Smarden

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Smarden
Statistics
Population:	1222 [1]
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	TQ880243
Administration
Parish:	Smarden
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:	TN27
Dialling code:	01233
Politics
UK Parliament:	Ashford
European Parliament:	South East England

Smarden is a civil parish and village, west of Ashford in Kent, South East England.

The village has The Church of St. Michael which because of its very wide nave is sometimes known as "The Barn of Kent".^[2]

[edit] History

The earliest known date for Smarden is 1205, when Adam de Essex became the Rector of the parish. The area was covered by the forest of Anderida and when clearings were made, the River Beult (a tributary of the River Medway) formed the drainage channel. The local woollen industry was encouraged by King Edward III who brought weaver craftsmen over from Flanders to create what was to become one of England's biggest industries. Edward in recognition granted the village a Royal Charter in 1333 permitting them to hold a weekly market and an annual fair thus elevating the status from village to "Town". Elizabeth I, en route from Sissinghurst Castle to Boughton Malherbe in 1576, was so impressed by what she saw and ratified the previously granted Charter. A copy of the Charter hangs in the village church.^[3]

Smarden became very prosperous and some fine houses were built in the 15th and 16th centuries, many of which remain today. The Cloth Hall (1430) is an example of a fifteenth century yeoman's timber hall house. Although built as a farm it became the central clearing warehouse for the local cloth industry; the broad-cloth would have been taken from there to the port of Faversham. ^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Ashford Borough Council Census 2001
2. ^ Kent Resources
3. ^ ^{a b} The Smarden Parish Guide

view • talk • edit  The town of Ashford in Kent, South East England with the surrounding suburbs, villages, towns and parishes:
Aldington • Appledore • Bethersden • Biddenden • Bilsington • Bilting • Bonnington • Boughton Aluph • Boughton Aluph and Eastwell • Boughton Lees • Brabourne • Brabourne Lees • Brook • Challock • Charing • Cheeseman's Green • Chilham • Chilmington Green • Crundale • Eastwell • Ebony • Egerton • Evesgate • Godinton • Godmersham • Great Chart • Great Chart with Singleton • Hamstreet • Hastingleigh • High Halden • Hinxhill • Hothfield • Isle of Oxney • Kenardington • Kennington • Kingsnorth • Little Chart • Mersham • Molash • Newenden • Newtown • Orlestone • Park Farm • Pluckley • Rolvenden • Rolvenden Layne • Ruckinge • Sellindge • Sevington • Shadoxhurst • Singleton • Smarden • Smeeth • Stanhope • Stonebridge Green • Stone-cum-Ebony • Stone in Oxney • Tenterden • Warehorne • Westwell • Willesborough • Wittersham • Woodchurch • Wye • Wye with Hinxhill
The borough of Ashford List of places in Kent