Chartham

Chartham
St Mary's Church with part of the Green
Chartham Hatch
Chartham  Chartham shown within Kent
Population	3,351 [1]
OS grid reference	TR108549
Civil parish	Chartham
District	City of Canterbury
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CANTERBURY
Postcode district	CT4 7
Dialling code	01227
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Canterbury
List of places UK England Kent

Chartham is a village and civil parish on the Great Stour river in the vale of the Kent Downs, 4 miles (6 km) west of Canterbury, England. The Great Stour Way path passes through the village. A paper mill in the village has specialised in the production of tracing paper since 1938.^[2] There are numerous arable farms and orchards in the parish. The village has an unmanned station, Chartham, and a manned level crossing.

History

The river provided power for the paper mills until some point before 1955. The name literally means ‘Village on rough ground’, and the word "Chart" is also found in other villages in Kent with this meaning. Paper making has been a major occupation for the last 625 years; the mill dates from the late eighteenth century.

The dovecote at Burnt House Farm is not only notable for its building's architectural merit but is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument for its importance in sending homing birds to and from important envoys such as the Archbishop of Canterbury.^[3]

Geography and economy

Chartham is located on the Great Stour river and vale of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its paper mill specialises in the production of tracing paper. There are numerous arable farms and orchards in the parish.

The village is served by Chartham railway station and the Great Stour Way path.^[4]

Church

The Church of St Mary is located next to the village green and contains six bells, five of which were made by Joseph Hatch in 1605, which makes them the oldest complete set by the same bellfounder in Kent.^[5][6] It was built in approximately 1294 and features a number of brasses, including that of Sir Robert de Setvans (d 1306). The stonework of its chancel windows exhibit a form of tracery, known as Kentish or split cusp tracery, which originates here.^[6][7] The tower is 14th century and the renovation was in 1875 by Oxford University architect George Edmund Street.^[8]

Outlying areas

Shalmsford Street

The village is contiguous with the smaller Shalmsford Street to the west, and was until recently the location of St Augustine's Mental Hospital, formerly known as the East Kent Lunatic Asylum. The site on which St Augustine's stood has now become a housing estate.

Here is the village's post office at 105 Shalmsford Street^[9] and Chartham Primary School in which as well as being a school, Chartham Parish meetings are held.^[10]

Chartham Hatch

Chartham Hatch is the northern upper part of the village, also known as a hamlet, of around 200 houses. It is surrounded by small woods and its orchards of apples and pears. Village Hall, formerly the school, is in the centre.

Horton

Horton or Horton Manor is a tiny hamlet northeast by the Great Stour Way with its weir, Grade II listed manor house,^[11] and scheduled ancient monument manor chapel remains, later which became an oast house and agricultural storage area.^[12]

Mystole House

Mystole and Thruxted

These hamlets are south west along the Great Stour and to the south east. Mystole is rich in heritage due to its focal point, Mystole House, a remarkable 16th century historic building, with architectural Grade II* status ^[13] and former appurtenances/outbuildings: Grade II* listed Mystole Coach House;^[14] its Park; listed orangery;^[15] tennis court; Archway Lodge;^[16] The Tetherings^[17] and Stable House. Thruxted itself has a large working farmhouse.^[18]

References

External links

Media related to Chartham at Wikimedia Commons

• Chartham Hatch village hall website
• Chartham Hatch at Local Heritage Initiative website

v t e Towns and villages in the Canterbury district of Kent, England Adisham Barham Bekesbourne Beltinge Bishopsbourne Blean Boyden Gate Bramling Bridge Broad Oak Broomfield Chartham Chartham Hatch Chestfield Chislet Eddington Fordwich Grays Hackington Harbledown Hawthorn Herne Herne Bay Hersden Hillborough Hoath Ickham Kingston Littlebourne Lower Hardres Marshside Nackington Patrixbourne Petham Pett Bottom Reculver Rough Common Stuppington Sturry Swalecliffe Tankerton Thanington Without Tyler Hill Upper Harbledown Upper Hardres Upstreet Waltham Westbere Whitstable Wickhambreaux Wincheap Womenswold Woolage Green Woolage Village Yorkletts The city of Canterbury List of places in Kent