Ashford, Kent
Encyclopedia
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford
in Kent
, England
. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river
, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most important in the county. Ashford is a relatively common English placename: it goes back to Old English æscet, indicating a ford
near a clump of ash-trees
.
The motto of Ashford Borough Council is "With stronger faith", taken from, To Lucasta, Going to the Warres
, a poem by the 17th century poet Richard Lovelace
from the borough, the relevant verse being
villages and has stood at the centre of five railway lines, (Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
, Swanley to Ashford (via Maidstone East) Line, South Eastern Main Line, Kent Coast Line
and the Marshlink Line
) since the 19th century. With the opening of the international passenger station
is now an important European communications centre, with new lines running between London
and the Channel Tunnel
(via High Speed 1).
The Borough of Ashford
lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire
and formed the basis from which the Weald
is formed.
It is likely that the town originates from an original settlement established in 893AD by inhabitants escaping a Danish Viking raid on the nearby ancient village of Great Chart (Seleberhtes Cert in 762AD), although a Roman road
passed through here from the iron making
area to Canterbury
. It is listed in the Domesday Book
, compiled in 1086, as having a church, two mills and a value of 150 shilling
s, under its original Saxon
name of "Essetesford" (or "Eshetisford," "Esselesford", "Asshatisforde", "Essheford"). The manor was owned by Hugh de Montford, Constable of England at the time. Writer Philpot believed Essetesford stood for "ash trees growing near a ford", while Lampard, a 16th century local historian, suggested that it meant "a ford over the river Eshe or Eshet", which was the old name for the tributary
of the River Stour
between Lenham and Ashford.
Its closeness to London has always made Kent a strong influence on the capital, and vice versa.
Thus by the end of the 16th century Cade
(of Cade’s Rebellion) was credited by William Shakespeare
in Henry VI, part 2
as being from Ashford. The play includes an Ashford butcher called "Dick" who looks forward to removing officialdom after the rebellion and says: first thing, let’s kill all the lawyers.
Ashford’s importance as a growing agricultural and market town was confirmed in 1243 when it was incorporated, and by the end of the 16th century it had risen to become an important market town, primarily for livestock. The market was held in the High Street until 1856 when local farmers and businessmen relocated to Elwick Road and formed a market company that claims to be the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales. There is still a regular street market in the town, although the market company has relocated outside the town and is used by some 5,000 farmers.
Ashford has a quite interesting industrial heritage, from being the world headquarters of Letraset, the way to create posters prior to desktop publishing. There was also the company which was the colonial supply company for Tanzania.
Parts of the parish church date from the 13th century but was substantially restored in the 15th century with many alterations since. In 1638 a free grammar school
was founded here, it was built on the churchyard’s west side, and remained there until 1846, now used as a museum.
During World War II Ashford's importance as a transportation (railway) hub and its location between the Continent and London made it a target for bombing by the Luftwaffe.
The Joint Services School of Intelligence
was based at Templer Barracks in Ashford, until the barracks were decommissioned in 1997 and then demolished to make way for High Speed 1. In 1982, Prince Andrew, Duke of York
was involved with the "School".
of the Great Stour
and East Stour rivers, where the Great Stour turns northwards to go through the Stour Gap in the North Downs
towards Canterbury
, Sandwich
, and the English Channel
. To the south lies the Weald
.
The original town of Ashford, in common with most such towns, has outgrown its original size and has combined with smaller villages in a conurbation
. These villages include Bockhanger
, Kennington
, Sevington
, Singleton
, and Willesborough
. In addition, housing estates have been built in the open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton
, Kingsnorth
, Park Farm
, and Stanhope
.
Essentially a modern town, little is left of the old Ashford town centre, apart from some mediaeval half-timbered
buildings in Middle Row and around the churchyard in the town centre. A number of old buildings were removed to make way for the controversial ring road around the centre, built in the early 1970s. Three modern shopping centres are located in the town: Park Mall, County Square
, and the new Designer Outlet
. Bank Street and High Street are traffic-free shopping thoroughfares.
The increase in the town's commercial importance, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industry, business, and retail parks in the town. These include Waterbrook, a 740,000-m² (183-acre) site for production, storage and distribution with a freight clearance facility; Eureka Science and Business Park, including manufacturing sites and prestige office complexes; the 570,000-m² (141-acres) Orbital Park; the Ashford Designer Outlet
shopping centre, which has won a design award; and fourteen other business parks and industrial estates. There is also a factory of Premier Foods
UK producing Batchelor's Soup
.
The 2007 Kent earthquake
, which registered 4.3 on the Richter scale, was felt in Ashford, though its effects were greatest in Folkestone
.
and the High Weald
. In the summer (June to September) the rainfall is more showery, falling over shorter periods and is normally more intense than in the winter (November to February), where it comes along with low pressure area
frontal
systems and falls over longer periods of time. Over the course of an average year, some 116.1 days will record over 1mm of rain. The nearest official weather station for which records are available is Wye, about 3.5 miles to the North East of Ashford Town Centre.
The Absolute maximum temperature reported was 34.8c(94.6f, set in 1990. In an average year, the warmest day would be 28.6c(83.5f), with 10.43 days being 25.1c(77.2f) or higher.
The Absolute minimum temperature of -17.8c (0.0f) was set in January 1985, though 43.9 days in total will report an air frost.
Insofar as roads are concerned, Ashford was one of the towns in Kent to become a hub when the roads were turnpiked
in the second half of the 18th century. Those roads later became the A20 road from London to the Channel ports; and the A28
which runs from Margate
, through Canterbury
onto Tenterden
and Hastings
. Junctions 9 and 10 on the M20 motorway serve the town. Additionally the A251 links the town with Faversham
and the M2. The A2070 links the town with Romney Marsh and Rye.
