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Kingsdown (hamlet)
Encyclopedia
Kingsdown is a small hamlet
surrounded by the villages of Frinsted
, Milstead
, Doddington
and Lynsted
in Kent
, England
.
The hamlet is within the civil parish
of Milstead and Kingsdown which spans the boundaries of the boroughs of Maidstone
and Swale
. The area around the hamlet includes the Torry Hill estate and forms part of the Barony of Kingsdown.
The hamlet was described by John Marius Wilson in his 1872 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
as a settlement of no more than 18 houses incorporating a population of 96.
conferred on Thomas Pemberton Leigh
around 1858. Lord Kingsdown never married, and his title therefore became extinct on his death in 1867. Lord Kingsdown's seat was at Torry Hill (see below) which stayed in the family, later to be known as the Leigh-Pembertons. The manor extended to the environs of the hamlet of Kingsdown and was recorded as such by Wilson in 1872.
The title was resurrected this time as a life peerage for Robin Leigh-Pemberton (from a related family line) becoming Baron Kingsdown in 1993.
Torry Hill, approximately 3 km due southwest of Kingsdown hamlet, is the family estate of the Leigh-Pemberton (formerly Pemberton Leigh) line and the administrative seat of the Barony of Kingsdown.
The estate typifies a style of environmental management encouraged by downland
landed gentry
. What was once simple enclosed farmland has been variously sculpted into ornamental parkland through a process of tree thinning, augmentation and managed grazing. The estate property includes eccentric country house follies
such as a private cricket
ground (which has been in use since the mid-19th century) and the only private Eton Fives
court in the world. In addition a small miniature railway was constructed on the estate in the 1930s following earlier carriage
drive routes. Although it is no longer in regular operation, a number of features of this railway remain including sections of track, bridges and turntables
and parts of the railway are still opened on occasions.. In common with other big houses on the Kent Downs
, Torry Hill possesses an icehouse, used in the nineteenth century to provide cold storage for provisions. Other notable features include a well-preserved mounting block
alongside a quiet crossroads.
Originally built in 1925, the main house was rebuilt to a Georgian
design in the 1960s and only a Victorian
gate-house remains on the estate. It is now a home to Robin Leigh-Pemberton, the current Lord Kingsdown.
The estate parkland has in recent years been used for other diverse pursuits such as a campsite
for the local District Scout organisations
and a grasstrack motorcycle racing
venue.
The rose
garden
and grounds are opened to the public on limited dates throughout the summer.
orchards, and arable
farming of crops like wheat. The Torry Hill cherry orchards in particular produce around 15 different varieties of cherry, a former staple product of the Kent countryside.
Measures have been put in place to increase the density of gamebirds such as the partridge
, woodcock
and pheasant
. Predators such as squirrels, stoats, weasels, foxes, rats
and corvids, are kept low.
The estate participates in conservation and countryside stewardship schemes, including the establishment of conservation strips around arable fields, creating ‘beetle banks’ (raised ridges in fields to encourage aphid
-consuming carabids) and leaving crops to overwinter in fields which to benefit passerines.
The hamlet is focused around a 19th-century redundant
Anglican
church dedicated to St Catherine
. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
The maintenance of Kingsdown Church was funded by Lord Kingsdown. According to a booklet from the Redundant Churches Fund, the population of the surrounding parish numbered just 96 in 1865 meaning a benefactor was essential.
Thomas Pemberton Leigh supported the building of a new church on the site of a mediaeval church (records from the rectory date back to 1313) that stood where today's nave
stands. The church is believed to be the only remaining completed Anglican
example of the work of Edward Welby Pugin, a noted ecclesiastical architect in Britain. The stained glass windows and possibly other internal fittings were installed by notable ecclesiastical manufacturers Hardman & Co.
.
The church is normally locked but a key can be obtained by arrangement. The church and a number of outlying buildings are now stranded on the south side of the M2 motorway and can be reached via a footbridge from the village of Kingsdown.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
surrounded by the villages of Frinsted
Frinsted
Frinsted or Frinstead is a small village in the parish of Wormshill and in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. and has been a recorded settlement as far back as the Domesday Book and indeed was the only settlement in the surrounding area to be described at the time to have a church...
, Milstead
Milstead
Milstead is a village in the borough of Swale in Kent, England....
, Doddington
Doddington, Kent
Doddington is an affluent rural English village, in the south eastern county of Kent, within the borough of Swale. A picturesque village nestling in the 'Syndale Valley' which is in the Kent Downs and is designated an Area of outstanding natural beauty...
and Lynsted
Lynsted
Lynsted is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England. The village is situated south of the A2 road, between Faversham and Sittingbourne. Lynsted is a typical old-English village with church , local pub and a duck pond.-External links:*...
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...
.
The hamlet is within the civil parish
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...
of Milstead and Kingsdown which spans the boundaries of the boroughs of Maidstone
Maidstone (borough)
Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone which is also the County town of Kent...
and Swale
Swale
Swale is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its council is based in Sittingbourne. The borough is named after the narrow channel called The Swale, a channel that separates the mainland of Kent from the Isle of Sheppey, and which occupies the central part of the...
