stratford's Property Management Services., these buildings were once part of the Thorne Estate.
The Thorne Estate is owned by the Peter Adams Trust. 
Peter Eric Adams was an enthusiastic educationalist both as a learner and teacher who was liked and admired by his pupils. His interests also included Conservation and travel.
Following the death of his Mother he inherited The Thorne Estate, Bethersden.
Peter was the last of the line and by his Will left his net estate on Charitable Trust.
His wishes are reflected in the Grants offered by The Peter Adams Trust for Conservation, Personal Improvement, Community Benefit and anything else (including towards Transport costs) which is for the individual or common good.

Next, you come to this monument, on the corner where a road goes off towards Pluckley. I've been past it many times, and always assumed it was some sort of war memorial, or marker for some notable being. Nope, it's all to do with Bethersden Marble and the monarchy. 
Bethersden has long been associated with the material known as Bethersden Marble which was quarried until the 19th century and used in many of Kent's churches and cathedrals. Large slabs of it also came into use  laid across the sticky Wealden clay to provide decent causeways for the pack horses laden with woollen goods that made Bethersden a household name for over 400 years. The name 'marble' is misleading because it is a limestone packed with fossilized gastropod shells which polish well, hence the use of the term.
Originally erected in 1935 to commemorate the 25th. year of the reign of King George V, it was updated and refurbished in 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.


Continuing along The Street, you find this is the original part of the village, which has grown considerably since World War II, and there are many old, and beautiful houses, both large and small, with the main part of The Street, culminating at the war memorial by St. Margaret's church.




The memorial, of course, is crafted from Bethersden marble, as is the south porch of the church. It's a typical Kentish parish church, a style I always find very attractive, with a large clock on the side of the tower facing the oldest part of the village.
Right, the interior: I'm going to leave the connection to Richard Lovelace to the end of this article, as I've got quite a lot of information about him to sift through. But meantime, we'll take a look at the varied and beautiful stained glass here. 
The east window seems a little too small for the size of the wall. It is by C E Kempe and Co and dates from 1914. It shows the Crucifixion with St Augustine and St Margaret.


To the north is the Frid Chapel - owned by the house of the same name whilst the south chapel is the Lovelace chapel built as a chantry chapel in 1460. Its east window has a fine 1960s window of Our Lady and Child with local farming scenes. It is signed by Wippell`s of London. The Frid family are still reflected locally in Frid Cottages (formerly a farmhouse), Frid Wood, and Frid Farm. 
The chapel belonged to the owners of Frid Manor; in that case it may have been built by the Darells of Calehill. In the late sixteenth century Frid came to the prominent Bethersden family of Gibbon one of whom, Lidia, married in 1608 Edward Chute of Old Surrenden. For the next century the North Chapel was the Chute Chapel, and Old Surrenden was known as Surrenden Chute to distinguish it from Surrenden Dering.
Lidia died in 1631, aged 46, and a small brass on the wall of the Frid Chapel commemorates her “the dearely belooved wife of Edward Clint of Bethersden Esq.” Edward was the grandson of Henry VIII’s standard bearer, Philip Chute, who acquired Old Surrenden in 1553. Edward Chute (or Choute) was in his time described as a “right worthy gentleman”; he took a prominent place in Kentish affairs, in 1635-6 was High Sheriff of the county and died in 1640.
The Bethersden Choutes became extinct with the death in 1721/2 of Sir George Choute, whom Charles II had made a Baronet in 1684. 


In the south aisle is the MacMichael window showing Christ surrounded by hop bines.  This commemorates Arthur William MacMichael M.A., 1885-1960 Canon Emeritus of Canterbury Cathedral, his wife Elizabeth Helen Royale (nee Newboult) M.B., B.S., 1899-1983, and their son Nicholas Hugh F.S.A., 1933-1985, Keeper of the Muniments of Westminster Abbey.


The Millennium window by the John Corley Studios - a wavy green tree beneath medieval fragments.  

Today, the village is best known for the rocking horse makers, Stevenson Brothers. They make all their horses (and other animals) by hand, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is known to have bought several for her grandchildren etc.
You can't miss the works - just look up to the roof!


And so to the Lovelace Chantry - the small south chapel. Here's a couple of monuments from the chapel that require a little more investigation on my part.:



The Lovelaces are Bethersden’s most famous family; William Luvelaz is the earliest recorded member and occurs as witness to a Bethersden deed not later than 1247. The family prospered in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in industry and commerce in the City of London and by marriage.
In Elizabeth I's reign the head of the Bethersden branch was William Lovelace, Serjeant-at-Law, who bought the ancient site of the Grey Friars in Canterbury. A highly successful lawyer, Serjeant Lovelace (died 1576/7) was a well-known figure in Kent and to him was dedicated the earliest printed treatise on growing hops: A Perfite Platforme of a Hoppe Garden (1574). Sir William Lovelace, the heir of Serjeant Lovelace, lived partly in Canterbury and partly in Bethersden where he was buried in 1629. 

Sir William outlived his only son, also Sir William, who had been killed in Holland in 1627.
The younger Sir William’s eldest son was Richard Lovelace the Cavalier poet, courtier and soldier. At the end of April 1642 Lovelace, “reputed the handsomest man in England”, in company with Sir William Boteler of Teston near Maidstone, presented to Parliament the ‘Kentish Petition” for the restoration of the Anglican Liturgy, the maintenance of the bench of Bishops and ‘a good understanding between King and Parliament.’ As a similar petition by Sir Edward Dering (of Surrenden Dering) and the learned Sir Roger Twysden had three weeks before been declared seditious, and had then been burnt by the Common Hangman, Boteler was committed by the House of Commons to the Fleet Prison, and Lovelace to the Gatehouse Prison, Westminster. 

Lovelace petitioned the Commons for his liberty, and late in June 1642 was released on personal bail of £IO,000. Unable, without forfeiting his bail, to fight for Charles I, he instead supplied his brothers with money. Lovelace is known to have been at Bethersden at various dates between 1642 and 1647, when he was selling his property there piece by piece to Richard Hulse of Great Chart (see memorial above, to his daughter). In 1645 and 1646 he was in the Low Countries, serving apparently as a Colonel in the French army, and was wounded at Dunkirk in 1646. After his return to England, he was among the Royalists defeated and captured by Fairfax at Maidstone in 1648. Once again he was imprisoned in London; where he died, aged less than 40 in 1657. He is buried in the  churchyard of St Bride’s, Fleet Street. But you won’t find a memorial for him here.  The church was destroyed in the Fire of London, a few years after Lovelace’s burial. 

The heat had been so intense that it effaced many of the headstones, and the handful that survived were used as foundation slabs for the new building work, or placed in the churchyard. A few remain outside – perhaps one is Lovelace's

Whilst in prison, he wrote his most famous poem - "To Althea From Prison"

When Love with unconfinèd wings
Hovers within my Gates,
And my divine Althea brings
To whisper at the Grates;
When I lie tangled in her hair,
And fettered to her eye,
The Gods that wanton in the Air,
Know no such Liberty.

When flowing Cups run swiftly round
With no allaying Thames,
Our careless heads with Roses bound,
Our hearts with Loyal Flames;
When thirsty grief in Wine we steep,
When Healths and draughts go free,
Fishes that tipple in the Deep
Know no such Liberty.

When (like committed linnets) I
With shriller throat shall sing
The sweetness, Mercy, Majesty,
And glories of my King;
When I shall voice aloud how good
He is, how Great should be,
Enlargèd Winds, that curl the Flood,
Know no such Liberty.

Stone Walls do not a Prison make,
Nor Iron bars a Cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an Hermitage.
If I have freedom in my Love,
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone that soar above,
Enjoy such Liberty.

During the Commonwealth the poet’s three surviving brothers - William having been killed at Carmarthen - Capt. Thomas, Col. Francis and Capt. Dudley Posthumus Lovelace went to America, and after the Restoration Francis Lovelace was Governor of New York 1669-72.
The new owner of Lovelace Place, Richard Hulse (or ‘Captain Hulse’ as the Parish Records call him), in his youth travelled extensively (and perhaps fought) on the Continent. He settled in Kent and married first Clara Toke of Godinton and secondly Mary daughter of Sir William Clerke of Wrotham, one of the sureties for Richard Lovelace in 1642 (Clerke was eventually killed, together with Sir William Boteler, at Cropredy Bridge in 1644.) 

BIDDENDEN

Biddenden (Bidda's woodland pasture) is a pretty village, lying between Maidstone and Tenterden. It is largely untouched, with the majority of the buildings lining the main road being of Tudor and medieval heritage.
The village sign depicts conjoined twins, known as the Biddenden Maids.


Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst (or Chalkhurst), commonly known as the Biddenden Maids, were a pair of conjoined twins supposedly born in Biddenden, Kent, England, in the year 1100. They are said to have been joined at both the shoulder and the hip, and to have lived for 34 years. It is claimed that on their death they bequeathed five plots of land to the village, known as the Bread and Cheese Lands. The income from these lands was used to pay for an annual dole of food and drink to the poor every Easter. Since at least 1775, the dole has included Biddenden cakes, hard biscuits imprinted with an image of two conjoined women.
Although the annual distribution of food and drink is known to have taken place since at least 1605, no records exist of the story of the sisters prior to 1770. Records of that time say that the names of the sisters were not known, and early drawings of Biddenden cakes do not give names for the sisters; it is not until the early 19th century that the names "Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst" were first used.
Edward Hasted, the local historian of Kent, dismissed the story of the Biddenden Maids as a folk myth, claiming that the image on the cake had originally represented two poor women and that the story of the conjoined twins was "a vulgar tradition" invented to account for it, while influential historian Robert Chambers accepted that the legend could potentially be true but believed it unlikely. Throughout most of the 19th century little research was carried out into the origins of the legend. Despite the doubts among historians, in the 19th century the legend became increasingly popular and the village of Biddenden was thronged with rowdy visitors every Easter. In the late 19th century historians investigated the origins of the legend. It was suggested that the twins had genuinely existed but had been joined at the hip only rather than at both the hip and shoulder, and that they had lived in the 16th rather than the 12th century.
In 1907, the Bread and Cheese Lands were sold for housing, and the resulting income allowed the annual dole to expand considerably, providing the widows and pensioners of Biddenden with cheese, bread and tea at Easter and with cash payments at Christmas. Biddenden cakes continue to be given to the poor of Biddenden each Easter, and are sold as souvenirs to visitors.


In 1331 the export of unwashed wool was prohibited by King Edward III. He encouraged weavers from Flanders to settle here, thus bringing their weaving and dying techniques to England. Biddenden and some of its neighbouring villages soon became an important centre of the Broadcloth manufacturing industry. The majority of the high street was built during this period, and the stone paved footpath was built from Biddenden to Tenterden to take the traffic.

BILSINGTON

Bilsington (Bilswit's farmstead) lies on the Tenterden to Hythe road, just north of Romney Marsh.
There's a priory dating to 1253, and a strange obelisk standing high on a hill. 

In 1825 Sir William Cosway purchased the priory estate. He was a politician who was very interested in the plight of the farm labourers, and in 1830 paid the sum of £150 to help 4 Bilsington families to emigrate to America , he also built the school. On 10th June 1834 he was on the London to Brighton coach when it turned over and he was killed. As a memorial, his family built the 52 ft high obelisk. The obelisk was struck by lightning in 1967 and has recently been restored to its former glory.



BONNINGTON
(Buna's farmstead) Tiny group of scattered dwellings on the edge of Romney Marsh, although it used to be big enough to host a post office, there never was an actual village of Bonington! The equally tiny church of St. Rumwold now lies at quite a distance from the remaining houses, down a very narrow lane. The church only has a capacity of around 100. Out the back is a very pretty view of the Royal Military Canal, including a wartime pill box. 








St. Rumwold was a 7th. century child saint, of whom very little is known. He was reputed to have been born in Northampton, the son of the King of Mercia. He is reputed to have preached a sermon to his parents on his second day, and died on the third. The area had very strong connection to the Aldington Gang of smugglers. Although Bonnington is mentioned in the 11th century Domesday Book, little is known of its early history, other than the fact that for several centuries it was owned by the Knights Hospitaller. In the 19th century, smuggling was a significant activity in Bonnington, but this declined rapidly with the capture of the infamous Ransley Gang.

From at least the time of Queen Elizabeth I of England, if not before, an old oak tree known as the Law-Day Oak, has played a significant role in the governance of Bonnington parish. In earlier times, the Law-Day Oak provided the setting for the Leet Court to hear local pleas, and to this day the Bonnington Annual Parish Meeting is held under the branches of this ancient oak.


The churchyard is now the final resting place of entertainer Paul O'Grady. I hope that this will not mean an endless train of 'grave tourists', disturbing the absolute peace and quiet of St. Rumwolds

BROADSTAIRS


The name refers to a broad flight of steps cut into the cliff face here at the beginning of the 15th. century
Beautiful little harbour town, much loved by Charles Dickens, visited every year for over two decades from 1837. He stayed originally at the Royal Albion Hotel on Victoria Parade along the top of Viking Bay, before going on to live at Fort House, later renamed Bleak House in his honour.





Betsey Trotwood was inspired by Dickens' friend Mary Pearson Strong, with whom he would take tea.



the home of the Clangers..............animator Oliver Postgate lived in Chandos Square


There is not only a beautiful staircase (below) to take you from the top of the cliff down to the beach, but a lift too!



The clock tower was built for Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee in 1977, to replace a previous one, marking Queen Victoria's 1897 Diamond Jubilee, which burnt down in the 1970s


The bandstand was opened in 1892 by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Louise


The weather vane on top of the clock tower, appropriately bears a viking ship, for Viking Bay.





Edward Heath was born in Albion Road (where I parked my bike this morning!), the son of a carpenter. His grandfather had a small dairy business, and later worked as a porter at Broadstairs Railway Station.


This arch is York Gate. The history of York Gate is a reflection of Broadstairs history itself, going back all the way to the 15th Century when one George Culmer built an arch over the dirt track that lead down to the fishing harbour. Naturally the town back then was merely a small fishing village known as Bradstowe, and this track would have been well-used by the many boatmen and shipwrights working out of the little harbour.  The Culmers, a well-known land-owning family, continued to play an important role in the development of Broadstairs down the centuries. What we know now as the Culmers' Allotments, just up the way from York Gate, were originally bestowed to the poor of the parish to grow food on in the 1700's.
In 1540, the Culmers funded and built a sturdier stone version of the York Gate, incorporating two heavy wooden doors that could be closed to defend against storm tides. We can recognise the pointed arch structure, with grooves for the portcullis to this day. In previous centuries the gate went on to offer protection against smugglers and also enemy seafarers during the French Revolution. These days we are not so vulnerable to such threats but the arch continues to feel like an entrance to the town from the harbour.

Just the upper side of York Gate is a tiny cinema that seats just 111 people



The old lifeboat station, no longer in use. Lifeboat duties are now covered by the much larger and faster boats based in Margate and Ramsgate.



The giant deckchair on the harbour arm - used as a fundraiser for the Pilgrim's Hospice.





High above the town, stands Fort House, since renamed Bleak House in honour of it's most famous occupant!



There is a steep footpath just opposite the old lifeboat station, that takes you up to Bleak House. It's well-worth the walk, just for the retaining wall, which is decorated with anchors from lost ships and seashells from all over the world





Just to remind you that this is Bleak House.........................................


The anchor of the 'Thomas Lawson', a seven-masted schooner that was lost off the Scilly Isles in 1907




BROOKLAND


Brookland is a tiny village on Romney Marsh, just off the A249 from Brenzett towards Rye. The name means 'land by marshy ground'. Very appropriate, as it lies on the edge of Romney Marsh.  Thankfully, it was by-passed a few years ago, so now is quiet and unspoiled. 

Romney Marsh was the centre of the smuggling trade, and the 'Battle of Brookland' in 1821 between the notorious Aldington Gang and the Excise men was one of the most violent skirmishes of its' kind ever held. 

The parish Church of St Augustine has the unusual, if not unique, feature of an entirely wooden spire being separate from the body of the church. Popular myth is that the steeple looked down at a wedding service to see such a beautiful bride marrying such an unpleasant groom that it jumped off the church in shock. A more popular story is that one day a virgin presented herself to be married and the church spire fell off at the unusual occurrence. And it is said that it will remain on the ground until another virgin marries there.
Another legend is that the architect didn't have a big enough piece of paper when he drew up the plans for the church, so he drew the steeple alongside the church, and that's how the builders built it!
In fact, it is separate as the weight of the tower on top of the church could not be supported by the marshy ground.


The wooden framework inside the tower, which supports the bells, is said to consist of timbers taken from nearby wrecks. When it was built in the 12th century its huge timbers were exposed, but in the 15th century the entire structure was covered in wooden cladding in three layers one on top of the other (like stacked cups) much increasing the height of the structure.


The clock was installed in the curious little tower to the right of the door in 1955 to commemorate the part played by the people of Brookland in the Second World War. 


Inside, the church is as pretty as the outside, and still retains its box pews. The church is entered through rural stable doors, and is light and airy, with very few alterations over the years.


The Norman lead font is still in use. Made in the 1100s, it is one of only 30 such fonts in Britain. On it are two sets of scenes, one depicting the labours of the month such as scything, pruning, threshing and hunting and the other set showing the signs of the zodiac. The names of the  months are in early French, confirming its country of origin. It is generally assumed to have been brought back from one of the many cross-channel raids during the 13th. and 14th. centuries.


The simplicity and irregularity of the interior, are entirely in keeping with the curiousness of the bell tower outside. There is no chancel arch, and the aisles differ in the number of arches between them and the nave. On both sides the aisles lean alarmingly due to long-standing problems with uneven settlement of the subsoil.  Apparently, the south aisle already leans beyond its point of theoretical collapse - and the church is still subsiding! The whole gives the impression of  a warmth and fragility seldom found in a parish church.

Of course, it has one of the Romney Marsh Mosaics, that can be found in several of the churches.




Three generations of a military family serving in India


Now, although the postal address for this place is Brookland, the Woolpack lies at some distance from the village, just off the A259, on the Hook Wall, once one of the 'inns' or walls that helped to drain the marshes and now the road that leads to Midley.
The Woolpack, dating from 1410, retains many of its original features such as wattle-and-daube walls and a low, beamed ceilings. Its name comes from its popularity with ‘owlers’ - wool smugglers who used the inn as a base for their lucrative trade.
It remains very little changed inside, from it's huge inglenook fireplace, where you can sit and have your meal (don't do it when it's raining though, because the chimney is open to the skies!), to its uneven brick and tiled floors, it's the unspoilt charm that tourists adore. (and me - we're off for dinner there this evening)


Local brewers, Shepherd Neame, seem to be commissioning new inn signs for all their pubs. This one, for the Woolpack in Brookland (*one of our favourites for a good meal), is particularly attractive.