Operation Stack
on the M20, usually implemented in response to industrial action in Calais, brings Ashford to a halt several times each year .
The A292 Ashford Ring Road was created in the 1970s around the town centre in an attempt to relieve congestion along the previous main thoroughfare in the town centre, the narrow East Hill. The Ring Road has recently been converted to two-way traffic again, to minimise the "race track" feel and help bring the isolated town centre back into the rest of the area. There are plans for a fast public transport link between the town centre and the suburbs and main amenities, called "SMARTLINK
". See also Fastrak
)
The railway came to Ashford when the South Eastern Railway's
London to Dover main line opened between 1842 and 1844, and the company established its locomotive works
here. The railway community had its own shops, schools, pubs and bathhouse, and much of the area retains the look of a "railway town"; the works closed in 1981. Ashford became a junction when the line to Margate
was opened in 1846; in 1851 today's Marshlink Line
to Hastings
was opened, and on 1 July 1884 the final connection, from Maidstone
, was made.
The Ashford International
station opened with the Channel Tunnel
in 1994. It now serves Eurostar
trains on High Speed 1, with trains to London
, Lille
and Paris
and connections to the rest of Europe
. In November 2007 direct services to Brussels were withdrawn and the frequency of trains to Paris was reduced to three per day when Ebbsfleet International railway station
opened. Local firms, residents and politicians were amongst those seeking a less drastic change in the Eurostar timetable. With the introduction of domestic train services in 2009 along the new High Speed One line to St Pancras
and Stratford
in east London, travel time from Ashford to London will be reduced from 83 to about 37 minutes. A limited preview service for the high speed trains began in July 2009, and the full service launched on the 14th December 2009.
Ashford was formerly served by Lympne Airport
, commercial services ceased in 1974. The airport at Lydd
, designated London Ashford Airport
and approximately 17 miles (27 km) from Ashford, has regular flights to Le Touquet
, France
by Lydd Air
. London Gatwick Airport
, the nearest fully international airport is 58 miles (94 km) from Ashford.
The Stour Valley Walk
also follows the main river, connecting with other such long distance footpaths in this part of Kent, including the North Downs Way
.
, named after the doctor
who discovered the blood circulatory system, is in Willesborough
. It is the district general hospital, and was commissioned in 1977. It is located just off Junction 10 of the M20 in the Willesborough
area. It is also home to the Arundel Unit mental health centre and the Paula Carr centre.
Ashford is home to nineteen primary schools
(One including St. Teresa's) and six secondary schools
(including The Norton Knatchbull School and The Towers School) . There are also two colleges of Further education
and three of the secondary schools have Sixth Form education included.
The John Wesley School for primary education, built on the junction of Chart Road/Cuckoo Lane, Singleton, opened in September 2007.
In June 2006, because of there being 1,007 empty school places in Ashford, Kent County Council discussed the Kent Primary Strategy proposing merging Ashford South Primary School and Oak Tree Primary School, also suggested for amalgamation are Beaver Green Infant and Hopewell Junior schools.
Now, 2008, Beaver Green Infants and Hopewell Juniors have joined to form Beaver Green Community Primary School, the head teacher being A. Macey.
The two Grammar schools in Ashford are: The Norton Knatchbull Grammar School for Boys, and Highworth Grammar School for Girls.
Ashford is one of the fastest growing areas in England, with rapid growth in the population and the infrastructure needed to support the town. (For the development of the M20 motorway around Ashford, Junction 10 and the new Junction 10a see the M20 development article). In 2004 Regional Planning Guidance
for Ashford set out plans to deliver over 13,000 homes by 2016. Overall, the area has the capacity to deliver a total of 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs by 2031. New housing estates are planned, in particular the area of Cheeseman's Green
, to the east of the town. The town's ring road, with the town centre sitting as an island, was converted back into a two-way operation in 2007, after 30 years as a one way system, at a cost of £10m. This will allow the town centre to expand and accommodate the increasing population. The new two-way route incorporates the first shared space
scheme in the country.
Currently the borough is developing the park and ride system to allow shoppers better access to the facilities in Ashford and is focussed around the previously known 'Drovers roundabout', or the one with the cows on it. As part of this development, there will be changes to the access to J9 on the M20 as well as the building of a new BUPA facility
"SMARTLINK" is a proposed fast link
between the town centre of Ashford, Kent, England and its suburbs and main amenities, creating an alternative to the car, reducing the overall impact of transport. . An integral arts program, Lost O, curated by the artist Michael Pinsky, was developed as part of this scheme but has been highly controversial and has now been removed from the road to avoid confusion by the passing drivers.
The main shopping centre, County Square, has been expanded and opened mid 2008. It is twice the size of the original and houses many well-known stores. In addition a new Waitrose
store is set to open in 2009. The nightclub M20, is to be rebuilt on a new site on Eureka Leisure Park. The new train line High Speed One will access London in 37 minutes. Preview services launched in July 2009, and full services launched on December 14, 2009.
Within the town there are some tourist attractions, among them being Ashford Borough Museum
, Godinton House and Gardens and the Willesborough Windmill. In addition to the main library
in the town there are some local, smaller libraries. A First World War Mk. IV tank
built in Lincoln was presented to the town on 1 July 1919. It is still displayed in the town, a rare survivor. Another place of significant interest, for local nightlife, is Liquid, formerly known as 'Dusty Millers' near Ashford school.
The Ashford Green Corridor
is a linear park alongside the two main rivers through the town.
