Ebony, Kent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ebony | |
|---|---|
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| Statistics | |
| Population: | 392 [1] (Parish) |
| Ordnance Survey | |
| OS grid reference: | TQ939278 |
| Administration | |
| Parish: | Stone-cum-Ebony |
| Borough: | Ashford |
| Shire county: | Kent |
| Region: | South East England |
| Constituent country: | England |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Other | |
| Ceremonial county: | Kent |
| Historic county: | Kent |
| Services | |
| Police force: | Kent Police |
| Fire and rescue: | {{{Fire}}} |
| Ambulance: | South East Coast |
| Post office and telephone | |
| Post town: | TONBRIDGE |
| Postal district: | TN30 |
| Dialling code: | 01233 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Ashford |
| European Parliament: | South East England |
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Ebony is a village south of Ashford in Kent, South East England, in the parish of Stone-cum-Ebony.
The old island of Ebony was once surrounded by water until about 1650 the River Rother flowed through Robertsbridge, Bodiam and Newenden, as it still does, but then turned left handed to pass the Isle of Oxney on its north side. After passing Smallhythe it forked at Ebony surrounding it on both sides and then in a broad estuary founds its way to the sea past Appledore into Rye Harbour. The river was tidal and at high tides the salt water swirled all over the levels, leaving Ebony isolated by a sea of water. All this changed when the landowners wanting to increase the value of their land, after much litigation and great expense, cut a new channel below Newenden to divert the Rother to its present course over the Wittersham levels to Iden and its old estuary at Rye.[2]
The village has a small church, St Mary the Virgin, which was moved to its present site in Reading Street in 1858. The population had deserted the island for the hamlet of Reading Street, the nearest house was three quarters of a mile away and the fabric of the church was in bad need of repair. The new Vicar and his Churchwarden decided to pull the old building down to move the stone work by horse and cart over a rough track, and to build it on its current site. The whole job was done in three months at a cost of £270.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Ashford Borough Council Census 2001
- ^ a b Ebony Church