BURMARSH
(Burgher's marsh) This was originally marshland belonging to the burghers, or citizens, of Canterbury. From early Christian times, the land here was owned by the Monastery of St. Augustine in Canterbury. 
Now a thriving village, when I was young, Burmarsh was little more than a couple of rows of mostly 'tied' cottages, housing the local farm workers. It was very much in the centre of the local wool industry. Needless to say, the church is right next to the pub, the 'Shepherd And Crook' being thus appropriately named. The pub itself, stands on a corner of the road called 'Shearway'.


The Romans are known to have extracted salt here.

All Saints church is a typical village church, and rather pretty. When I was a lot younger (14), in 1962 we travelled round ringing a peal in all the church towers on the Marsh, to celebrate 10 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Burmarsh was one of my favourites. 







CHATHAM DOCKYARD
Chatham, being part of the ever-growing Medway conurbation, has precious little to recommend it, apart from the wonderful Historic Dockyard, Set in an 80-acre estate with stunning historic architecture, historic ships and museum galleries
Chatham Dockyard played a vital role supporting the Royal Navy for over 400 years.

From the Spanish Armada to the Falklands Crisis ships built, repaired and manned from Chatham secured and maintained Britain’s command of the world ocean’s and the global position it has today.









CHILHAM

The village of Chilham (Cilla's settlement) is in the valley of the Great Stour River and beside the A28 road 6 miles (10 km) southwest of Canterbury. It is centred around what is probably, the most perfect market square in Kent, where until recently, a traditional annual May Day celebration took place.  It has been much used by film companies over the years. At each end of the square are its major buildings: Chilham Castle and the 15th-century parish church, dedicated to St Mary. It is believed that Thomas Becket was buried in the churchyard. The village has a number of period houses such as the former vicarage, which dates from 1742. The castle was owned by the Viscounts Massereene and Ferrard until its sale in 1997. As of 2013 it is owned by Stuart Wheeler, founder of the spread-betting firm IG Index.



The Pilgrims Way originally passed through the square on its' journey from Winchester and London to Canterbury, and today, its' 20th. century successor runs through the churchyard.
The White Horse pub (below) dates to the 16th. century. 




The statue above represents pilgrims walking the Pilgrim Way to Canterbury


There has been a castle at the site of Chilham, on the edge of a wood, in the heart of Kent, since the late 7th century, when Wihtred, King of Kent, signed a treaty here. Of that early fortresses little is known. There was a stone-built castle here at the time of the Norman invasion, and a much larger castle centred on a stone keep was built in 1171 by Fulbert de Dover, who used Henry II's royal mason as his architect. The keep is remarkably complete, missing only its parapets. 

King John gave Chilham to his illegitimate son Richard, who married a Dover girl.
It has changed hands many times, having been home to a host of colourful and sometimes eccentric families.  
The castle was briefly occupied by the Dauphin of France in 1216 as part of an abortive attempt by rebellious British nobles to place him on the throne. It then passed through several owners including the Earl of Atholl and the Roose family.
The keep is all that remains of the original castle, tucked in behind the house created by Sir Dudley Digges in 1616. The destruction of so much of the medieval fortifications was not due to war, but the actions of Sir Thomas Cheney, Treasurer to the King's Household under Henry VIII, who pulled down much of the medieval castle and carted away the stones to rebuild his other house.
The house was remodelled several times, making it into a rather intriguing mix of architectural styles, ranging from Regency to Victorian Gothic, to a peculiar Victorian interpretation of the original Jacobean style

It is sometimes claimed that the 18th-century parkland at Chilham was landscaped by Capability Brown. This is not strictly true; Brown was employed at Gatton Park in Surrey, then owned by the brother of Chilham's owner, Robert Colebrooke.It seems likely that Robert Colebrooke used ideas he saw at Gatton Park, for when a later owner finally did persuade Brown to come to Chilham in 1777 the famous landscape designer said there was little to do here. Presumably, his style had already been implemented.

CLIFFSEND & PEGWELL BAY

Cliffsend is an unremarkable hamlet on the coast road between Sandwich and Ramsgate. However, the coastline opposite is remarkable. This is Pegwell Bay, home to a complex mosaic of habitats of international importance for its' bird population.  I remember in the 70s going there to watch a pair of nesting flamingos!

It is also home to the Viking Long Ship 'Hugin'.
This  was a gift from the Danish government in commemoration of the 1500th anniversary of the A.D. 449 migration from Jutland (modern Denmark) to Kent of Hengist and Horsa, Jutes who became leaders of the Anglo-Saxon invasion. The ship is a replica of the much later ca. 890 Gokstad ship.
The boat was built in Denmark from where it was sailed by 53 Danes to England in 1949. The ship landed at Viking Bay in Kent, before being moved to its current site. In 2005 the ship underwent repairs.

Pegwell Bay is surrounded by gentle chalk and flint cliffs. Until the building of the Hoverport in the late 60s, it remained very little changed for centuries. Thus it looked very much the same as it was when William Dyce painted it in 1858


Just a little inland, behind all the new houses that have been built at Cliffsend, you will come upon St. Augustine's Cross. I can remember when it stood at the junction of all the main roads onto the Isle of Thanet. Now, with the advent of new road systems and the new Thanet Parkway railway station, it stands peacefully in the corner of a field, sheltered from the traffic noise and pollution on the new road.

This 19th century cross of Saxon design marks what is traditionally thought to have been the site of St Augustine's landing on the shores of England in AD 597. Accompanied by 30 followers, Augustine is said to have held a mass here before moving on. It is also where an important meeting between St Augustine and King Æthelberht of Kent is said to have taken place nearly 1,500 years ago.



The cross was commissioned in 1884 by Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, at the time Minister for Foreign Affairs and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.
He was inspired to erect it after hearing the story of a massive oak tree felled within living memory and known as the Augustine Oak, one of a group of trees fringing a field which he owned.
According to local legend, under this oak in AD 597 the first meeting was held between King Æthelberht and the monk Augustine, newly arrived from Rome.
Augustine had recently landed on the Isle of Thanet, having been sent by Pope Gregory to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity and thereby re-establish the faith in a country in which it had faded with the fall of the Roman Empire.
Not far to the south-east was the stream in which, the legend tells us, Augustine baptised his first convert and which subsequently became known as St Augustine’s Well.
Tradition holds that Æthelberht was converted to Christianity and Augustine baptised him on Whit Sunday in AD 597. On Christmas Day of that year, according to a papal letter of AD 598, more than 10,000 baptisms were carried out.

The cross carries carvings illustrating the Christian story on its west side: the Annunciation, the Virgin and Child, the Crucifixion and the Transfiguration. On the north side are the 12 apostles, on the south side 14 early Christian martyrs. The east side has runic ornamentation which continues nearly halfway down the shaft, the design then breaking into panels showing St Alban, St Augustine and Æthelberht.
A Latin inscription commemorating the meeting of Æthelberht and Augustine, composed by Dr Liddell, Dean of Christchurch, is carved into the base of the cross.
DEAL & WALMER

Deal is simply an ancient word for a valley. Walmer, on the other hand, means Briton's Pool. This was probably a pool set aside for the sole use of the British Celts who farmed near Saxon settlements around Deal. The Britons often lived apart in their own communities.

Since the Music School of the Royal Marines left Deal, it has become a little flat and uninteresting. Well, apart from the fact that it has two castles, that is. Now that is being greedy. I haven't yet photographed either Deal Castle or Walmer Castle, but I've no doubt I will at some point. At one time, it had a third - Sandown.
Walmer, now a suburb of Deal, was noted as the place where Julius Caesar landed on these shores, initially in 55 BC, then again in 54 BC with more troops. In both instances, he only stayed a short while, then left.
However - the Romans arrived on these shores again in 43 AD and stayed for almost 400 years, having a profound effect on this country. We know that, from 'Monty Python - The Life of Brian' : After all, "What did the Romans ever do for us?"
Deal is not unattractive (apart from the hideous concrete pier), but it's nothing special either.
Having said that, I do like the wide grassy area between the sea and The Strand. Lined on the sea side with pretty white-painted beach huts, it features a beautiful bandstand.....



The plaque says it all, and the names of those poor musicians adorn the base. I won't get too much into the Irish Question, but suffice it to say this was just wrong. I generally had a lot of empathy with the Irish who wanted their country back, but c'mon. These weren't combatant soldiers. There were young students studying at the Royal Marine School of Music. The most they would ever have been was medics when they weren't playing music. The School has since closed and the Royal Marines have left Deal in their entirety
.....and surely what is one of the more unusual RNLI lifeboat stations anywhere in the UK (technically Walmer, but it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins)





The motorcycle parking bay is easy to recognise............................



This fisherman statue by Jon Buck stands at the entrance to Deal Pier, and celebrates the large fishing fleet that used to launch from the beach. Sadly, the remaining boats are few


Deal Pier is the last remaining fully intact leisure pier in Kent. It is the third pier to exist in Deal and was opened in November 1957 by the Duke of Edinburgh. The first, built in 1838, was designed by Sir John Rennie, although its wooden structure was destroyed during a storm in 1857. Originally intended to be 445 feet (136 m) in length, financial problems meant just 250 feet (76 m) was completed, which when opened, was just the sixth pier in the country.

In 1864, a second 1,100 feet (340 m) long pier designed by Eugenius Birch opened, with extensions in 1870 adding a reading room and a pavilion in 1886. It sustained impact damage several times during the 1870s and was acquired by Deal Council in 1920. A popular pleasure pier, it survived until the Second World War, when it was struck and severely damaged by a mined Dutch ship, the Nora, in January 1940. Permission to demolish the pier was authorised by Winston Churchill, which left just the shore-side toll house, itself later demolished in 1954.

The present pier, designed by Sir W. Halcrow & Partners, was opened on 19 November 1957 by the Duke of Edinburgh. Constructed predominantly from concrete-clad steel, it is 1,026 feet (313 m) in length and ends in a three-tiered pier-head, featuring a cafe, bar, lounge, and fishing decks. The lowest of the three tiers is almost permanently underwater except for the lowest tide and has become disused. A notice announces that it is the same length as the RMS Titanic, but that ship was over 100 feet (30 m) shorter. The pier is a popular sport fishing venue.


The Tudor Cottage, originally built in 1623


A 'Sun' fire insurance plaque, denoting that the owners of this house in Beach Street had paid their dues and could expect help in the event of a fire.


St. George's, the parish church of Deal. 


The War Memorial in front of the church. The names of the dead are engraved on the other three sides, but the front is dedicated to Deal's V.C. - Sub-Ltn A.W. St.C. Tisdall, the son of the incumbent vicar of St. George's at the time, who died rescuing others at Gallipoli in 1915.



The grave of Capt. Edward Thornborough Parker. Captain Parker was a protegee of Lord Nelson, and his aide-de-camp during the attack on Boulogne. He had a special place in Nelson's and Emma Hamilton's hearts. When he subsequently died from his wounds, Nelson paid all his medical expenses and gave £50 to erect a tomb over his grave.


The weathervane of the church is surmounted by the Crown of Edward VII


Deal has many narrow little alleyways such as this, that the fishermen used to take their fish from the beach into the centre of town and to the railway


The story of St Ethelburga's Convent in Deal is quite a fascinating one. It all began with an amazing lady called Catharine Impet Boys who created an orphanage in Middle Street, Deal, which is now known as Queen Anne House. Catherine’s hard work eventually led to Deal’s convent, and gave Deal St Mary’s Catholic Primary School. 





Tiny sundial, high up on the wall of a house on the seafront


Huge anchor, beautiful mosaic compass, a small cannon supported by lions, and a boat called the Dover Belle - all in a pretty little garden area in front of Deal's Time Ball Tower.




The Deal Time ball is a Victorian maritime Greenwich Mean Time signal located on the roof of a waterfront four-storey tower. It was established in 1855 by the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy in collaboration with Charles V. Walker, superintendent of telegraphs for the South Eastern Railway Company. It was built by the Lambeth firm of engineers Maudslay and Field. The time ball, which, like the Greenwich time ball, fell at 1 pm precisely, and was triggered by an electric signal directly from the Royal Observatory. Since being restored, it is now connected to the atomic clock at Rugby.
Before it became a time ball tower, the tower was a semaphore tower used to signal to ships at anchor in the Downs* or passing in the English Channel.
From 1821 to 1831, the Tower carried a semaphore mast, which was used by the Coast Blockade for the Suppression of Smuggling to pass information along the coast. The Blockade was under the auspices of the Navy, and was staffed by their personnel.
The Timeball Tower stands on the site of an earlier Shutter Telegraph. This was one of a chain of telegraph stations between the Admiralty in London and the Naval Yard at Deal. The telegraph line opened in 1796 and closed in 1814. Its purpose was to allow rapid communication between London and Deal, the latter being an important Naval anchorage during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1805 news of the naval victory at Trafalgar and the death of Nelson was brought to Deal by the schooner HMS Pickle (after calling at Falmouth), and transmitted by the telegraph to the Admiralty in London.

*The Downs is an area in the Channel, of relatively calm water between Deal and the Goodwin Sands. It has been used since time immemorial as shelter for ships from stormy weather. It past times, it was used by ships wishing to replenish their onboard supplies. Nelson would also use it to moor up and skip ashore for a night of passion with Emma Hamilton at the Royal Hotel!






Deal Castle is an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII in Deal, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the strategically important Downs anchorage off the English coast


Mosaic set into the wall which surrounds the amazing kiddies' paddling pool on the seafront. Excellent for young children, as the sloping shingle beach is not conducive to paddling



Due to its' very wide open frontage, Deal beach is an excellent place to watch passing ships


Sad to see such a lovely Art Deco cinema in a terrible state of dilapidation

Weird!

If you carry on past the pier and walk as far as you can with the sea on your right, you will eventually come to a dead end. It's here that you will stumble across the Community Garden that marks the spot where Deal's third castle once stood - Sandown Castle. I love it here. It's a part of Deal that, other than dog walkers, very few people know about. There's a couple of beautiful Art Deco houses - one of which I would love to own. 


my bike should be the other side of that wall! (I wish!)



the garden is surrounded by these benches. They're called 'Chatty Benches' and the idea is that you sit on them if you are open for a chat with any random person who chooses to join you! Such a lovely idea!



Now here's a thing - a drinks and sandwich van, completely covered in astroturf and little flowers to complement the beautiful gardens of Sandown Castle. They do a mean bacon bap too!

DENTON
(valley farmstead) A small village, just the Canterbury side of Hawkinge, which was one of the 'Battle Of Britain' fighter airfields during WWII. 

To the southwest of the village is the Grade II* listed Jacobean timber framed Tappington (or Tappington-Everard) Hall which dates to the 16th century. The house is where the cleric Richard Barham (1788–1845), under the pen name Thomas Ingoldsby, wrote The Ingoldsby Legends. This is a collection of old stories told to him by his Kentish Parishioners, with a fictional twist.

Field Marshal Lord Kitchener was created Baron Denton, of Denton in the County of Kent, on 27 July 1914.

The Jackdaw is best known for featuring in the film 'Battle Of Britain', and it was used as it was the most notable pub near Hawkinge airfield, where the filming was centred. However, the pub was originally called The Red Lion, and only became the Jackdaw in 1962 because Whitbreads felt there were too many other Red Lions in the area. The Jackdaw name originates from the 'Jackdaw Of Rheims' in the Ingoldsby Legends, penned by local author, the Rev. Barham. The building itself dates back to 1645



Directly opposite the Jackdaw, is a small triangular green, upon which stands a stone memorial to the local men killed in the war
DOVER

The name comes from 'Dubra'. meaning The Waters, which refers to the River Dour here. The river was navigable well inland (Caesar sailed up it in 55 BC), but began to silt up in Norman times. The original settlement was known to the Romans as Dubris.

Dover is known as the 'Gateway to England', and its' main attraction is the majestic castle, sitting high on top of the famous White Cliffs, overlooking both the town and the Eastern Docks, where the cross-channel ferries ply their trade.



There has been a fortress on the site of Dover Castle since the Iron Age, and probably before. There was a Roman fortress, with a pharos, or lighthouse, that still stands, and later, a Norman motte and bailey with a giant earthwork that again, still is evident. The castle seen today, was begun in the 12th. century reign of Henry II.



At the other end of the harbour area, are the Western Docks, once the terminus of the boat-train service to France, the Western Docks have recently seen a return of the bigger cruise liners.

Between the two docking harbours, is the inner harbour, with a very pleasant promenade and a memorial garden, recognising heroes and events, not always military ones.


The sinking of the Townsend Thoresen Cross-channel ferry, Herald Of Free Enterprise, shook us all. We never thought it could happen. Despite having to cross the busiest shipping lane in the world, the Dover/continent ferries had always been so safe. I myself, lost count of how many times I'd travelled across with my motorcycle on Free Enterprise ships.
She was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew. 
The ship left harbour with her bow door open, and the sea immediately flooded the decks; within minutes, she was lying on her side in shallow water. The immediate cause of the capsizing was found to be negligence by the assistant boatswain, who was asleep in his cabin when he should have been closing the bow door. However, the official inquiry placed more blame on his supervisors and a general culture of poor communication in Townsend Thoresen. 

Now, Captain Matthew Webb. He was an English swimmer and stuntman. He is the first recorded person to swim the English Channel for sport without the use of artificial aids. In 1875, Webb swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours. This made him a celebrity, and he performed many stunts in public. He died trying to swim the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls, a feat declared impossible.




Operation Fuller as a counter-attack to prevent the German 'Channel Dash'. The Channel Dash (GermanUnternehmen Zerberus, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War using the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen warships.  The memorial is a tribute to all the forces that took part


The above plaque is self-explanatory, I think


This one a fitting tribute to all the Merchant Navy Seamen who lost their lives during the wars


Memorial to Charles Stewart Rolls, yes, him of Rolls-Royce fame. He was primarily a keen aviator, who eventually died doing what he loved best - flying. He was only the second Briton to go up in an aeroplane (in 1908), and he became the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane taking 95 minutes on 2 June 1910. For this feat, which included the first eastbound aerial crossing of the English Channel, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club.


The World War I army memorial, called 'Every One Remembered' by Mark Humphrey


This is the monument to all the people who have dared to swim the Channel.