Ashford is twinned
with - Bad Münstereifel
in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
, (population 19,007) twinned since 1964. (See the German language page for Bad Münstereifel and the town's location on Multimap.) Fougères
in Brittany
, France
, (population 21,779) twinned since 1984. (See the French language page for Fougères and the town's location on Multimap) Hopewell
, Virginia
, USA, (population 22,354) twinned since 1994. (See the town's location on Multimap)
. The Ashford studios also host programmes for other KMFM stations in East Kent. The town is also served by county wide stations BBC Radio Kent
, Heart Kent and Gold.
There are three local newspapers in Ashford - the Kentish Express
, published by the KM Group
; yourashford, published by KOS Media
; and the Ashford Herald, published by Kent Regional News and Media. This started publication in 2009, replacing the Ashford Adscene.
founder, Ray Dorset
, Chart-topping pop-punk band Dum Dums
founder Josh Doyle
to the organists and composers Sir Sydney Nicholson
, New Zealand born singer/songwriter Herbie Sherman
and Sir Malcolm Sargent
. Roger Dean the artist featured on Yes
' album covers, Frederick Forsyth
the author of The Day of the Jackal
and Dudley Pope
, a writer
, were born in the town. Actor
s, Patsy Byrne
(Nursie
in the sitcom Blackadder II
), Mark Rylance
and Alex Arnold
from Skins
were born in the area, with other personalities from the town including satirist John Wells
from That Was The Week That Was
and Bob Holness, a television presenter. Leon Camier
, a British Superbike
racer, also hails from Ashford. Comedians Paul O'Grady
and Julian Clary
are local residents. Cyclist Jamie Staff
(BMX
cycling
World Champion and Track cycling
multi medal winner) lives in the area.
s, Alfred Austin
(Poet Laureate
in 1896), John Fuller
lived in the town. Philosopher
Simone Weil
also lived here; upon contracting tuberculosis
she was moved to a sanatorium
at Kennington, and declared the town "a beautiful place to die", later being recognised by the town's council naming a road after her. Dr John Wallis, the internationally recognised mathematician
was here. Arthur Charles Evans
CBE (21 March 1916 - 18 March 2011) is the author of Sojourn in Silesia and lived in Aldington (a village outside of Ashford), he worked for Kent County Constabulary and was Chief of Administration at Ashford Police Station, a position he held until 1981.
Ashford (borough)
Ashford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. Its council is based in the town of Ashford.The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden with Ashford urban district, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural Districts...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river
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...
, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most important in the county. Ashford is a relatively common English placename: it goes back to Old English æscet, indicating a ford
Ford (crossing)
A ford is a shallow place with good footing where a river or stream may be crossed by wading or in a vehicle. A ford is mostly a natural phenomenon, in contrast to a low water crossing, which is an artificial bridge that allows crossing a river or stream when water is low.The names of many towns...
near a clump of ash-trees
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...
.
The motto of Ashford Borough Council is "With stronger faith", taken from, To Lucasta, Going to the Warres
To Lucasta, Going to the Warres
To Lucasta, Going to the Warres is a 1649 poem by Richard Lovelace. It was published in the collection Lucasta by Lovelace of that year. The initial poems were addressed to Lucasta, not clearly identified with any real-life woman, under the titles Going beyond the Seas and Going to the Warres, on a...
, a poem by the 17th century poet Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace
Richard Lovelace was an English poet in the seventeenth century. He was a cavalier poet who fought on behalf of the king during the Civil war. His best known works are To Althea, from Prison, and To Lucasta, Going to the Warres....
from the borough, the relevant verse being
History
As a market town, Ashford has for centuries been a local communications hub for surroundingvillages and has stood at the centre of five railway lines, (Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line
The Ashford to Ramsgate line is the railway that runs from Ashford to Ramsgate via Canterbury West. The same termini can be reached by the Kent Coast LineThe line is electrified .-Services:...
, Swanley to Ashford (via Maidstone East) Line, South Eastern Main Line, Kent Coast Line
Kent Coast Line
The Kent Coast Line is railway line that runs from Dover Priory to Margate in the English county of Kent.It was electrified by BR under the 1955 Modernisation Plan.- Services :...
and the Marshlink Line
Marshlink Line
The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings...
) since the 19th century. With the opening of the international passenger station
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
is now an important European communications centre, with new lines running between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
(via High Speed 1).
The Borough of Ashford
Ashford (borough)
Ashford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. Its council is based in the town of Ashford.The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden with Ashford urban district, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural Districts...
lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and formed the basis from which the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
is formed.
It is likely that the town originates from an original settlement established in 893AD by inhabitants escaping a Danish Viking raid on the nearby ancient village of Great Chart (Seleberhtes Cert in 762AD), although a Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
passed through here from the iron making
Wealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...
area to Canterbury
Canterbury
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....
. It is listed in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, compiled in 1086, as having a church, two mills and a value of 150 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s, under its original Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
name of "Essetesford" (or "Eshetisford," "Esselesford", "Asshatisforde", "Essheford"). The manor was owned by Hugh de Montford, Constable of England at the time. Writer Philpot believed Essetesford stood for "ash trees growing near a ford", while Lampard, a 16th century local historian, suggested that it meant "a ford over the river Eshe or Eshet", which was the old name for the tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of 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...
between Lenham and Ashford.
Its closeness to London has always made Kent a strong influence on the capital, and vice versa.
Thus by the end of the 16th century Cade
Jack Cade
Jack Cade was the leader of a popular revolt in the 1450 Kent rebellion during the reign of King Henry VI in England. He died on the 12th July 1450 near Lewes. In response to grievances, Cade led an army of as many as 5,000 against London, causing the King to flee to Warwickshire. After taking and...
