Newington is a village and civil parish in the

borough of Swale Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England and is bounded by Medway to the west, Canterbury to the east, Ashford to the south and Maidstone to the south west. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The distri ...

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. The parish is located beside the A2 road (originally a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

road) between Rainham to the west and

Sittingbourne Sittingbourne is an industrial town in Kent, south-east England, from Canterbury and from London, beside the Roman Watling Street, an ancient British trackway used by the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons and next to the Swale, a strip of sea separa ...

to the east. The population of the parish in 2011 was 2,551. The village 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 is situated on the Chatham Main Line between

and Rainham. The parish church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is a grade I listed building. It was built between 1163 and 1177 by

Richard de Lucy Richard de Luci (or Lucy; 1089 – 14 July 1179) was first noted as High Sheriff of Essex, after which he was made Chief Justiciar of England. Biography His mother was Aveline, the niece and heiress of William Goth. In the charter for Sées Cat ...

, with additions being made in the 13th and 14th century. The church was to eventually become the property of Henry VIII who gave it to the Provost and Fellows of

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

in 1531. The patron today is the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is a stone in the church car park known as the Devil's Stone, which is said to bear the Devil's footprint. Newington village sign was provided by Mrs. S Huxtable in 2007. It holds a memorial plate in memory of Mr. P Huxtable. (Husband of Mrs S. Huxtable) Newington holds the national collection of

Witch Hazel Witch-hazels or witch hazels (''Hamamelis'') are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with three species in North America ('' H. ovalis'', '' H. virginiana'', and '' H. vernalis''), and one each in Japan ('' H.&nb ...

which is kept at the Witch Hazel Nursery in Calloways Lane Newington Manor, now a conservation area, is to the south of the village. The Newington Pill Boxes: Newington has at least four

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

pill boxes (or bunkers) at various locations.

History

Newington acquired its name (Newetone) in Saxon times meaning 'New Town' built on an old one. The Roman

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 ...

runs through the village. The ancient settlement was rediscovered in 2019 and is the site of late Iron Age remains dating from 30BC and a Roman town. An archaeological dig covering 18 acres and carried out b
SWAT Archaeology
has found, among others, iron furnaces and pottery kilns as part of a manufacturing site, a Roman temple ( Watling Temple), a seven metre wide Roman road and thousands of pottery remains. The newly discovered road predates Watling Street and takes an alternative route. The wealth of objects uncovered means analysis is ongoing (June 2021). It was also possibly the site of the lost Roman station

Durolevum Durolevum was a Roman settlement in Britain. The only surviving mention of it from antiquity appears in the Antonine Itinerary, where it forms part of the Roman equivalent of Watling Street, connecting Rutupiae (Richborough) to Londinium (Londo ...

. The remains of a Roman villa were discovered at Boxted Farm, Newington in 1882. One of the earliest references to Newington comes from a charter c1131 regarding Sheppey Monastery. It refers to Aveline, the mother of Richard de Lucy of Newington, Kent. Amateur historians belonging to Newington History Group work to research, record and protect the village history and heritage. Their annual

Heritage Open Days Heritage Open Days (also known as HODs) is an annual celebration of England's architecture and culture that allows visitors free access to historical landmarks that are either not usually open to the public, would normally charge an entrance fee, ...

event draws villagers and visitors from across north Kent and thei
history
an
nature
walks aim to introduce Newington's attractions to a wide audience.

People

Don Potter Donald Steele Potter (21 April 1902 – 7 June 2004) was an English sculptor, wood carver, potter and teacher. Don Potter was born in Newington, near Sittingbourne, Kent, the son of a school teacher, and attended a private school. He joined ...

, a 20th-century sculptor and potter, was born in Newington.

Sporting teams

Newington has a very successful and popular cricket club. Members of the Medway Sunday League, they field two Sunday XI's that play home games at either Bobbing Court (just off Rook Lane) or at Upchurch Cricket Club. Read about their latest triumphs via the club website.

Entertainment

Being a small village, entertainment is at a premium in Newington. However, there are Chinese and Indian takeaways, and one

pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

, The Bull, which is the village's sole remaining pub.The Bull, Newington
/ref> In the past several other pubs existed in Newington and many of those buildings still stand: the White Hart (now an office and was a general store), the Wheatsheaf (letting agents) and the George (houses) are all on the High Street.

References

External links

Newington Parish Council

Historic photographs
{{authority control Villages in Kent Civil parishes in Kent