And this one is to remember those who have helped make Dover famous. From left to right: Jamie Clark, who carried the 2012 Olympic Torch from the Stavros sailing ship onto the Dover lifeboat and thence onto British soil, Dame Vera Lynn, who apparently was famous for getting American birds to fly over the White Cliffs :D and Bond, James Bond, of course his biographer lived just round the corner in St. Margaret's Bay.


Next to these figures, a plaque in the ground and an embedded line, marking the start and finish of the North Downs Way National Trail, which forms 'an inspirational journey through Kent an Surrey' from Dover to Farnham


Finally, just off the seafront, stands the Royal Rifles Memorial, commemorating those who fell during the 19th. century Indian campaign.

Behind the monument, is the underpass leading under the very busy A20 main London road, and some very attractive Art Deco style lamp posts.


The Underpass itself has very attractive murals, depicting the kinds of ships which have sailed into Dover over the years. 


Before leaving the seafront, just walk across to the seaward side here, and you will notice a strange phenomenon - bubbles! This is where the River Dour, which flows through Dover, enters the sea, and the fresh chalk stream water meets the salty sea.. At high tide, they are not so noticeable, but at low tide, the bubbles come up through the pebbles! 


Just behind the seafront, stands the elegant Camden Crescent. 



It must have been  desirable place to live, as it has two plaques in a very short row of houses., one to a footballer, and the other to our old friend Charles Dickens, who actually lived in a part of the crescent that has been demolished. 

This is a statue to the miners of the Kent Coalfields which have all now disappeared. It used to stand outside Richborough Power Station, which was fed by coal from the Kent pits. It was moved to the seafront as a  temporary placement, but has now been moved to a new Country Park at the former Betteshanger Colliery.


So, back to the town itself.....................


Town centre pub, the Lord Nelson, now modernised and called the Riverside Bar. At least they've left the mural in place! Nelson was a regular visitor to Dover, spending a great deal of time staying in nearby Deal.



In Market Square, now thankfully pedestrianised, is this unusual water feature that you can walk through. The water jets are so fine, it looks like smoke



At one corner of Market Square, stands this quaint house, which Dickens mentions in David Copperfield, as being where David sat on the doorstep and ate a loaf of bread!
In the opposite corner is the Dover Museum, which as well as being free to enter, is well worth a visit. Having deftly passed through the Gift shop (don't worry, they'll get you on the way out!), you enter the ground floor exhibition, which is dedicated to the archelogical finds they have turned up in Dover.
Up to the second floor, and this is where they have changing exhibits. Currently it is Games and Pastimes down through the ages. 


Onward and up, and the top floor holds their prize exhibit. No, not the polar bear, but the oldest sea-going boat ever found! The Bronze Age remains are remarkable for something that's nearly 4,000 years old. It is much bigger than I expected to see, and the mud it was found in has preserved a large portion of wood and rope. It measures some 31ft. in length, but was probably longer than that, the rest not being found.


Back out into the sunshine, and still in the square, is the Old Dover Bank. Now the original was built on the former site of the monastery church of St. Martin-Le-Grand, using flints taken from the walls. It was partly destroyed by enemy shelling during World War II, and rebuilt in 1957/8





Each of the doors has something unusual above them.....

Walking up Cannon Street, you start to come across the curious and odd, and find a surprising number of medieval buildings still standing.  The first of these is St. Mary's Church. 



There was a church on this site in Saxon times, but this was largely rebuilt in the 19th. century. The church has major connections with the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports and is much used for ceremonial services.


This bear, found high on the all of a shop, apparently once graced a tobacco shop


And I have no idea what this carving is either on, or about (other than the date), but it is a fine piece nevertheless



Pass through St. Edmunds Walk, and you will find St. Edmund's Chapel, almost swallowed up by the newer buildings in the town.  This was the chapel for the cemetery of the poor, which was established by the monks at the nearby Priory. It was consecrated in 1253 by Bishop Richard of Chichester, latterly known as St Richard of Chichester. Still in Dover, he died four days later and his internal organs were buried in the chapel, though his body was taken to Chichester.
It could be said that this little chapel is perhaps miraculous. It physically survived the Reformation and Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. Its sanctity having been lost for more than 400 years, it is recorded that during that passage of time it fell into use as a store and smithy. Remarkably, it then failed destruction when very close buildings were destroyed by enemy action in WWII, and finally it escaped demolition in the 1960’s by a council, which did not realise its significance, eager on widening Dover’s town high street.





Tallis had become very overlooked until a few years ago. Then - deep joy - long came Classic FM, and a couple of their DJ's were very fond of playing this - his Spem In Alium (Hope in any other)     
https://youtu.be/iT-ZAAi4UQQ?si=BC5jDD1u53xHTWY3


St, Martin's Priory is the heart of Dover College. The Priory of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Martin of the New Work, or Newark, commonly called Dover Priory, was a priory at Dover that was variously independent in rule, then occupied by canons regular of the Augustinian rule, then finally monks of the Benedictine rule as a cell of Christchurch Monastery, Canterbury.
Dover College opened there in 1871, and the Strangers' Refectory and Gatehouse were restored. Other remaining parts were converted to accommodate the school
As long as you report to the Bursar first, you are permitted to walk around the outside of these buildings
One former pupil of Dover College was Simon Cowell, who apparently was so badly behaved that he attended 16 schools, and eventually dropped out at age 16.
King Stephen was said to have died on a journey whilst staying at the Priory in 1154.He was buried in the Abbey at Faversham, one of only three monarchs to be buried outside of London, the others being Henry IV who is buried in Canterbury Cathedral, and, of course, Richard III, who until recently graced a car park in Leicester! Repaired and extended in 1231 after much damage in a fire of 1201, it was pillaged by the French in a raid in August 1295, during which a monk called Thomas de la Hale was murdered. Extensive repairs were made in the 1480s.

I wanted to explore Maison Dieu and Biggin Hall, but unfortunately, they are both closed and wreathed in scaffolding for restoration.
Maison Dieu was a 13th-century hostel for pilgrims coming from Europe to visit Canterbury.
However, here are a couple of points that I did manage to photograph.


The Zeebrugge Bell high up on the Maison Dieu, was presented by the King of Belgium, to commemorate the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918. The bell is rung at 12 noon on 23rd. April each year


The only bit of Biggin Hall I could get near enough to, was this - the door to the jail.
It's pointless me saying too much about these two buildings until I can get to see them inside and out, and show you what I'm talking about.

Next to the Maison Dieu and in front of Biggin Hall, stands the Town Hall


.....and in front of that, is the town war memorial. It is topped by a statue called 'Youth', and he in turn, holds aloft a cross. 


The arms of the port and town of Dover are on the front of the memorial


In the pretty garden surrounding the memorial, is this plaque and a grappling iron that was one of many used to hold H.M.S. Vindictive against the Mole during the raid on Zeebrugge in 1918


Through the entire length of the town, from the hills behind to the sea, flows the River Dour. It is a fast-flowing, shallow, chalk stream of very clear water



It flows behind Maison Dieu, and along the edge of Pencester Gardens. In the middle of this small park, there is a bandstand which has a pathway of stone slabs surrounding it, on which are engraved notable events in the town. 


For instance, did you know that in 1680, an earthquake badly damaged the castle walls? Nope. Neither did I - a bit before my time.

I walked round to the bottom of Castle Hill, and then turned around again. That will have to wait until I have time to ride up there. No way was I walking up there!
As I walked back, I came across this blue plaque on Castle Hill House. 


The word nepotism springs to mind....
Across the road stands the ruined St. James church.


Now a quiet, contemplative spot, the Norman origins of the church are obvious. Built in the 11th. century, restored in the 19th. century, and bombed in the 20th. century. It was bombed in the First World War, restored, then bombed again in the Second World War. The tower collapsed, so the ruins were made safe, and it is now a listed ruin.


High up on the Western Heights, close to the Citadel, lies the remains of a church, once belonging to the Knights Templar.
The chapel, built in the 12th century, had a circular nave 10 metres (33 feet) in diameter and a rectangular chancel. It was discovered in 1806 during construction of the fortifications on Dover Western Heights, according to Matthew Paris the site of King John's submission to the papal legate Pandulph in May 1213.
At an early hour on the morning of the 15th May 1213, King John and Pandulph- the Papal Legate- left the House of the Templars and retired to the precincts of the Round Church. There, surrounded by Bishops, Barons, Knights and various Nobles of the Realm, King John took an oath of fealty to the Pope on his knees before Pandulph. The occasion was the surrender of the Crown to the Pope. King John then made his submission, in the House of the Knights Templar…to the Envoy….After this was done, King John then put into the hands of Pandulph, a Charter recording the Act.



This submission by John was one of the final acts that resulted in the dispute between him and his barons, that ultimately ended with the signing of Magna Carta.

And finally...................
the Swedish ship Gotheborg moored in the Western Docks back in 2015. Don't blame me, I didn't take these pictures haha, but I don't doubt she'll be back sometime and I'll try to get closer shots then. She's a 20th. century replica of an 18th. century original



And finally, finally, just for fun........................
and...not Dover, but relevant to the Gotheborg.........................

Two sailors who started drifting after losing their rudder have told of their surreal experience when a replica 18th-century merchant ship arrived to rescue them off the coast of France. 
The largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship in the world, Götheborg of Sweden, was heading for its upcoming port stop in Jersey when it received a distress call from the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres) about a small sailing boat that was drifting after losing its rudder. 
As the closest ship to the boat in distress, the 58-metre Götheborg answered the call and towed the sailing boat during the night of 26 April 2023.
Imagine.................you put out a Mayday call for any boat or ship in the area to come to your assistance, and the closest one is an 18th. century Swedish merchantman. You rub your eyes and chuck that half empty bottle of whisky over the side, vowing never to drink again..................

DUNGENESS & THE RHDR

Dungeness takes its' name from Denge Marsh, one of the marshes now incorporated under the banner of 'Romney Marsh'. The -ness part of the name means a headland, cape or nose.
Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe, and is classified as Britain's only desert by the Met Office. It is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. This is recognised and protected mostly through its conservation designations as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), a Special Protection Area (SPA), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) of Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay.
There is a remarkable variety of wildlife living at Dungeness, with over 600 different types of plant: a third of all those found in Britain. It is one of the best places in Britain to find insects such as moths, bees and beetles, and spiders; many of these are very rare, some found nowhere else in Britain.
The short-haired bumblebee, Bombus subterraneus, was last found in the UK in 1988, but has survived in New Zealand after being shipped there more than 100 years ago. After unsuccessful attempts to reintroduce the New Zealand bees at Dungeness in 2009-2010, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Hymettus, Natural England and the RSPB teamed up with the Swedish government in a second attempt and introduced 51 of them in 2012 and 49 in 2013 to the Dungeness Reserve. This will be continued each year to ensure a successful integration.
The flooded gravel pits on Denge Beach, both brackish and fresh water, provide an important refuge for many migratory and coastal bird species. The RSPB has a bird reserve there, and every year thousands of bird watchers visit the peninsula and its bird observatory.
One of the most remarkable features of the site is an area known as 'the patch' or, by anglers, as 'the boil'. The waste hot water and sewage from the Dungeness nuclear power stations are pumped into the sea through two outfall pipes, enriching the biological productivity of the sea bed and attracting seabirds from miles around. Unfortunately, one power station has been decommissioned, and the other is shortly joining it.
There have been six lights at Dungeness. At first only a beacon was used to warn sailors, but this was replaced by a proper lighthouse in 1615. As the sea retreated, this had to be replaced in 1635 by a new lighthouse nearer to the water's edge known as Lamplough's Tower.
As more shingle was thrown up, a new and more up-to-date lighthouse was built near the sea in 1792 by Samuel Wyatt. This lighthouse was about 35 m (115 ft) high and of the same design as the third Eddystone Lighthouse.
In 1862 Dungeness became the first electrically powered lighthouse in England. Unfortunately, electrical engineering at that stage was too inefficient, and the electrical power was replaced by oil-fired lights once moreFrom the mid-19th century, it was painted black with a white band to make it more visible in daylight; similar colours have featured on the subsequent lighthouses here. This lighthouse was demolished in 1904, but the lighthouse keepers' accommodation, built in a circle around the base of the tower, still exists.
In 1901 building of the fifth lighthouse, the High Light Tower, started. It was first lit on 31 March 1904 and still stands today. It is no longer in use as a lighthouse but is open as a visitor attraction. It is a circular brick structure, 41 m (135 ft) high and 11 m (36 ft) in diameter at ground level. It has 169 steps, and gives visitors a good view of the shingle beach. It is Grade I listed.


As the sea receded further, and after building the nuclear power station which obscured the light of the 1904 lighthouse, a sixth lighthouse, Dungeness Lighthouse was built. The sea is still receding, so eventually, we will probably need a No.7, but with the advancements is modern technology, and satellite technology, we possibly never will. 


a view from the main road to Dungeness across to the two power stations


Below is a picture of the railhead. This is where, every Thursday, a special train would come down via Lydd, to be loaded with spent nuclear fuel rods to go up north for re-processing



The Round House, which stands next to the Old Lighthouse, once three cottages for the resident lighthouse keepers.





Dungeness is home to some of the most unique flora and fauna in the country. However, one of my favourites is plentiful there - it's the lovely Sea Kale. The abundant white flowers on each plant emit a beautiful sweet smell, especially on a warm sunny day. 


there is a profusion of banks of golden broom around the railway station


Common bugloss


when you see the size of some of the sea kale plants, growing on the shingle, you wonder how it survives with no visible soil to nourish it


the beautiful horned poppy


ragwort and bugloss growing side by side


I think this toadflax is probably an escaped cultivar


pink sea thrift is also very common



Dungeness lifeboat. The RNLI boat house stands right in the middle of the Dungeness Estate




Just visible in the picture below, to the right of the shack, is one of several narrow gauge tracks that were laid across the shingle banks from the sea to the roadway, to aid the landing of fish and hauling them over the stones.


There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness, the first built in 1965 and the second in 1983. They are within a wildlife sanctuary deemed a Site of Special Scientific Interest and despite high safety risks posed by the station, birds do flourish in the warmer water created by the station's outflow
The older power station closed on 31 December 2006, while the newer station had its licence extended to 2018. It is now in the long process of decommission


The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway

I've included this here, as an adjunct to Dungeness, because, although the 14 mile line runs right across Romney Marsh, Dungeness is the best place to get a good view of it. Here, the train approaches the terminus across the wide, open expanse of the Dungeness Estate, giving uninterrupted view of the working train. You can then get 'close up and personal' with the locomotive as it stands at the station for quite a while before commencing its return journey to Hythe. The station also has the largest car park on the Dungeness Estate, from where you can explore. It is opposite the defunct Lighthouse No.5 which can be visited, and has a nice little cafe, toilets and gift shop

Dungeness is also the furthest station on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
The RH&DR was the culmination of the dreams of two men; Captain J. E. P. Howey — a sometimes racing driver, millionaire land owner, former Army Officer and miniature railway afficionado and Count Louis Zborowski — eminently well-known racing driver of his day (famous for owning and racing the Chitty Bang Bang Mercedes) and considerably richer, even, than Howey.
The Count was keen to build a fully working express railway using the 15" gauge, and Howey — well known in miniature circles for owning large locomotives — was inspired by the vision also.
The official opening took place on 16th July 1927, with Hercules hauling that inaugural train from Hythe to New Romney.

The Light Railway, as it is known locally, is the world's only narrow gauge railway, running a fully-scheduled service, mostly by steam. It does, however, have a diesel loco that is used to haul the daily School trains during term time. Lucky those children who use it every day to go to school! 

Actually, the name is a bit of a misnomer. Captain Howey, for a start, before planning permission was granted for the railway line, bought a field in Littlestone (about 1/2 mile from New Romney) and built a station on it. (now known as New Romney station). So really, I suppose, it should be the Dungeness, Littlestone, Dymchurch and Hythe Railway. But that doesn't sound as memorable as the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.








EASTWELL

On the outskirts of Ashford, lies the small village of Eastwell. Most of the land is taken up by the medieval Eastwell Manor, once the abode of the local Lord, but now a  posh hotel and spa.
Tucked away down a little known lane in a remote corner of the manorial lands, is a beautiful lake, and the ruins of St. Mary's church.
St Mary’s was once a fine medieval church on an ancient pilgrimage route to Canterbury and the shrine St Thomas Becket. Situated within the grounds of Eastwell Park, all that remains is a 15th-century tower, a 19th-century mortuary chapel, built to house the romantic monument to Lady Winchelsea, which can now be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and a slender flint wall linking the two.
A picturesque lake created just to the east of the church in the 19th century brought about the collapse of the nave arcade, as the chalk columns sucked up moisture from the earth and crumbled.
In the 1940s, Eastwell Park was taken over by the army for tank training exercises. Shocks from nearby explosions didn’t help the vulnerable structure. But in February 1951, after weeks of heavy rain the nave roof collapsed and took the arcade with it.
Six years later the church was dismantled. The bells were sold for scrap. The monuments found a new home in the V&A. A sad end for this lakeside beauty.



Eastwell Manor and the church have a curious connection to the last Plantagenet king, Richard III...
 
Richard a bricklayer, or Diccon, as he was known locally, has a story that was laid out in a letter written in 1733 by local clergyman Dr. Thomas Brett.
The incumbent of Eastwell Manor at the time, the Earl of Winchelsea, stumbled across the fact whilst researching information on his own family, and those facts concurred with a tale handed down through his family.
Prior to Eastwell Manor being built, the site was occupied by Wilmington Manor, which was gifted by the Duke of Norfolk, before he died at Bosworth Field, to the Moyle family. Wilmington Manor was pulled down to make way for the new house of Eastwell Manor.

When Eastwell Manor was being constructed in the 16th. century, the owner, Sir Thomas Moyle became curious about the chief bricklayer, who, whenever they took a break, would take himself apart from the others and read books in Latin. After much questioning, Diccon told Sir Thomas that he had been raised by a schoolmaster, and that every quarter, a rich man, who always stressed that he was no relative to the boy, would come and pay for his keep and schooling, and see to his general well-being.

When he was about 15, the rich man took him to a 'fine great house', where he was introduced to a great man wearing a Star and Garter. Diccon's descriptions of these men point to them being the Duke of Norfolk (former owner of Wilmington Manor) and King Richard III. The man spoke to him kindly and gave him some money.

Later, he was taken to Bosworth Field in Leicestershire, where he saw Richard again. Richard told Diccon that he was his father, and that on the morrow he would be fighting for his crown, and that if he lost, he would lose his life also. The King said that if he won, he would acknowledge Diccon as his son, but that if he lost, Diccon was to tell nobody who he was, or of this meeting.