(of Cade’s Rebellion) was credited by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, part 2
Henry VI, Part 2 or The Second Part of Henry the Sixt is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1591, and set during the lifetime of King Henry VI of England...
as being from Ashford. The play includes an Ashford butcher called "Dick" who looks forward to removing officialdom after the rebellion and says: first thing, let’s kill all the lawyers.
Ashford’s importance as a growing agricultural and market town was confirmed in 1243 when it was incorporated, and by the end of the 16th century it had risen to become an important market town, primarily for livestock. The market was held in the High Street until 1856 when local farmers and businessmen relocated to Elwick Road and formed a market company that claims to be the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales. There is still a regular street market in the town, although the market company has relocated outside the town and is used by some 5,000 farmers.
Ashford has a quite interesting industrial heritage, from being the world headquarters of Letraset, the way to create posters prior to desktop publishing. There was also the company which was the colonial supply company for Tanzania.
Parts of the parish church date from the 13th century but was substantially restored in the 15th century with many alterations since. In 1638 a free grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
was founded here, it was built on the churchyard’s west side, and remained there until 1846, now used as a museum.
During World War II Ashford's importance as a transportation (railway) hub and its location between the Continent and London made it a target for bombing by the Luftwaffe.
The Joint Services School of Intelligence
Joint Services School of Intelligence
The Joint Services School of Intelligence was the training centre for the Intelligence Corps of the British Army based at Templer Barracks in Ashford, Kent, United Kingdom. The school provided training to all elements of the British Armed Forces, civilian authorities and international partners...
was based at Templer Barracks in Ashford, until the barracks were decommissioned in 1997 and then demolished to make way for High Speed 1. In 1982, Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
was involved with the "School".
Geography
Ashford lies in a valley at the confluenceConfluence (geography)
In geography, a confluence is the meeting of two or more bodies of water. It usually refers to the point where two streams flow together, merging into a single stream...
of the Great 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...
and East Stour rivers, where the Great Stour turns northwards to go through the Stour Gap in the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
towards Canterbury
Canterbury
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....
, 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....
, and the English 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...
. To the south lies the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
.
The original town of Ashford, in common with most such towns, has outgrown its original size and has combined with smaller villages in a conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
. These villages include Bockhanger
Bockhanger
Bockhanger is an area of Ashford in Kent, England.- Demography :As of the 2001 UK census, the Bockhanger electoral ward had a population of 2,468....
, Kennington
Kennington, Kent
Kennington is a suburb of Ashford in Kent, England. It is about a mile northeast of the town centre and north of the M20 motorway, and contains the 12th century church, St Mary's. The main A28 Canterbury Road and A251 Faversham Road run through the village...
, Sevington
Sevington
Sevington is a small village and civil parish to the south-east of Ashford, Kent in England, with a population of about 113 in 1872, currently 354....
, Singleton
Singleton, Kent
Singleton is a suburb of Ashford in Kent, South East England, created as an area of new houses, started in the 1980s.Ashford Green Corridor, a Local Nature Reserve, includes Singleton Lake, a man made fishing lake in the area....
, and Willesborough
Willesborough
Willesborough is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Ashford, Kent, England.-The area:The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the East Stour river, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature...
. In addition, housing estates have been built in the open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton
Godinton
Godinton is a suburb of Ashford, Kent in England, with its stately home Godinton House on the outskirts. Godinton is located between Great Chart, Hothfield and the town of Ashford.- Demography :...
, Kingsnorth
Kingsnorth
Kingsnorth is a village and civil parish near Ashford in Kent, England.-Features:The Greensand Way, a long distance footpath stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, passes through the parish on the final stretch....
, Park Farm
Park Farm, Kent
Park Farm is a suburb of Ashford, adjacent to Kingsnorth in Kent, South East England, created as an area of new houses, started in the 1990s. The housing estate includes a school, large superstore, shops...
, and Stanhope
Stanhope, Kent
Stanhope is a civil parish in the Borough of Ashford in Kent, England, with a population of 3,833. The estate was built in the 1960s as overspill housing on the southern edge of Ashford.-Development:...
.
Essentially a modern town, little is left of the old Ashford town centre, apart from some mediaeval half-timbered
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
buildings in Middle Row and around the churchyard in the town centre. A number of old buildings were removed to make way for the controversial ring road around the centre, built in the early 1970s. Three modern shopping centres are located in the town: Park Mall, County Square
County Square
County Square is a shopping centre in Ashford, Kent, England. It is one of three main shopping facilities in the town, others being Park Mall and the Ashford Designer Outlet.-History:...
, and the new Designer Outlet
Ashford Designer Outlet
The Ashford Designer Outlet is a shopping centre in Ashford, Kent, England.The McArthur Glen Ashford Designer Outlet was designed by architect Lord Richard Rogers and engineers Buro Happold, and opened in March 2000...
. Bank Street and High Street are traffic-free shopping thoroughfares.
The increase in the town's commercial importance, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industry, business, and retail parks in the town. These include Waterbrook, a 740,000-m² (183-acre) site for production, storage and distribution with a freight clearance facility; Eureka Science and Business Park, including manufacturing sites and prestige office complexes; the 570,000-m² (141-acres) Orbital Park; the Ashford Designer Outlet
Ashford Designer Outlet
The Ashford Designer Outlet is a shopping centre in Ashford, Kent, England.The McArthur Glen Ashford Designer Outlet was designed by architect Lord Richard Rogers and engineers Buro Happold, and opened in March 2000...
shopping centre, which has won a design award; and fourteen other business parks and industrial estates. There is also a factory of Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
UK producing Batchelor's Soup
Batchelors
For unrelated subjects with similar spelling see Bachelor.Batchelors is a brand of predominantly dried food products. It was formerly a Company founded in 1895 in Sheffield, England. The company now makes instant soup, in particular Cup A Soup and noodle products such as Super Noodles. The company...
