Cowden
Encyclopedia
Cowden is a small village and civil parish
in the Sevenoaks
District of Kent
, England
. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald
, south-west of Tonbridge
. The old High Street has Grade II listed cottages and village houses, and there is an inn called The Fountain.
built the London to Lewes Way
across what is now the garden of Waystrode Manor. The first owners of the manor received it from King John in 1208. Crippenden Manor, built in about 1607, was once the home of another ironmaster, Richard Tichbourne.
The village appears as Cudena in Textus Roffensis
.
In 1649 Robert Tichborne
petitioned the House of Commons in favour of the execution of Charles I. He was one of the Commissioners who, in 1651, prepared the way for the union with Scotland and he was knighted in 1655 by Cromwell
and made a peer in 1657. After the Restoration he was arrested and sentenced to death, but he was reprieved, imprisoned in Dover Castle
and died, in 1682, in the Tower of London
. The family, however, did not die out in Cowden until 1708, when John Tichbourne was buried there.
This is old Wealden
iron country, recalled by the cast iron memorial slab in the church, to John Bottinge, dated 1622. This was a time when the area was producing guns for the Army and navy, as well as domestic and agricultural ware. Cowden had its own blast furnace
from 1573 until sometime in the 18th century. The rumoured second 'upper' Cowden Furnace is now know to have been Scarlets Furnace nearby in East Sussex.
Parts of the parish straddle the Kent Water which forms the border with East Sussex
and Surrey
where the three counties meet.
It is centred around a 13th-century church of St Mary Magdalene with its slender, wooden shingled spire, bomb-damaged during World War II
and since re-shingled. The spire is barely perceptibly out of perpendicular, which gave rise to a rhyme:
The church is built of sandstone, its tower and steeple timber-framed inside. The old bells were recast and rehung in 1911 to commemorate the reign of Edward VII and a sixth bell was added at the Coronation of George V
.
A stained glass windows given to the church in 1947 celebrates 'the remarkable preservation of this village during the years 1939-45' and features figures of St Bridget (representing the women of the parish), St Nicholas (for the sailors), St George (the soldiers and airmen) and St Mary Magdalene, all the company of Sir Walstan (the farmer bishop of Worcester
Wulfstan 1062-95 representing the local farmers). Below them are 20th-century figures: a sailor, soldier, airman, a nurse and others making up a representative group of World War II characters, all turned towards a Christ-figure whose protection they seek.
was the scene of a fatal crash
in 1994. There is a regular service to London and Uckfield.
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 Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks (district)
Sevenoaks is a local government district covering the western most part of Kent in England. Its council is based in the town of Sevenoaks. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the Sevenoaks Urban District, Sevenoaks Rural District and part of Dartford...
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...
. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
, south-west of Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
. The old High Street has Grade II listed cottages and village houses, and there is an inn called The Fountain.
History
The RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
built the London to Lewes Way
London to Lewes Way (Roman road)
The London to Lewes Way is a long Roman road between Watling Street at Peckham and Lewes in Sussex. The road passes through Beckenham and West Wickham, then crosses the North Downs above Titsey, on the county boundary between Surrey and Kent, and is overlain by Edenbridge High Street.The road...
across what is now the garden of Waystrode Manor. The first owners of the manor received it from King John in 1208. Crippenden Manor, built in about 1607, was once the home of another ironmaster, Richard Tichbourne.
The village appears as Cudena in Textus Roffensis
Textus Roffensis
The Textus Roffensis, or in full, Textus de Ecclesia Roffensi per Ernulphum episcopum , refers to a manuscript in which two originally separate manuscripts written about the same time, between 1122 and 1124, are bound together...
.
In 1649 Robert Tichborne
Robert Tichborne
Sir Robert Tichborne , was an English soldier who fought in the English Civil War and a regicide of Charles I.Before the war he was a linen-draper by trade. In 1643 he was a captain in the London trained bands. He was lieutenant of the Tower of London in 1647. He was an extreme republican and...
petitioned the House of Commons in favour of the execution of Charles I. He was one of the Commissioners who, in 1651, prepared the way for the union with Scotland and he was knighted in 1655 by Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
and made a peer in 1657. After the Restoration he was arrested and sentenced to death, but he was reprieved, imprisoned in Dover Castle
Dover Castle
Dover Castle is a medieval castle in the town of the same name in the English county of Kent. It was founded in the 12th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history...
and died, in 1682, in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. The family, however, did not die out in Cowden until 1708, when John Tichbourne was buried there.
This is old Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
iron country, recalled by the cast iron memorial slab in the church, to John Bottinge, dated 1622. This was a time when the area was producing guns for the Army and navy, as well as domestic and agricultural ware. Cowden had its own blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
from 1573 until sometime in the 18th century. The rumoured second 'upper' Cowden Furnace is now know to have been Scarlets Furnace nearby in East Sussex.
Church
The ancient parish church is dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, and has a restored shingle covered spire.Parts of the parish straddle the Kent Water which forms the border with East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
where the three counties meet.
It is centred around a 13th-century church of St Mary Magdalene with its slender, wooden shingled spire, bomb-damaged during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and since re-shingled. The spire is barely perceptibly out of perpendicular, which gave rise to a rhyme:
The church is built of sandstone, its tower and steeple timber-framed inside. The old bells were recast and rehung in 1911 to commemorate the reign of Edward VII and a sixth bell was added at the Coronation of George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
.
A stained glass windows given to the church in 1947 celebrates 'the remarkable preservation of this village during the years 1939-45' and features figures of St Bridget (representing the women of the parish), St Nicholas (for the sailors), St George (the soldiers and airmen) and St Mary Magdalene, all the company of Sir Walstan (the farmer bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
Wulfstan 1062-95 representing the local farmers). Below them are 20th-century figures: a sailor, soldier, airman, a nurse and others making up a representative group of World War II characters, all turned towards a Christ-figure whose protection they seek.
Transport
Its railway stationCowden railway station
Cowden railway station serves Cowden in Kent, in England. Train services from the station are provided by Southern, and the station is on the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line.The station was destaffed in the 1970s...
was the scene of a fatal crash
Cowden rail crash
The Cowden rail crash occurred on 15 October 1994, around 350 metres southeast of Cowden Station in the English county of Kent. There was a head-on collision between two trains in heavy fog after the driver of a northbound train ran past a red signal and entered a single line section.Five people...
in 1994. There is a regular service to London and Uckfield.
External links
- Cowden Village Website HomePage
- Kent Parish Councils Cowden HomePage
- The Weald Of Kent, Town History
- Cowden Pound Pastures
- Cowden Conservation Society
- Cowden Mavericks http://www.cowdenmavericks.co.uk
- Multimap http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=51.146&lon=0.095&scale=100000&icon=x
- The Fountain Inn, Cowden http://www.fountain-cowden.com
- Cowden Furnace Pond http://www.hammerpond.org.uk/Gazetteer/Kent/kent.htm