Cliffe Woods
Encyclopedia
Cliffe Woods is a small suburb on the Hoo Peninsula
in Kent
, England
. It forms part of the parish of Cliffe and Cliffe Woods
in the borough of Medway
.
It was once just a hamlet and is situated next to Higham
. The old woods rise to meet Chattenden
and the Ratcliffe highway, just before Hoo, and still retains much of its rural character, but has of late been built upon. The modern estate
now situated just back from the B2000 was built on a clay subsoil, and many of the houses had to be underpinned after having been sold, because they were noticed to have moved slightly, built on a hillside.
A petrol filling station
was one of the few village shops here as early as 1925, and was rebuilt in the 1960s. Even then some of the properties in the woods did not have their own water supply, and had to visit the garage to collect their water. In the mid-1990s, the petrol station closed, and was not reopened; however the estate saw a community center, doctors' surgery and pharmacy open.
The railway station was never busy and very quaint. Trains came from Waterloo at least hourly and were mainly of the old slam door type with drop down windows located with a leather strap. There was a pub just on the corner from the railway, and it was usually quiet in the early 60s.
In the 1950s and 1960s View Road was a bumpy unmade track and was lined with trees. There was a small one room hovel/house/shed half way up on the right, with someone living in it. There were several very large plots nearer the top just at the base of the hill to the woods. At least one was purchased before or during the war and used unofficially for living in until it was compulsorily purchased in the late 1960s. The owner believed that there was council interest and could never get planning permission for a proper house. The original plots were demolished about 1968/9.
At least some of the plots had electricity (from the early 1950s at least), mains water and a septic tank. Most people had a paraffin stove used for cooking and also lighting when the electric failed. The petrol station was still the only shop in the early 1960s.
In the early 1960s, at the top of View Road there were woods stretching almost to the river, with wild cobnuts, and chestnuts too. There were wild damsons in the area, and apple trees were planted and mature by the 1950s.
Hoo Peninsula
The Hoo Peninsula is a peninsula in England separating the estuaries of the rivers Thames and Medway. It is dominated by a line of sand and clay hills, surrounded by an extensive area of marshland composed of alluvial silt. The name Hoo is the Old English word for spur of land.-History:The Romans...
in 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...
. It forms part of the parish of Cliffe and Cliffe Woods
Cliffe and Cliffe Woods
Cliffe and Cliffe Woods is a civil parish in the borough of Medway in Kent, England. The parish is located on the Hoo Peninsula and comprises the villages of Cliffe and the suburb, Cliffe Woods....
in the borough of 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...
.
It was once just a hamlet and is situated next to Higham
Higham, Kent
Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. The civil parish of Higham is in Gravesham district and as at the 2001 UK Census, had a population of 3,938.-History:...
. The old woods rise to meet Chattenden
Chattenden
Chattenden is a small village in Hoo Parish, in Medway in Kent, UK. It lies to the north of the A228 and the village of Wainscott, at the top of Four Elms Hill.Chattenden means 'Forest Settlement' from the elements ceto and ham dun...
and the Ratcliffe highway, just before Hoo, and still retains much of its rural character, but has of late been built upon. The modern estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
now situated just back from the B2000 was built on a clay subsoil, and many of the houses had to be underpinned after having been sold, because they were noticed to have moved slightly, built on a hillside.
A petrol filling station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
was one of the few village shops here as early as 1925, and was rebuilt in the 1960s. Even then some of the properties in the woods did not have their own water supply, and had to visit the garage to collect their water. In the mid-1990s, the petrol station closed, and was not reopened; however the estate saw a community center, doctors' surgery and pharmacy open.
The railway station was never busy and very quaint. Trains came from Waterloo at least hourly and were mainly of the old slam door type with drop down windows located with a leather strap. There was a pub just on the corner from the railway, and it was usually quiet in the early 60s.
In the 1950s and 1960s View Road was a bumpy unmade track and was lined with trees. There was a small one room hovel/house/shed half way up on the right, with someone living in it. There were several very large plots nearer the top just at the base of the hill to the woods. At least one was purchased before or during the war and used unofficially for living in until it was compulsorily purchased in the late 1960s. The owner believed that there was council interest and could never get planning permission for a proper house. The original plots were demolished about 1968/9.
At least some of the plots had electricity (from the early 1950s at least), mains water and a septic tank. Most people had a paraffin stove used for cooking and also lighting when the electric failed. The petrol station was still the only shop in the early 1960s.
In the early 1960s, at the top of View Road there were woods stretching almost to the river, with wild cobnuts, and chestnuts too. There were wild damsons in the area, and apple trees were planted and mature by the 1950s.