Speldhurst
Encyclopedia
Speldhurst is a village and civil parish
in the borough of Tunbridge Wells
in Kent
, England
. The parish is 15 miles (24 km) to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is 3 miles (5 km) west of the town.
and built by Hope Constable of Penshurst
, being dedicated to St Mary on 6 May 1871. The stained glass windows are by Burne Jones
and William Morris
. At present the parish of Speldhurst is part of a united parish with Ashurst
and Groombridge
. A previous incumbent of St Mary's Church Speldhurst was Rev Baden Powell, the father of Lord Baden-Powell
who founded the Scout
Movement. Rev. Powell married his second wife in the Church, and she is buried in the churchyard.
Speldhurst has become famous for the "Speldhurst sausages" which are known world wide.
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 borough 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...
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...
. The parish is 15 miles (24 km) to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is 3 miles (5 km) west of the town.
Parish Church
St Mary's Church Speldhurst was designed by John Oldrid ScottJohn Oldrid Scott
John Oldrid Scott was an English architect.He was the son of Sir George Gilbert Scott and Caroline née Oldrid. His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, were also prominent architects. He married Mary Ann Stevens in 1868, eldest daughter of the Reverend Thomas...
and built by Hope Constable of Penshurst
Penshurst
Penshurst is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald, west of Tonbridge. Within the parish boundaries are the two villages of Penshurst and Fordcombe, with a combined population of some 1,479 persons. The...
, being dedicated to St Mary on 6 May 1871. The stained glass windows are by Burne Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
and William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
. At present the parish of Speldhurst is part of a united parish with Ashurst
Ashurst
-Persons:*Henry F. Ashurst, U.S. Senator from Arizona *Lee Ashurst, British citizen convicted of computer crimes in Dubai*Len Ashurst, English footballer and manager*Mark Ashurst-McGee, Mormon historian-Places:*Ashurst, Hampshire...
and Groombridge
Groombridge
thumb|right|A house in GroombridgeGroombridge is a village of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent and East Sussex, in England. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells, about away by road....
. A previous incumbent of St Mary's Church Speldhurst was Rev Baden Powell, the father of Lord Baden-Powell
Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, Bt, OM, GCMG, GCVO, KCB , also known as B-P or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, and founder of the Scout Movement....
who founded the Scout
Scout
A scout is a soldier performing reconnaissance and other support duties.Scout may also refer to:-Aircraft:* Scout , pre-1920s terminology for a single-seat fighter...
Movement. Rev. Powell married his second wife in the Church, and she is buried in the churchyard.
Local customs
Speldhurst has an annual pram race run, oh yeah baby! On the second Sunday in May. There are various race categories of different age groups with the main event being two laps around the village. Contestants have to push a "baby" around the course and all have to down half a pint every time they pass the two drinks stations, one situated by the George and Dragon and the other by the old Northfields pub. Current six time champion is Richard Perkins.Speldhurst has become famous for the "Speldhurst sausages" which are known world wide.
Parish villages and hamlets
- AshurstAshurst, KentAshurst is a village five miles west of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England, and is in the civil parish of Speldhurst. The 10th century parish church is dedicated to St Martin of Tours The parish is located on the border between Kent and East Sussex; the River Medway forms the border between the two...
- Langton GreenLangton GreenLangton Green is a village in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, England, lying around two miles west of the town centre along the A264. It is located within the parish of Speldhurst although it has its own church on the village green. There is a village primary school, Langton Green CP School...
- Old Groombridge
- Speldhurst itself
- Stone CrossStone Cross, KentStone Cross is a hamlet located on the A264 road east of Ashurst, Kent. There are few houses and no shops. Burrswood, a building designed by Decimus Burton is located between the hamlet and Groombridge it in commercial use by a Christian charity....