Yalding

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Coordinates: 51°13′26″N 0°25′44″E / 51.224°N 0.429°E / 51.224; 0.429
Yalding

Georgian buildings on the High Street
Yalding

 Yalding shown within Kent
Population 2,236 (2001)
OS grid reference TQ6949
Civil parish Yalding
District Maidstone
Shire county Kent
Region South East
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Maidstone
Postcode district ME18
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

Yalding is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Maidstone in Kent, England. The village is situated 6 miles (9.7 km) south west of Maidstone at a point where the Rivers Teise and Beult join the River Medway. At the 2001 census, the parish, which includes the villages of Benover and Laddingford, had a population of 2,236.[1]

The Twyford Bridge.
Yalding lies where the Greensand Way and Medway Valley Walk cross, 6 miles (9.7 km) of Maidstone, at the confluence of the rivers Medway, Teise and Beult.
There are three bridges in the village; the Twyford Bridge (meaning twin ford, where there was originally a double crossing of the two rivers) is one of the finest medieval bridges in the south-east of England. Yalding was one of the principal shipment points on the River Medway for cannon, from villages of the Wealden iron industry. One iron master was John Browne from Horsmonden.

The wharf was later used for transporting fruit from the many orchards in the area. Garden Organic, the UK's leading organic growing charity, created a demonstration garden located near the village. This was closed in 2007 but leased and reopened by the local business Maro Foods, in 2008. The gardens are now known as the Yalding Gardens.

History

The Saxon village was called Twyford and was close to the bridge. But the name was recorded in the Domesday Book as the Saxon manor of Hallinges owned by Aldret, though it was known as Ge-aeldinge (the old village). By 1642 this had mutated to Yaldinge.[2]

The medieval records from Yalding are so complete that it was used in a History Case Study for Secondary Schools, called the The Yalding Project.

During the English Civil War in 1643, a battle took place at Town Bridge between the Roundheads and Cavaliers. The Cavaliers had advanced from Aylesford towards Tonbridge, but the Parliamentarian soldiers had marched to block their movements, bombarded them and forced their surrender, with the result that 300 were captured and 300 escaped.[2]

Yalding was a favourite of Edith Nesbit, author of The Railway Children, who wrote in the 1920s: "The Medway just above the Anchor (at Yalding, Kent) is a river of dreams...If you go to Yalding you may stay at the George and be comfortable in a little village that owns a haunted churchyard, a fine church, and one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe."[3]

Buildings

St Peter's and St Paul's church is a Grade I listed building. It is built from ragstone, and is judged to be from the 13th century. The tower turret has a weather vane dated 1734.[4]
The Post Office, on the High Street, at the end of Town Bridge -ship lap and peg tiles.

Rivers

Twyford Bridge crosses the River Medway. It is just downstream of the automatic sluice where the river drops from +11.2m to +7.41m above mean sea level, the navigation bears left through the Hampstead Rd Canal, and the Hampstead Lock, the main stream drops over the weir and sluice and is joined here by the River Teise (Lesser Teise) and both pass under Twyford Bridge. The river then flows in a loop towards the village where it is joined by the River Beult which has passed under Town Bridge. However the main stream of the River Teise flowed into the Beult near Benover, 3 km upstream of Town Bridge. Twyford Bridge is not navigable. Twyford bridge is 16 km from Allington, where the Medway becomes tidal.[5] The medieval Town Bridge is built of ragstone in the 15th century, it has seven arches and spans the Beult and the marshy ground each side.[4] It is reputed to be the longest existing medieval bridge in Kent being 150m in length.[2]
Riverside dwellings on the River Beult, photographed from Town Bridge.

Floods

Parts of Yalding are prone to flooding, e.g.:

  • Christmas Day 1927[6]
  • eight times in the winter of 2000/1.[7][8]
  • in December 2013 [9]

Transport

Yalding village and environs are primarily served by Nu-Venture buses 23 and 26. Additional services also operate.

Yalding railway station lies on the Medway Valley Line which links Strood, Maidstone West, Yalding, Paddock Wood and Tonbridge. Trains run every hour and there is a small free car park at the unmanned station.

Education

The village primary school is St Peter's and St Paul's Church of England Primary School. At secondary level, the school is in the Mascalls School Comprehensive catchment area. However, the village is home to many children who attend grammar schools in the neighbouring town of Maidstone.

Leisure

Yalding has a cricket club, Yalding Cricket Club, that has existed since 1798 (first recorded game). The cricket pitch was once beside the River Medway on the Lees (Village Common). They currently play on the Kintons ground.[citation needed]

The Greensand Way long-distance footpath crosses the Medway at Twyford Bridge, and follows up the High Street, passes through Blunden Lane, and leaves the village by an ancient byway by Bustom Farm Cottages. The Medway Valley Walk follows the river from Tonbridge to the sluice on the east bank, then the Hampstead Lane Canal, and the river to Maidstone on the west bank.

Yalding Organic Garden has a display of fourteen individual gardens, demonstrating gardening through the last 800 years. The plants have been carefully chosen to make sure that they are accurate to their historical period.

The Yalding and District Beekeepers Association was formed in January 2011, by a group of local beekeepers, and meets monthly in The Chequers Inn, Laddingford.

There is a strong football club- Yalding and Laddingford FC based at the Kintons ground with 2 teams in the West Kent Sunday League, the first team having just been promoted to Div 1 and the Reserves in Div 6. Formed in 2011 the Club are well supported throughout the Parish and look to foster links throughout the village. Following a successful first season including promotion for the 1st team and winning the 2012 Ted Root Cup. The Club have now formed a side to play in the Tonbridge Saturday league and in their first season reached the cup final and gained promotion. A new junior section of under 10's and under 13's has now starting showing the strength of the club within the Parish.

Notable people

  • Andrea Parker, record producer.
  • David Sadler, (b 1946), football player, was born in Yalding.
  • Emily Hall - Daily Star Reporter

References

  1. ↑ "Census 2001: Parish Headcounts: Maidstone". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 26 December 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Village Net
  3. ↑ Edith Nesbit
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Greensand Way in Kent, 1992, Kent County Council, ISBN 1-873010-23-0
  5. ↑ The Medway navigation, Leaflet,March 1991, NRA-National Rivers Authority
  6. ↑ BBC Report 8th Nov 2000
  7. ↑ BBC Report
  8. ↑ Independent 10th Feb 2001
  9. ↑ Guardian report 28 December 2013

External links

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