![NorthfleetThames8797](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/NorthfleetThames8797.JPG)
Northfleet is a town in the borough of
Gravesham
Gravesham ( ) is a local government district with borough status in north-west Kent, England. Its administrative centre and largest town is Gravesend, which was known as ''Gravesham'' in ancient times.
Gravesham was formed on 1 April 1974 ...
in
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. It is located immediately west of
Gravesend, and on the border with the
Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line at St Johns junction west of Lewisham station in Greater London and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near Strood, Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Li ...
, just east of
Ebbsfleet International railway station
Ebbsfleet International railway station is in Ebbsfleet Valley, Kent, east of London, England, near Dartford and the Bluewater shopping centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. The station, part of the Thames Gateway urban regeneration pr ...
on the
High Speed 1 line.
The area
Northfleet's name is derived from being situated on the northern reach of what was once called the River Fleet (today known as the
Ebbsfleet River
Ebbsfleet River in Kent, south-east England, is a tributary of the Thames Estuary. It joins the Thames at Northfleet, opposite the container port of Tilbury Docks. Today, the river gives its name to the Ebbsfleet Garden City which is currentl ...
). There is a village at the other end of the river named
Southfleet
Southfleet is a small village and civil parish in the borough of Dartford in Kent, England. The village is located three miles southwest of Gravesend, while the parish includes within its boundaries the hamlets of Betsham and Westwood.
Southfle ...
. It has been the site of a settlement on the shore of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
adjacent to
Gravesend since Roman times. It was known as ''Fleote'' by the Saxons c. 600 AD, ''Flyote'' c. 900 AD, and ''Flete'' c. 1000 AD. It was recorded as ''Norfluet'' in the
Domesday 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 manus ...
, and ''Northflet'' in 1201. By 1610 the name of Northfleet had become established. A battle took place during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
at the Stonebridge over the Ebbsfleet river. Northfleet became a town in 1874 with the Northfleet
Urban District Council
In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...
being established c. 1894. In 1974 it was merged with the adjacent
Borough of Gravesend. The first council offices were off the Hill, but the council then moved to Northfleet House (now a nursing home for the elderly). Northfleet House was once the home of
Thomas Sturge
Thomas Sturge (1787–1866) was a British oil merchant, shipowner, cement manufacturer, railway company director, social reformer and philanthropist.
Family background and early life
Thomas Sturge was born in 1787, one of at least ten children ...
who owned a local cement works. Northfleet was in the
lathe of
Aylesford and the hundred of
Toltingtrough
Toltingtrough (or Toltingtrow) was a hundred in the Lathe of Aylesford in the county of Kent, England. This hundred is called, in some ancient writings, Toltetern and Tollentr, and in Domesday, Tollentru. In the return made of the several knigh ...
.
Romans lived in the area now known as
Springhead, which they called ''Vagniacae''. Springhead, the source of the
Ebbsfleet River
Ebbsfleet River in Kent, south-east England, is a tributary of the Thames Estuary. It joins the Thames at Northfleet, opposite the container port of Tilbury Docks. Today, the river gives its name to the Ebbsfleet Garden City which is currentl ...
, was the first site in Britain where
watercress
Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.
Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf v ...
was grown commercially in the early 19th century.
Watling Street
Watling Street is a historic route in England that crosses the River Thames at London and which was used in Classical Antiquity, Late Antiquity, and throughout the Middle Ages. It was used by the ancient Britons and paved as one of the main ...
, a
Roman road which forms the basis of the
A2 from London to
Dover, bisects the area.
History
Rosherville Gardens
In 1815 the first steamboat started plying between
Gravesend, Kent, and London, an event which was to bring much prosperity to the area. The number of visitors steadily increased, and in the course of the next ten years several new and rival steam
packets were started. The regular service given by the steam packets led entrepreneurs to establish amenities for the entertainment of visitors, one of which was Rosherville Gardens.
George Jones laid out the gardens in 1837 in one of the disused chalk pits, covering an area of 17 acres (69,000 m
2). Their full title was the 'Kent Zoological and Botanical Gardens Institution'. They occupied an area in what was to become Rosherville New Town (see below).
Robert Hiscock, in his ''A History of Gravesend'' (Phillimore, 1976) describes them thus:
They were a place of surpassing beauty and a favourite resort of Londoners. Adorned with small Greek temple
Greek temples ( grc, ναός, naós, dwelling, semantically distinct from Latin , "temple") were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in ancient Greek religion. The temple interiors did not serve as meeting places, s ...
s and statuary set in the cliffs, there were terraces, and archery lawn, Bijou theatre, and Baronial Hall for refreshments, and at one time a lake. At night the gardens were illuminated with thousands of coloured lights and there were fireworks displays and dancing. Famous bands such as the American Sousa were engaged during the season. Blondin
Charles Blondin (born Jean François Gravelet, 28 February 182422 February 1897) was a French tightrope walker and acrobat. He toured the United States and was known for crossing the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope.