Richard had good reason to fear for Diccon's life. He had several illegitimate children, of whom he had acknowledged two, John and Katherine. After the battle of Bosworth Field, Henry VII, the victor, at first treated John well, but then subsequently imprisoned him for a long time before finally executing him.

Diccon apprenticed himself to a bricklayer, but never lost his love of reading and learning. Sir Thomas Moyle was deeply moved and offered him a living and a residence in the big house, but Diccon merely asked permission to build himself a one-room house in a field, where he lived quietly until his death in 1550.

Had Diccon been 16 at the time of Bosworth (1485), he would have been 81 at the time of his death. Quite an old man for those days, but far from impossible, given his good upbringing and the fact that Moyle probably took care of him for his life's duration.

There are further records of both a Plantagenet Well and a Plantagenet Cottage in the Eastwell area, and in the churchyard of St. Mary's is a memorial plaque on a tomb ascribed to Richard Plantagenet



Much has been made of the fact that this tomb probably pre-dates Diccon's death by 50-60 years, and people pooh-pooh the idea that it is indeed his final resting place, saying that it is almost certainly the tomb of Sir Walter Moyle who died circa 1480. I don't disagree...

.....but consider this - Sir Thomas Moyle firmly believed that Diccon was whom he claimed to be,. Therefore, when he died, would have felt a compulsion to honour him in some way. Building an overtly ostentatious tomb for an old bricklayer would have been both inappropriate and risky. There was still a great deal of ill-feeling towards the House of York even 60 years on. So how about a commemorative slab in the side of the local landowner's tomb?

Maybe Diccon is buried alongside the tomb of Sir Walter; it is not entirely inconceivable that his body was placed in the same tomb.

I can hear all the sceptics deriding this tale as hearsay and local myth....................BUT!
in the Eastwell Parish Registers, there is this entry: 'Rychard Plantagenet was buryed on the 22 daye of December 1550'
Scholars and experts have examined the entry, and declared it is not a forgery.

I certainly feel that there is more than sufficient local knowledge and belief to warrant further investigation. Now they have the proven bones of Richard III, if they exhumed a likely body, a DNA connection could easily prove the veracity of this intriguing tale.

Or maybe, it is better to let locals have their mystery, and let sleeping Plantagenets lie

*The ruins are now maintained by the Friends of Friendless Churches, a national charity, both as a place of pilgrimage and a historic monument. It is my place of peace and quiet contemplation. 

EGERTON

Tiny little village, just about 1,000 residents, lying on the Greensand Ridge, not too far from Charing. The name is derived from the Saxon Eegheard’s ton. Evidence of a Second Century Roman burial site with pottery sherds was discovered at Coldharbour Farm to the West of the village. However, the oldest structure must be the round barrow in the field to the east of the village, which is a scheduled Ancient Monument, and thought to be of Bronze Age origin (2500-701BC). However, even older archaeological finds include a Neolitthic (4000- 2201 BC) adze near Field Mill to the north of the village, a Neolithic axe at Munday Bois to the south of the village and a Late Mesolithic (10,000- 4001BC) pick at Kingsland Farm, also to the south. Being on the Ridge, gives it wonderful views over the surrounding countryside. 

The village clusters around the grade I listed church of St. James, which has the oldest 36-branch chandelier in the world



The church is quite impressive, and stands in a well-kept, pretty churchyard next to the village green.


The entrance is approached through an arcade of pollarded trees, that form an archway when in full leaf









The tomb above, and the rest of the Darell Monuments (below), were brought to St. James, when their original house, the church of St. Mary in Little Chart was hit by a doodlebug in 1944 and destroyed. The Monuments have been restored as much as possible. The tomb is that of Sir John Darell (1386-1509 - they are the dates given on the script, but really - 123?) Actually, reading further, it should have been died 1438, which would have made him 52, a far more reasonable age!
I'd never heard of him before finding this tomb, but it seems he was an extremely important person, who held high offices, both secular and religious.
I'm not going to put all the details here, because there's so much, it will fill up all of my pages! However, if you do want to know more, there's a full biography of him here






There is a house which used to be the village bakery, and which still bears the sign on the wall. 


ELHAM

(Eel meadow - a water meadow where eels are trapped)
Elham is a very pretty village, laying between Folkestone and Canterbury, which can trace its' history back to the Domesday Book of 1087.  It is well worth taking a walk around the village. Afterwards you can always take a break at the Abbot's Fireside., which was built in 1614, and was formerly called the Smithies Inn.




The Duke of Wellington used the hotel as his headquarters whilst preparing his final battle with Napoleon at Waterloo, although it was then called the Smithies Arms. King Charles II and the Duke of Richmond hid from Cromwell's Roundheads in the main fireplace, during a clandestine visit to England during their exile.

Although a very small village, Elham at one time had 4 inns and  vineyard! Three of the inns were on this part of the High Street. The New Inn has gone - now existing only as a small row of houses. The Abbot's Fireside, as you can see, is still there, and, on the other side of the street, the Rose And Crown still stands.


Apparently, Baroness Orczy based her character, The Scarlet Pimpernel, on a real person who used to stop there and dine, while he waited for a fresh horse to carry him to France, where he really did rescue French Aristocrats from the guillotine!


Just off the main road, opposite the Abbot's Fireside, is St. Mary's Road, which leads to Church Square, and the church, of course.

The King's Arms was built in the middle ages, but the medieval framework is now hidden behind the tiled facade.



One of Elham's more notable residents was Audrey Hepburn, formerly Audrey Ruston,  who both lived, and went to school there. She and her mother lived in Orchard Cottage, Duck Street.

ETCHINGHILL

(Tetta's slope) Etchinghill is a small village on the main road between Lyminge and Beachborough Park. It is fairly unremarkable on the surface, but does deserve further investigation. 
It used to have a small cottage hospital, which first became an old folks' residence, and then was demolished (except for the chapel) to make way for housing. 
It does still have a pretty pub though. 



EYNSFORD

Eynsford (Aegen's ford - a crossing of the Darent) is a pretty village in the lovely Darenth valley. Its ancient ford and a hump-backed medaieval bridge across the river are still in use. You will find the ford by turning off the main street opposite the church, on the road to Lullingstone and Crockenhill.
Although there are double yellow lines on the road, nobody seems to care if you park alongside the road. Lorries and coaches have to splash through the ford, as the bridge is only wide enough for light vehicles. 
The riverside is a nice place to linger, with a broad lawn of grass, a good place to picnic and watch the ducks, and children can paddle in the shallow water.
The last time I was there, it was warm and sunny, the depth marker on the ford indicated a depth of just under 12", and the water was full of children, splashing about in the river with its' two little weirs.

FAIRFIELD

Fairfield means fair, open land. Appropriate as St Thomas Becket Church in Fairfield stands alone in a field on the Marsh, surrounded by water courses and sheep. A causeway was built in 1913, and until then the church was more often than not surrounded by water during the winter and spring.
Fairfield, the village it once served has long since disappeared, but the church has survived and is now part of a parish which includes the villages of Brookland, Brenzett and Snargate.
The church is dedicated to St Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. The church was built as a temporary structure of timber lath and plaster in c1200 to support the local farming community. From the outside it looks rather severe – the 13th century timber frame was encased in brickwork in the 18th century, and its immense roof covered in red tiles.
But entering the interior is like going back in time – the Georgian interior feels as though little has changed for over 200 years. 
In 1912 the fabric was in a very poor state and a complete rebuilding within the timber framework took place. However, the inside of the church was, fortunately, left untouched. It is Georgian, with a three decker pulpit, box pews and texts boards. The pews are still painted white with black linings.
Services are held there on the first Sunday of every month. It is quite difficult to find. If you head from Brenzett on the A258 towards Hastings, you will come to a sharp left hand bend. If you turn right there (where it says 'Jo's Cafe) and follow the narrow lane, you will eventually see it out in the fields on the right.

FAVERSHAM

Faversham means a wright or smith's settlement. The old name for the stream which flows through Faversham was the Fishborne ('fish stream')
Faversham is the only town in the United Kingdom to be granted the privilege of using the Royal Arms of England (the three lions) and it can be found all over the town. In some places, it is as the Cinque Port coat-of-arms which has the front half of the three lions joined to the stern of three ships. The town has upwards of 500 listed buildings, and is the oldest market town in Kent, recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The Creek is navigable at high tide, which has resulted is a previous ship-building industry and a former fishing fleet.


the Guildhall, which stands in the Market Place, and which still operates a daily street market. The weather vane on top has a dragon on it. The Guildhall was originally built in 1574, and rebuilt in 1814.



This is a median sundial, painted on the side of the Guildhall in 2012. It's actually pretty useless as a timepiece, as the only time it shows accurately is midday, when the shadow of the gnomen falls over the central diamond.


Faversham has more than a share of old pubs.




This is the Old Pharmacy, a former apothecary's shop from 1240, still displaying its' shop sign of a mortar and pestle 



The beautiful town pump, in the market square, dates from 1855, although a pump has stood here since 1635..


small roundabout at the junction of Market Street, Preston Street, and East Street


This is the oldest shop in Faversham, now enclosed within a later building, but still showing it's beautiful woodwork




The gateway to the church of St. Mary of Charity. It is dated 1533 on one side and 1862 0n the other.





the Masonic Hall


A curious tree stump, which has been carved with a representation of the Abbey




The real Abbey Road!



Standard Quay, on the waterfront of the Creek, is now full of quirky shops and little eateries, whilst the Creek itself is home to quite a few houseboats and a couple of Thames barges





Oyster Bay House, a former fertiliser factory





Arden's House was once the scene of a murder in 1551. A former mayor of Faversham, Thomas Arden was murdered by his wife, Alice, and her lover. They eventually succeeded after several botched attempts, but were caught and executed.
Now...............there is a known play from Tudor times called Arden of Feversham that to this day, remains anonymous. It was performed in Faversham back then, by a travelling theatre troupe, called 'The Lord Chamberlain's Men', one of whom was William Shakespeare.
Did he write the play? If so, was he assisted by local man, Christopher Marlowe? Consider.........
There are similarities in the writing style between this play and Macbeth
Shakespeare sourced a lot of his material from Raphael Holinshead's Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland which has a long passage about this murder.
The quality of the play is certainly up to Shakespeare's standard, and few writers at the time exhibited such subtly of language
Computer analysis by Newcastle University and the Institute of Renaissance Studies concluded that large sections of the play were undoubtedly by Shakespeare
It is known that Shakespeare stayed in Faversham for a while, with the acting troupe, for whom he often wrote plays
In the play, (but not in real life) the two murderers who carried out the deadly deed were called Blackwill and Shakbag!
The play was published by Edward White, who was also Shakespeare's publisher.
Too many coincidences?



Why did the above portico remind me of Lego bricks? 


His brother, Charles II was housed temporarily in a house 3 doors down!


Hops - a sure sign that this was a brewery. Faversham is home to Shepherd Neame, the oldest family-owned brewery in the country. Founded in 1698, it is still owned and run by the Neame family.




Opposite the Shepherd Neame brewery experience, is this rare Victorian postbox, still in use today.


The New Royal Cinema. It was built originally as an Odeon cinema, changing its' name to The Classic in 1967, and then the New Royal



As well as the Royal Arms, and those of the Cinque Ports, there are  more than a few Tudor roses to be found


N.B. As a small addendum, I photographed these hollyhocks in the churchyard in Faversham.
According to folklore, hollyhocks were once called "outhouse flowers". These tall flowers were grown around outhouses to hide the privy. The practice was so common that the sight of hollyhocks told guests where the outhouse was located.


FOLKESTONE

'Folca's Stone'  - the stone was the meeting place of its' Hundred (a Hundred is an area of land that would support 100 families, or alternatively, an area that could supply one hundred men-at-arms). The stone acted as a landmark at which people of the jurisdiction met.
I went to school and art college in Folkestone, and spent some very happy teenage years there, so forgive me if a few personal memories creep in here and there 
Over the past few years, Folkestone has become known for its' Creative Quarter', which is based around the Old High Street and Tontine Street. But public works of art are to be found everywhere. 


The Guildhall (town hall, museum and tourist information centre)



The parish church of Folkestone is dedicated to St Mary and St Eanswythe. It was also my school church, where we would hold our annual church service. Eanswythe was a Kentish Anglo-Saxon princess, born around 630AD who founded Folkestone Priory, the first nunnery in England. I have not yet refreshed my knowledge of the interior of the church, but the graveyard has one or two notable inclusions
Human remains were first discovered in a lead container inside the north wall of the Church of St Mary and St Eanswythe  in 1885.
It is thought the remains were hidden there to escape being destroyed during the Reformation in the early 16th Century which changed England's official religion from Catholicism to the new Protestant faith.
In 2020, Kent archaeological and history experts, working with Queen's University in Belfast, confirmed that the remains were almost certainly those of St Eanswythe. 
The Diocese of Canterbury is seeking applications from designers and artists to create a new reliquary for Eanswythe's remains, as the current container is no longer suitable.
Dr Andrew Richardson of Isle Heritage said they were looking to commission the creation of a new reliquary "fit for a Kentish royal saint".
"One that will protect and preserve these relics for generations to come," he added.


The weeping ash...........



At this cross the Mayor of Folkestone was elected annually, as far back as the reign of Edward III (1312-1377). 


Next to the cross is  stone plinth bearing the remains of  rather lovely old sundial




The British Lion is said to be the oldest pub in Folkestone, and stands on the Bayle. However, although the inn claims to have existed since 1460 under the name of the Priory Arms, no firm evidence has come to light of the existence of that alehouse.

The first mention of the British Lion is not until 1782. This would mean the Black Bull in Canterbury Road predates it by 40 years, the original Royal George in the harbour by 65 years and the Red Cow in Foord Road by 100 years. Yet none of these was actually Folkestone's first pub. Apparently, the "Cheker" in what is now Church Street has the strongest claim, as it is mentioned in town records in 1525. It remained on that site until the mid-19th century when it moved for the final time into George Lane. In 1997, the pub enjoyed another new lease of life, when it was transformed by Caroline Godden into the Thistle & Shamrock.



The two cottages next door are interesting................


Another house on the Bayle bears this symbol. Nope. No Idea


The Bayle Garden pond is home to the protected Great Crested Newt.


From the Bayle, you can walk down a steep flight of steps, known as the Bayle Steps, to either the harbour or the Old High Street. Halfway down, is this blue plaque


All the buildings in the Old High Street also have these plaques, explaining their past history - but nobody asked me about the 60s :) Jimmy Godden's rock shop, the ladies' underwear shop which was run by a very strange old man, the Greek Cypriot club and the Acropolis coffee bar, where you could buy certain 'substances', if that was your thing, are all long gone. At the top there used to be a cinema, a cafe with an excellent juke box, and the Earl Grey pub, much used by squaddies from the Shorncliffe camp and which had a special feature of a punch-up every Saturday night 


the entrance to the 'creative quarter' at the junction of the Old High Street and Tontine Street. 


Well, yes, if anyone knows the way to the Warren, it must be the Bunnies. The Adders are pretty familiar with it too!


Just inside the arches which lead to the harbour and the Sunny Sands, is an old building called The Bethel. I won't repeat what this picture explains perfectly


As part of the Triennial public art show in Folkestone, six of these little houses were placed around the place. I only found two of them so far. 





This is the Folkestone Mermaid............................but, why has she got feet?


The East Cliff Pavilion. Used to go to some good rock and roll gigs here. Local band the Rocking Edwardians were very good, and often used to double up on the same bill as Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets or Screamin' Lord Sutch and the Savages. (Dave Sutch remains as the only politician to have achieved his manifesto without ever having sat in Parliament. He first stood as representative and leader of the National Teenage Party (and of course, later as leader of the National Loony Party), and he had three promises 1). To  have national 24 hour pop music radio stations, so we didn't have to put up with the often terrible reception from Radio Luxembourg 2). at least 12 hour, possibly 24 hour opening for pubs, and lowering the age of majority for voting to 18.) Well, guess what.........................
From the first time I saw him step out of that coffin on stage and for his resolution alone, he will always be my hero. 


The Incredible, sorely missed, Dave Sutch. Pity he couldn't get the help he so needed




I love the fact that one of the buildings in the harbour has photos of the local fishermen, past and present.


The Grand Burstin Hotel was built in the 70s with investment from a Polish refugee, after whom it is named. It stands on the site of the earlier Royal Pavilion Hotel, and part of the old hotel was incorporated in the design.

                                       

This huge house stands majestically at the top of the Bayle steps, but can really only be appreciated from the harbour side down below. It's called Shangri-La, and one of my school friends used to live there. I can tell you with some authority, that the view from the tower room across to France is totally amazing!


Now, once upon a time, ferries used to sail from Folkestone to France, and amongst these was the Boat Train. The train used to come down from London to Folkestone Junction (later called Folkestone East) and then run down the Tram Road and across the harbour viaduct to the boats. One section of the viaduct comprised a swing bridge to allow taller boats into the inner harbour. Now it has been turned into a pretty walkway, but the railway tracks have been left in situ. 



The harbour station has been restored, and still has its' original signage in both English and French. It is now a pleasant place to stroll, with occasional pieces of art to ponder. Once out of the station, heading out towards the harbour arm lighthouse, there are little bars and cafes in the summertime



This one is called 'Rug People' by Varga Weisz. The name came from the fact that it originally stood on a piece of rug until it was moved to its current position. It represents the many faces of those who travelled to Folkestone in search of asylum, as well as those en route to France and the battles of World war I


Indeed I was! Who would want to be anywhere else?


a tropical picnic ground just off the harbour, on the shingle beach


old, worn, wartime defences


............and then there was Antony Gormley. This is one of his cast iron bodies from the 'Another Time' series. You have to search it out though. There is a set of steep and slippery steps going down from the middle of the harbour arm, and there he is, looking wistfully out across the bay towards Dover.



The doorway denotes that this is what little remains of the 1843 Royal Pavilion Hotel that was replaced by the Grand Burstin - sadly now not so grand



Carol Ann Duffy, erstwhile Poet Laureate, was much influenced by  Wilfred Owen. These plaques, along the wall of the Road of Remembrance, are from her poem 'An Unseen'

I watched love leave, turn, wave, want not to go,
depart, return;
late spring, a warm slow blue of air, old-new.
Love was here; not; missing, love was there;
each look, first, last.

Down the quiet road, away, away, towards
the dying time,
love went, brave soldier, the song dwindling;
walked to the edge of absence; all moments going,
gone; bells through rain

to fall on the carved names of the lost.
I saw love’s child uttered,
unborn, only by rain, then and now, all future
past, an unseen. Has forever been then? Yes,
forever has been.