.
The 2007 Kent earthquake
2007 Kent earthquake
The 2007 Kent earthquake was an earthquake that registered 4.3 on the Richter scale and struck south east Kent, England on 28 April 2007 at 07:18:12 UTC , at a shallow depth of 5.3 km....
, which registered 4.3 on the Richter scale, was felt in Ashford, though its effects were greatest in Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
.
Climate
Rainfall in the area is highly influenced by the North DownsNorth Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
and the High Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
. In the summer (June to September) the rainfall is more showery, falling over shorter periods and is normally more intense than in the winter (November to February), where it comes along with low pressure area
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
frontal
Weather front
A weather front is a boundary separating two masses of air of different densities, and is the principal cause of meteorological phenomena. In surface weather analyses, fronts are depicted using various colored lines and symbols, depending on the type of front...
systems and falls over longer periods of time. Over the course of an average year, some 116.1 days will record over 1mm of rain. The nearest official weather station for which records are available is Wye, about 3.5 miles to the North East of Ashford Town Centre.
The Absolute maximum temperature reported was 34.8c(94.6f, set in 1990. In an average year, the warmest day would be 28.6c(83.5f), with 10.43 days being 25.1c(77.2f) or higher.
The Absolute minimum temperature of -17.8c (0.0f) was set in January 1985, though 43.9 days in total will report an air frost.
Transport
Ashford is well known as one of England's great transport hubs, overshadowing the likes of Ebbsfleet in the South-East of England.Insofar as roads are concerned, Ashford was one of the towns in Kent to become a hub when the roads were turnpiked
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in the second half of the 18th century. Those roads later became the A20 road from London to the Channel ports; and the A28
A28 road
The A28 is a trunk road in southern England. It runs south-west from the seaside resort of Margate in Kent via Westgate and Birchington, reaching open countryside at Sarre. The road continues via Upstreet and Hersden to Sturry, and on to the cathedral city of Canterbury...
which runs from Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, through Canterbury
Canterbury
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....
onto Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. Junctions 9 and 10 on the M20 motorway serve the town. Additionally the A251 links the town with Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
and the M2. The A2070 links the town with Romney Marsh and Rye.
Operation Stack
Operation Stack
Operation Stack is the name used by Kent Police and the Port of Dover in England to refer to the method of using sections of the M20 motorway in Kent to park lorries when the Channel Tunnel, English Channel or Dover ports are blocked by bad weather or industrial action, or enforced closure due to...
on the M20, usually implemented in response to industrial action in Calais, brings Ashford to a halt several times each year .
The A292 Ashford Ring Road was created in the 1970s around the town centre in an attempt to relieve congestion along the previous main thoroughfare in the town centre, the narrow East Hill. The Ring Road has recently been converted to two-way traffic again, to minimise the "race track" feel and help bring the isolated town centre back into the rest of the area. There are plans for a fast public transport link between the town centre and the suburbs and main amenities, called "SMARTLINK
Smartlink, Ashford
"SMARTLINK" is a proposed fast link between the town centre of Ashford, Kent, England and its suburbs and main amenities, creating an alternative to the car, reducing the overall impact of transport.-Aims of the scheme:...
". See also Fastrak
FasTrak
FasTrak is the electronic toll collection system used in the state of California in the United States. The system is used statewide on all of the toll roads, toll bridges, and high occupancy/toll and express toll lanes along the California Freeway and Expressway System.As with other ETC systems,...
)
The railway came to Ashford when the South Eastern Railway's
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
London to Dover main line opened between 1842 and 1844, and the company established its locomotive works
Ashford railway works
Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England.-South Eastern Railway:Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London...
here. The railway community had its own shops, schools, pubs and bathhouse, and much of the area retains the look of a "railway town"; the works closed in 1981. Ashford became a junction when the line to Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
was opened in 1846; in 1851 today's Marshlink Line
Marshlink Line
The Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings...
to Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
was opened, and on 1 July 1884 the final connection, from Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, was made.
Ashford International railway station
Ashford International railway station serves Ashford in Kent, England. Services are provided by Southeastern, Southern and Eurostar.International services use platforms 3 & 4, whilst domestic trains use the original platforms 1 & 2, and a new island built when the Channel Tunnel opened...
station opened with the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
in 1994. It now serves Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
trains on High Speed 1, with trains to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and connections to the rest of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In November 2007 direct services to Brussels were withdrawn and the frequency of trains to Paris was reduced to three per day when Ebbsfleet International railway station
Ebbsfleet International railway station
Ebbsfleet International railway station is a railway station in Ebbsfleet Valley, in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, 10 miles outside the eastern boundary of Greater London, England. It is near Dartford and the Bluewater shopping centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. Ebbsfleet International...
opened. Local firms, residents and politicians were amongst those seeking a less drastic change in the Eurostar timetable. With the introduction of domestic train services in 2009 along the new High Speed One line to St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
and Stratford
Stratford International station
Stratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
in east London, travel time from Ashford to London will be reduced from 83 to about 37 minutes. A limited preview service for the high speed trains began in July 2009, and the full service launched on the 14th December 2009.
Ashford was formerly served by Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport
Lympne Airport , , was a military and later civil airfield at Lympne, Kent, United Kingdom, which operated from 1916 to 1984. RFC Lympne was originally an acceptance point for aircraft being delivered to, and returning from, France during the First World War...
, commercial services ceased in 1974. The airport at Lydd
Lydd
Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. It is one of the larger towns on the Marsh, and the most southerly town in Kent. Actually located on Denge Marsh, Lydd was one of the first sandy islands to form as the bay evolved into what is now called the Romney Marsh...