During an event in Dublin in ...
, the trapeze artist, performed ... In 1857 as many as 20,000 visitors passed through the turnstiles in one week. By 1880 the gardens had reached the peak of their popularity ... in 1901 they were closed.
During a brief revival 1903–1911, they were used in the making of early films.
A pier was built to carry these crowds ashore, and a railway station opened on the
Gravesend West branch railway. It was one of the steamboats from Rosherville Gardens that was involved in a horrific accident in 1878. The passenger steamer, after leaving Rosherville pier, was in a collision with the collier ''Bywell Castle'', from
Woolwich
Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained thr ...
. 640 people died from the collision, 240 being children. An inquest was held at Woolwich, but no conclusive reason was ever established as to the cause of the disaster at the Devils Elbow on the Thames.
Rosherville New Town
![NorthfleetBuilding8822](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/NorthfleetBuilding8822.JPG)
Joseph Rosher gave his name to a building scheme which began with the building of new houses in 1830. A prospectus states that ' this spot will ultimate become to Gravesend what
St Leonards St Leonards may refer to:
Places Australia
*St Leonards, New South Wales
**St Leonards railway station
*St Leonards, Tasmania, suburb of Launceston
*St Leonards, Victoria
Canada
*St. Leonard's, Newfoundland and Labrador
New Zealand
* St L ...
is to
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
and
Broadstairs to
Margate
Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook.
The town has been a significan ...
'. That grandiose scheme did not materialise in quite that way, but the area of Northfleet still bears that name.
Northfleet Harbour
Northfleet Harbour is formed from a natural river inlet of the River Ebbsfleet into the Thames. The Harbour formed over solid chalk, and created a marine facility that was originally used by the Romans. Remains of Roman buildings have been found further up the River Ebbsfleet, and during the High Speed 1 railway works, evidence of Saxon occupation was also found. By the 18th century, a flour mill was placed within the Harbour, and later it was home to the cement industry. A local community Trust is now aiming to restore the harbour and bring it back into public use.
Northfleet during the Second World War
On Friday, 16 August 1941 150 German aircraft flew through the Kent skies, to deal the worst blow to civilian life the county had experienced to that point in the war. With the formation splitting into groups to be variously challenged from
Manston,
Kenley
Kenley is an area within the London Borough of Croydon. Prior to its incorporation into Greater London in 1965 it was in the historic county of Surrey. It is situated south of Purley, east of Coulsdon, north of Caterham and Whyteleafe and w ...
,
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a l ...
,
Biggin Hill and
Hawkinge
Hawkinge ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village centre; the village of Hawkinge ...
airfields, a group of
Dorniers made it to Northfleet a little after midday. They dropped about 106 bombs ranging from 50 to 250 kilos over the town. The bombs killed 29 people, injured 27, and badly damaged two schools.
Governance
Northfleet
Urban District
Urban district may refer to:
* District
* Urban area
* Quarter (urban subdivision)
* Neighbourhood
Specific subdivisions in some countries:
* Urban districts of Denmark
* Urban districts of Germany
* Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
Council was set up under the Local Government Act of 1894. Within its boundaries were the
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...
of Northfleet Green and Nash Street, as well as the now built-up Perry Street; and the later estates at Shears Green, Istead Rise and Downs Road. Northfleet was merged, inter alia, with Gravesend to become
Gravesham
Gravesham ( ) is a local government district with borough status in north-west Kent, England. Its administrative centre and largest town is Gravesend, which was known as ''Gravesham'' in ancient times.
Gravesham was formed on 1 April 1974 ...
District Council on 1 April 1974.
Industry and commerce
With its situation on a busy waterway such as the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
, at a point where higher land came close to the river, it was an obvious place for industry to be located. The river provided water supplies and the means whereby raw materials and products could be transported. The forests of the area provided timber for various aspects of most industries. It was an area famous for Gun Flint manufacturing as Flint is found in amongst the Chalk. Flint was also used as a local building material. Flint walls can still be found in the area. The Springhead/Ebbsfleet Valley area was used for the growing of Watercress much of which supplied the London market.
Cement
![NorthfleetCement8802](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/NorthfleetCement8802.JPG)
The Romans first began to dig chalk from the area, but the making of cement came later. The industry requires plentiful water supplies, and
chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
as its main ingredient, both of which were to hand. When in 1796,
James Parker set up kilns on Northfleet creek to make his
Roman cement
Roman cement is a substance developed by James Parker in the 1780s, being patented in 1796.
