Woodchurch, Kent
Encyclopedia
Woodchurch is a village
and civil parish
, 7 miles from the market
town of Ashford
and 5 miles (8 km) from the Cinque Ports
town of Tenterden
, in Kent
, South East England
.
The windmill
that overlooks the village from the north commands extensive views over the Walland marshes to the English Channel
coast. It is a fine example of a Kentish smock mill
and was originally one of a pair of windmills standing on this site, known locally as The Twins. The mill is open throughout the summer and is accessible via a footpath that passes between the village pubs.
The village is on the edge of the Weald
of Kent, whilst the parish extends 6 miles (10 km) north to south and 4 miles (6 km) east to west, one of Kent's largest. Within the village are the settlements of Brattle
and Townland Green. To the south-west is the flat expanse of Shirley Moor leading to Romney Marsh
and the low wooded hills overlooking Appledore
and the Marsh are to the south-east. The surrounding area is designated as a Kent Special Landscape Area.
in the 1840s, it still boasts a 13th century chancel
and a famous brass
of the 14th century, depicting a floriated cross design. It has an unusual four-faced clock and a spire which is 18 inches (46 cm) out of the vertical at the top. The church has a peal of 6 bells, with its tenor bell weighing 3/4 ton. Several of the bells were cast at the Whitechapel foundry in London. The bells are rung from an oak framed platform at the tower end. The ringing can be seen from the main church through a large glazed partition. The tower is unusual as it houses four clock faces, an expensive addition at the time of installation, allowing the clock to be seen throughout the village.
The village primary
school is situated near the church and was a National school
. The first building was erected in 1844 and the school has since been enlarged on four occasions, namely, in 1872, 1896, 1990 and most recently in 1998. Originally the main old building was significantly smaller than today and was later extended. The main hall was added in the early nineties, under headmaster Alan Green. Temporary "mobile complexes" were added, removed and replaced with permanent structures over the years to accommodate the school's increasing roll.
The village green in the centre of the village is a focal point for the community. It is home to the village football and cricket clubs; which have use of a permanent pavilion on the greenside; as well as a modern children's playground. Alongside the green is the Village Memorial Hall and Annexe, as well as Tennis courts. Plans are currently being considered and funds raised for a replacement Hall. The Hall has a fully functional proscenium theatre space, which is home to the village's Players organisation, which produces shows and pantomime.
The village also has a community centre on Lower Road. This centre was originally built to replace the original Scout hall on George's Hill which was dilapidated and dangerous. It is now home to Scouts, Guides and other community organisation, as well as being for hire.
Woodchurch also boasts the Woodchurch Village Life Museum located on Susan's Hill and the South of England Rare Breeds Centre
is located a mile out of the village on the Hamstreet
road (B2067,).
The village also has its own Morris dancing side, Woodchurch Morris Men, who started dancing together in 1990. They are proud to perpetuate the ancient tradition and have many stands throughout the year.
Historically the village has been home to three public houses. The Bonny Cravat and Six Bells opposite the church in the main village, The Stonebridge Inn serving the Brattle area at the other end of the village. The Bonny Cravat is a managed Shepherd Neame
pub and The Six Bells is a free house. The Stonebridge Inn closed in the early 2000s and has now been demolished to make way for a large newbuild carehome.
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
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...
, 7 miles from the market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
town of 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...
and 5 miles (8 km) from the Cinque Ports
Cinque Ports
The Confederation of Cinque Ports is a historic series of coastal towns in Kent and Sussex. It was originally formed for military and trade purposes, but is now entirely ceremonial. It lies at the eastern end of the English Channel, where the crossing to the continent is narrowest...
town of Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
, 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...
, South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
The windmill
Lower Mill, Woodchurch
Lower mill is a smock mill in Woodchurch, Kent, England that was built in 1820. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.-History:Lower Mill was built in 1820, one of a pair of smock mills, the other being the Upper Mill. It may have had common sails when built as the sale of a pair of sails is recorded...
that overlooks the village from the north commands extensive views over the Walland marshes to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
coast. It is a fine example of a Kentish smock mill
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
and was originally one of a pair of windmills standing on this site, known locally as The Twins. The mill is open throughout the summer and is accessible via a footpath that passes between the village pubs.