The words of Tennyson on the memorial at the top of the hill............


Walk, climb, stagger up the Road of Remembrance, and at the top you are greeted by the impressive war memorial, and, at the entrance to the famous Leas, the Step Short Arch. The name is taken from the command given to WWI soldiers to 'step short' to manage the steepness of the hill down to the harbour, where they would embark for war in France. Plaques around the arch tell the stories of some of these soldiers





The Leas is a very popular place for a stroll. The cliffs below are interrupted by the Leas Cliff Hall, the Zig-Zag Path and the Leas lift, which is about to be renovated and put back into working order, I understand.
When I was a teenager, we used to run down the steps to the Rotunda pleasure park, or to use the roller rink, or one of the three swimming pools. (2 indoor and 1 enormous outdoor lido style seawater pool) All are sadly gone now. After swimming, we used to use the lift to get back up to the Leas.  Now don't laugh, but........our favourite was the Olympic sized outdoor pool. It used chlorinated seawater, so it was very buoyant, heated - and so big that on a sunny day, it got even warmer. The top diving board was so high, you could look down on the roller rink next door. But despite all this, if it was raining, we used the indoor rock pool across the road. Nope, no idea why, but we all did it!
A great landslide in 1784, created a new belt of land between the cliff and the beach, and the whole area was landscaped in the 19th. century.

As a final note..........here in Ashford, we have the William Harvey Hospital, and the William Harvey pub. Similarly, Folkestone's boys' grammar school is also named for him. But who was William Harvey?
William Harvey was the medical pioneer who first described the circulation of the blood. Harvey's father was a jurat and later, mayor of Folkestone, and young William was educated here before going on to Kings School in Canterbury and then to Cambridge University. Harvey's mother is buried in the parish church of Saint Mary and St Eanswythe. 

GOUDHURST

Goudhurst is a village in Kent on the Weald, about 12 miles (19 km) south of Maidstone. It stands on a crossroads (A262 & B2079), where there is a large village pond. The land surrounding the pond, is known as The Plain, and the building behind the pond, is the village hall. The word Goudhurst is derived from the Old English guo hyrst, meaning Battle Hill, or the wooded hill on which a battle has been fought. The name apparently commemorates a battle fought on this high ground in Saxon times. Whichever road you take from the crossroads, will be a steep one! The church is often known as the Cathedral of the Weald. 


There are a remarkable 217 listed buildings in Goudhurst, including five oast houses. 


GRAVENEY

The meaning of 'the graven river' was originally given to the stream which ran through a broad ditch.
I must admit, Graveney is a tiny place on one of my favourite rides, but I have never stopped to explore it. The road I use passes right by the parish church, and it's an easy place to stop and use the church as background for a motorcycle picture I fully intend to investigate it further though 


The church commenced life in Norman times, but the majority of it is 14th. century. 

In 1970, when improvement works were being undertaken by Kent River Authority to drainage channels (Hammond Drain and White Drain) in Graveness, an Anglo-Saxon clinker-built boat was found in the mudflats. The boat was carefully removed by the National Maritime Museum to be conserved and stabilised by the Mary Rose Trust.

It was a cross-channel cargo vessel, reconstructed as some 13.6 m (45 ft) long and 3.4 m (11 ft) wide and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in draught. Later studies, including dendrochronology determined that it was built from oak, in the mid-890s. It was abandoned in the mud in 950AD. It was also found that one of the last cargos it carried was hops. Other remains include fragments of quern-stones made from Mayen lava, located in the Rhineland, Germany.

The Battle of Graveney Marsh was the last ground level battle fought on British soil; there were no fatalities and one flesh wound. It was fought on 28 September 1940 and the participants were the crew of Ju88 twin engine bomber that had been forced to crash land and London Irish Rifles who had been billeted in nearby Seasalter. The marshes are the homes to many wildlife species, including lapwingbrent goosegolden plover and marsh harrier.

See? I thought it might be an interesting place to learn about!




HAM STREET (Orlestone)

Orlestone has the origin in Ordlaf's farmstead and Ham Street derives from Hem -  water meadow. Ham Street was once just the road through Orlestone, the church for which now lies at some distance from Ham Street, which is where the village has migrated to.


Ham Street is a pretty ordinary village, just south of Ashford. It does, however, have one point of interest - the Johnsons Corner Memorial. You can find this at the lower end of the village, where the road through the village joins the A2070 Ashford to Brenzett road. 
Lieutenant William “Bill” Johnson was the pilot of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Spare Parts, which was part of the 711th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, of the United States Army Air Forces.
On Thursday, April 13, 1944, having ordered his crew to abandon the plane, which had been heavily damaged over Europe, Lt Johnson intentionally crashed to the south of Hamstreet to avoid killing villagers.

When the village received a bypass in the mid 1990s, a junction off the road towards Hamstreet, close to where he crashed, was named Johnson’s Corner. A memorial was also erected in his memory.

Update: the memorial is being refurbished. It's now a lovely, peaceful place to sit, even though it's on the edge of a busy road.

The memorial to commemorate the 100th. anniversary of the 1914-18 war stands by the main carpark in the centre of the village


Hamstreet is twinned with the little town of Therouanne in France. Therouanne was once a city with a cathedral which was sacked by the troops of Henry V. The stone cannonball was a gift from the mayor of the twin town, presented with the words 'You can have your cannonball back!


N.B.: See also Orlestone on the Kent2 page, as the names are irrevocably interlinked


HERNE BAY

The meaning of Herne is a corner. So the likelihood is that the original settlement grew up on a corner or angle of land. These days, the coastline there is relatively straight.
The town rose to prominence as a seaside resort during the early 19th century after the building of a pleasure pier and promenade by a group of London investors, and reached its heyday in the late Victorian era. Its popularity as a holiday destination has declined over the past decades, due to the increase in foreign travel and to a lesser degree exposure to flooding that has prevented the town's redevelopment.
The town of Herne Bay took its name from the neighbouring village of Herne, two kilometres inland from the bay. The village was first recorded in around 1100 as Hyrnan. 
One of the oldest buildings in Herne Bay, dating back to 1385, is the Ship Inn, which served as the focal point for the small shipping and farming community which first inhabited the town. During this time, passenger and cargo boats regularly ran between Herne Bay and London and boats carrying coal ran from Newcastle. From Herne was easy access by road to the city of Canterbury or to Dover, where further passage by boat could then be obtained across the English Channel to France.

During the 1840s, steamboats began running between Herne Bay and London.  During the early 19th century, a smugglers' gang operated from the town. The gang were regularly involved in a series of fights with the preventive services until finally being overpowered in the 1820s. 
In the 1830s, a group of London investors, who recognised Herne Bay's potential as a seaside resort, built a wooden pier and a promenade on the town's seafront. This and the subsequent building of a railway station led to the rapid expansion of the town. In 1833, an Act of Parliament established Herne Bay and Herne as separate towns. In 1837, Mrs Ann Thwaytes, a wealthy lady from London, donated around £4,000 to build a 75 feet (23 m) clock tower on the town's seafront. It is believed to be the first freestanding purpose built clock tower in the world.

There is a blue plaque on the house where Ann Thwaytes lived, further along the seafront


In 1912, the first "Brides in the Bath" murder by George Joseph Smith was committed in Herne Bay. During World War II, sea-forts (the Maunsell Forts) were built off the coast of Herne Bay and Whitstable, which are still in existence. The coastal village of Reculver, to the east of Herne Bay, was the site of the testing of the bouncing bomb used by the "Dam Busters" during the war.
A statue to Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, the inventor of the bouncing bomb, proudly graces the park just off the sea front 



On the same lawn, opposite Barnes Wallis, there is an old red phone box and an old red postbox - now emblems of  bygone time


The original wooden pier had to be dismantled in 1871 after its owners went into liquidation and sea worms had damaged the wood. A shorter 100 metres (328 ft) long iron pier with a theatre and shops at the entrance was built in 1873. However, it was too short for steamboats to land at. The pier proved to be unprofitable and a replacement longer iron pier with an electric tram began to be built in 1896. At 3,600 feet (1,097 m), this pier was the second longest in the country, behind only the pier at Southend-on-Sea.
1963 marked the end of steamboat services from the pier. In 1970, a fire destroyed the pier's pavilion and plans began to replace it with a sports centre, which was opened in 1976 by former Prime Minister Edward Heath. The centre section of the pier was torn down by a storm in 1978, leaving the end of the pier isolated out at sea. It has not been rebuilt due to the cost; however, residents and businesses in the town have campaigned for its restoration. The sports centre was demolished in 2012, leaving a bare platform. 

the isolated seaward end

the sea end of the landward piece



flag mast at the entrance to the pier




Herne Bay has a culture trail that you can follow, and along the seafront are statues of people important to the town, and various commissioned sculptures. 


the perpetual calendar


There are several of these pretty mosaics, each one covers a different aspect of the town. This one shows information about the Grand Central Bandstand 



A stone carving of a turk's head knot, much used by seamen in sailship rigging


A giant compass


A boy sitting on the wall, with his boat



A tribute to aviator Amy Johnson, lost when her plane crashed into the sea off Herne Bay in 1941. Her body has never been found


To the right of the clock tower and the Neptune car park, is the tiny Neptune Gardens. Again, part of the town culture trail, it is dedicated to the seafarers


The local council need to refurbish all these plaques on the culture trail. They are becoming illegible, and that's a shame for the artists who worked so hard creating the sculptures.




There are also quite extensive and very pretty, formal gardens between the clock tower, the bandstand, and the pier 

This is Waltrop Gardens, named for Herne Bay's 'twinned' town.


The pump is in full working order, and you can refill your water bottle with tap water freely

This monument was given to the town by Major Horatio Davies, sheriff of London and Middlesex, as a golden jubilee memorial of Queen Victoria's reign (1887).

A beautiful terrace of Georgian houses...................


sadly, the further from the centre of the seafront you walk, the more dilapidated the buildings become. It's a shame really. And not just on the front. A lot of the town has a tired look to it. A sign of our times, I fear. This is Crockham House, once a fine residence, now split into flats and looking  little sorry for itself 

One house I do like though, is this one. Now a house, but it is very obvious what it once was, and it was very obviously the work place of somebody very skilled at his craft in gold leaf work. I hope it is always cared for. 


it even makes the door arch smile. Looks a bit like Eddie Izzard to me 


In Mortimer Street, you will meet this loving couple .....


The United church is quite impressive with a lovely green door. It is used as an entertainment venue, and on the wall of the adjoining building is a charming mural



Go further long Mortimer Street, and there are two delightfully decorative houses, separated by a white horse (well it is Kent after all). These are Portland House and Providence House. 



Curiously shaped house at one end of an alleyway..................................


.......................and at the other end? A pub called the Divers Arms, and a sign informing you how far it is from there to the North Pole


A man-made breakwater, known locally as 'Neptune's Arm', forms a harbour for small boats, although it was actually built to protect the town from flooding. You can walk along the top of it, although it is not recommended on a windy day!


The Central Bandstand is that and so much more. It's a beautiful building, wrapped around a lovely central courtyard. There's a nice cafe, and a stage that is used for various entertainments.





Almost opposite the bandstand, look up - there's two owls perched on the roof top!


No, I don't know why either!

HEVER CASTLE

The oldest part of the castle dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. In the early 1500s the Bullen family bought the castle and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls and so it became the childhood home of its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn. It later passed into the ownership of Henry’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. From 1557 onwards the Castle was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humfreys and the Meade Waldos. Finally, in 1903, William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the ’Tudor Village’ and creating the gardens and lake.











HIGH HALDEN

High Halden is a village on the A28 road between Ashford and Tenterden, 3 miles (5 km) north of the latter town. 
A very large quantity, fifty tons, of oak was used as the material to build the tower and spire of the 10th–14th-century church, St Mary the Virgin, in 1470–1490. The large pub The Chequers on the Green, circa 1620, is known to have been used by smugglers and the various gangs such as the "Hawkhurst and Cranbrook gangs" that were active in the mid-18th century. The parish is recorded in the Domesday Book and parts of a Norman manor house can be seen at Tiffenden Farm

The village green, opposite the Chequers, has a magnificent tree at its' heart. It is particularly glorious in Autumn 

The green also hosts the village beacon, and the main village bus stop, which at times of celebration or remembrance, takes on a dignity of its' own.


HYTHE

Hythe is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway (derived from Sheep Way) on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place.
The town has Medieval and Georgian buildings, as well as a Saxon/Norman church on the hill and a Victorian seafront promenade. The church of St. Leonard is particularly interesting for the large ossuary in its' crypt. The Town Hall, a former Guildhall, was built in 1794, its fireplace designed by the Adam Brothers.
Hythe's market once took place in Market Square (now Red Lion Square)
As an important Cinque Port Hythe once possessed a bustling harbour which, over the past three hundred years, has now disappeared due to silting. Hythe was once the central Cinque Port, between Hastings and New Romney to the west and Dover and Sandwich to the east.
In 1348 the black death afflicted Hythe, and in 1400 the plague further reduced the population.
Hythe is also the birthplace of Mackeson Stout. The Fremlin brewery was once the largest employer in the town. The malt house still exists and now hosts an indoor market of antiques and collectibles.
The Royal Military Canal, known locally as 'Pitt's Ditch' runs parallel to the High Street, and has been turned into a very fine walkway and attraction. 
There are two statue groups surrounding information boards along this walk. One, by the bridge leading to Lady Walk, depicts two 'navvies' digging the canal, the other, a little further along, shows two soldiers of the Napoleonic era, who would have been tasked with defending the coast along the canal.


IVYCHURCH


Ivychurch is a huge parish (NOT named for a church covered in ivy, but from the Ive Circe 'The church on the isle in the waters'), although the village itself holds less than 200 people. It lies on the old road from New Romney to Ashford, and the focal point is its' very large church, which is dedicated to St. George, and known locally as 'The Cathedral Of The Marsh' The church lies behind the pub, the Bell Inn, which acts as a central point for local activities 


There is a local legend that, about 200 years ago, the Rector arrived at the church to conduct the Sunday service but was turned away by a local, who told him there wouldn't be a service, because the pulpit was full of baccy, and the vestry was full of brandy! Apparently, the Rector just nodded and went home to enjoy a roast dinner! Not an unusual tale of the Marsh for its' time. It's no wonder that Russell Thorndike found so much inspiration for his tales of Doctor Syn.

KINGSNORTH

There are two places in Kent called Kingsnorth, but the one documented here is now a suburb of Ashford. A transcript of the Domesday Book of 1086 indicates that there was a settlement at Kingsnorth controlled by the Manor of Wye. The original meaning is a detached piece of land belonging to a royal estate.
Not a lot of great significance, the village does boast a tiny little house, known as Mouse Hall, a Grade II listed building which dates from the 15th. Century


and next door, the church

LYDD

Lydd is one of the largest settlements on Romney Marsh, and is a quiet, pretty town, passed by the main A259 from New Romney at some distance on one side, and shielded on the other side by the Army firing ranges. The explosive 'Lyddite' was developed here. 

The name means the town developed on a slope. The impressive parish church of All Saints stands at one end of the High Street, and is called locally 'the Cathedral of the Marshes'. It is the longest parish church in Kent at 199 feet and has one of the tallest towers at 132 feet. It once had (Cardinal) Thomas Wolsey as rector.


To the right of the door, stands this tribute stone to a 17 year old local lad who was drowned at sea, after falling from the rigging. The history of the ship, correctly H.MS. Barrosa, can be found here: HMS Barrosa log



The Effigy below is reputed to be that of Sir Walter De Menyl, Lord of the manor of Jacques Court, Lydd. The Farmhouse still stands on the outskirts of town between the railway station and Lydd Airport


At the other end of the town, the now deserted Roman Catholic church of St. Martin Of Tours. 
There are plans to build several houses at the rear of the church, but to leave the church itself intact. It would be a great shame if this attractive building were allowed to deteriorate and fall into disrepair



LYMINGE

The name stems from it being the district around the Limen, which was the old name for the Eastern Rother.
Halfway between Canterbury and Folkestone, lies the small village of Lyminge. It used to be a stop on the now defunct railway line, and the old station building is still there. It has been repurposed as the village library, but they have cleverly kept the outside appearance the same, even down to it being painted in British Rail green and white 


There has been continuous settlement since at least the 5th, century AD, and Lyminge is now a thriving village with a selection of shops and two doctor's surgeries. It is the source of the Nailbourne river, which emanates from St. Ethelburga's Well. St. Ethelburga was the widow of Edwin, king of Northumbria, and the daughter of King Ethelbert of Kent in the 7th. century AD, and she founded a church and monastery in Lyminge. 

LYMPNE

Well, this is where I spent my childhood. When we first moved there, it consisted of more or less just one main road, Stone Street, and a small council estate called Belcaire Close. It had an airport, a couple of small engineering businesses, a castle, roman ruins, church, post office, general stores, and one pub, (although there was a pub in the tiny hamlets at either end of the village). Now it is a lot bigger. The airport has gone, replaced by an industrial estate, there are more houses, there's Port Lympne Wildlife Park at what was once a big private house, the castle is used for weddings, and there's now just one general shop.
The Roman ruins, now called Stutfall Castle, are what's left of the shore fort they built, which they called Portus Lemanus, derived from the Lympne river. That was derived from the old British word for an elm tree. This in turn, gave its' name to Port Lympne. Now, of course, it stands some miles from the shoreline.
We moved to Lympne in 1952. At that time, Lympne Airport (almost opposite our house) was home to Silver City. They ran a small fleet of Bristol Freighters, taking passengers and their cars to first to Beauvais, and then to Le Touquet in France, from the wartime grass runway. Later, Silver City moved to Lydd, and a concrete runway was laid down for Skyways to operate their fleet of Avro 748s.
Here's a harkback to those days of noisy old freighters...........


There was also a very nice gentleman who gave pleasure flights in his brilliant blue DeHavilland Dragonfly

Some things have not changed though..................

The castle is actually a palace built by Archbishop Wolseley. My son was married there. When I was a child, it was a private residence, owned and lived in by a family who ran a stud farm. It then passed to an American family, and is now part of the Aspinall organisation, who also own Port Lympne. Its present good condition owes much to Scottish architect, Sir Robert Lorimer, who rescued it from ruination, and turned it into a single large house. 




From the terraces at the rear can be seen the whole of Romney Marsh.
It stands bang next door to the parish church of St. Stephen. 



