Hamstreet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hamstreet | |
|---|---|
  |
|
| Statistics | |
| Population: | 2000 |
| Ordnance Survey | |
| OS grid reference: | TR005335 |
| Administration | |
| Parish: | Orlestone and Warehorne |
| 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: | TN26 |
| Dialling code: | 01233 |
| Politics | |
| UK Parliament: | Ashford |
| European Parliament: | South East England |
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Hamstreet is a village in Kent, in south-east England.
The village is located some six miles south of Ashford on the A2070, the main road between Ashford and Hastings. The majority of the village is in the parish of Orlestone, named after a much older hamlet located one mile north of Hamstreet on the ridge of hills; however, part of the village falls within the parish of Warehorne, giving it a population of approximately 2,000 and a loose claim to having three pubs!
[edit] History
Until the coming of the railway in 1853, Hamstreet was just a hamlet known as 'Ham' based around the weatherboard village centre. The village expanded rapidly during the 20th century and had its moment of fame in 1991, when maps of the Hamstreet at various stages in history were used on a series of postage stamps to mark 200 years of the Ordnance Survey - this chance arose because the Hamstreet area was the first to be mapped in this way. An episode of BBC TV's 'Countryfile' was also devoted to the occasion.
[edit] Countryside
Two large areas of public woodland surround the village, namely Hamstreet Woods and Orlestone Forest. Both are remnants of the anicent forest that once covered the whole of the Weald of Kent. The Royal Military Canal, the UK's third longest defensive structure, passes by half a mile to the south. Three long distance footpaths also run through the parish:
- The Saxon Shore Way
- Greensand Way (which begins at the main crossroads)
- The Royal Military Canal Path
The area is also popular with cyclists, as Romney Marsh to the south is completely flat!
[edit] Amenities
Hamstreet has:
- A railway station on the Marshlink Line
- Post office/general store
- Various shops (including hardware stores/cycle shop/antiques)
- A doctor's surgery
- A dentist
- A village primary school
- A hairdresser
- A garage
- A restaurant
- A garden centre
- A pub at the village crossroads called the Duke's Head
The village has a country fayre and transport festival every June and is twinned with Therouanne in Northern France.