, designated London Ashford Airport
London Ashford Airport
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 August 1978, Douglas C-47B G-AMSM of Skyways Cargo Airline was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident.-External links:******...
and approximately 17 miles (27 km) from Ashford, has regular flights to Le Touquet
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It has a population of 5,355....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by Lydd Air
Lydd Air
Lydd Air is a British airline based at Lydd Airport, Kent, United Kingdom. It operates scheduled charter passenger services, air charter and air freight services, as well as an ACMI or fractional ownership programme...
. London Gatwick Airport
London Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport is located 3.1 miles north of the centre of Crawley, West Sussex, and south of Central London. Previously known as London Gatwick,In 2010, the name changed from London Gatwick Airport to Gatwick Airport...
, the nearest fully international airport is 58 miles (94 km) from Ashford.
- The National Cycle NetworkNational Cycle NetworkThe National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
, a network of cycleBicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
routes in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, includes two routes through Ashford: NCR 17 - Rochester - MaidstoneMaidstoneMaidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
- Ashford - HytheHythe, KentHythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
; and NCR 18 - CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury 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....
- Ashford - TenterdenTenterdenTenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
- Tunbridge WellsRoyal Tunbridge WellsRoyal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
.
The Stour Valley Walk
Stour Valley Walk
The Stour Valley Walk is a recreational walking route that follows the River Stour, through the Low Weald and Kent Downs, from its source at Lenham to its estuary at Pegwell Bay....
also follows the main river, connecting with other such long distance footpaths in this part of Kent, including the North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
.
Health
William Harvey HospitalWilliam Harvey Hospital
The William Harvey Hospital, located in Willesborough, Ashford, Kent, England, is one of the three main hospitals in the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust area...
, named after the doctor
William Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician who was the first person to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood being pumped to the body by the heart...
who discovered the blood circulatory system, is in Willesborough
Willesborough
Willesborough is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Ashford, Kent, England.-The area:The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the East Stour river, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature...
. It is the district general hospital, and was commissioned in 1977. It is located just off Junction 10 of the M20 in the Willesborough
Willesborough
Willesborough is a residential suburb on the eastern side of Ashford, Kent, England.-The area:The South Willesborough Dykes area, on the west bank of the East Stour river, is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes. The area is designated as the South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature...
area. It is also home to the Arundel Unit mental health centre and the Paula Carr centre.
Education
- See complete list of schools at List of schools in Kent
Ashford is home to nineteen primary schools
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
(One including St. Teresa's) and six secondary schools
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
(including The Norton Knatchbull School and The Towers School) . There are also two colleges of Further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
and three of the secondary schools have Sixth Form education included.
The John Wesley School for primary education, built on the junction of Chart Road/Cuckoo Lane, Singleton, opened in September 2007.
In June 2006, because of there being 1,007 empty school places in Ashford, Kent County Council discussed the Kent Primary Strategy proposing merging Ashford South Primary School and Oak Tree Primary School, also suggested for amalgamation are Beaver Green Infant and Hopewell Junior schools.
Now, 2008, Beaver Green Infants and Hopewell Juniors have joined to form Beaver Green Community Primary School, the head teacher being A. Macey.
The two Grammar schools in Ashford are: The Norton Knatchbull Grammar School for Boys, and Highworth Grammar School for Girls.
Future development of the town
Regional Planning Guidance
Regional planning guidance is the predecessor of regional spatial strategies. The RPGs include:*Regional Planning Guidance 1: North East *Regional Planning Guidance 6: East Anglia to 2016 *Regional Planning Guidance 8: East Midlands...
for Ashford set out plans to deliver over 13,000 homes by 2016. Overall, the area has the capacity to deliver a total of 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs by 2031. New housing estates are planned, in particular the area of Cheeseman's Green
Cheeseman's Green
Cheeseman's Green is a housing and commercial development to the south of Ashford in Kent, England. It is adjacent to Sevington and Park Farm. It will have 1100 new homes and 7 hectares of commercial space, plus a variety of community facilities....
, to the east of the town. The town's ring road, with the town centre sitting as an island, was converted back into a two-way operation in 2007, after 30 years as a one way system, at a cost of £10m. This will allow the town centre to expand and accommodate the increasing population. The new two-way route incorporates the first shared space
Shared space
Shared space is an urban design concept aimed at integrated use of public spaces. It encourages traffic engineers, urban planners and experts from other fields to consult with users of public space when planning and designing streets and squares in both built and non-built environments...
scheme in the country.
Currently the borough is developing the park and ride system to allow shoppers better access to the facilities in Ashford and is focussed around the previously known 'Drovers roundabout', or the one with the cows on it. As part of this development, there will be changes to the access to J9 on the M20 as well as the building of a new BUPA facility
"SMARTLINK" is a proposed fast link
Smartlink, Ashford
"SMARTLINK" is a proposed fast link between the town centre of Ashford, Kent, England and its suburbs and main amenities, creating an alternative to the car, reducing the overall impact of transport.-Aims of the scheme:...
between the town centre of Ashford, Kent, England and its suburbs and main amenities, creating an alternative to the car, reducing the overall impact of transport. . An integral arts program, Lost O, curated by the artist Michael Pinsky, was developed as part of this scheme but has been highly controversial and has now been removed from the road to avoid confusion by the passing drivers.
The main shopping centre, County Square, has been expanded and opened mid 2008. It is twice the size of the original and houses many well-known stores. In addition a new Waitrose
Waitrose
Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom and is the food division of the British retailer and worker co-operative the John Lewis Partnership. Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England...
store is set to open in 2009. The nightclub M20, is to be rebuilt on a new site on Eureka Leisure Park. The new train line High Speed One will access London in 37 minutes. Preview services launched in July 2009, and full services launched on December 14, 2009.
