.gif)
Ash (near Sandwich)
Encyclopedia
Ash is a village and civil parish in the Dover
district of east Kent
about three miles west of Sandwich
.
The civil parish has a population of 2,767, and includes the villages of Ash, Westmarsh
, Ware
and Hoaden
. The Ash Level, by the River Stour
, takes up the northern part of the parish.
to the channel
port of Sandwich. It takes its name from the Old English æsc (ash
) and shows its toponymy
in its first recorded form, Æsce, in about 1100.
Ash was once part of the Royal manor
of Wingham
and having been given to the See of Canterbury in 850 AD by King Athelstan
, it became a separate parish in 1282, one of the largest in Kent.
The parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas and probably built on the site of an earlier Saxon
church, dates partly from the 12th century and has a 15th-century tower with a green copper spire (once used as a navigation aid), which now houses a ring of ten bells. It also has the best collection of medieval monumental effigies in Kent, including one to Jane Kerriel (c. 1455) which reveals a unique horseshoe head-dress. Ash is known for its market garden
s, and at one time had its own brewery and organ maker. There are two vineyards nearby. The village has a primary school, a prep school, doctors' surgery and several shops.
There are many medieval buildings in the village, including one which is named as a Historic Building of Kent and 11 of the 12 original manor house
s. In the same lane are a number of Tudor
cottages. The Chequer Inn was a timbered hall house dating from c. 1500.
From 1916 to 1948 it had a station ("Ash Town") on the East Kent Light Railway , one of Colonel Stephens' lines, which ran between Shepherdswell & Wingham.
Dover (district)
Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. Dover is its administrative centre. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the boroughs of Deal, Dover, and Sandwich along with Dover Rural District and most of Eastry Rural District...
district of east Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
about three miles west of Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
.
The civil parish has a population of 2,767, and includes the villages of Ash, Westmarsh
Westmarsh
Westmarsh is a village in East Kent, England, between Canterbury and Ramsgate.The village sits within a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. The old way out inn pub is now a thriving tea shop and the hamlet sits within orchard filled countryside and is very close to Canterbury and the Coast...
, Ware
Ware, Kent
Ware is a village in Kent, England, between Canterbury and Ramsgate....
and Hoaden
Hoaden
Hoaden is a hamlet situated one mile to the east of Elmstone, Kent, England. Within the hamlet is Hoaden Court....
. The Ash Level, by the River Stour
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
, takes up the northern part of the parish.
History
Ash was once on the main thoroughfare from CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
to the channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
port of Sandwich. It takes its name from the Old English æsc (ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
) and shows its toponymy
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
in its first recorded form, Æsce, in about 1100.
Ash was once part of the Royal manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Wingham
Wingham, Kent
Wingham is a civil parish and English Kent village situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough to London and close to Canterbury. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. The Domesday book tells us that during Saxon...
and having been given to the See of Canterbury in 850 AD by King Athelstan
Athelstan of England
Athelstan , called the Glorious, was the King of England from 924 or 925 to 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder, grandson of Alfred the Great and nephew of Æthelflæd of Mercia...
, it became a separate parish in 1282, one of the largest in Kent.
The parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas and probably built on the site of an earlier Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
church, dates partly from the 12th century and has a 15th-century tower with a green copper spire (once used as a navigation aid), which now houses a ring of ten bells. It also has the best collection of medieval monumental effigies in Kent, including one to Jane Kerriel (c. 1455) which reveals a unique horseshoe head-dress. Ash is known for its market garden
Market garden
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
s, and at one time had its own brewery and organ maker. There are two vineyards nearby. The village has a primary school, a prep school, doctors' surgery and several shops.
There are many medieval buildings in the village, including one which is named as a Historic Building of Kent and 11 of the 12 original manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s. In the same lane are a number of Tudor
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
cottages. The Chequer Inn was a timbered hall house dating from c. 1500.
From 1916 to 1948 it had a station ("Ash Town") on the East Kent Light Railway , one of Colonel Stephens' lines, which ran between Shepherdswell & Wingham.