. The area around the hamlet includes the Torry Hill estate and forms part of the Barony of Kingsdown.
The hamlet was described by John Marius Wilson in his 1872 Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales
The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales is a substantial topographical dictionary first published between 1870 and 1872, edited by the Reverend John Marius Wilson. It contains a detailed description of England and Wales...
as a settlement of no more than 18 houses incorporating a population of 96.
Barony of Kingsdown
The Barony of Kingsdown was a hereditary peeragePeerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
conferred on Thomas Pemberton Leigh
Thomas Pemberton Leigh, 1st Baron Kingsdown
Thomas Pemberton Leigh, 1st Baron Kingsdown , was a British barrister, judge and politician.-Background:Born Thomas Pemberton, in London, Leigh was the eldest son of Thomas Pemberton, a chancery barrister....
around 1858. Lord Kingsdown never married, and his title therefore became extinct on his death in 1867. Lord Kingsdown's seat was at Torry Hill (see below) which stayed in the family, later to be known as the Leigh-Pembertons. The manor extended to the environs of the hamlet of Kingsdown and was recorded as such by Wilson in 1872.
The title was resurrected this time as a life peerage for Robin Leigh-Pemberton (from a related family line) becoming Baron Kingsdown in 1993.
Torry Hill
The estate typifies a style of environmental management encouraged by downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
landed gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
. What was once simple enclosed farmland has been variously sculpted into ornamental parkland through a process of tree thinning, augmentation and managed grazing. The estate property includes eccentric country house follies
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
such as a private cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground (which has been in use since the mid-19th century) and the only private Eton Fives
Eton Fives
Eton Fives, one derivative of the British game of Fives, is a hand-ball game, similar to Rugby Fives, played as doubles in a three-sided court. The object is to force the other team to fail to hit the ball 'up' off the front wall, using any variety of wall or ledge combinations as long as the ball...
court in the world. In addition a small miniature railway was constructed on the estate in the 1930s following earlier carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
drive routes. Although it is no longer in regular operation, a number of features of this railway remain including sections of track, bridges and turntables
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
and parts of the railway are still opened on occasions.. In common with other big houses on the Kent Downs
Kent Downs
Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent, England . They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover...
, Torry Hill possesses an icehouse, used in the nineteenth century to provide cold storage for provisions. Other notable features include a well-preserved mounting block
Mounting block
A mounting block, horse block, or in Scots a loupin'-on-stane is an assistance for mounting and dismounting a horse or cart, especially for the young, elderly or infirm. They were especially useful for women riding sidesaddle, allowing a horse to be mounted without a loss of modesty...
alongside a quiet crossroads.
Originally built in 1925, the main house was rebuilt to a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
design in the 1960s and only a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
gate-house remains on the estate. It is now a home to Robin Leigh-Pemberton, the current Lord Kingsdown.
The estate parkland has in recent years been used for other diverse pursuits such as a campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
for the local District Scout organisations
Scout District
A Scout District is an administrative division within some Scouting and Guiding organisations.Districts are responsible for providing programme and support for local Scout and Guide groups, although the precise relationship and structure of a District does vary from country to country.-The Scout...
and a grasstrack motorcycle racing
Grasstrack
Motorcycle Grasstrack is a form of motorcycle racing which typically, in its current form, takes place on a flat track consisting of two straights and two bends usually constructed in a field. Mountain and hillside tracks are also common in the UK, creating more technically demanding circuits...
venue.
The rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
and grounds are opened to the public on limited dates throughout the summer.
Estate management
The current owners are conscious of responsible estate management. It is a privately-owned working farm supporting grazing livestock, cherryCherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
orchards, and arable
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
farming of crops like wheat. The Torry Hill cherry orchards in particular produce around 15 different varieties of cherry, a former staple product of the Kent countryside.
Measures have been put in place to increase the density of gamebirds such as the partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
, woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
and pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
. Predators such as squirrels, stoats, weasels, foxes, rats
RATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
and corvids, are kept low.
The estate participates in conservation and countryside stewardship schemes, including the establishment of conservation strips around arable fields, creating ‘beetle banks’ (raised ridges in fields to encourage aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
-consuming carabids) and leaving crops to overwinter in fields which to benefit passerines.
Kingsdown Church
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church dedicated to St Catherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II listed building, and is under the care of 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...
.
The maintenance of Kingsdown Church was funded by Lord Kingsdown. According to a booklet from the Redundant Churches Fund, the population of the surrounding parish numbered just 96 in 1865 meaning a benefactor was essential.
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
stands. The church is believed to be the only remaining completed 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...
example of the work of Edward Welby Pugin, a noted ecclesiastical architect in Britain. The stained glass windows and possibly other internal fittings were installed by notable ecclesiastical manufacturers Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
.
The church is normally locked but a key can be obtained by arrangement. The church and a number of outlying buildings are now stranded on the south side of the M2 motorway and can be reached via a footbridge from the village of Kingsdown.
External links
- Torry Hill park a summary of a country park walk at Defra.
- The Band of Brothers Cricket Club, a cricket club playing out of Torry Hill.