Meopham

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Meopham

Meopham (Kent)
Meopham

Meopham shown within Kent
OS grid reference TQ645655
District Gravesham
Shire county Kent
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Gravesend
Postcode district DA13
Dialling code 01474
Police Kent
Fire Kent
Ambulance South East Coast
European Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Gravesham
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Coordinates: 51°21′50″N 0°21′36″E / 51.364, 0.36

Meopham (IPA: /ˈmɛpəm/) is a large linear village and civil parish in Gravesham, Kent, England. The parish lies to the south of Gravesend on the A227 road. Within the parish, which has an area of 6.5 miles² (16.77km²), are four villages: Meopham Green, Hook Green and Harvel: all of which retain their village greens; and Culverstone. The small settlement of Nurstead, on a minor road to the east of the village, is also part of the parish. Meopham has a reputation of having one of the longest village streets in England, being seven miles (11.2km) in length.

The name of the village comes from Meapaham (Meapa's village): it is first recorded in the 8th century. [1]. Edward Hasted in 1797 describes it was being "out of the way" and with "no well frequented throuoghfare through it" [2]

On Meopham Green is a cricket pitch, on which the game has been played since at least 1776 [3]; nearby is Meopham Windmill, built before 1823 and now restored to full working order.

Contents

[edit] The Windmill

The Smock Mill.
The Smock Mill.

The Mill was built by James Killick, a millwright and a miller. On his death in 1823, it was passed on to his wife Sukey, then to his son James, and grandson Thomas who died in 1891. The Killicks lived in Strood where the family had other mills and used to walk the eight miles to Meopham each day. The current owners date its construction as 1819-21,[4] but W Coles Finch[5] dated it at 1801. It originally ran two stones but two more were added at a later date, and a 15 hp engine was added to supplement the wind. It is powered by 4 sweeps, with 6 bays of 3 shutters. It has been fully restored.[4] and was in full working order in 2005.

Diagram, showing interior of the Mill
Diagram, showing interior of the Mill

[edit] Churches

There are two parish churches: the main parish church of St. John the Baptist, and St. Mildred's Church in Nurstead, once a separate parish but now part of Meopham, and where the medieval house Nurstead Court is located. Mount Zion Baptist Church was built in 1828, and there is another Baptist Church at South Street. The Catholic church of St. Paul opened in 1965 and there is the Elim Pentecostal Church. The village has a railway station and a large country park at Camer.

[edit] Residents

Famous residents have included Simon de Mepham, Archbishop of Canterbury (1327-1332), and John Tradescant the elder and his son of the same name, botanists. Also Sir Michael Gambon, actor and the author Donald Adamson is also lord of the manor of Dodmore.

[edit] References

  1. ^ BBC: Kent Place Names
  2. ^ British History Online
  3. ^ Meopham Cricket Club history
  4. ^ a b Information board at the Mill
  5. ^ # Windmills and Watermills, William ColesFinch, 1933, pub. C.W. Daniel, reprinted 1976, Arthur J. Cassell Ltd ISBN 978-0-903253-02-4.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Towns and villages in the Gravesham district of Kent, England
List of places in Kent