Hamstreet
Encyclopedia
Hamstreet is a village in Kent
, in South East England
.
The village is located some 6 miles south of Ashford
on the A2070, the main road between Ashford
and Hastings
. The majority of the village is in the parish of Orlestone
, named after a much older hamlet located 1 mile north of Hamstreet on the ridge of hills; however, part of the village falls within the parish of Warehorne, giving it a population of approximately 2,000 and a loose claim to having three pubs.
The parish church, dedicated to the Good Shephard http://www.kurc.org.uk/circuit/hamstreet.htm, is now a shared Anglican
/Methodist building, and the parish churches of Orlestone
, Snave
(now a redundant church), Ruckinge
, Warehorne and Kenardington are all within the same benefice.
Until the coming of the railway in 1853, Hamstreet was just a hamlet known as 'Ham' based around the weatherboard village centre. The village expanded rapidly during the 20th century and had its moment of fame in 1991, when maps of Hamstreet at various stages in history were used on a series of postage stamps to mark 200 years of the Ordnance Survey
– this chance arose because the Hamstreet area was the first to be mapped in this way. An episode of BBC TV's 'Countryfile
' was also devoted to the occasion. The village also featured in a mountaineering spoof in Blue Peter
to raise money for charity.
and Orlestone Forest, Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs). Both are remnants of the ancient forest that once covered the whole of the Weald
of Kent
.
The Royal Military Canal
, the UK's third longest defensive structure, passes by ½ mile to the south. Three long distance footpaths also run through the parish:
The area is also popular with cyclists, as Romney Marsh
to the south is completely flat!
The village has a country fayre and transport festival every June.
The village also hosts a farmers' market
every second Sunday of the month at the village hall.
, a commune
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.
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...
, in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
The village is located some 6 miles south of Ashford
Ashford (borough)
Ashford is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. Its council is based in the town of Ashford.The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Tenterden with Ashford urban district, and the East Ashford, West Ashford and Tenterden Rural Districts...
on the A2070, the main road between Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
. The majority of the village is in the parish of Orlestone
Orlestone
Orlestone is a civil parish in Ashford District, Kent, England, with a population of 1,500. The centre of the parish is Hamstreet village which falls partly within the parish of Warehorne due to the ancient parish boundary...
, named after a much older hamlet located 1 mile north of Hamstreet on the ridge of hills; however, part of the village falls within the parish of Warehorne, giving it a population of approximately 2,000 and a loose claim to having three pubs.
The parish church, dedicated to the Good Shephard http://www.kurc.org.uk/circuit/hamstreet.htm, is now a shared Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
/Methodist building, and the parish churches of Orlestone
Orlestone
Orlestone is a civil parish in Ashford District, Kent, England, with a population of 1,500. The centre of the parish is Hamstreet village which falls partly within the parish of Warehorne due to the ancient parish boundary...
, Snave
Snave
Snave is a very small hamlet located on Romney Marsh in Kent, England just off the A2070 road nine miles south of the town of Ashford. Snave only consists of a few houses and the church of St Augustine's which holds one service per year at harvest festival. In spring, the churchyard is famed for...
(now a redundant church), Ruckinge
Ruckinge
The village of Ruckinge is located in Kent. It lies seven miles southeast of Ashford on the B2067 Hamstreet to Hythe road. It is the centre of a civil parish of the same name, which also includes the scattered community of Bromley Green...
, Warehorne and Kenardington are all within the same benefice.
History
Parts of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Orlestone date back to the 11th century.Until the coming of the railway in 1853, Hamstreet was just a hamlet known as 'Ham' based around the weatherboard village centre. The village expanded rapidly during the 20th century and had its moment of fame in 1991, when maps of Hamstreet at various stages in history were used on a series of postage stamps to mark 200 years of the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
– this chance arose because the Hamstreet area was the first to be mapped in this way. An episode of BBC TV's 'Countryfile
Countryfile
Countryfile is a British magazine-style television programme produced by BBC Birmingham, first aired on 24th July 1988, which reports on rural and environmental issues within the United Kingdom. For its first 20 years it was fronted by broadcaster John Craven, until he stepped back from the role of...
' was also devoted to the occasion. The village also featured in a mountaineering spoof in Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
to raise money for charity.
Countryside
Two large areas of public woodland surround the village, namely Ham Street WoodsHam Street Woods
Ham Street Woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest near Hamstreet and Ruckinge, six miles from Ashford in Kent, England. The woodland is said to be more than 400 years old....
and Orlestone Forest, Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSIs). Both are remnants of the ancient forest that once covered the whole 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...
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...
.
The Royal Military Canal
Royal Military Canal
The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering Romney Marsh.-Construction:...
, the UK's third longest defensive structure, passes by ½ mile to the south. Three long distance footpaths also run through the parish:
- The Saxon Shore WaySaxon Shore WayThe Saxon Shore Way is a long-distance footpath in England, starting at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times as far as Hastings, East Sussex, in total.-History:...
- Greensand WayGreensand WayThe Greensand Way is long distance walk of in southeast England, from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent. It follows the Greensand Ridge along the Surrey Hills and Chart Hills. The route is mostly rural, passing through woods, and alongside fruit orchards and hop farms in Kent and links...
(which begins at the main crossroads and runs for 110 miles (177 km) to HaslemereHaslemereHaslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, SurreySurreySurrey 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...
) - The Royal Military Canal Path
The area is also popular with cyclists, as Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
to the south is completely flat!
Amenities
Hamstreet has:- A railway stationHam Street railway stationHam Street railway station serves Hamstreet in Kent. It is on a dual-track section of the Marshlink Line, and train services are provided by Southern.The line is unelectrified and services are operated by Class 171 Turbostar diesel trains....
on the Marshlink LineMarshlink LineThe Marshlink Line is the name given to services on the railway line linking Ashford with Hastings in the South East of England. The line was part of an original proposal by a company named the Brighton Lewes and Hastings Railway to extend its coast route to Hastings... - Post office/general store
- Various shops (including hardware stores/cycle shop/antiques/pet store)
- A doctor's surgery
- A dentist
- A village primary school
- A hairdresser
- A restaurant
- A garden centre
- A pub at the village crossroads called the Duke's Head
- The home of Kent's own independent bottled gas company, Novagas.
The village has a country fayre and transport festival every June.
The village also hosts a farmers' market
Farmers' market
A farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
every second Sunday of the month at the village hall.
Twin towns
Hamstreet is twinned with ThérouanneThérouanne
Thérouanne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Thérouanne is located 10 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D157 and D341 road junction.-Population:-History:...
, a commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.