When I was a teenager, I used to ring bells at the church. I rang No.3, but the treble bell used to really annoy me. It was cast at a later date than the others, and had a thinner, more reedy tone that used to make it sound out of tune with the rest. There was also a carillon, and an elderly gentleman called Mr Harman, the local builder, used to walk up to the church most evenings and play 'Now The Day Is Over'. Now, sad to say, the carillon appears to have gone, and the bell ropes no longer hang in the chancel, but are up a story in the belfry


Despite the lovely lych-gate, and the main entrance to Lympne Castle being just the other side of the war memorial, the former occupants of the castle found it necessary to have a private door in the dividing wall, right by the church door. There was also mounting steps built into the wall on the church side, just inside the lych-gate. I forgot to go and look to see if it still there (along with the bay tree that grew next to it.)


There is also this modern statue in the side Ladies Chapel. Unfortunately, there was nothing to explain it, or to say who it was by. It's obviously a mother and child, but from there, your guess is as good as mine.



At the other end of the private lane from the castle, at the top of Lympne Hill, which leads down steeply to the Marshes, stands the Shepway Cross. The Shepway Cross was built in 1923 for Earl Beachamp. The Cross is a memorial to a cross road. There is a plaque on the bottom which says: 'The right honourable Sir Robert Menzies, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, came to this ancient site on the 6th of August 1967 on his visit to Hythe'. It also has written: 'To the glory of God and in memory of the heroic deeds of the Cinque Ports.' On one side of the Cross is the virgin Mary holding Jesus. On the other side are two priests on either side of Jesus, who is being crucified. There is a shield on each side of the Cross.
The Shepway Cross was paid for and unveiled on 4th August 1923 (the same day that the Great War started in 1914) by Earl Beauchamp KG the then Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports upon ground donated free of charge by the then owner of Lympne Castle. 
Most people (including most regrettably the inhabitants of nearby West Hythe and Lympne) seem to think that this monument exists to merely mark the spot where traditionally the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports held his Court for Shepway. It is invariably referred to as the “Shepway Cross” by those who are ignorant of its real purpose. Its true title should be the Cinque Ports War Memorial. Whilst it does reside on a spot traditionally used by the Cinque Ports Court, its purpose was to commemorate the great deeds of the men of the Cinque Ports in all British conflicts (with special emphasis on the Great War). 


The beautiful house of Port Lympne, now owned by the Aspinall Foundation, has 15 acres of terraced gardens, and 300 acres of parkland, now home to the Port Lympne Wildlife Park.
When I was a child, the house was in a very sorry state, having been used as a billet for the nearby airfield.  The one redeeming feature was a pair of white peacocks that flitted through the trees like noisy ghosts. My Dad and his brother, who both worked at a farm almost opposite the track down to the house, would take corn down to feed them, and care for them the best they could. The barracks huts still stand in the car park, slowly being reclaimed by nature.
The house, however, has had a wonderful restoration, as have the gardens, including the enormous Trojan staircase, with its' little rooms opening off either side, between the hedges.

MAIDSTONE

Maidstone is the old capital of Western Kent and appears to have developed in the vicinity of a stone marking an important meeting-place or Moot.
I have yet to do a full town visit to Kent's County Town, but today I went specifically to see the visiting Knife Angel and took the opportunity to stroll around Brenchley Gardens, the town's memorial garden, which stands behind the Maidstone Museum.
Unfortunately, the museum was closed today, as part of the period of National Mourning, but I will do a full town visit at a later date.
Meanwhile, here are a few shots of the memorials in the garden..................


The Elizabethan manor house which is part of the museum. The Brenchleys were a notable Kent family, going back several generations. Several held the position of Mayor of Maidstone.
Julius Brenchley was an ordained clergyman in the 19th. Century, and a highly renowned explorer. When Maidstone railway station was being built, he quickly snapped up a piece of land next door, to prevent it being built on, and to provide a green buffer between the railway and the town. He presented this land, Brenchley Gardens, to the town. When he died, his entire collection of artefacts that he had brought home from his explorations, formed the basis of the collection at Maidstone Museum. 
There is a good write-up on Julius Brenchley here


The Lighthouse Centre, formerly St. Faith's church, which is playing host to the Knife Angel, stands in the corner of Brenchley Gardens. There is a rather lovely Victorian bandstand, which is still used in the summer months, and the below notable elements.






The cenotaph-style war memorial, which forms a focal point of Brenchley Gardens, was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens.

The National Monument Against Violence and Aggression (The Knife Angel) on his visit to Maidstone:




MARGATE
Margate takes its name from a pool gate or cliff gap where there are pools
Margate is a typical British seaside holiday resort. Although over the past few decades it has been allowed to get a little run down and tatty, it is now on the up and up, with the building of the new Turner Centre for Contemporary Art, and a regeneration of the Old Town area.
The harbour arm is a pleasant place for a stroll in the sunshine, and the Old Town is full of quirky, independent shops and little cafes
Add to this the town's wonderful, almost flat, expanse of sandy beach, and the coming of a rejuvenated Dreamland pleasure park, and Margate will have a lot to offer in the very near future.
Meanwhile, here's some shots of the seafront, taken on the day of the annual Motorcycle Meltdown event.

the Jubilee Clock Tower on a quieter day! It was built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. It has a time ball on the top, where the ball is hoisted and drops at exactly 1pm each day to enable shipping to set their chronometers.
It eventually fell into disrepair, but was fully restored and came back into use on the anniversary of Queen Victoria's birthday, 24th. May 2014.


looking across from the harbour arm towards Dreamland



the sands at low tide



The Turner Gallery & Droit House


The Turner Contemporary, is named for J.M.W. Turner, who loved the light at Margate, and who believed that art could be an agent of change. Turner lived at Sophia Booth's house (who we will meet again further down the page) between 1827 and 1847. After Sophia's husband Mr Booth died in 1833, Turner adopted the name Booth and lived at her guesthouse, becoming Sophia's long-term companion.


Droit House is a Grade II listed building and former customs house in Margate that was redesigned by William Edmunds. It was originally built in 1812 and rebuilt in 1828–30.
 It was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt in 1947. It is currently the tourist information office.
On the wall of Droit House is a plaque commemorating the crews of the Margate and Ramsgate lifeboats in the evacuation at Dunkirk.


Unusual bench in the memorial gardens, and the Town War Memorial


The oldest building in old Meergate, built in 1525, the Tudor House was originally a yeoman farmer's house. It is a unique example of a ‘transitional house’ – bridging the gap between medieval open-hall and early-modern houses with two storeys throughout. The building was clearly of high status with distinctly ‘showy’ features. Many of these were advanced for its time, including glazed windows and two chimneys in an age when one would have been noteworthy.
Over the years, the building has been home to Master Mariners, Flemish weavers, Cordwainers, and farmers. A 1776 map shows a sizable farmyard surrounding the dwelling, including a malthouse which still exists to the rear. In the 18th Century, a maltings was built at the rear to make Barley Beer. Between the late 17th and 19th centuries, much of the land belonging to the house was sold off, and the building itself had been subdivided into 3 cottages by 1867.
The remaining site was purchased by the council in the late 1930s as part of a slum clearance scheme, and it was due for demolition before a local builder spotted the Tudor beams and alerted the Mayor, Alderman Cllr Claude Hosking. He funded the restoration, which was completed in 1951, using mostly Tudor construction methods and materials. The House was Grade 2* listed in the same year.
The Gardens have been lovingly restored with a Tudor Knot garden and box hedge squares with climbing plants on frames. At the moment it is closed for essential repairs, but beyond that, is generally open to the public


Statue in College Square shopping centre. Sorry, I don't know anything about it yet.


Phyllis Harriet Wright Broughton was born in 1862 to a theatrical family and studied dance during her childhood. By 1880, aged 18, she was established in the Gaiety Company and went on to become the “toast of toasts among young London clubmen”. It was said of her that “if there were players of more genius at the Gaiety there was no more lovely woman.” From 1886 she was widely accepted as one of the most beautiful women of her day.

Phyllis Broughton became engaged to nobleman Lord Dangan, the eldest son of Earl Cowley, who was four years her junior. He then broke off the engagement and she sued him for breach of promise in 1888, four or five months after their engagement was announced. Phyllis obtained damages of £2,500. Actresses were infamous for their targeting of rich men at this time and Phyllis found herself on the wrong end of the press which speculated that she was copying another actress, May Fortescue, who received a large settlement from Earl Cairns in another breach of promise case.

At the height of her fame, a colliery owner named John Hedley fell in love with Miss Broughton and they were engaged. The wealthy son of a Northumberland coalmine owner, his affection for the actress was beyond question. In 1889, a few days before the wedding, however, Broughton jilted Hedley in a curt telegram cancelling the engagement.

Aged 55 in January 1917, Phyllis married Dr Robert Thomson, the previous owner of India House in Margate, and apparently a long term admirer, at the Parish Church of St James, Piccadilly.  

Despite her betrothal and the passing of close to 30 years, John Hedley continued to send Phyllis Broughton a basket of fruit and flowers cut from the gardens at his house, Longcroft, week after week. His last gift was sent when Phyllis was dying. The two never met again after their engagement was broken but Hedley hugged the romance to the end, not only of Phyllis’s life, but of his own


'Ghost' sign for a Temperance Commercial Hotel


These two plaques are on the wall of the former police station, now the Margate Museum. The top one celebrates the towns that are 'twinned' with Margate, and the lower one is a Town Pride Award for 2002


the weather vane on top of the museum building


This was formerly the Crown pub and hotel. It was established in the 1830s and ceased trading in 1971.


Formerly a barber's shop, latterly the home of the local paper, the Thanet Times


Francis 'King' Cobb, baker, brewer and 'King' of Margate. He was an evangelical who was involved in the anti-slavery movement. 

During his time Cobb owned a large part of King Street, buying up the buildings to house his brewery and all the essentials needed by an 18th Century gent including his personal hatter, tailor, stables and even his own bank


JMW Turner was not the only artist resident in Margate. The other was George Morland. His early work was influenced by Francis Wheatley, but after the 1790s he came into his own style. His best compositions focus on rustic scenes: farms and hunting; smugglers and gypsies; and rich, textured landscapes informed by Dutch Golden Age painting


Not really my taste, but I can see why he was well thought of.


Two more hostelries in the old town area.
Eric Morecambe married the daughter of a former landlord of the Bull's Head Hotel. She was a local beauty queen, and they were married until Eric's death in 1984


Eric Morecambe was not the only famous person to fall in love with a woman at the Bull's Head Hotel. J.M.W. Turner attended Thomas Coleman's school in Margate, and he fell in love with Elizabeth, the sister of one of his school friends. Turner went to London to further his studies, and later returned to Margate, with the intention of proposing to Elizabeth. 
She, meanwhile, had become engaged to Richard Wiles, the innkeeper of the afore-mentioned hostelry.



Even Karl Marx visited.


Go on - I dare you - Sing it...............................
There are theories that the rhyme could be referring to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany who commanded the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars – successfully to a point, but ultimately with the legacy of having been pretty ineffectual against Bonaparte’s campaign.


The Old Kent Market occupies a site opposite the Turner Gallery


Statue of the Shell Lady of Margate by Ann Carrington, celebrating the life of Mrs. Booth, Turner's companion.

Booth was born in Dover in 1798 to German parents. She then moved to Margate where she married a local fisherman John Henry Pound in 1818.  In 1821, he drowned at sea leaving her with her two sons Daniel and Joseph. Joseph died before he was six years old.

Later, she married John Booth and they opened up a guest house on the seafront of Margate. They had a son, John Pound Booth in 1826, but he died of cholera at the age of 10.  

It was around 1829 that Turner started visiting Sophia’s guesthouse, the quality of light around that area intrigued him and inspired many of his paintings. After John Booth’s death in 1833, Sophia was a widow once again, and so she and Turner became life partners. While they never married, the two were known as Mr. and Mrs. Booth.

The sculpture stands at 12 feet tall and is composed of bronze. The sculpture is known as “The Shell Lady,” because it takes inspiration from the shell lady souvenirs sold at gift shops across Margate. The site of the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery was once the location of the famous guesthouse in which Turner stayed.




The lighthouse on the end of the harbour arm


This marble memorial is also on the harbour arm. Sadly, like a lot of Margate, it is very neglected and almost illegible, but commemorates the sinking of a lugger called the 'Victory', with the loss of nine lives. On January 5th 1857. The ‘Victory' had been to the aid of the crew of the American sailing ship Northern Belle. The disaster prompted a silver medal to be struck and given to those involved in the rescue, by Franklin Pierce, the President of the United States of America.

The northern belle was en-route from New York to London when it encountered a fierce blizzard that drove it partially on to rocks off the coast of Kent. The twenty eight men on board set the anchor to stop the ship from completely foundering, said their prayers, and waited for rescue. In the early hours of the morning three luggers from Margate, Ocean, Eclipse and Victory arrived on site and soon Ocean managed to get five men on board the sailing ship to help with the salvage, and make sure that the ship did not go further up onto the shore. Unfortunately the weather was worsening all the time. The wind was now a screaming gale, mixed with hail sleet and snow. Soon the anchors dragged, and the Northern Belle found herself completely stuck on the rocks with the crew in a very perilous situation.

The Ocean closed the wreck and managed to take off five of the crew, but the Victory was completely swamped by the heavy seas and disappeared, drowning all nine of its crew. The Ocean and Eclipse could do no more, so the crew of the Northern Belle had to stay where they were for the night, lashed to the rigging of the only mast left standing. Because of the wind direction, the lifeboats at Broadstairs a few miles down the coast, could not be launched, so they were hitched up to teams of horses and dragged two miles over the hills to a place where they could be launched in daylight. When dawn broke the lifeboats, ‘Mary White’ and Culmer White managed to make three trips between them, taking off all of the Northern belles crew and the men that Ocean had put aboard. One of the lifeboat men, George Emptage, made three trips to the stricken vessel, in part to persuade the Captain to leave. He was all for going down with his ship, but was eventually talked out of it.


The Gina Malick memorial garden. In summer 2001, Gina Malick tragically fell from the cliff top at Fort Hill. The young girl’s mother campaigned regarding the safety of the area and to create something positive from the tragic death of her daughter.


The coastal road at Margate boasted two wonderful entertainment complexes. The Lido, which I haven't covered yet, has been allowed to deteriorate to a deplorable condition, and it begins to look as though the Winter Gardens venue may follow. 
I've been to some good gigs here (notably several Levellers concerts, and Ocean Colour Scene), and it will be a shame if this important venue disappears. It is now looking very shoddy in its' boarded-up state. It is covered by posters stating that the council are considering their options.......................sadly, this council does not have the best record in this respect



Didn't we see another blue plaque like this elsewhere.............................


It seems he also went to school here


Yeah, we all know Turner's work, don't we? But a lot of people only know his famous ones. This is one of .his lesser-known Margate ones


NEWCHURCH

Just south of Newchurch on Romney Marsh, is a small grave-like marker by the side of the road. It commemorates Pilot Officer Arthur William Clarke, who crashed near there during the Battle of Britain. He was just 20 years old.


NEWNHAM

(New settlement)
Newnham is a tiny village between Doddington and Sittingbourne. It's not overly remarkable, with the exception of Calico House.  This is a Grade II listed building, formerly the vicarage, described as 'new' in a will of 1617. It was later extended in the early 18th. Century, and the terracotta calico painting on the side of the house shows the date as 1710.



OFFHAM

(Offa's settlement)
Offham Village lies in a rural setting below the North Downs close to West Malling between Maidstone and Sevenoaks. It's a pretty village, with a well-kept village green, and a replica of a medieval quintain, which was used for training in jousting. The original dated back to the 1500's.The Quintain also features on the attractive village sign, along with the hops and fruit that the area is renowned for.
The target is on a rotating arm at the top and the jouster had to ride at it at speed, hit it with his lance and then swerve violently out the way of the heavy weight on the other end, which would swing around and knock him off his horse if he wasn't quick enough, much the same as his opposition's lance would do in a real joust.




OLD ROMNEY

(Romney - settlement of people by the wide river.) The old name probably refers to the River Rother, which before 1287 emptied into the sea at New Romney. That's before the Great Storm of 1287 altered the course of the river to exit at Rye. It was originally navigable to Old Romney, but as it gradually silted up, New Romney was built as the local port, and Old Romney was left  two miles inland
Another miniscule Marsh Parish. However, St. Clement's Church is an absolute delight, both in its' location and internally.
Old Romney lies a couple of miles inland from New Romney, on what was once an island in the middle of the Rother Estuary, before the river changed direction. It was noted in Roman times as Vetus Rumellenum, but by the time of the Domesday Book, New Romney had been established.
Although one of the oldest churches in Kent, the church has remained relatively untouched, but with the addition of pink painted box pews and a Georgian minstrels gallery. The pews were painted pink, when filming was taking place in the church. The white pews didn't work on film, so the pews were dulled down with pale pink paint. The film company promised to re-paint them white afterwards, but the parishioners voted to keep them pink!
It has featured in several films, with the money gained being useful for its' upkeep and protection 

In 1967, during restoration, a workman came across a large flat stone half-buried by the porch. Thinking it was probably a long-lost memorial stone, he got permission to dig it up. It turned out to be the pre-reformation altar table.
Such items of church furniture had been banned in 1550, so it had presumably been buried to prevent its' destruction. A wooden frame was constructed, and it was returned to serve the purpose for which it had originally been installed.








Wander over to the far corner of the graveyard, and you will see the Wallingham Sewer - one of the original drainage channels of the Marshes. Old Romney lies just off the main A259, which was built on top of the Rhee Wall, one of the original 'innings' or walls behind which drainage channels were dug to drain the malarial swamps and reclaim the land. This is why the A259 is slightly raised above the level of the fields on either side. Despite being usually just called 'Romney Marsh', it is actually several 'inned' areas, such as Romney Marsh, Wallend Marsh, Denge Marsh and Pett Level.  


This particular sewer, or dyke if you're a local, is lined with some very old pollarded willows, whose striplings are still used for basket making etc.