Culture
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, Godinton House and Gardens and the Willesborough Windmill. In addition to the main library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
in the town there are some local, smaller libraries. A First World War Mk. IV tank
Mark I tank
The British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed by the British Army during the First World War and the world's first combat tank. The Mark I entered service in August 1916, and was first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, of the Somme...
built in Lincoln was presented to the town on 1 July 1919. It is still displayed in the town, a rare survivor. Another place of significant interest, for local nightlife, is Liquid, formerly known as 'Dusty Millers' near Ashford school.
The Ashford Green Corridor
Ashford Green Corridor
Ashford Green Corridor is a green space that runs through the town of Ashford in Kent, England. The Green Corridor is made up of parks, recreation grounds and other green spaces alongside the rivers that flow through Ashford....
is a linear park alongside the two main rivers through the town.
Ashford is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with - Bad Münstereifel
Bad Münstereifel
Bad Münstereifel is a historical spa town in the district of Euskirchen, Germany, with about 19,000 inhabitants, situated in the far south of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, (population 19,007) twinned since 1964. (See the German language page for Bad Münstereifel and the town's location on Multimap.) Fougères
Fougères
Fougères is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, in north-western France.-Sights:Fougères' major monument is a medieval stronghold built atop a granite ledge, which was part of the ultimately unsuccessful defence system of the Duchy of Brittany against...
in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, (population 21,779) twinned since 1984. (See the French language page for Fougères and the town's location on Multimap) Hopewell
Hopewell, Virginia
Hopewell is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 22,591 at the 2010 Census . It is in Tri-Cities area of the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA, (population 22,354) twinned since 1994. (See the town's location on Multimap)
Local media
Ashford has one local commercial radio station, KMFM AshfordKMFM Ashford
KMFM Ashford is an Independent Local Radio serving the borough of Ashford and the surrounding areas in Kent, South East England. It is part of the KMFM group of radio stations in the county, which are part of the KM Group.-History:...
. The Ashford studios also host programmes for other KMFM stations in East Kent. The town is also served by county wide stations BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent
BBC Radio Kent is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Kent.It broadcasts on FM on 96.7 , 97.6 and 104.2 also 774 and 1602 MW and DAB.- History :The radio station was launched in 1970 under the name of BBC Radio Medway, originally only serving the...
, Heart Kent and Gold.
There are three local newspapers in Ashford - the Kentish Express
Kentish Express
The Kentish Express is a weekly newspaper serving southern Kent. It is published in four editions - Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe and the Romney Marsh, and Tenterden. It is owned by the KM Group and is published on Thursdays.-History:...
, published by the KM Group
KM Group
The KM Group, formerly known as the Kent Messenger Group until 2008, is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England...
; yourashford, published by KOS Media
KOS Media
KOS Media is a multimedia company based in the county of Kent in South East England. The company operates local newspapers and internet sites throughout the county.-History:...
; and the Ashford Herald, published by Kent Regional News and Media. This started publication in 2009, replacing the Ashford Adscene.
Sport
- Ashford Judo Club is based at South Ashford Youth Centre, St Stephens Walk, on Saturday mornings. It was started in 2008 and is growing rapidly, with an impressive 50+ members already.
- Ashford Town Football ClubAshford Town F.C. (Kent)Ashford United F.C. are an English football club based in Ashford, Kent. The 'new' United was formed in 2011 . Between 1930 and 2010 the town was represented by Ashford Town FC, before it ultimately went into administration...
formed around 1880 as Ashford United and has changed names to Ashford Railway and Ashford FC before settling on the current "Town". The club's highest league position was 18th in the Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Premier Division, 1987–88 and best FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
performance was the 2nd round in the 1962-63, 1966–67 and 1995-96 seasons. - Ashford Hockey Club is based at Ball Lane, KenningtonKennington, KentKennington is a suburb of Ashford in Kent, England. It is about a mile northeast of the town centre and north of the M20 motorway, and contains the 12th century church, St Mary's. The main A28 Canterbury Road and A251 Faversham Road run through the village...
and were formed in 1898. - Ashford Town Swimming Club
- Ashford Rugby Club, based in Kennington. The club has a thriving junior section: Ashford Rugby Under 15s. The Club organises an annual beer festival: a 3 day event, held each August, featuring real ale, music and rugby.
- The Julie Rose Stadium is in Willesborough: it is an athletics stadium and home to Ashford Athletics Club.
- Ashford Archers
Notable people
Ashford has housed many musicians and many up and coming singer/songwriters from skiffle band Mungo JerryMungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...
founder, Ray Dorset
Ray Dorset
Ray Dorset is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and founder of Mungo Jerry...
, Chart-topping pop-punk band Dum Dums
Dum Dums (band)
The Dum Dums were a British guitar-pop band. London based, they split up in August 2001. The band members were Josh Doyle - vocals and guitar, Steve Clarke - bass and vocals, Stuart 'Baxter' Wilkinson - drums and vocals.-Career:...
founder Josh Doyle
Josh Doyle
Josh Doyle is a British-American songwriter and musician who was the lead singer and guitarist for British punk-pop band Dum Dums. He disappeared after the break-up of Dum Dums in 2001, the band having released one album...
to the organists and composers Sir Sydney Nicholson
Sydney Nicholson
Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson was an English choir director, organist and composer, now chiefly remembered as the founder of the Royal School of Church Music . He was born in London and educated at Rugby School, New College, Oxford and the Royal College of Music...
, New Zealand born singer/songwriter Herbie Sherman
Herbie Sherman
Herbie Sherman is of New Zealand/Aotearoa Maori descent and resides in Ashford, Kent, in the UK. He is a singer/songwriter and is currently working on his debut album with producer Kevan Frost....
and Sir Malcolm Sargent
Malcolm Sargent
Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works...
