Monkton is a village and

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

Thanet Thanet may refer to: * Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England * Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College * Thanet Ca ...

District of

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

, England. The village is located at the south-west edge of the

Isle of Thanet The Isle of Thanet () is a peninsula forming the easternmost part of Kent, England. While in the past it was separated from the mainland by the Wantsum Channel, it is no longer an island. Archaeological remains testify to its settlement in a ...

and is situated mainly along the B2047 road, leading off the A253 road between

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

and

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in eastern Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2021 it had a population of 42,027. Ramsgate' ...

. The civil parish stretches south to the River Stour and northwards towards

Acol Acol is the bridge bidding system that, according to ''The Official Encyclopedia of Bridge'', is "standard in British tournament play and widely used in other parts of the world". It is a natural system using four-card majors and, most commonly, ...

. The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Gore Street is included in the parish.

Community

Monkton was subject to an explosion during 2007, and was largely evacuated as a result. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said that crews were faced with "a well developed fire in a large single-storey building", which was among the largest in the village. Monkton Nature Reserve, run by the environmental charity, Thanet Countryside Trust, is situated on chalk hills to the north of the village. The reserve is set in a abandoned chalk quarry which has been reclaimed by nature. It is notable for its geology and many important habitats, a pond and rare orchids. It also houses the Thanet Astronomical Observatory and the first artificial bat cave built in the UK. Facilities include field centre with a museum, reference library, bookshop and picnic site. Monkton Church of England Primary School is situated in the village. The school was purpose built in 1872 and was extended and modernised in 2007. It currently teaches 109 pupils from 4 to 11 years. In 2007 the school achieved an Ofsted Inspection rating of Grade 2 'Good' overall.

Church

The 12th-century

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...

is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, and was largely rebuilt in the 15th century. This included the north porch and an extension of the tower, taking it to its current height; the north aisle was also blocked up, as well as new windows inserted. A church on the site was recorded on the

Domesday survey 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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

, and the church is the smallest of the remaining seven ancient Thanet churches. The roof dates to the 15th century also. The churchyard is surrounded by stone walls, with multiple gates to enter through.Monkton - Wantsum Benefice
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References

External links

Monkton Nature ReserveMonkton Primary School Website
{{authority control Villages in Kent Civil parishes in Kent