The name is misleading, as it is nothing like any material used by the Romans, but was a "natural cement" made by burning septaria – nodules that are ...
, it was the beginning of a large complex of cement works along this stretch of the river. The manufacture of
Portland cement
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th ...
began in April 1846 when
William Aspdin
William Aspdin (23 September 1815 – 11 April 1864) was an English cement manufacturer, and a pioneer of the Portland cement industry. He is considered the inventor of "modern" Portland cement. He has also been termed "an incorrigible liar a ...
, son of
Joseph Aspdin
Joseph Aspdin (25 December 1778 – 20 March 1855) was an English cement manufacturer who obtained the patent for Portland cement on 21 October 1824.
Life
Aspdin (or Aspden) was the eldest of the six children of Thomas Aspdin, a bricklaye ...
, its inventor, acquired Parker's works and built new kilns.
Aspdin's works became Robins & Co in 1853, sold on to the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (
APCM) in 1900, which was taken over by the
Lafarge
La Farge, LaFarge or Lafarge can refer to:
People
* Antoinette LaFarge (1966–), American artist and writer
* Christopher Grant LaFarge (1862–1938), American architect and partner in the firm Heins & LaFarge
* Christopher Grant La Farge ( ...
Group in 2001. By 1900, there were nine cement works operating on the Thames between
Swanscombe and Gravesend. The last cement plant in Northfleet ceased operation in 2008.
Now under water, one of the largest chalk pits, known locally as The Blue Lake, can be found between the A226 and the North Kent Railway line. It is about 200 metres south of the access tunnel to the old (now demolished) Lafarge cement plant, that runs under the North Kent / Channel Tunnel rail-link railway lines.
Paper
Northfleet is the location of a large
Bowaters (later Bowater-Scott and
Kimberly-Clark) paper mill built in 1923 and makes all of the main – line Andrex toilet tissue.
Metals
Britannia Refined Metals (now part of the
Glencore group) has a refinery producing lead and silver.
Northfleet Dockyard
Northfleet was by 1800 the home of numerous shipyards which had produced many fine vessels. One such yard was owned by
Thomas Pitcher, a
shipwright, laid out in 1788. A list of merchant vessels built at his yard included at least 25 ships for the
East Indies
The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around ...
and
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
services, and about the same number for the Navy. There is a fine model of such a ship in St. Botolph's Church. The first was , an
East Indiaman of 1252 tons burthen (
bm), built for the Honourable
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
. In 1839 the company was in the hands of Pitcher's sons William and Henry. The docks were in decline by 1843, and Pilcher's yard finally closed in 1860.
Cable works
![NorthfleetHenleyBuilding8787](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/NorthfleetHenleyBuilding8787.JPG)
Another large employee of labour in Northfleet was the cable works. Originally
Henley's, now AEI, they occupied the land originally once used by the
Rosherville Gardens
Rosherville Gardens was a 19th-century pleasure garden in a disused chalk pit in Northfleet, Kent, England. After being laid out in 1837, it stood for seventy years, and was finally closed to the public just before the First World War.
Structu ...
. The
PLUTO
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...
pipeline used in WW2 was built here.
AEI Cables closed in 2005 and Henley moved in 2006. The Henley works were completely demolished by 2010. The area is currently being redeveloped by Keepmoat Homes under the name Cable Wharf.
Transport
Northfleet has its own
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
, which opened in 1849 as part of the extension of the
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line at St Johns junction west of Lewisham station in Greater London and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near Strood, Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Li ...
from Gravesend to London. Train services at the station are operated by
Southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
and
Thameslink
Thameslink is a 24-hour main-line route in the British railway system, running from , , , and via central London to Sutton, , , Rainham, , , , and . The network opened as a through service in 1988, with severe overcrowding by 1998, carrying ...
.
Ebbsfleet International station
Ebbsfleet International railway station
Ebbsfleet International railway station is in Ebbsfleet Valley, Kent, east of London, England, near Dartford and the Bluewater shopping centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. The station, part of the Thames Gateway urban regeneration pr ...
, on the
High Speed 1 line (also known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link), is located less than a mile from Northfleet. Ebbsfleet International is served by
Eurostar
Eurostar is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Most Eurostar trains travel through the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France, owned and operate ...
trains and by Southeastern's Javelin trains, both running to and from
London St Pancras
St Pancras railway station (), also known as London St Pancras or St Pancras International and officially since 2007 as London St Pancras International, is a London station group, central London railway terminus on Euston Road in the London Bor ...
