Rolvenden

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Rolvenden
Rolvenden (Kent)
Rolvenden

Rolvenden shown within Kent
Population 1495[1]
OS grid reference TQ843315
Parish Rolvenden
District Ashford
Shire county Kent
Region South East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town TONBRIDGE
Postcode district TN17
Dialling code 01580
Police Kent
Fire Kent
Ambulance South East Coast
European Parliament South East England
UK Parliament Ashford
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Coordinates: 51°03′11″N 0°37′50″E / 51.0531, 0.6306

Rolvenden is a village and civil parish in the Ashford District of Kent, England. The village is located on the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, five miles (8km) south-west of Tenterden.

The settlement of Rolvenden Layne, south of Rolvenden, is also in the parish.

Contents

[edit] History

The village of Rolvenden dates from at least Saxon times. The name 'Rolvenden' originates from a chieftan Hropwulf, and refers to the 'den or pasture of Hropwulf's people'. Den is the jutish word for swinepastures with associated hamlets, isolated farmsteads and cultivated land.

Rolvenden was first mentioned in the Domesday book as Rovindene. In the reign of Edward III this was changed to Riolvinden, and then changed again to Rounden in the late 17th century.

Rolvenden village originally consisted of the Streyte, located along what is now the A28 Ashford to Hastings road, which was almost entirely burned down during the Great Plague (except for the church, pub and some farms). This caused the villagers to abandon the Streyte and move a mile down the hill to the common land of the Layne during the 1660s. They later returned to rebuild the Streyte, resulting in the two small hamlets, the Streyte and the younger, smaller and quieter Layne that you see today.

The population declined between 1830 and 1850, when many people left during and after the Swing Riots. This was caused by Rolvenden parish making the conscious decision to provide the poor with a single payment for assisted passages to the colonies, as opposed to large ongoing payments for parish relief.

Rolvenden is now approximately ten square miles in area, consisting largely of farming and rural activities, with an increasing number of professional, craft and tourist services. Rolvenden is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the South Kent development area.

[edit] Places of Interest

The 13th/14th-century parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The font has the arms of the Culpeper family on it. The war memorial in the churchyard was designed by Edwin Lutyens.

Great Maytham Hall, located down the hill towards Rolvenden Layne, contains "The Secret Garden" that inspired the well-known children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The Hall was also designed by Lutyens.

Hole Park on the Benenden Road regularly opens its gardens to the public under the National Gardens Scheme.

Rolvenden Windmill is a familiar landmark that can can also be seen on the Benenden Road. It does not open to the public.

The C.M. Booth Collection of Historic Vehicles is located in the middle of Rolvenden High Street at Fallstaff Antiques. It specializes in Morgan 3 wheelers, and has a variety of other vintage cars, motorcycles, bicycles, displays of toy and model cars etc.

Rolvenden also has a thriving Farmers' Market which takes place every Thursday morning between 10 am and 12 pm in the church and the new village hall opposite. It aims to help local farmers sell their produce to local people, keeping down "food miles" and giving customers direct contact with the farmer/producer.

The Kent and East Sussex Railway has its workshops near Rolvenden station, which is some distance from the village itself.

Korker Sausages Ltd started as small butchers on Rolvenden high streyte by Jim Hoad. Korkers is now situated behind the high streyte and produces some 15 tonnes of sausages a week.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ashford Borough Council Census 2001

[edit] External links

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Towns and villages in the Ashford district of Kent, England
Aldington • Aldington Frith • Anvil Green • Appledore • Appledore Heath • Ashford • Bagham • Bethersden • Biddenden • Bilsington • Bilting • Bockhanger • Bodsham • Bonnington • Boughton Aluph • Boughton Corner • Boughton Lees • Brabourne • Brabourne Lees • Brattle • Bromley Green • Brook • Challock • Charing • Chilham • Chilmington Green • Crundale • Eastwell • Ebony • Egerton • Godinton • Godmersham • Great Chart • Hamstreet • Hastingleigh • High Halden • Hinxhill • Hothfield • Kenardington • Kennington • Kingsnorth • Leigh Green • Little Chart • Mersham • Molash • Newenden • Newtown • Orlestone • Pluckley • Reading Street • Rolvenden • Rolvenden Layne • Ruckinge • St Michaels • Sevington • Shadoxhurst • Small Hythe • Smarden • Smeeth • Stanhope • Stone in Oxney • Stubbs Cross • Tenterden • Warehorne • West Brabourne • Westwell • Westwell Leacon • Willesborough • Wittersham • Woodchurch • Woolpack Corner • Wye
List of places in Kent