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Smarden is a civil parish and village, west of
Ashford Ashford may refer to: Places Australia *Ashford, New South Wales *Ashford, South Australia *Electoral district of Ashford, South Australia Ireland *Ashford, County Wicklow *Ashford Castle, County Galway United Kingdom * Ashford, Kent, a town ** ...
in Kent, South East England. The village has the
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
parish church of
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which, because of its high scissor beam roof, is sometimes known as ''"The Barn of Kent"''.


History

The earliest known date for Smarden is 1205, when Adam de Essex became the
Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the parish. The area was covered by the forest of Anderida and when clearings were made, the River Beult (a tributary of the
River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...
) formed the drainage channel. There is now evidence for early iron smelting at a number of sites in the parish. The most noteworthy is at Romden where a field known as 'Black Pitts' was commented on in 1912.This area was investigated briefly in 1994 and later in 2008 with the assistance of members of the Smarden history group under the leadership of Neil Aldridge of the Kent Archaeological Society' The features were recorded in more detail and included an area of waste slag from iron smelting together with Roman pottery sherds, ref: KCC Historic Environment Record and Wealden Iron Research Group database. There are other sites which have produced iron working waste, some prehistoric, including one west of Cousins Farm which has been radio carbon dated to the 1st century BC. There have also been a number of finds of pre-historic flint implements including hand axes associated with the river gravels. The local woollen industry was encouraged by King Edward III who brought
weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...
craftsmen Craftsman may refer to: A profession *Artisan, a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative * Master craftsman, an artisan who has achieved such a standard that he may establish his own workshop and take ...
over from Flanders to create what was to become one of England's biggest industries. Edward in recognition granted the village a Royal Charter in 1333 permitting them to hold a weekly market and an annual fair thus elevating the status from village to "Town". Elizabeth I, en route from
Sissinghurst Castle Sissinghurst Castle Garden, at Sissinghurst in the Weald of Kent in England, was created by Vita Sackville-West, poet and writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is desig ...
to
Boughton Malherbe Boughton Malherbe ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone district of Kent, England, equidistant between Maidstone and Ashford. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 428, including Sandway and Grafty Green, inc ...
in 1576, was so impressed by what she saw and ratified the previously granted Charter. A copy of the Charter hangs in the village church.The Smarden Parish Guide
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Houses

Smarden became very prosperous and some fine
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
s were built in the 15th and 16th centuries, many of which remain today. The ''Cloth Hall'' (1430) is an example of a fifteenth-century yeoman's timber
hall house The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...
. Although built as a farm it became the central clearing warehouse for the local cloth industry; the broad-cloth would have been taken from there to the port of Faversham. Jubilee House on Pluckley Road is a Grade II listed house built c. 1772. During the Second World War, houses in Smarden, such as Gilletts, were used to relocate evacuees from London.


Geography

The area is drained by the headwaters of the two major rivers ultimately flowing north, via Maidstone to the west or Ashford to the east. These rivers are the
River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...
and the River Stour however many of these headwaters are only seasonal.


Amenities

Smarden has a Butcher's shop, as well as the West End House Art 'Gallery' (shop and gallery). In 2019, Smarden's multi-purpose 'Post Office and Stores' closed. However, a new post office located near to the village hall has since opened, providing many of the same amenities as the previous shop in addition to zero-waste facilities. By the three main neighbourhoods are three mostly quite large, family-catering pubs: ''The Flying Horse'', ''The Bell'' and ''The Chequers''. Smaller Maltmans Hill and Haffenden Quarter are well linked and remain tied to the founding neighbourhood which bears the same name as the civil parish. Other amenities in the village include: *Parish Council, PCC (Parocial Church Council) *FOSC (Friend's of Smarden Church) *Charter Hall *WI *Meals On Wheels *Volunteer Car Scheme *Smarden Youth *Cricket *Football *Good Neighbour Scheme *Local History Society *Primary School *Royal British Legion *Pre School *Gardeners Society *Baby and Toddler Group
The Smarden Players
*Conservative Association


Demography

The population rose by 79 between 2001 and 2011, as reported in the latest census.


Past residents

Author and artist Mervyn Peake lived in Smarden in 1950.
Dorothy Crisp Dorothy Crisp (1906–1987) was a right-wing English political figure, writer and publisher. Biography Dorothy Crisp was born in Leeds, England on 17 May 1906. She was the only daughter of Albert Edward Crisp, an examiner, and Annie Beckwith ...
(1906–1987), an English author, political writer, publisher, chairman of the
British Housewives' League The British Housewives' League is a right-wing, non-party group that seeks to act as the voice of the British housewife, providing advice and encouraging active participation in society. The League seeks to defend the UK's independence and constitut ...
, lived here. She married John Becker in London in 1945, but retained her maiden name; they moved to the village and had two children.


References


External links

Statistical civil parish overview - map {{authority control Villages in Kent Villages in the Borough of Ashford Civil parishes in Ashford, Kent