Kingston, Kent
Encyclopedia
Kingston is a village
and civil parish
near Canterbury
in Kent
, South East England
.
The village is located 5 miles to the south east of the city centre of Canterbury on the edge of the North Downs
in countryside designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
The local church, dedicated to Saint Giles
, originated during the 11th century, and is now part of the Barham Downs group of churches. The walls of the nave
and about two-thirds of the present chancel
are thought to be original, the chancel being extended in the 13th century. The font
is also said to date from the 13th Century.The tower of a windmill
stands some distance from the village.
The ‘Kingston Brooch’, an important piece of Anglo-Saxon jewelry dating from the 7th Century, was discovered in a Tumulus on Kingston Downs in 1771 by Rev’d. Brian Faussett who was Rector of Kingston. It is 8cm in diameter, made of gold, with garnet, blue glass and shell settings. Now on display in the World Museum, Liverpool.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and 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...
near 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....
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...
, 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 5 miles to the south east of the city centre of Canterbury on the edge of 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...
in countryside designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
The local church, dedicated to Saint Giles
Saint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
, originated during the 11th century, and is now part of the Barham Downs group of churches. The walls of the nave
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...
and about two-thirds of the present chancel
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
are thought to be original, the chancel being extended in the 13th century. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is also said to date from the 13th Century.The tower of a windmill
Reed Mill, Kingston
Reed Mill is a tower mill in Kingston, Kent, England. It is no longer in operation but as of 2011 is under restoration.-History:Reed mill was built in the early nineteenth century. It was marked on the 1858-72 Ordnance Survey map. The mill was working until 28 March 1915 when it was tailwinded and...
stands some distance from the village.
The ‘Kingston Brooch’, an important piece of Anglo-Saxon jewelry dating from the 7th Century, was discovered in a Tumulus on Kingston Downs in 1771 by Rev’d. Brian Faussett who was Rector of Kingston. It is 8cm in diameter, made of gold, with garnet, blue glass and shell settings. Now on display in the World Museum, Liverpool.