Charing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Charing | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Population: | 2,750 | |
| Ordnance Survey | ||
| OS grid reference: | TQ955495 | |
| Administration | ||
| District: | Ashford (borough) | |
| Shire county: | Kent | |
| Region: | South East England | |
| Constituent country: | England | |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom | |
| Other | ||
| Ceremonial county: | Kent | |
| Historic county: | Kent | |
| Services | ||
| Police force: | {{{Police}}} | |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} | |
| Ambulance: | South East Coast | |
| Post office and telephone | ||
| Post town: | Ashford | |
| Postal district: | TN27 | |
| Dialling code: | 01233 | |
| Politics | ||
| UK Parliament: | ||
| European Parliament: | South East England | |
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See also Charing Cross
Charing is a small village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, in south-east England. The parish population is 2,750 (Hobbs Parker web site, 2000); it includes the settlement of Charing Heath. It is situated at the foot of the North Downs. The Pilgrims Way and the M20 motorway both cross the parish, whilst Charing railway station is located on the line between Maidstone and Ashford..
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[edit] History
The name Charing first appears in 799 as Ciorrincg. The name probably comes from the Anglo-Saxon word cerring, which means a bend in the road, or it may be from Ceorra-ingas, which is Anglo-Saxon, meaning people of Ceorra. The village is sited on the Pilgrims Way from London to Canterbury, and is one day's walk from Canterbury. There are a number of old manors located around the village, such as Newlands (now a horse stud) and Pett Place. The village had a market recorded in 1285, and a fair recorded in the fifteenth century.
[edit] Places of interest
Its most famous building is the Archbishop's Palace, which lies by the church and was an ancient possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The palace was an important building in the diocese of Canterbury, and counted amongst its guests King Henry VIII. It has been a farmhouse for the last 300 years. In 2004, the palace was an unsuccessful contestant in the BBC television programme Restoration, where a number of potential restoration projects throughout the UK competed for funds. The church is said to contain the stone on which John the Baptist was beheaded.
[edit] Village life
The village has a Church of England Primary School; a library; a doctors' surgery and a number of traditional shops. It also has several pubs and restaurants. The village is still surrounded by farmland, but the good transport links and housing development since the 1960s have also led to the area becoming a popular commuter village for people employed in London. The village has a strong community life, and the inhabitants organise regular community and charity events such as box-cart races and fairs.
[edit] External links
- Charing village web site
- Description of the Archbishop's Palace, The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. CIII, Part II, 1833
