Harrietsham
Encyclopedia
Harrietsham is a rural village and civil parish
in the Maidstone
District of Kent
, England
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
, it has a population of around 1,504. The parish is located on the slope of the North Downs
, east of Maidstone
. Within its boundaries are settlements at Marley
, Pollhill
and Fairbourne.
The village, six miles (6.4 km) from the town, is bypassed by the A20 road between Maidstone and Ashford
, although at one time all traffic passed through it. It is noted in the Domesday Book
.
The village contains a number of listed buildings, the most important of which architecturally are The Old House
in East Street and the Saxon
Church of St John the Baptist, which are both listed Grade I. The village also includes a church dedicated to St Peter, a Roman Catholic church and several nonconformist churches.
Harrietsham railway station
serves the village. Both the M20 motorway
and High Speed 1 pass through the parish.
of Hollington, East Sussex
. On Levett's death, his widow remarried Laurence Ashburnham, Gent., of Broomham, Sussex, ancestor of the Ashburnham Baronets
, bringing the manor of Harrietsham into the Ashburnham family.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Maidstone
Maidstone (borough)
Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone which is also the County town of Kent...
District of 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...
. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, it has a population of around 1,504. The parish is located on the slope of 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...
, east of 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...
. Within its boundaries are settlements at Marley
Marley, Maidstone
Marley is a hamlet in the civil parish of Harrietsham that, in turn, forms part of the district of Maidstone in the English county of Kent.- External links :...
, Pollhill
Pollhill
Pollhill is a hamlet near Harrietsham near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England....
and Fairbourne.
The village, six miles (6.4 km) from the town, is bypassed by the A20 road between Maidstone and Ashford
Ashford, Kent
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...
, although at one time all traffic passed through it. It is noted 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...
.
The village contains a number of listed buildings, the most important of which architecturally are The Old House
The Old House, Harrietsham
The Old House is a former farmhouse in Harrietsham, Kent, built around 1500 and described as "unusually well preserved".The house is a two-storey timber framed structure with a steeply pitched plain tiled hipped roof. The right and left ends of the front façade and the two end façades are jettied...
in East Street and the 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 of St John the Baptist, which are both listed Grade I. The village also includes a church dedicated to St Peter, a Roman Catholic church and several nonconformist churches.
Harrietsham railway station
Harrietsham railway station
Harrietsham railway station serves Harrietsham in Kent. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Southeastern.The ticket office is manned only during the morning peak period; at other times a PERTIS 'permit to travel' machine, located at the entrance to the up platform,...
serves the village. Both the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and High Speed 1 pass through the parish.
History
In medieval times, the manor of Harrietsham passed through a succession of families, including the Adam family of Essex. The manor subsequently passed from Stephen Adam to his sister Eve, wife of John LevettLevett
Levett is an Anglo-Norman territorial surname deriving from the village of Livet-en-Ouche, now Jonquerets-de-Livet, in Eure, Normandy. Ancestors of the earliest Levett family in England, the de Livets were lords of the village of Livet, and undertenants of the de Ferrers, among the most powerful of...
of Hollington, East Sussex
Hollington, East Sussex
Hollington is a suburb and local government ward in the northwest of Hastings, East Sussex. The area lies next to Baldslow, Ashdown, North and Conquest, and less than five miles southeast of Battle, East Sussex, the home of Battle Abbey, which commemorates the victory of William the Conqueror at...
. On Levett's death, his widow remarried Laurence Ashburnham, Gent., of Broomham, Sussex, ancestor of the Ashburnham Baronets
Ashburnham Baronets
The Ashburnham Baronetcy, of Broomham in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 15 May 1661 for Denny Ashburnham, Member of Parliament for Hastings...
, bringing the manor of Harrietsham into the Ashburnham family.