Hawkinge
Encyclopedia
Hawkinge is a village and civil parish
in the Shepway
District of Kent
, England
. The original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village centre (roughly 51° 6'55.14"N, 1°11'2.00"E); the modern, much larger, village of Hawkinge was formed by the merging of Hawkinge and Uphill. Walking south from the village past it is possible to see stunning views of Cheriton
, Folkestone
and the Channel Tunnel
complex.
was the closest operational airfield to France and was used during the Battle of Britain
. The airfield is now the site of extensive residential development, which has expanded Hawkinge's population to 9,000. Depending on further building, the population is still expected to grow to 11,000. The construction of the houses was hampered by the discovery of several pipe bombs, put there in the event of a German invasion to render the airfield useless to enemy airplanes. There are several reminders of the war in and near the site of the original village; the Kent Battle of Britain Museum
and various pillboxes
are scattered amongst the farms.
is Damian Collins
, having previously been represented by the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard
Q.C. (Conservative
) since 1983. On Kent County Council, Hawkinge forms part of the Elham Valley
Division, represented by Cllr Susan Carey (Conservative). On Shepway District Council Hawkinge is covered by the North Downs
East ward, represented by Cllrs David Godfrey, Philip Martin, and Stuart Peall (all Conservative). Hawkinge Parish Council consists of nine elected members; Four Conservatives and five Independents
.
to Barham
, where it meets with the A2
to Canterbury
originally ran through the centre of the village, before it was replaced with a new bypass opened by Michael Howard on Monday 9 July 2007. The southern section, built in the early 2000s, leads from the A20 to a roundabout where it meets with the northern section. This new section carries traffic around the village centre onto the existing road.
There is a regular bus service that connects the village to either Folkestone or Canterbury. These are normally run by Stagecoach and have route numbers 16, 16A & 73 (Easy Access Bus).
The village publishes its own online newspaper, the Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News
Hawkinge has a Tesco Express, a Lidl
store and pubs called The Mayfly; The White Horse; The Cat and Custard Pot and the Black Horse. It also has a branch of Natwest bank as well as a doctor's surgery, a chemist and dental surgery. There is an Indian takeaway, a Chinese takeaway which was voted 'Best Take-away Cuisine of 2010' by Shepway council, and an exotic kebab/fish and chip shop which cooks frozen chips purchased from the nearby Lidl
. There is also a Hairdressers called Lloyd Admas.
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 Shepway
Shepway
Shepway is a local government district in Kent, England. It includes the towns of Folkestone and Hythe and the Romney Marsh. It is named after the Jutish lathe of Shepway; the Royal Court of Shepway, which met near Lympne at a place called Shepway Cross, was the principal court of the Cinque Ports...
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 original village of Hawkinge is actually just less than a mile (c. 1.3 km) due east of the present village centre (roughly 51° 6'55.14"N, 1°11'2.00"E); the modern, much larger, village of Hawkinge was formed by the merging of Hawkinge and Uphill. Walking south from the village past it is possible to see stunning views of Cheriton
Cheriton, Kent
Cheriton is a northern suburb of Folkestone in Kent that is the location of the English terminal of the Channel Tunnel. It is the location of the major army barracks of Shorncliffe Camp.- History :...
, Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
and the Channel Tunnel
Channel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
complex.
World War II
During World War II, RAF HawkingeRAF Hawkinge
RAF Hawkinge was an airfield in Kent, near to the south coast and the closest airfield to the French coast.It took part in the Battle of Britain and it was home to No. 79 Squadron RAF. After the war, the station hosted the Home Command Gliding Centre, and is fondly remembered by many Air Cadets as...
was the closest operational airfield to France and was used during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. The airfield is now the site of extensive residential development, which has expanded Hawkinge's population to 9,000. Depending on further building, the population is still expected to grow to 11,000. The construction of the houses was hampered by the discovery of several pipe bombs, put there in the event of a German invasion to render the airfield useless to enemy airplanes. There are several reminders of the war in and near the site of the original village; the Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Kent Battle of Britain Museum
The Kent Battle of Britain Museum is located on the former RAF Hawkinge, a World War II airfield 4 miles inland from Folkestone, England. It is privately operated and is the oldest museum dedicated to the Battle of Britain...
and various pillboxes
British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in...
are scattered amongst the farms.
Governance
The local MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
is Damian Collins
Damian Collins
Damian Noel Thomas Collins is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Folkestone and Hythe in the 2010 general election.-Education:...
, having previously been represented by the Rt. Hon. Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
Q.C. (Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) since 1983. On Kent County Council, Hawkinge forms part of the Elham Valley
Elham Valley
The Elham Valley is a chalk valley carved by the River Nailbourne situated in the North Downs in East Kent. The valley is named after the settlement of Elham...
Division, represented by Cllr Susan Carey (Conservative). On Shepway District Council Hawkinge is covered by the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
East ward, represented by Cllrs David Godfrey, Philip Martin, and Stuart Peall (all Conservative). Hawkinge Parish Council consists of nine elected members; Four Conservatives and five Independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Transport
The A260 road which runs from FolkestoneFolkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
to Barham
Barham, Kent
Barham is a village and civil parish in the City of Canterbury district of Kent, England. It is situated close to the A2 road between Canterbury and Dover, 7 miles south-east of Canterbury and 7 miles north of Folkestone....
, where it meets with the A2
A2 road (Great Britain)
The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe...
to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
originally ran through the centre of the village, before it was replaced with a new bypass opened by Michael Howard on Monday 9 July 2007. The southern section, built in the early 2000s, leads from the A20 to a roundabout where it meets with the northern section. This new section carries traffic around the village centre onto the existing road.
There is a regular bus service that connects the village to either Folkestone or Canterbury. These are normally run by Stagecoach and have route numbers 16, 16A & 73 (Easy Access Bus).
Shops and services
There are two local churches. The Anglican parish church is St Luke's, the ancient parish church of St Michael's having been declared redundant in 1980; The Baptist Church, having sold its small building, meets in a modern chapel on the first floor of Hawkinge Community Centre. There are three primary schools: Hawkinge Primary School in the old village; The Churchill Primary School; and Selsted Church of England Primary SchoolThe village publishes its own online newspaper, the Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News
Hawkinge has a Tesco Express, a Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
store and pubs called The Mayfly; The White Horse; The Cat and Custard Pot and the Black Horse. It also has a branch of Natwest bank as well as a doctor's surgery, a chemist and dental surgery. There is an Indian takeaway, a Chinese takeaway which was voted 'Best Take-away Cuisine of 2010' by Shepway council, and an exotic kebab/fish and chip shop which cooks frozen chips purchased from the nearby Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
. There is also a Hairdressers called Lloyd Admas.