The village is on the edge of the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
of Kent, whilst the parish extends 6 miles (10 km) north to south and 4 miles (6 km) east to west, one of Kent's largest. Within the village are the settlements of Brattle
Brattle
Brattle is one of the settlements making up the large village of Woodchurch in Kent, England. It is situated at the southern apex of the triangle of roads which are the main village....
and Townland Green. To the south-west is the flat expanse of Shirley Moor leading to Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
and the low wooded hills overlooking Appledore
Appledore, Kent
Appledore is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village centre is 12 miles south-west of Ashford town, and on the northern edge of the Romney Marsh The northerly part of this village is Appledore Heath....
and the Marsh are to the south-east. The surrounding area is designated as a Kent Special Landscape Area.
Institutions & Village Life
The village became firmly established in the 13th century with the erection of the large All Saints church made of Kentish ragstone. Although it was extensively restoredVictorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in the 1840s, it still boasts a 13th century chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
and a famous brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
of the 14th century, depicting a floriated cross design. It has an unusual four-faced clock and a spire which is 18 inches (46 cm) out of the vertical at the top. The church has a peal of 6 bells, with its tenor bell weighing 3/4 ton. Several of the bells were cast at the Whitechapel foundry in London. The bells are rung from an oak framed platform at the tower end. The ringing can be seen from the main church through a large glazed partition. The tower is unusual as it houses four clock faces, an expensive addition at the time of installation, allowing the clock to be seen throughout the village.
The village primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
school is situated near the church and was a National school
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
. The first building was erected in 1844 and the school has since been enlarged on four occasions, namely, in 1872, 1896, 1990 and most recently in 1998. Originally the main old building was significantly smaller than today and was later extended. The main hall was added in the early nineties, under headmaster Alan Green. Temporary "mobile complexes" were added, removed and replaced with permanent structures over the years to accommodate the school's increasing roll.
The village green in the centre of the village is a focal point for the community. It is home to the village football and cricket clubs; which have use of a permanent pavilion on the greenside; as well as a modern children's playground. Alongside the green is the Village Memorial Hall and Annexe, as well as Tennis courts. Plans are currently being considered and funds raised for a replacement Hall. The Hall has a fully functional proscenium theatre space, which is home to the village's Players organisation, which produces shows and pantomime.
The village also has a community centre on Lower Road. This centre was originally built to replace the original Scout hall on George's Hill which was dilapidated and dangerous. It is now home to Scouts, Guides and other community organisation, as well as being for hire.
Woodchurch also boasts the Woodchurch Village Life Museum located on Susan's Hill and the South of England Rare Breeds Centre
Canterbury Oast Trust
The Canterbury Oast Trust is a registered charity which runs commercial operations that provide occupational opportunities for people with learning disabilities in Kent and East Sussex in England, as well as providing homes, care and educational support....
is located a mile out of the village on the Hamstreet
Hamstreet
Hamstreet is a village in Kent, in South East England.The village is located some 6 miles south of Ashford on the A2070, the main road between Ashford and Hastings...
road (B2067,).
The village also has its own Morris dancing side, Woodchurch Morris Men, who started dancing together in 1990. They are proud to perpetuate the ancient tradition and have many stands throughout the year.
Historically the village has been home to three public houses. The Bonny Cravat and Six Bells opposite the church in the main village, The Stonebridge Inn serving the Brattle area at the other end of the village. The Bonny Cravat is a managed Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame is an English regional brewery founded in 1698 by Richard Marsh in Faversham, Kent. It is a family owned brewery that produces a range of cask ales and filtered beers. Production is around 230,000 barrels a year...
pub and The Six Bells is a free house. The Stonebridge Inn closed in the early 2000s and has now been demolished to make way for a large newbuild carehome.
External links
- Woodchurch Local and Family History Web Site
- Woodchurch Tennis Club Web Site
- Woodchurch Community Website
- http://woodchurchmorrismen.co.uk/