.
A design flaw that exists in Ebbsfleet International is its lack of pedestrian connections to Northfleet. Although the station's domestic passenger entrance is within a quarter of a mile of Northfleet's local station, the walking distance between the two is greater, hindering the advantage of living in Northfleet over nearby Gravesend, which is served by both Southeastern's Metro and High Speed trains. It should also be noted that
Gravesend railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
station is closer to much of Northfleet's residential areas, as opposed to its own station. Furthermore, full station facilities including Access For All, are available at
Gravesend and not at Northfleet
Education
Non-selective secondary schools serving Northfleet include
Northfleet School for Girls and
Northfleet Technology College (Boys).
Northfleet churches
![NorthfleetStBotolphs 8823](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/NorthfleetStBotolphs_8823.jpg)
The ancient parish church of Northfleet (dating from the 14th century, but with work from earlier periods) is dedicated to
St Botolph. Its tower was built in 1717, after the original had fallen. The church contains a 14th-century carved oak screen, which is thought to be the oldest in Kent. Rosherville St Mark's Church is now part of the Team ministry with St. Botolph's church. The other active church in Northfleet is All Saints, Perry Street which is
Anglo Catholic
Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches.
The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...
. All Saints Perry Street is the largest Anglican parish in Gravesham Borough with a quarter of the Gravesham population living within its boundaries.
![NorthfleetChurches8823](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/NorthfleetChurches8823.JPG)
The Roman Catholic church, Our Lady Of The Assumption designed by
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (9 November 1880 – 8 February 1960) was a British architect known for his work on the New Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Battersea Power Station, Liverpool Cathedral, and ...
and with its tower foreshadowing his
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
Cathedral, is built entirely of brown brick. It was constructed in 1914 on the site of a former Tram Depot. During WW2, and the blitz, the German Air Force used the tower of the Church as a guide into London. The pilots used the tower as a reference point for direct access into London.
There is a
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.
Origins and history
The United Reformed Church resulte ...
(URC) on Dover Road in Northfleet. The Dover Road Chapel was opened on Wednesday 20 June 1850 as a
Congregational Church. Northfleet URC is grouped with three other churches in the North Kent URC group. These are St Paul's URC, Singlewell Road,
Gravesend;
Hartley URC and
Southfleet
Southfleet is a small village and civil parish in the borough of Dartford in Kent, England. The village is located three miles southwest of Gravesend, while the parish includes within its boundaries the hamlets of Betsham and Westwood.
Southfle ...
URC.
Culture and community
Rotary Club in Northfleet
The Rotary Club of Northfleet was founded in 1954 and chartered as the Rotary Club of Northfleet – Club No 793 in R.I.B.I. District 1120. The club originally had members from many local industries (cement, engineering, paper making etc.), but as these industries declined along the river front, so membership changed. The club used to meet at lunchtime for many years, but this changed to evening meetings a few years ago. Northfleet Rotary Club, like most Rotary clubs also voted to accept women into Rotary membership, which is by invitation.
The club's name was changed in 2005 to Northfleet with Ebbsfleet Rotary Club, to reflect the emerging growth of nearby Ebbsfleet area, with its developing infrastructure of Bluewater shopping complex, new High Speed Rail terminal at Ebbsfleet Station, and commercial and residential properties being developed as part of the wider development the Thames Gateway project.
Sports
Ebbsfleet United Football Club
![NorthfleetStadium8833](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/NorthfleetStadium8833.JPG)
Gravesend & Northfleet FC was formed through amalgamation in 1946 of Gravesend United FC and Northfleet United FC which prevented the almost certain bankruptcy of the latter. Gravesend (being by far the larger of the two towns, in terms of population), was always going to be the first name of the new club. Although one would suppose Gravesend to be the main influence in the history of this club, as it was listed first when the towns' clubs merged, it was in fact Northfleet that was to be responsible for the early significant accomplishment of the association football club now known as
Ebbsfleet United F.C.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is a professional football club based in Northfleet, Kent, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the club competes in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
The club was formed in 1946 from ...
. As of the start of the 2022-2023 season, Ebbsfleet are in the
National league South.
Northfleet Football Academy
Northfleet Football Academy was started in 2009 by local school
Northfleet Technology College. Northfleet Football Academy was designed to recruit the elite of Graveshams football players and give them the best possible coaching to help them develop as players. It also offers its participants the opportunity to take a
BTEC in Sports and one other additional subject like Science to help the players gain nationally recognised qualifications at
key stage 4
Key Stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs, and other examinations, in maintained schools in England normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 by August 31 ...
whilst the players develop their playing skills. The academy is run by Northfleet Technology College teachers Brian Meaney (manager) and Lisa Donaldson (chairman) and also boasts the professional coaching of former
Welsh international
The Welsh International is an international badminton championship held in Wales since 1928 and is thereby one of the oldest badminton tournaments in the world. The tournament was halted during World War II and until 1956, between 1960 and 1966, a ...
and current
Ashford Town manager
Steve Lovell. The academy is based in Colyer Road, Northfleet.