OTFORD

(Otta's Ford)
Otford, near Sevenoaks has the distinction of having the only roundabout in the UK to be granted listed status!
This may sound odd, but slap bang in the middle of this pretty village is a large roundabout which consists of a large, beautifully manicured duck pond, complete with duck house.
The pretty pond, which is circled by willow trees, is thought to date back to Anglo Saxon times, when it was possibly used as a drinking hole for local livestock. In 1951 it was repaired by villagers for the Festival of Britain and in 1960 a duck house was placed on the pond, which is fed from a spring by the village station. The pond was granted grade two listed status in January 1975 after plans to concrete it over were met with protest from villagers. The pond even has its' own pond keeper




PALMARSH

Once a small hamlet, Palmarsh is now just a residential suburb of Hythe. It has no apparent historic points of interest - except one.
The Royal Military Canal runs at the back of the houses. At one point, there is a pedestrian bridge. An information board nearby, recommends crossing this bridge for an uninterrupted view of the sloping cliffs beyond, upon which, stands one of the famous sound mirrors used during World War II. This one was erected for trial purposes in 1922. A good source on information about them can be found here
However, I've not photographed it yet, but meanwhile the canal is exceptionally pretty along this stretch:


PEDLINGE

(Home of Pydel's people)
This tiny hamlet lies on the old A20 between Newingreen and Hythe, and consists of a farm and just 3 or 4 old houses. The chapel is a tiny Chapel Of Ease, which comes under the Parish of Saltwood, and which once had an attachment to Sandling Park. The Chapel is still consecrated, and a monthly service is still held there, as well as celebrations for the major Christian festivals


THE PHILIPPINE VILLAGE (no longer there)
The Philippine Village used to lie on Romney Marsh, midway between Rye and Brenzett. It was set up to import crafts from the Philippines, and supply them with much-needed money. It was a bright, sparkling place, full of colour, and had shops and a nice tea rooms. This is one of the highly-decorated 'Jeepneys' a sort of local Phillippine cross between a taxi and a bus. The only thing left now is the tea rooms, now a cafe. (Jo's Cafe - highly recommended)



RECULVER

Reculver means a great beak or headland - and that's exactly what it is. The Romans called it Reculbium
It once occupied a strategic location at the north-western end of the Wantsum Channel, between the Isle of Thanet and the Kent mainland. This led the Romans to build a small fort there at the time of their conquest of Britain in 43 AD, and, starting late in the 2nd century, they built a larger fort, or "castrum", called Regulbium, which later was part of the chain of Saxon Shore forts. The military connection resumed in the Second World War, when Barnes Wallis's bouncing bombs were tested in the sea off Reculver.
After the Romans left Britain in the early 5th century, Reculver became a landed estate of the Anglo-Saxon kings of Kent. The site of the Roman fort was given over for the establishment of a monastery dedicated to St Mary in 669 AD, and King Eadberht II of Kent was buried there in the 760s. During the Middle Ages Reculver was a thriving township with a weekly market and a yearly fair, and it was a member of the Cinque Port of Sandwich. The twin spires of the church became a landmark for mariners known as the "Twin Sisters", supposedly after daughters of Geoffrey St Clare, and the 19th century facade of St John's Cathedral in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, is a copy of that at Reculver.
Reculver declined as the Wantsum Channel silted up, and coastal erosion claimed many buildings constructed on the soft sandy cliffs. The village was largely abandoned in the late 18th century, and most of the church was demolished in the early 19th century. Protecting the ruins and the rest of Reculver from erosion is an ongoing challenge.




The light there is fantastic, and so it was the obvious choice for me to go and try out my new camera!

ROLVENDEN

Although it's just a village on the A28 that you drive through on the way to somewhere else, Rolvenden was once upon a time by the sea, and is worth stopping to see in its own right. Full of traditional Kentish weatherboarded houses, and with a stunning church at the end of the main street, and a nice little motor museum, don't just dismiss it. Also, there's a stop on the Kent & East Sussex heritage railway not too far from the village centre.
Oh, and Lady Jane Grey, the Queen of 9 Days, lived at nearby Halden Place, and Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden, lived at Great Maytham Hall.
Great Maytham Hall was designed by Sir Edward Landseer Lutyens. It it now posh apartments, but retains its' Georgian splendour.



The vicar of Rolvenden during the time of Lady Jane Grey's residence, the Rev. John Frankish, was one of the Kentish Marian martyrs who were burned at the stake in Canterbury in 1555.


Originally, there were two hamlets - Rolvenden Streyte, which burned down in the 17th. century, during the Great Plague, and Rolvenden Layne, where the locals moved to after the fire. When the Streyte was rebuilt, they moved back, and the two hamlets gradually merged. 
Just on the edge of the village, near Hole Park, stands a fully restored post mill on  little hill. Sadly it is privately owned, so I was unable to get a good shot of it. It once featured in the Tommy Steele film 'Half A Sixpence'



ROLVENDEN LAYNE

Originally known as Leyne, this was a large tract of arable land. i.e. that which has lain fallow
Rolvenden Layne is more or less just a small adjunct to Rolvenden proper. Go down Maytham Layne at the side of the church in Rolvenden, and in a little under  mile you arrive at this small outpost.
Rolvenden village originally consisted of the Streyte, located along what is now the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, which was almost entirely burned down in 1665, during the Great Plague (except for the church, pub and some farms). This caused the villagers to abandon the Streyte and move a mile down the hill to the common land of the Layne during the 1660s. Already located here was the Tudor house, now called Wesley House, where John Wesley later preached in the 18th century. The villagers later returned to rebuild the Streyte, resulting in the two small hamlets, the Streyte and the younger, smaller and quieter Layne that you see today.
In the middle of the hamlet, is a crossroads by the recreation field. On this crossroads, is a familiar red phone box.  A lot of villages have bought their defunct phone boxes, and use them to hold a defibrillator, for emergency help in the community. Others, like the one in Aldington are used as book exchange points - a sort of mini library. 
The one in Rolvenden Layne, however, houses something far more enchanting. It's a sound museum!
There is no electricity supply to the box, so you need to power it by means of a hand crank. You can then listen to countless recordings of people's memories of the area, history bytes, and even local musicians.
It's a lovely idea

RUCKINGE

The name is probable derived from 'a grove belonging to Hroc's people'

Love this sign. Surmounted, as most of them are in Kent, with 'Invicta', the white horse emblem of Kent, the sign depicts the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene, agriculture, and a depiction of a highwayman holding up a coach!

A small village, lying on the B2067 Ham Street to Hythe road. It's basically a 3 mile long, linear village, with little lying off the one road. Its main feature is its pretty 12th. century church





SANDLING

Named for rising ground where the soil is sandy
Although now just a part of Saltwood, near Hythe, Sandling Park was once a large and wealthy estate. The house was built in the 1790s and demolished in 1945 and replaced by a newer, smaller house. What does remain, are the two gate lodges - one on the road between Newingreen and Hythe has been completely subsumed by nature and can't be seen under the covering of ivy. 
The other, on the A20 from Newingreen to Postling marks the entrance to Sandling Park, and is at its' most stunning in Autumn.



The park and gardens are open to the public on limited days.

SANDWICH

Originally meaning 'sand farm': farm on sandy ground
Sandwich is undoubtedly one of the prettiest towns in Kent. It is also one of the most historic, and has more 'Historic Buildings Of Kent' plaques than any other.  From the 2,000 year old Roman Fort of Rutupiae (Richborough) on its' outskirts, to modern times, there is just so much to see
Sandwich was one of the Cinque Ports and still has many original medieval buildings, including several listed public houses and gates in the old town walls, churches, almshouses and the White Mill. While once a major port, it is now two miles from the sea due to the disappearance of the Wantsum Channel. Its historic centre has been preserved. Sandwich Bay is home to nature reserves and two world-class golf courses, Royal St George's and Prince's. The town is also home to many educational and cultural events. Sandwich also gave its name to the food by way of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, and the word sandwich is now found in several languages.


Above, is the East Gate, the last remaining gateway into the old town. It has been there since 1325



The River Stour runs through the town. It was once navigable for miles inland, and was one of the reasons Sandwich became a Cinque Port. It was once lined with busy shipyards and fishing docks.




Above is the Barbican Gate, which guards the toll bridge entry to the town. You can still read the final toll charges on a board beneath the arch. They date from 1905 and contain charges like: "For every locomotive weighing 2 tons or under, having 4 wheels 1/-" If you're too young to know our old currency (pre-1971) 1/- is one shilling, the equivalent to 5p in today's money!





The Old Drum. In 1457, a force of 4,000 French soldiers launched a devastating raid on Sandwich, pillaging the town and murdering the mayor.

The area of the town from the Ramparts adjacent to the Canterbury Gate up to Bowling Street was largely razed to the ground. The destruction would have included Church Street St Mary's, home to The Old Drum. Said to date back to 1450, seven years before the carnage, it is thought to be Sandwich's first ever pub.

The Drum is designated as ‘An Historic Building of Kent’ and the property is now a private house. Its previous use is apparent from the cellar hatch in the front wall at the bottom left as you look at the front of the building.


This pleasant picnic area on the river bank, is The Butts, where archery would have been practised in medieval times


the Delf river, which supplied a lot of the town's water.


Another former hostelry, the Malt Shovel Inn,  a 15th century timber framed house, refronted in the 18th century. Note the wrought iron sign, and the bowing of the front window


These old alms houses, dating originally from 1287, can be rented as holiday lets.


This is one of 3 impressive churches in Sandwich. St. Mary's is still consecrated, but decommissioned as a church. This is St. Peter's, which stands in the middle of the town. 
St Peter's is the guardian of an ancient Sandwich tradition. Every day at 8pm, the curfew bell rings out, signalling that the townspeople should cover their fires to make them safe for the night. This was once known as the 'pigbell', as it also informed people they could release their animals into the street.


The town pump. If you look over the wall, you can see the leat from the River Delf which supplies the water for the pump


The War Memorial, which stands by the entrance to St. Peter's churchyard, in the town square. Although originally commissioned for World War I, it also commemorates the dead of World War II, Korea, and the Falklands Conflict. 


Welcome to Holy Ghost Alley - don't use it if you're claustrophobic, as it is so narrow, you almost have to turn sideways to pass through!


The Old Town Gaol, now 2 small houses and a shop. Passage through the building with studded timber framed walls leads to No 7 at the rear.


The Old Dutch House, formerly called the Shoemaker's House, is believed to be of Flemish design. hence the name. Dates from the late 17th. century, with slightly later doors and windows.


Very attractive building in Market Street. I'm sorry that I don't know more about it. The date on the wall translates to 1982, but that date pertains to the Estate Agents, not the building.





St. Clement's Church, the Parish Church of Sandwich, with its' stunning Norman tower, thus denoting that parts of it are at least over 1,000 years old. That Norman tower is one of the finest in England. There are patches of medieval tiles still visible in some places, and the colours of these have been replicated later, around the font



There is also this lovely angel ceiling




The Town Beacon, on the Quayside.


And the National Cycle Route mile marker

Unfortunately, the Sandwich Medieval centre, which stands here, on the Quayside, was closed this day. So I guess I'll just have to come back another sunny day! On the river next to the Medieval Centre, there is a boat under restoration. This is the 'Nicholas', a replica medieval cog. 

The cog was a single mast, round bottom vessel that was built to be a merchant ship but, at times of war, converted into a fighting ship.  The castles were added fore and aft and the long bow archers would create a formidable fire power.

It’s hard to believe that there is no example of a medieval cog on display anywhere in England. It is open to the public on some days, so hopefully, I will be able to watch the restoration taking place.



SELLINDGE

This name, and that of Selling, both mean a group of people living communally (i.e. hall-dwellers)

A typical Kentish sign, topped with the Invicta horse of Kent. The main body of the sign depicts an oast house, a windmill, a traction engine (marking the long history of the Sellindge Steam and Traction Rally which used to be held in a large field in Swan Lane annually, and the church of St. Mary the Virgin. There are also two swans. When I was young, there was a pub at the other end of the village, called the Swan. We all knew it as the 'Mucky Duck' because the sign depicted a black swan. Sadly the pub was demolished to make way for the bridge carrying the High-Speed railway line. 
The sign is supported by bunches of hops and the cross-piece features runners carrying the Olympic torch through Sellindge in 2012

Being the next village along from the one I grew up in, I have fond memories of Sellindge, especially the Saturday night youth club dances! Sadly, Sellindge doesn't have quite the same history as Lympne, and it suffered from originally being on the main A20 Dover - London road. I have yet to explore the church (or whatever points of interest there are, but as a taster, here's a picture of Wellington Cottage, which as far as I have established, is more of a curiosity than historical. 


SISSINGHURST

Sissinghurst is a rather pretty village in between Biddenden and Goudhurst. It is famed mostly for Sissinghurst Castle, the former home of Vita Sackville-West, and its world-renowned gardens.
The name comes from 'Saxon's wooded hill' to distinguish this land from that owned by Angles at nearby Angley.
Vita Sackville-West, the poet and writer, began the transforming Sissinghurst Castle in the 1930s with her diplomat and author husband, Harold Nicolson. Harold's architectural planning of the garden rooms, and the colourful, abundant planting in the gardens by Vita, reflect the romance and intimacy of her poems and writings.
Sissinghurst Castle was the backdrop for a diverse history; from the astonishing time as a prison in the 1700s, to being a home to the women’s land army. It was also a family home to some fascinating people who lived there or came to stay.
Originally called Milkhouse Street, Sissinghurst changed its name in the 1850s, possibly to avoid association with the smuggling and cockfighting activities of the Hawkhurst Gang.


SITTINGBOURNE & KEMSLEY LIGHT RAILWAY

The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway in Kent is a 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge heritage railway that operates from Sittingbourne to the banks of The Swale - a distance of just under 2 miles. The route is very unremarkable and utilitarian, but if you combine a ride on it with one of their special 'days' like a vintage car event for example, it's a pleasant way to spend a day.

This unique line was built in 1905 for the transportation of the raw materials required for the manufacture of paper at Kemsley Paper Mills, and, of course, the finished product.
Now, who remembers 'Spangles' sweets? The little square hard candies were individually wrapped in  glossy striped paper, a different colour for each flavour. 


This paper was made at Kemsley Mill, where, as luck would have it, my Uncle Pip worked. When I went to Grammar School, he supplied me with sheets of this paper to cover my school books - a different colour for each subject! 



SMALLHYTHE

A small landing place. Smallhythe lies on the stream known as the Reading Sewer and was a prosperous harbour until late Tudor times
Small Hythe is a tiny hamlet on the outskirts of Tenterden, most notable for Smallhythe Place, once home to Dame Ellen Terry.
It stood on a branch of the Rother estuary and was a busy shipbuilding port in the 15th century, before the silting up and draining of the Romney Marshes. 
Timber from the Wealden Forests was collected in Tenterden , then sent to Smallhythe for the building of ships. The River Rother flowing past here was of sufficient width and depth to accommodate the main warships of the period. The shipyards became famous from the 14th to the middle 16th century.
One of Henry VIII's warships 'The Grand Masters' was built in the shipyards of this port, and in 1537 Henry VIII visited the construction site to view the building of this great vessel.
Small Hythe's quays and warehouses were destroyed in a fire in 1514 and were never rebuilt.
Smallhythe Place is a half-timbered house built in the late 15th or early 16th century. The house was originally called 'Port House' and before the sea receded it served a thriving shipyard: in Old English hythe means "landing place". It was the home of the Victorian actress Ellen Terry from 1899 to her death in the house in 1928. The house contains Ellen Terry's theatre collection, while the cottage grounds include her rose garden, orchard, nuttery and the working Barn Theatre.
Terry first saw the house in the company of Henry Irving, the manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London's Covent Garden, with whom she shared a famous theatrical partnership for nearly 24 years. The house was opened to the public by Terry's daughter Edith Craig in 1929, as a memorial to her mother. The National Trust supported Craig in her running of the museum from 1939, and took over the property when she died in 1947. Smallhythe Place contains many personal and theatrical mementoes, including two walls devoted to David Garrick and Sarah Siddons. Other exhibits include a message from Sarah Bernhardt, a chain worn by Fanny Kemble, Sir Arthur Sullivan's monocle and a visiting card from Alexandre Dumas. There are also several paintings by the artist Clare Atwood, one of the romantic companions of Edith Craig.
In an adjoining room is a letter from Oscar Wilde begging Terry to accept a copy of his first play. There is also a selection of sumptuous costumes dating from Terry’s time at the Lyceum Theatre. In 1929, Craig set up the Barn Theatre in the house's grounds, where the plays of William Shakespeare were performed every year on the anniversary of her mother's death. This tradition continues to this day.


SMARDEN

Strangely the name translates as fat or grease pasture! What it actually means is rich pastureland, resulting in a good supply of milk and butter.
Smarden is one of those little villages which abound in Kent and Sussex. They benefit from being slightly off the beaten track, on roads that go from nowhere to nowhere of any importance. 
It has a large accumulation of half-timbered, ancient houses clustered around a very pretty church. More than 100 of them are listed buildings. It has suffered little from being heavily featured in 'The Darling Buds Of May' TV series with David Jason et al. Although the houses vary greatly in size and design, the appearance of the village is unified by the roofs almost invariably being of the same rich red 'Kent Peg' tiles.


The main entrance to the churchyard, is through the corner of this house, forming a sort of lych-gate, leading from a small paved square open to the main village street.




The church of St, Michael The Archangel has a great deal to recommend it, but as it lays back off of very narrow lanes with sharp bends, you need to hunt about a bit for somewhere safe to park. I 'borrowed' a tiny corner of the pub car park - one of the benefits of being on my little 125cc motorcycle today, rather than the 650. 
The parish church of Smarden is known as 'the Barn of Kent', a tribute to the width of its aisleless nave. The nave is 36 feet in width and is supported by a scissor-beam roof system of intersecting timbers.
It has many other interesting features, including some beautiful glass and wall paintings. The churchyard is well-kept, and the war memorial is actually incorporated into the end wall, rather than being a free-standing monument. 




(above) beyond the wall seats to the right of the alter, is a rare wafer oven


These 20th century wall paintings, which replace lost medieval ones, use villagers as their models.




Shepherd Neame, as well as being the oldest family-run brewery in the UK, are also amongst the best at ensuring that their public houses retain their age-related character and their wonderful inn signs. The Flying Horse is no exception, and retaining its' character is essential when the pub stands in the middle of a truly ancient village


Smarden saw high historical drama when 66 local men took part in Jack Cade's ill-fated 1450 rebellion against high taxes and prices.

SNAVE

Snave is a forgotten parish. The village has all but vanished, and St. Augustine's church was  made redundant in 1983, and is in the care of the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust. It's a little tricky to find, and is seen at its' best in Spring, when it is surrounded by hosts of golden daffodils. This area of the Marsh was renowned at one time for growing field upon field of daffodils. To cope with Marsh subsidence, the pretty 13th. century church has quite a few buttresses

ST-MARY-IN-THE-MARSH

This tiny village lies in the heart of Romney Marsh, to the north of St. Mary's Bay. 

