Penshurst
Encyclopedia
Penshurst is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district
of Kent
, England
. The parish is located on the northern slopes of the Weald
, west of Tonbridge
. Within the parish boundaries are the two villages of Penshurst and Fordcombe
, with a combined population of some 1,479 persons. The majority of the parish is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist is one of the two churches in the civil parish.
Penshurst village
is located some 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Tonbridge and 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Sevenoaks
. It lies in a valley near the confluence of two rivers, the Medway
and the Eden
.
The village grew up around Penshurst Place
, the ancestral home of the Sidney family. There are many Tudor-looking buildings in the village, although some are Victorian
. Henry Stafford
the first Baron Stafford was born here in 1501. There is also a vineyard nearby.
The Leicester Arms, once part of the Penshurst Estate, was owned by Sir William Sidney
, grandfather of poet and statesman Sir Philip Sidney
. His other grandson, the Viscount De L’isle
, was appointed Earl of Leicester
in 1618 and it was shortly after this that The Leicester Arms, formerly known as The Porcupine, was renamed in his honour. The inn is now owned privately.
Penshurst railway station
, on the Tonbridge to Redhill railway line, is some 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the village, at the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway
. Penshurst Airfield
was located close to the station, but within the parish of Leigh
. It opened in 1916 as a military airfield, and served as a civil airfield from 1919-36. It was reopened as RAF Penshurst in 1940, and closed in 1946.
as well as the BBC
television series Merlin
.
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...
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...
, 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...
. Within the parish boundaries are the two villages of Penshurst and Fordcombe
Fordcombe
Fordcombe is a village within the civil parish of Penshurst in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The village is located on the northern slopes of the Weald, five miles west of Tunbridge Wells....
, with a combined population of some 1,479 persons. The majority of the parish is in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
High Weald AONB
The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is situated in south-east England. Covering an area of , it extends across the counties of Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. It is the fourth largest Area of Outstanding Beauty in England and Wales...
. The parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist is one of the two churches in the civil parish.
Penshurst village
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...
is located some 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Tonbridge and 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
. It lies in a valley near the confluence of two rivers, the Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
and the Eden
River Eden, Kent
The River Eden in West Kent is a tributary of the River Medway. It travels through the Weald of Kent from the border with Surrey, rising from the source in Titsey parish, Surrey, grid reference TQ 420 551, about 350 metres north of Clacket Lane motorway services, and flowing...
.
The village grew up around Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place is a historic building near Tonbridge, Kent, south east of London, England. It is the ancestral home of the Sidney family, and was the birthplace of the great Elizabethan poet, courtier and soldier, Sir Philip Sidney. The original medieval house is one of the most complete examples...
, the ancestral home of the Sidney family. There are many Tudor-looking buildings in the village, although some are 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...
. Henry Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
the first Baron Stafford was born here in 1501. There is also a vineyard nearby.
The Leicester Arms, once part of the Penshurst Estate, was owned by Sir William Sidney
Sir William Sidney
Sir William Sidney was an English courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI.-Life:He was eldest son of Nicholas Sidney, by Anne, sister of Sir William Brandon...
, grandfather of poet and statesman Sir Philip Sidney
Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier and soldier, and is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan Age...
. His other grandson, the Viscount De L’isle
Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester , second son of Sir Henry Sidney, was a statesman of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. He was also a patron of the arts and an interesting poet...
, was appointed Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester
The title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
in 1618 and it was shortly after this that The Leicester Arms, formerly known as The Porcupine, was renamed in his honour. The inn is now owned privately.
Penshurst railway station
Penshurst railway station
Penshurst railway station is on the Redhill to Tonbridge Line and is located approximately two miles north of Penshurst in Kent, in the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway....
, on the Tonbridge to Redhill railway line, is some 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the village, at the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway
Chiddingstone Causeway
Chiddingstone Causeway is a village west of Tonbridge in Kent, England. It is within the Sevenoaks local government district....
. Penshurst Airfield
Penshurst Airfield
Penshurst Airfield was an airfield in operation between 1916–36 and 1940–46. Initially a military airfield, after the First World War it was used as an alternate destination to Croydon Airport, with some civil flying taking place...
was located close to the station, but within the parish of Leigh
Leigh, Kent
Leigh , historically spelled Lyghe, is a village and a civil parish located in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is located six miles south of Sevenoaks town and three miles west of Tonbridge....
. It opened in 1916 as a military airfield, and served as a civil airfield from 1919-36. It was reopened as RAF Penshurst in 1940, and closed in 1946.
Penshurst Place
Penshurst Place is a mansion built in 1341 and is the ancestral home of the Sidney family. The house and gardens are open to public viewing. The banqueting hall at Penshurst Place has been used as a filming location for the Hollywood films The Other Boleyn Girl and The Princess BrideThe Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
as well as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series Merlin
Merlin (TV series)
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur but differs from...
.