Fleet Leisure Football Club
Fleet Leisure F.C. were a
Non-League football team who played in the
Kent Invicta Football League
The Kent Invicta Football League was a football league in England, formed in 2011 to commence operations for the 2011–12 season. It covered the traditional English county of Kent, some of which is now in Greater London. It merged with the South ...
. The team were originally based at Nelson Road, and then groundshared with
Rochester United F.C. For the 2014-15 season the club changed its name from Fleet Leaisure to Gravesham Borough.
The 2016–17 season saw the club enter the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
for the first time in their history when they entered the competition in the preliminary qualification round. They folded prior to the 2018–19 season after being unable to raise the funding required to continue playing.
The club name has been continued by Gravesham Borough Youth Football Club.
Gravesham Borough Football Club
Gravesham Borough F.C. were a
non-League football team who played in the
Southern Counties East Football League
The Southern Counties East Football League is an English football league established in 1966, which has teams based in Kent and Southeast London. Until 2013, it was known as the Kent League. There was a previous Kent League, that existed from ...
.
The team was originally based at Nelson Road, then groundshared with
Chatham Town F.C.
Chatham Town Football Club is an English association football club based in Chatham, Kent. It currently plays in the and is nicknamed "The Chats”.
Former Premier League club Portsmouth and current Premier League club West Ham United play ...
Northfleet Urban Country Park
Northfleet Urban Country Park sits on the eastern side of Northfleet, on Thames Way opposite the new police station, bounded by Springhead Road & Vale Road. The site is 10.5 hectares and provides a variety of wildlife habitats.
Notable people from Northfleet
*
Stan Aldous (19231995), football player.
*
Cyril Beldam (18691940), cricket player.
*
Hilda Braid
Hilda Braid (3 March 1929 – 6 November 2007) was an English actress who had a long career on British television. She became well known in her later years for playing Victoria "Nana" Moon on the BBC One soap opera '' EastEnders''.
Early lif ...
(19292007), actress.
*
Arthur Gouge
Sir Arthur Gouge (3 July 1890 – 14 October 1962) was a British engineer and aircraft designer from Kent, who worked notably for Short Brothers where he designed the "C-class" Empire and Sunderland flying boats.
Early life
He was born in North ...
(18901962), aircraft engineer.
*
Arthur Greenslade (19232003), arranger and conductor.
*
Simon Hinks
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
(born 1960), cricket player.
*
Thomas Pitcher (1745-1837), shipbuilder
*
William Charles John Pitcher
William John Charles Pitcher (21 March 1858 – 2 March 1925), known as Wilhelm or C. Wilhelm, was an English artist, costume and scenery designer, best known for his designs for ballets, pantomimes, comic operas and Edwardian musical comedies.
L ...
, (18581925), theatre costume and
scenery
Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether the item was custom-made or ...
designer.
*
Richard Southwood
Sir Thomas Richard Edmund Southwood GOM DL FRS (20 June 1931 – 26 October 2005) was a British biologist, Professor of Zoology and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. A specialist on entomology, he developed the field of insect eco ...
(19312005), zoologist.
*
Thomas Sturge
Thomas Sturge (1787–1866) was a British oil merchant, shipowner, cement manufacturer, railway company director, social reformer and philanthropist.
Family background and early life
Thomas Sturge was born in 1787, one of at least ten children ...
(1786-1866), merchant and cement manufacturer
References
* Hiscock, Robert H (1796) ''A History of Gravesend'', Phillimore.
* Lewis, Samuel (1831) ''A Topographical Dictionary of England: Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate and Market Towns, Parishes, Chapelries, and Townships, and the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, and Man, with Historical and Statistical Descriptions; Illustrated by Maps of the Different Counties and Islands; a Map of England ... and a Plan of London and Its Environs ... :in Four Volumes''. (Lewis)
* Jessup, Frank W. (1966) ''Kent History Illustrated'', Kent County Council.
External links
*
Northfleet Harbour Restoration Trust – information about Northfleet's ancient harbourNorthfleet History Group – open to those with an interest in Northfleet's historyDetails of the Northfleet cement works
{{Authority control
Towns in Kent
Port of London
Populated places on the River Thames
Unparished areas in Kent