. Roger Dean the artist featured on Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
' album covers, Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...
the author of The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal is a thriller novel by English writer Frederick Forsyth, about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French terrorist group of the early 1960s, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France....
and Dudley Pope
Dudley Pope
Dudley Bernard Egerton Pope was a British writer of both nautical fiction and history, most notable for his Lord Ramage series of historical novels. Greatly inspired by C.S. Forester, Pope was one of the most successful authors to explore the genre of nautical fiction, often compared to Patrick...
, a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, were born in the town. Actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s, Patsy Byrne
Patsy Byrne
Patsy Byrne is an English actress.-Biography:She was educated at Ashford School for Girls, and attended the school around the same time as Lorna Fendall, and Joanna Brough, daughter of Arthur Brough...
(Nursie
Nursie
Nursie is a fictional character in the second series of the popular BBC sitcom Blackadder II. She was played by Patsy Byrne and appeared in all six episodes. She also appeared in two of the Blackadder specials; Blackadder's Christmas Carol and Blackadder: Back & Forth...
in the sitcom Blackadder II
Blackadder
Blackadder is the name that encompassed four series of a BBC1 historical sitcom, along with several one-off instalments. All television programme episodes starred Rowan Atkinson as anti-hero Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson as Blackadder's dogsbody, Baldrick...
), Mark Rylance
Mark Rylance
Mark Rylance is an English actor, theatre director and playwright.As an actor, Rylance found success on stage and screen. For his work in theatre he has won Olivier and Tony Awards among others, and a BAFTA TV Award...
and Alex Arnold
Alex Arnold (actor)
Alex Arnold is a British television actor from Ashford, Kent. He is best known for his role as Rich Hardbeck in the E4 series Skins and has appeared in the 2011 music video Death Cloud by Cloud Control....
from Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
were born in the area, with other personalities from the town including satirist John Wells
John Wells (satirist)
John Wells was an English actor, writer and satirist, educated at Eastbourne College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford...
from That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was
That Was The Week That Was, also known as TW3, is a satirical television comedy programme that was shown on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced and directed by Ned Sherrin and presented by David Frost...
and Bob Holness, a television presenter. Leon Camier
Leon Camier
Leon Stuart Camier is a British motorcycle racer from Ashford, Kent, currently living in Bournemouth. He is the 2009 British Superbike Champion and previously won the 2005 British Supersport title. 2010 is his first season in the World Superbike series.-Personal life:Camier is the son of David and...
, a British Superbike
British Superbike
The British Superbike Championship is the leading road racing superbike championship in the United Kingdom.The championship is managed and organised by MotorSport Vision. The Series and Race Director is Stuart Higgs. Event marshals are provided by the Racesafe Marshals Association.Two annual...
racer, also hails from Ashford. Comedians Paul O'Grady
Paul O'Grady
Paul James Michael O'Grady MBE is an English comedian, television presenter, actor, writer and radio DJ. He is best known for presenting the daytime chat television series, The Paul O'Grady Show and, more recently, Paul O'Grady Live, as well as his drag queen comedic alter ego, Lily Savage, as...
and Julian Clary
Julian Clary
Julian Peter McDonald Clary is an English comedian and novelist, known for his deliberately stereotypical camp style, with a heavy reliance on innuendo and double entendre.-Early life and education:...
are local residents. Cyclist Jamie Staff
Jamie Staff
Jamie Alan Staff MBE is an English racing cyclist and coach, formerly on BMX and later on the track. A World and Olympic champion, he has also won numerous other medals at World Championships, World Cups and at the Commonwealth Games....
(BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
World Champion and Track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
multi medal winner) lives in the area.
Notable people of the area from the past
PoetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s, Alfred Austin
Alfred Austin
Alfred Austin was an English poet who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1896 upon the death of Alfred, Lord Tennyson.-Life:...
(Poet Laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
in 1896), John Fuller
John Fuller (poet)
John Fuller is an English poet and author, and Fellow Emeritus at Magdalen College, Oxford.Fuller was born in Ashford, Kent, England, the son of poet and Oxford Professor Roy Fuller, and educated at St Paul's School and New College, Oxford. He began teaching in 1962 at the State University of New...
lived in the town. Philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
Simone Weil
Simone Weil
Simone Weil , was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist.-Biography:Weil was born in Paris to Alsatian agnostic Jewish parents who fled the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. She grew up in comfortable circumstances, and her father was a doctor. Her only sibling was...
also lived here; upon contracting tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
she was moved to a sanatorium
Ashford Police Training Centre
Ashford Police Training Centre was the main training centre for police recruits from forces in the south east of England from 1973 to its closure in 2006...
at Kennington, and declared the town "a beautiful place to die", later being recognised by the town's council naming a road after her. Dr John Wallis, the internationally recognised mathematician
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
was here. Arthur Charles Evans
Arthur Charles Evans
Arthur Charles Evans, CBE is the author of Sojourn in Silesia: 1940 - 1945, in which he recounts his experiences of his time in World War II, between 1940 and 1945, in the prisoner-of-war camp, Stalag VIIIB....
CBE (21 March 1916 - 18 March 2011) is the author of Sojourn in Silesia and lived in Aldington (a village outside of Ashford), he worked for Kent County Constabulary and was Chief of Administration at Ashford Police Station, a position he held until 1981.
External links
- MyAshford.com - the guide to Ashford and the surrounding area
- Ashford's Future website - the company leading Ashford's regeneration plans
- History website includes maps and Photographs
- Ashford Chamber of Commerce website
- Ashford Borough Council website
- kentish express - Local news and events from the Ashford area
- yourashford - Weekly news paper website