West Kingsdown
Encyclopedia
West Kingsdown is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks
District of Kent
, England
. The parish is located on the North Downs
, north of Sevenoaks
town, within the London Commuter Belt
. Both the A20 and the M20 motorway
cross the parish.
The village, because of its situation near London, has been considerably extended from its original situation on the main road: the newer part is mainly to the north. To the southwest of the main village are the rural housing developments of Knatts Valley
and East Hill
.
Beyond that extension lies the Brands Hatch
motor racing circuit.
There are four churches in the village: the parish church of St Edmund King and Martyr; a Baptist
chapel; the Roman Catholic church of St Bernardette; and a Kings Church, established in 1996.
killed a policeman in his £1million home on School Lane. Noye was under observation for laundering gold from the Brink's-Mat robbery. On Saturday, 26 January, 1985, surveillance officer John Fordham
was cornered by Noye's three rottweilers as he watched the gangster's home. Noye later claimed he was being targeted by an underworld hitman. He stabbed Fordham 11 times, later claiming he acted in self defence. Noye was cleared of murder when the jury accepted his story.
Sevenoaks (district)
Sevenoaks is a local government district covering the western most part of Kent in England. Its council is based in the town of Sevenoaks. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the Sevenoaks Urban District, Sevenoaks Rural District and part of Dartford...
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 on 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...
, north of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
town, within the London Commuter Belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. Both the A20 and 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...
cross the parish.
The village, because of its situation near London, has been considerably extended from its original situation on the main road: the newer part is mainly to the north. To the southwest of the main village are the rural housing developments of Knatts Valley
Knatts Valley
Knatts Valley is situated in the West Kingsdown civil parish in Kent in England.It was originally a rural community consisting mainly of several small holdings: the principal farms being Knatts Farm , giving its name to the area; and Maplescombe Farm...
and East Hill
East Hill, Kent
East Hill is a hamlet in the West Kingsdown, in the Sevenoaks District, in the county of Kent.- Location :East Hill is about eight miles south west of the large town of Sevenoaks and about four miles north of the large village of Kemsing, Kent and about two miles south west of the large village of...
.
Beyond that extension lies the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
motor racing circuit.
There are four churches in the village: the parish church of St Edmund King and Martyr; a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
chapel; the Roman Catholic church of St Bernardette; and a Kings Church, established in 1996.
Crime
Notorious criminal Kenneth NoyeKenneth Noye
Kenneth James Noye is a British criminal who was convicted of the 1996 murder of Stephen Cameron.Noye was involved in laundering the proceeds of the Brink's-MAT robbery in 1983–4. While he was being investigated for his part in the robbery, he stabbed to death police officer John Fordham who was...
killed a policeman in his £1million home on School Lane. Noye was under observation for laundering gold from the Brink's-Mat robbery. On Saturday, 26 January, 1985, surveillance officer John Fordham
John Fordham
John Fordham was Bishop of Durham and Bishop of Ely.Fordham was keeper of the privy seal of Prince Richard from 1376 to 1377 and Dean of Wells before being named Lord Privy Seal in June of 1377. He held that office until December of 1381....
was cornered by Noye's three rottweilers as he watched the gangster's home. Noye later claimed he was being targeted by an underworld hitman. He stabbed Fordham 11 times, later claiming he acted in self defence. Noye was cleared of murder when the jury accepted his story.