Burham
Encyclopedia
Burham is a village and civil parish
in the Tonbridge and Malling
district of
Kent
, England
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,251. The village is near the Medway
towns.
The history of Burham can be traced to Roman times. AD43 saw the Battle of the Medway at the crossing point on the River Medway, where Burham is now, when the invading Roman legions, advancing west across Kent, were confronted by a massed army of the ancient British tribes. The Roman victory altered the course of history in Britain, and the remains of Roman buildings have been found in Burham and the neighbouring village of Eccles.
There has been a Settlement in Burham since Saxon times, "ham" being the Saxon word for "settlement" — the "Bur" part of the name comes from "burgh", or borough, referring to the borough of Rochester. The name "Burham" means "the village near the borough".
In the 11th century Burham belonged to Leofwine Godwinson
, brother of King Harold. He was killed along with his brother at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.It is listed as having six sulings (about 240 acres) of land. There were two major farms, 15 "villeins" each farming 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) and 20 "borderers" each farming about 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). There was a church and a mill with woodland sufficient to support 20 hogs. The medieval church of St Mary
is now redundant and stands on the riverbank. It is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust
having been saved from dereliction by the Friends of Friendless Churches
in the 1950s.
About 1830 Burham became a "cement village" on the Medway, after the discovery of the manufacturing technique for Portland Cement (so called because of its resemblance to Portland stone).
By 1841 the village's population had grown to 380 and increased to a maximum of 1,725 in 1901. Today it is about 1,300.
In July, 1998, the Kent Air Ambulance helicopter, returning from an emergency call in Rochester, crashed in woodland near Burham, after hitting power lines. All three crew — the pilot and two paramedics — were killed.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Tonbridge and Malling
Tonbridge and Malling
Tonbridge and Malling is a local government district and borough in the English county of Kent.Tonbridge and Malling borough covers an area from the North Downs at Burham and Snodland in the north to the town of Tonbridge in the south...
district of
Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,251. The village is near the Medway
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
towns.
There has been a Settlement in Burham since Saxon times, "ham" being the Saxon word for "settlement" — the "Bur" part of the name comes from "burgh", or borough, referring to the borough of Rochester. The name "Burham" means "the village near the borough".
In the 11th century Burham belonged to Leofwine Godwinson
Leofwine Godwinson
Leofwine Godwinson was a younger brother of Harold II of England, the fifth son of Earl Godwin.When the Godwin family was exiled from England in 1051 he went with Harold to Ireland...
, brother of King Harold. He was killed along with his brother at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.It is listed as having six sulings (about 240 acres) of land. There were two major farms, 15 "villeins" each farming 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) and 20 "borderers" each farming about 5 acres (20,234.3 m²). There was a church and a mill with woodland sufficient to support 20 hogs. The medieval church of St Mary
St Mary's Church, Burham
St Mary's Church, Burham, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Burham, Kent, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
is now redundant and stands on the riverbank. It is now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
having been saved from dereliction by the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
in the 1950s.
About 1830 Burham became a "cement village" on the Medway, after the discovery of the manufacturing technique for Portland Cement (so called because of its resemblance to Portland stone).
By 1841 the village's population had grown to 380 and increased to a maximum of 1,725 in 1901. Today it is about 1,300.
In July, 1998, the Kent Air Ambulance helicopter, returning from an emergency call in Rochester, crashed in woodland near Burham, after hitting power lines. All three crew — the pilot and two paramedics — were killed.