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Doddington is a village and civil parish in the district of Swale in
Other notable buildings within the parish are: ''Doddington Place'' built in 1870 for the Croft family (of 'Croft original sherry' fame) who owned it until 1906 when the Jeffreys and Oldfied families jointly purchased it. It is still owned by the Oldfield family and the Doddington Place Gardens are open to the public and have achieved listed status; in its grounds are the Place, a much-altered house, Park House and Park Cottage, also listed with fascinating history, as Grade II.
Doddington Village Website
Doddington Place Gardens
{{authority control Villages in Kent Civil parishes in Kent
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
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The Syndale Valley shelters the central part in the Kent Downs
The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Borough ...
Area of outstanding natural beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...
. Today the village is notable for Doddington Place Gardens, for its remarkably well kept buildings and its house prices show higher prices than the home counties
The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often included ...
average.
History
Within the parish at Sharsted Court, earthworks excavated were believed remains of anIron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
Belgic Fort (100 BC – 43 AD). However the current village settlement dates from the 11th century.
Of particular note is Doddington Church with the unusual dedication of "The (decollation) Beheading of St. John the Baptist". The dedication dates from at least 1467 when it is referenced in a will.
Other notable buildings within the parish are: ''Doddington Place'' built in 1870 for the Croft family (of 'Croft original sherry' fame) who owned it until 1906 when the Jeffreys and Oldfied families jointly purchased it. It is still owned by the Oldfield family and the Doddington Place Gardens are open to the public and have achieved listed status; in its grounds are the Place, a much-altered house, Park House and Park Cottage, also listed with fascinating history, as Grade II.
Attractions and amenities
Within the parish just to the north east is Sharsted Court, aMedieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
Wealden hall house distinctive of this area, the Weald
The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent. It has three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the ...
, however a building on the site dates from at least 1080; today a large romantic rambling manor house due to the many additions and alterations over the centuries. It is owned by former Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade
Sarah Virginia Wade (born 10 July 1945) is a British former professional tennis player. She won three Major tennis singles championships and four major doubles championships, and is the only British woman in history to have won titles at all ...
.
The village has an award-winning butchers shop, Doughty's, owned by the Doughty family since 1919 (and a butchers shop since 1789), with its own slaughter house. It also has a garage (Doddington Service Station) for car repairs/servicing as well as petrol and a small shop, one pub (The Chequers Inn) which also acts as a post office, and camping and bed and breakfast (Palace Farm & The Old Vicarage). Sharsted Sports Club plays home to Little Sharsted FC, who are known for their attractive style of play, and Sharsted Sports FC.
The village has a strong community spirit with numerous clubs and groups, which include as of 2013: An allotments association, amateur dramatics (The Valley Players), singing (Cantiana), parent/toddler group (Buddies), health and fitness (Medau) and tied in with the neighbouring village of Newnham, folk dancing, Women's Institute and brownies groups.
References
External links
Doddington Village Website
Doddington Place Gardens
{{authority control Villages in Kent Civil parishes in Kent