Leeds, Kent
Encyclopedia
Leeds is a village
and civil parish in the Maidstone
District of Kent
, England
. The parish is located to the east of Maidstone
.
The village of Leeds is five miles (8 km) from the county town. It appeared in the Domesday Book
of 1086 called Esledes - an old English word meaning slope or hillside. It is so called because the village is on the hillside above the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway
. An alternative explanation for the name is that it derived its name from Ledian, who built the first wooden fortress here in 978. It also has a primary school, Leeds and Broomfield C of E Primary.
St Nicholas's Church
has the second largest Norman
tower in England. Leeds Priory
was dissolved
in 1539. To the east of the village is Leeds Castle
.
To the west and between Otham CP and Leeds the area of Caring
is located. Caring has a number of modern farmhouses, in the style of an Oast house
. Another attraction is the old Vineyard, a free tourist feature.
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 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...
. The parish is located to the 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...
.
The village of Leeds is five miles (8 km) from the county town. It appeared 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...
of 1086 called Esledes - an old English word meaning slope or hillside. It is so called because the village is on the hillside above the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
. An alternative explanation for the name is that it derived its name from Ledian, who built the first wooden fortress here in 978. It also has a primary school, Leeds and Broomfield C of E Primary.
St Nicholas's Church
St Nicholas's Church, Leeds
St Nicholas's is a parish church in Leeds, Kent begun in the 11th century with additions in the next five centuries. It is a Grade I listed building.-Building:...
has the second largest Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
tower in England. Leeds Priory
Leeds Priory
Leeds Priory, also known as Leeds Abbey was a priory in Leeds, Kent, England that was founded in 1119 and dissolved in 1539. A mansion was later built on the site of the priory, it was demolished in the late C18th.-Description:...
was dissolved
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539. To the east of the village is Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle
Leeds Castle, southeast of Maidstone, Kent, England, dates back to 1119, though a Saxon fort stood on the same site from the 9th century. The castle is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds....
.
To the west and between Otham CP and Leeds the area of Caring
Caring, Kent
Caring is a settlement south of Bearsted, near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. It is located amid several farms on the River Len, a tributary of the Medway....
is located. Caring has a number of modern farmhouses, in the style of an Oast house
Oast house
An oast, oast house or hop kiln is a building designed for kilning hops as part of the brewing process. They can be found in most hop-growing areas and are often good examples of vernacular architecture...
. Another attraction is the old Vineyard, a free tourist feature.