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Fordwich is a market town and a
There are two pubs in the town, the George & Dragon and Fordwich Arms. Fordwich gained angling and fishing repute from Izaak Walton for its "Fordidge trout", one of the largest types found.
Fordwich Town Council
{{Kent Populated places in Kent Civil parishes in Kent Towns in Kent City of Canterbury
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
in east Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
.
It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
. Its population increased by 30 between 2001 and 2011.
History
Fordwich is listed in the 1086Domesday Book
Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
as a small village. The town grew in the Middle Ages as a port for boats on their way upriver to Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
. All of the Caen stone used by the Normans to rebuild Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
in the 12th and 13th centuries was landed at Fordwich. It later became a limb of the Cinque Port
The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier ( Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to t ...
s. It lost its status as a town in 1880 when it no longer had a Mayor and Corporation. However, in a reorganisation in 1972, Fordwich was again made a town. Fordwich Town Hall
Fordwich Town Hall is a municipal structure in King Street, Fordwich, Kent, England. The structure, which serves as the meeting place of Fordwich Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
History
Elements of the building, which was designed ...
was rebuilt in or shortly before 1544.
The ancient Church of St Mary the Virgin, now redundant but open to the public, and in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...
, contains part of a carved sarcophagus reputed to have contained the remains of St Augustine of Canterbury. The 16th-century building next the Town Hall, now known as Watergate House, was the family home of John and Gregory Blaxland
Gregory Blaxland (17 June 1778 – 1 January 1853) was an English pioneer farmer and explorer in Australia, noted especially for initiating and co-leading the first successful crossing of the Blue Mountains by European settlers.
Early life ...
, early 19th-century pioneers of Australia.
Culture and community
There are two pubs in the town, the George & Dragon and Fordwich Arms. Fordwich gained angling and fishing repute from Izaak Walton for its "Fordidge trout", one of the largest types found.
See also
*Broughton in Furness
Broughton in Furness is a market town in the civil parish of Broughton West in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It had a population of 529 at the 2011 Census. It is located on the south western boundary of England's Lake Distr ...
with as few as 529 residents
* Stockbridge in Hampshire, with a population of 592
* Manningtree
Manningtree is a town and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England, which lies on the River Stour. It is part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Natural Beauty.
Smallest town claim
Manningtree has traditionally claimed to b ...
in Essex, another claimant for smallest town in England, with 700 people in 20 hectares
* Llanwrtyd Wells
Llanwrtyd Wells ( cy, Llanwrtyd "church of St Gwrtud") is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, in the historic county of Brecknockshire (Breconshire) on the Afon Irfon. The town is on the A483 between Llandovery and Builth Wells and is ...
in Wales, another claimant for smallest town in Britain, has a population of 850
References
External links
Fordwich Town Council
{{Kent Populated places in Kent Civil parishes in Kent Towns in Kent City of Canterbury