ETCHINGHILL

The hamlet of Etchinghill lies at the southern end of the Parish of Lyminge. Its original name was Tettinghelde in 1240 (Tetta’s slope). A spring rises to the north side of Westfield Lane, (the road to Tolsford Hill) and the resultant stream flows across the fields to join up with the Nailbourne that rises in Well Field, Lyminge. This stream is known as the East Brook and probably in the Saxon period, when the settlement got its name of Tetinghelde, the volume of water would have been much greater. By the 15th century the hamlet’s name had altered to “Etynghyld” and “Etynghyll”.

It was later known as Eachendhill or Etchinghole before settling to become Etchinghill. For centuries the hamlet remained a small farming community around the crossroads, one of which led to Dover; one going south to Hythe and north to the village of Lyminge where the church is; the track up Westfield Lane over Tolsford Hill led people to West Hythe no doubt, but the importance of this waned as the coastline altered; and a final lane (now vanished) led to Newington.

Over the years the hamlet has grown with additional development on all four of the roads leading from the crossroads, the establishment of a cricket club and, more recently, the creation of a golf course spreading across the land which separates Etchinghill from Lyminge. 

The Gatekeeper Inn. 

This is one of the oldest buildings in the village and was built in 1595, during the 37th year of Elizabeth I’s reign. Originally it was built as two separate farm dwellings, forming part of a considerable estate. This was the estate of a Thomas Gayle of Folkestone, who also possessed lands in Folkestone, Lyminge and Stamford. On his death in 1634 the estate passed to his son, William of Lyminge.

The New Inn was part of a very active social life within the village, due to the fact that Etchinghill had its own church and village hall. This was directly opposite the pub, before it’s demolition in 2004/5, which meant that all relaxation and diversions were concentrated in the centre of the village.

It passed through many hands until the pub closed in 2013 remaining shut for 18 months and was eventually bought by the current owners, Eric & Helen Gaskell.  After refurbishments it re-opened on May 1^st 2015 with the tag line ‘May the first be quenched’.  It was also renamed The Gatekeeper for several reasons, not least of which is because it is no longer a new inn!  The surname Gaskell is derived from Anglo-Saxon meaning the keeper of a road or gate. Also, it is the first or last pub in England, depending on your direction of travel, if travelling on the channel tunnel, the gateway to Europe.

More information on the Dover Kent Archive web-site here: 

The New Inn, Etchinghill

The Gatekeeper, Etchinghill

St. Mary’s Hospital. Until the early 1990s, the village was dominated by St Mary's Hospital. This was constructed in 1836 by the Elham Poor Law Union as the workhouse for the surrounding area, including the towns of Folkestone and Hythe. Prior to this each parish had relieved the poor the best way they could, usually by allowing them to remain in their own homes and giving them outdoor relief, although Elham and Newington each had a small local workhouse facility. In 1834 Parliament passed the Poor Law Amendment Act and suggested parishes might group together and provide cross-community facilities. This led to the foundation of the Elham Poor Law Union in 1835, and the building of the workhouse at Etchinghill in 1836 at a cost of £6,500.

Designed by architect Sir Francis Head, the workhouse was designed to accommodate 300 inmates. In 1841 an additional building had been erected to provide food and temporary accommodation to some of the many vagrants who wandered the countryside. Despite its large size, it was considerably extended in 1890, with the addition of new dormitory wards, an infirmary, and a chapel.

Following the closure of the workhouse in 1947, the buildings passed to the National Health Service, and were re-opened as St Mary's Hospital, specialising in geriatric care. There was also a hospital annexe providing isolation facilities for patients with highly infectious diseases. The hospital was helped by community volunteers who included hospital visitors (who befriended patients), the local St. John Ambulance (who provided qualified auxiliary nurses for routine nursing and bed making duties throughout the 1980s), and a very active League of Friends (who raised money to provide many additional comforts for the residents), active from 1962 until the hospital's closure.

St Mary’s hospital was closed in 1990 and all the buildings, with the exception of the un-consecrated chapel, were demolished. The hospital chapel, the last remaining physical element, has been converted into a private house.

Transmission Tower. 

The 210-ft concrete mast carried the Eurovision transmission, across to Fiennes, Pas-de-Calais in northern France.^] On the 585ft Tolsford Hill, transmissions started in July 1959, over the English Channel to another tower at Fiennes. In 1972 there was a £200,000 plan to build a new tower, to provide 3,600 more circuits. Tolsford Hill BT Tower was built by 1975.