| Loose | |
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Loose
Loose shown within Kent |
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| - London | 34 miles (55 km) NW |
|---|---|
| District | Maidstone |
| Shire county | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MAIDSTONE |
| Postcode district | ME15, |
| Dialling code | 01622 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Maidstone and the Weald |
| List of places: UK • England • Kent | |
Loose ( /ˈluːz/) is a village some 2 miles (3 km) south of Maidstone, Kent, situated at the head of the Loose Valley. The village and the Loose Valley form the Loose Valley Conservation Area. The fast flowing River Loose which rises near Langley runs through the centre of the village and once supported a paper making industry, evidence of which can still be found today. An area around the village is also known as Loose but Loose village itself is based in the Loose valley and extends along Busbridge Road towards Tovil.
Loose is believed to take its name from the Loose stream, which 'loses' itself for several miles under ground from the point where it rises in Langley. (Edward Hasted: Hlosan in Saxon, signifying to lose or be lost).
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Loose originates from Saxon times but its main period of development was during the Industrial Revolution when Loose, Boughton Monchelsea and Bockingford developed around the seven mills which were driven by the Loose stream. There are several remains of the mills, including millraces at Leg O'Mutton pond, Gurney's Mill, Loose village mill in Bridge Street, the mill ponds at Little and Great Ivy mills and further down the valley in Crismill and Hayle, where the old paper mill stands with its only remaining chimney. This site has now been redeveloped as housing. Further south are disused mine pits where ragstone was once mined, some of which was sent sent for use at the Tower of London. South along the Loose Road (A229), terminating at the Post Office, a tram track ran which transported Loose residents to and from Maidstone.
Old Loose Hill descends into Loose village and the valley, the hill being so steep that in the 18th and 19th century consecutive landlords of The Chequers public house kept horses which were hired out to help haul carts to the top of the hill. The road is still lined with haul stones around which ropes were tied to help relieve he horses of the weight of the carts. Across the stream from the Chequers is Brooks Field.
In the village the Brooks path, a picturesque causeway along the Loose stream which joins the two ends of the village, divides the mill pond which once fed the village mill. All Saints church, of the Diocese of Canterbury, overlooks this section of river. A local tradition has it that if one sticks a pin in the old Yew tree in the churchyard then runs around it anticlockwise at midnight one will, if one looks through a small window above the Charlton memorial against the church wall, see a vision of a woman killing a baby.[1] The Reverend Richard Boys was vicar here and also chaplain of St Helena during Napolon Bonaparte's exile on the island.[2] The Reverend Boys is buried in the churchyard.
To the east of the village is the Loose Viaduct, attributed to Thomas Telford in 1830 to carry the Maidstone to Hastings road (the present day A229) across the Loose Valley. The village has two public houses. The Chequers is in the valley beside the river and The Walnut Tree is on the main A229 opposite Loose Infant school and Loose Junior school; separate schools but sharing the same site. A third pub, The Kings Arms, was closed in 2005 and is now a private house.
World famous 'Gonzo' illustrator Ralph Steadman lives in Loose, and the 'Beechgrove Garden' (BBC Scotland) presenter Carole Baxter was born in Loose
Loose is pronounced 'Looze' to rhyme with booze.