                                       

The Golden Jubilee commemoration stone, just by the entrance to the church. At this point, three lanes leading into the village form a natural village centre, flanked by the church and the pub opposite


The Star Inn still sports its beautiful old Whitbread inn sign. Sadly most of these have now gone, whether it is because the pub has closed, or has been renamed and 'modernised'. at one time, you could collect little thin metal plates with all the old Whitbread inn signs on them, and I had quite a few when I was young.



The clock on the tower was erected in memoriam of those who died during WWI . There is a brass plaque to that effect in the church. However, due to the current pandemic, the church was only open today for private prayer, and I didn't want to impinge on anyone's privacy, so the church remained off limits to me



The grave marker of Edith Nebit, author of  'The Railway Children'. She didn't want a fancy funeral or a headstone, so her husband, Thomas Terry Tucker,  carved out this simple wooden marker. There is a memorial plaque to her inside the church


John Sullivan, Master of the Merchant Navy fuel tanker S.S. Empire Gawain. Although he died in 1947, the fact that his grave bears a Commonwealth War Grave headstone would indicate that he died of illness or injury caused during wartime. The Empire Gawain was sold to Esso after the war, and renamed Esso Dakotah. It was finally scrapped in the 60s


You may think having an old Shepherd's hut in the churchyard a little strange. However, the village stands in the heart of the sheep country of Romney Marsh. The hut took me back to my childhood, as my father was a shepherd, or 'looker' as they are known on the Marsh, not far from here, and I slept in his hut on more than one occasion, on a pile of straw and sacks in the corner

TENTERDEN

Such a pretty town, rightly called 'The Jewel of The Weald'. The name actually means 'pasture of the men of Thanet'. Tenterden was originally the property of the manor of Minster in Thanet.


The town pump and the town Sign, which incorporates the Arms of the Cinque Ports*. Its riverside today is not navigable to large vessels and its status as a wool manufacturing centre has been lost.

* Cinque Ports were exempt from regular taxation, were largely self-governing, and were entitled to have a representative at royal coronations. 
The town's name is derived from the Old English "Tenet Waraden", meaning a den or forest clearing in the forest which belonged to the men of Thanet.

In the above picture, you can see the tower of St. Mildred's parish church. It is well worth stepping back from the High Street, and paying it a visit. The construction of such a richly decorative church, one of the largest in the county, is said to have caused resentment within the Cinque Ports.
A bishop is said to have built it with the money or materials intended to have been used to maintain the sea wall at Sandwich. 
This apparently caused the silting up of Sandwich harbour, and the creation of the Goodwin Sands! Trade then moved from Sandwich to Smallhythe, the port for Tenterden, and the money went with it

St Mildred was a 7th-century princess of Kent, who served as abbess of the nunnery at Minster-in-Thanet. Tenterden manor was granted to Thanet Minster around the time of Mildred's death.

It has a lovely selection of gargoyles all around







Horatia, the illegitimate daughter of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton, married the vicar, Reverend Philip Ward, here in 1822. Horatia was born in 1801. Lord Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and Emma Hamilton died in 1815. They named their first child Horatio.

To the right of the churchyard, there is a little brick path that leads to The Wonky House.



On the other side of the footpath, the land rises steeply through the churchyard up to the church at the highest point. Mausoleums have been excavated into the side of this steep bank, which means of course, that normal graves cannot be dug from the top down! 


The A28 which runs through the town and serves as the High Street, links Margate/Canterbury/Ashford/Tenterden/Hastings.
Here is is a very broad, tree-lined avenue, with the War Memorial at the centre of town.



the top of the memorial bears the Invicta white horse of Kent one side, and the Cinque Port Arms on the other

There are a couple of plaques on posts in the grass near to the memorial, including one commemorating the mayor who planted the trees along the High Street.



There's a lovely old glass lamp outside the building that was Ridley the Chemists, now Paydens


At the top of Sayers Lane (which leads to Waitrose!), in a house covered with 'mathematical tiles'. In 1784, a tax was introduced on bricks, by George III to help fund the wars in the American Colonies. Because of this, a lot of new houses at that time were covered in ceramic tiles in order to avoid the 2/6d per thousand tax. 


Next to the Town Hall, stands the old Woolpack Hotel, known locally as the 'Woolly', which was built in the 15th. century


The lovely Art Deco Embassy cinema opened in 1937, but closed in 1969 and became a shopping centre

As you approach East Cross, there is a large paved area, which is presumably privately owned. As this plaque on the adjoining wall makes clear.............................Not dedicated to the public, but maybe 'Dedicated To The One I Love'


Further on in East Cross, your eyes get drawn towards the beauty shop. It's not my taste, but when you're stuck at the traffic lights, it's a pretty thing to look at. 


As you head further along the Ashford Road, past the house with the tower, mockingly referred to as 'Tenterden Castle'........The house was built in the late 1700s but the tower wasn't added until 1904, when it was owned by John Ellis Mace, who wrote a book called 'Old Tenterden', and whose father was Mayor of Tenterden in 1856. The house is now Grade II listed


.....................you come to the Old Meeting House, now the Unitarian Church, where Benjamin Franklin once worshipped in 1774. He came there to hear Joseph Priestley preach, who, as well as defining oxygen as a component of air, also invented carbonated water and so is to be thanked for our fizzy drinks!



Tenterden has a very attractive Recreation Ground and park at the East Cross end of town. It often plays host to travelling fairs, as well as being the location for all sorts of local festivals. It is also home for the Beacon, which was last lit a few weeks ago for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. 


There is a small garden with seating, between the Appledore Road and the Ashford Road, separate from the main park. There is a marker explaining how this little garden came about, and since 2001, that has been joined by a concrete block which contains a time capsule.




The park has public conveniences and a large children's playground. It also plays host to a travelling fair every summer, and various town festivals. It really is used as a community hub.
Crossing the road by the school, you will find a pleasant footpath between the school and the surgery. This runs parallel to the High Street for quite  distance, eventually leading to Theatre Square. 
Just as you turn into the square, over to the left is an old brick built hut. You can see immediately what it's original use was




On the opposite side of the road from the church, there is an alley called Bell's Lane. This is well-worth a stroll, as it opens into a picturesque lane of flower-covered old cottages, which includes Theatre Cottage, Theatre Square, Nelson Cottage and Playwright Cottage.


Now, Pebbles House. A remarkable house erected by a Dr. Mace, with a central doorway big enough for him to ride his horse through to the stabling at the rear! The last owner left it to the Town Council, together with the rear garden. This is now beautifully tended by the Council workers, and is called the Millenium Garden. It's an absolute haven of peace and quiet, flowers and birdsong, in a busy world.




Emerging from the garden, outside the White Lion pub is a very old waymarker, still mostly legible, at least on three sides.




Look at the buildings around here, and you will spot some lovely old lead drainpipes


One of the best known stores in town is Webb's - their two premises house ironmongers, haberdashers and homewares and the main shop has a very unique entrance 


Down by West Cross, at the bottom of the town, is the William Caxton pub, owned by Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewing firm in the country. (It's just changed hands, and is now called 'The Print House'). William Caxton, who printed the first English book in 1477, was possibly born in Tenterden


And on the opposite corner, stands a gatehouse to Heronden Hall that was seriously damaged by the Great Storm of 1987. As it is a listed building, it has thankfully been rebuilt, and adds character to these busy crossroads


Halfway along the High Street, you come to Station Road. Guess where that leads....................
The Vine pub at the top of Station Road, once had a sign pointing the way to the Railway Station. This was removed when British Railways closed the line through Tenterden.
I'm glad to say this sign has now been fully restored and once again points the way to the Station,  now running trains for the Kent & Est Sussex Railway


Halfway down Station Road, at the back of a small car park, is a wooden building which houses the Tenterden Town Museum. It's free (although donations are always welcome) and worth a visit. You can't miss it - it has a mobile boiler and a chaff cutting machine outside! 




In 1903, Tenterden Town railway station was opened. It closed in 1954, but half of it reopened in 1974 as the Kent and East Sussex Railway. The route starts at Tenterden Town Station and finishes at Bodiam station, near Bodiam Castle. The main line track is being extended to Robertsbridge (near Hastings) in East Sussex. The station is now quite a complex, with a cafe, shop and Colonel Stephenson's Railway Museum to enjoy, as well as the locomotives.




There is a path (Church Path) leading from the Station back up to the Church. I'm not saying it's steep, but if you're not fit, you'd do better to walk back up Station Road!
However, at the bottom of Church Path, just walk  few yards up, and then on the right is a private road. You are permitted, however, to just go onto the road, where you will find a recently restored wishing well.  This was originally made in 1863, and is now used to raise funds for the Savannah Charitable Trust, which provides an education for some of the poorest children in West Africa.



I'll just finish with a postbox 'topper' which has been a craze for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, leave you to admire the clever woolwork that has gone into its' creation:



TUDELEY

Don't know why, but the name Tudeley actually means 'Thieves Valley'. 
The village is home to All Saints' Church, the only church in the world that has all its windows in stained glass designed by Marc Chagall. The East window was commissioned by Sir Henry and Lady D'Avigdor-Goldsmid in memory of their daughter Sarah, who died aged 21 in a boating accident in 1963. The other 11 windows were added later, the final ones being installed in 1985, the year of Chagall's death. Today the church also hosts the Tudeley Festival, an Early Music event which has been running since 1985.

The church lies up a lane off the B2017 between Tonbridge and Five Oak Green. The lane leads to a large car park, and a beautifully kept churchyard. Inside, the church is small and relatively plain - with the exception of those breathtaking windows. The vibrant colours stain the plain flag floor in areas of pink, blue and gold. In the vestry can be found the original stained glass windows which were removed to make way for the Chagall ones. They can be backlit by the simple push of a button. But to me, beautiful though almost all stained glass is, they paled into insignificance against the Chagall windows.

Forgive my indulgence of displaying several of the windows!



With blues and purples on the north side, with yellows and oranges taking the full impact of the sun on the south, I've seldom seen such a beautiful concept



WEST HYTHE

A tiny hamlet lying on the banks of the Royal Military Canal, at the base of Lympne Hill, West Hythe once held far more importance than it does now. 
The ancient parish church, dedicated to St Mary, is disused and in ruins. Nonetheless, it is listed as a Grade II monument, and is a structure monitored by English Heritage. It was constructed in the twelfth century and heavily rebuilt in the fourteenth century. The British Listed Buildings website reports that the church was burnt down in 1620. There is some evidence that St Mary's may have been, in origin, a minster church.



At the lower end of the hamlet, lies Botolphs' Bridge pub, and its' namesake bridge over the New Cut part of the canal.
Botolph's connection with the community is unclear, and the name may be derived from the saint's patronage of farming. It is also possible that the saint visited the area during one of his known preaching trips from his native East Anglia to the South Saxon people. 
According to local legend, the name Botolph's Bridge is derived from the time of the Danish invasions of eastern England, or shortly thereafter, when Botolph's body was exhumed and carried to an unknown location by monks of Ikenhoe. The legend reports that the body was brought to West Hythe and there guided by a mysterious light from above to the only safe crossing of a deep drainage dyke, at the place now known as Botolph's Bridge. The legend is represented artistically on the pub sign of the Botolph's Bridge Inn.
Curiously, the bridge itself bears the motto of the Prince of Wales 'Ich Dien'

WEST MALLING
West Malling contains several historic buildings, including St Leonard's Tower, a Norman keep built by Bishop Gundulf c.1080. He also built the White Tower of the Tower of London, the castles of Rochester and Colchester, and the Priory and Cathedral of Rochester. In c.1090 Gundulf founded St. Mary's Abbey in West Malling for Benedictine nuns. This historic site contains significant buildings from the Norman, medieval, Tudor and Georgian eras. There is also a Grade II* Listed 1966 abbey church which is used by the Anglican Benedictine nuns who have made Malling Abbey their home since 1916.

Other buildings of interest in West Malling include the Prior's House, once a residence for those with leprosy; Ford House, over 600 years old; a mainly Georgian High Street; the Swan Hotel, an 18th-century coaching inn (Grade II listed), and Went House, built c.1720 and noted for its elegant brickwork. Manor Park Country Park is just to the south of the town, close to St Leonard's Tower and Douce's Manor, whose grounds the park once comprised.
Whereas it used to be on the main road from the M20 towards Tonbridge, West Malling has now been by-passed, which makes it a very pleasant place to visit indeed. There's plenty of nice shops and places to eat. 
The Abbey - the main part of which lies in ruins - has a charming waterfall, known as The Cascade, which lies outside the Abbey walls, and which is thus easy to view. It was once painted by JMW Turner.




It really hasn't changed much since Turner painted it!
After more than 900 years of occupation, the 12 remaining Benedictine nuns are threatening to leave the abbey if plans for 65 houses to be built opposite the abbey, as they feel it would intrude on their tranquility.







As explained on the board, Band 2 depicts a flight of Mosquito aircraft from West Malling airfield during World War II. Before he went on to lead the 'Dambusters' raids, Guy Gibson was Wing Commander at West Malling, and he reckoned it was the prettiest airfield anywhere in the UK





A fire insurance plaque on one of the medieval buildings, shows that the owners had purchased insurance, and in the event of fire, were entitled to assistance from the insurance company's own fire brigade.




Above, a Georgian portico somewhat resembling Lego bricks! I found a very similar one in Faversham


The old town brewery above, is now very smart apartments. It's nice seeing these old industrial buildings being preserved, even if they no longer represent the reason they were first built.


Ah...the sound of leather on willow......................the first recorded cricket match in Kent. It led to the first County cricket ground being established there.



The above two plaques are to be found at the entrance to St. Mary's Benedictine Abbey. Gundulf was Bishop of Rochester, whose see included West Malling.



At the bottom of the town stands the parish church of St. Mary The Virgin. The quite plain, but quite imposing war memorial stands in front of it at the side of the road




I was surprised at how plain the church is inside. The only really remarkable thing is the tomb of Sir Robert Brett, his wife and only son, who predeceased them' 






Henry, their only child is depicted kneeling by the heads of his parents. The statue of Death at the feet of the effigies, shows that the line died with them





With his guidance, HMS Minotaur successfully protected the rear of HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. There is a transcript of Capt. Mansfield's log for HMS Minotaur at Trafalgar here
They also fought at the Battle of the Nile, and that of Copenhagen


The town pump, restored for the Queen's Silver Jubilee


WHITSTABLE

Formerly White Staple (white post). This was the meeting place of the Whitstable Hundred, the white post probably acting as a landmark
On the North Kent coast, lies the small town of Whitstable, known throughout the world as the home of the Whitstable Oyster, which have been 'grown' there since Roman times. The small tidal harbour has an equally small fishing fleet these days, and Canterbury Council have been developing the disused harbour buildings as a destination full of interesting eateries - not just seafood. Sadly, shortly after it opened, half of the building burnt to the ground, putting some of the places out of business.



In 1830, one of the earliest passenger railway services was opened by the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway Company. In 1832 the company built a harbour and extended the line to handle coal and other bulk cargos for the City of Canterbury. The railway has closed and the railway route, known as The Crab and Winkle Line, is now a cycle path which leads to the neighbouring city of Canterbury.

The town itself is cute and full of old buildings and unique shops. 
(Bit of a *** to drive down the congested High Street though!)
Back to the harbour though, there is a small performance stage in the area where all the restaurants are, and this currently has a display in support of the people of  Ukraine. 


Pretty sculpture on the beach, celebrating Whitstable's maritime history, and the nearby yacht club.


This is an old Whitstable Oyster yawl, undergoing restoration. Oysters are what Whitstable is most famous for


This retired RNLI lifeboat, 'The Chieftain', can be hired for trips out to sea


The memorial below, celebrates Brett's long association with Whitstable harbour, and stands next to their aggregate plant on the harbour side. In 1884, Robert Brett worked for 3d an hour (1.25p in current currency), near Canterbury for a steam engine traction company. In time he was promoted to engine driver, and then moved on to set up his own sand and gravel quarry.
Robert Brett & Sons was incorporated in 1909 and went on to supplying flints and clinker to road construction firms.
Today, the Bretts are said to be worth over £72 million!


This was where the fire reached everything to the left of this picture was burnt to the ground.



The unusual Harbour Buildings.


The oyster beds are only visible at low tide




On a clear day, you can see a couple of the Maunsell Forts out in the Thames Estuary, and the Vattenfalls Offshore Wind Farm, more commonly called the Kentish Flats Wind Array




Guess the name of this VERY narrow alley............................


Yep - you are right!


There must be a story behind the name of this building, but I've not come across it yet.


St. Alphage parish church


Seasalter Parish Hall (which is actually in Whitstable High Street)


Even Her Majesty likes Whitstable! One of the 'Catman' murals to be found locally


Probably the best known of the oyster houses. Note the prices in the window!



This mosaic was created in August 2002 by Oliver Budd, and celebrates the starting point of the old Crab & Winkle railway line, which ran from here to Canterbury. Part of it is now a cycle route, the rest is long gone. A replica of 'Invicta'. the original steam locomotive for the line, used to stand alongside the ring road in Canterbury. It has now been restored and is housed in the Whitstable museum in the High Street


Please do - there's plenty of pubs in the town that would welcome your company! Another 'Catman' picture



A peaceful place. This little garden and seating area stands opposite Harbour Buildings, and is a memorial to all the Whitstable Merchant seamen who have given their lives in service at sea.



And a final picture of the pretty little harbour


WOODCHURCH

Woodchurch has almost as many pubs as people!  Well, it's got a few anyway. The village surrounds all 4 sides of a huge green open space, in one corner of which, is the old village pump. It sits about 6 miles from Ashford and is overlooked by the beautiful windmill, which commands extensive views over the Walland marshes to the English Channel coast. It is a fine example of a Kentish smock mill and was originally one of a pair of windmills standing on this site, known locally as The Twins. The mill is open throughout the summer and is accessible via a footpath that passes between the village pubs.
Woodchurch is renowned for its Rare Breed Centre, which stands far enough outside the village centre, down a road which bypasses the village centre, not to disturb its quietness.



YALDING

The settlement of Ealda's people,

The village of Yalding is situated 6 miles south west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway. Being at the confluence of 3 rivers, it is sadly prone to flooding. I've yet to explore and photograph it, but there are some attractive old buildings there, so I marked it for a visit another time. 


There are three bridges in the village; the Twyford Bridge (meaning twin ford, where there was originally a double crossing of the two rivers) is one of the finest medieval bridges in the south-east of England. Yalding was one of the principal shipment points on the River Medway for cannon, from villages of the Wealden iron industry. One iron master was John Browne from Horsmonden.

The wharf was later used for transporting fruit from the many orchards in the area.
















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