Brenchley
Encyclopedia
Brenchley is a village
and civil parish in the Borough
of Tunbridge Wells
, Kent
, England
.
, and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Paddock Wood
, and includes the neighbouring village of Matfield
. Brenchley & Matfield CoE
primary school is located in Brenchley.
Brenchley parish church is dedicated to All Saints; there is an avenue of yew
trees leading up to it. The village earns some historical fame by being one of the villages that was closely involved in medieval iron making
. The site of the furnace lies within the parish of Horsmonden
now.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and civil parish in the Borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells (borough)
Tunbridge Wells is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, by the merger of the municipal borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells along with Southborough urban district, Cranbrook Rural...
, 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...
.
History
The name is historically derived from Branca's Leigh. The parish is located 8 miles (12.9 km) east of Tunbridge WellsRoyal Tunbridge Wells
Royal 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...
, and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Paddock Wood
Paddock Wood
Paddock Wood is a small town and civil parish in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells and county of Kent in England, about southwest of Maidstone. At the time of the 2001 census it had a population of 8,263, and is the centre for hop growing in Kent.-History:...
, and includes the neighbouring village of Matfield
Matfield
Matfield is a small village, part of the civil parish of Brenchley, in the Tunbridge Wells Borough of Kent, England. The sculptor Theresa Sassoon planted a tree on the green to commemorate the end of World War I; the tree was blown down in the hurricane of 1987 and had to be replaced...
. Brenchley & Matfield CoE
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
primary school is located in Brenchley.
Brenchley parish church is dedicated to All Saints; there is an avenue of yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
trees leading up to it. The village earns some historical fame by being one of the villages that was closely involved in medieval 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...
. The site of the furnace lies within the parish of Horsmonden
Horsmonden
Horsmonden is a village in Kent, on the Weald. It is situated on a road leading from Maidstone to Lamberhurst, three miles north of the latter place. The nearest railway station is Paddock Wood, Horsmonden railway station having closed in 1961.- History :It was an important centre of the medieval...
now.
Notable people.
- John BrowneJohn Browne (King's Gunfounder)John Browne was the first holder of the post of King's Gunfounder, which was created in 1615. He was heavily involved in the Wealden iron industry, having control of six furnaces in Surrey and Sussex, two in the Forest of Dean as well as his own furnace between Brenchley and...
, (d1653), the first holder of the office of King's Gunfounder. - Hamo de CrevequerHamo de CrevequerHamo de Crevequer was a Norman nobleman who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.Gerinun de Holeburn was in 1263 one of a jury of twelve assembled lawfully to conclude upon an ‘inquisition into how much land ‘Hamo de Creuker’, Baron of Chatham, deceased, held of our Lord the King,...
(d 1263), Norman nobleman who possessed Brenchley and established a market. - Gordon GiltrapGordon GiltrapGordon Giltrap is an English acoustic and electric guitarist and composer, whose musical styles cross multiple genres, including folk, blues, folk rock, pop, classical and rock....
(b 1948), musician, was born in Brenchley. - Edward MartinEdward Martin (cricketer)Edward Martin was an English cricketer. Martin was a right-handed batsman.Martin made his first-class debut for pre-county club Hampshire against the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1843...
(1814–69), English cricketer who was born in Brenchley. - Richard PhilpottRichard PhilpottRichard Philpott was an English cricketer who played for Victoria. He was born in West Farleigh and died in Brenchley.Philpott made a single first-class appearance for the side, during the 1850-51 season, against Tasmania...
(1813-88), English cricketer who resided in Brenchley at the time of his death. - Sophie Rhys-Jones (b 1965), wife of Prince EdwardPrince Edward, Earl of WessexPrince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
, lived in Brenchley. - Thomas ThornycroftThomas ThornycroftThomas Thornycroft was an English sculptor and engineer.-Biography:Thomas Thornycroft was born near Gawsworth, Cheshire, the eldest son of John Thornycroft, a farmer. He was educated at Congleton Grammar School and then briefly apprenticed to a surgeon. He moved to London where he spent four...
(1815-85), sculptor, lived in Brenchley at the time of his death. - Wat TylerWat TylerWalter "Wat" Tyler was a leader of the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381.-Early life:Knowledge of Tyler's early life is very limited, and derives mostly through the records of his enemies. Historians believe he was born in Essex, but are not sure why he crossed the Thames Estuary to Kent...
(1341-1381), leader of the Peasants' RevoltPeasants' RevoltThe Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
, is reputed to have been born in Brenchley.