Sutton Valence
Encyclopedia
Sutton Valence is a village some five miles (8 km) SE of Maidstone
, Kent
, England
on the Greensand Ridge overlooking the Vale of Kent
and Weald. One of the main landmarks in the village is Sutton Valence Castle, of which only the ruins of the 12th century keep remain, under the ownership of English Heritage
, open any reasonable time. Sutton Valence School, a leading independent school is located in the north-west part of the village but also owns Art and Design Technology departments in the centre of the village. There is also 2 primary schools for the young children of the village. Many of the older buildings in the village are constructed from ragstone formerly mined locally at Boughton Monchelsea
.
The village can be said to be split into two. The principal and oldest part occupies the upper slope of the Greensand Ridge overlooking the Vale of Kent
, while the remainder is located at the bottom of the hill. This area is known as The Harbour and the houses here include a significant number of homes originally owned by the local authority.
mentioned Suinothe in a charter. Iron Age
and Roman
artefacts have been found in the area. The Roman road from Maidstone
to Lympne
passed through the village.
Before the Battle of Hastings
, Town Sutton was owned by Leofwine Godwinson
, brother of Harold
who was to become King of England in 1066. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book
in 1086 as Town Sutton and granted to Odo Fitzhubert, Bishop of Bayeux. The village was granted to Baldwin of Bethune
, who is believed to have rebuilt the castle in stone. He died in 1212 and the manor went to his daughter Alice. She married William Marshal
, the manor passing to him on her death in 1215. Marshal then married Eleanor, sister of Henry III. After his death, she married Simon de Montfort
, who was killed during the Battle of Evesham
in 1265. A Royal charter
was granted in 1221 by Henry III
allowing the village to hold a fair annually.
In 1265, Henry III granted the manor to his brother William de Valence
, from whom the village takes its current name. On his death, the manor passed to his son Amaury de Montfort
. Following the death of Amaury de Montfort in 1344, the village passed to the Hastings family and became known as Sutton Hastings. In 1401, the manor was one of those sold to provide a ransom
for the release of Baron Grey of Ruthin
who had been captured by Owain Glyndŵr
.
It subsequently passed to the Clifford family in 1418 who sold it to the Filmer family in 1548. The Filmers encouraged the provision of a gas supply in the village and lent money for the construction of the turnpike from Maidstone
to Tenterden
(the current A274
). The Filmer connection with Sutton Valence ended in 1916, when Robert Filmer was killed in France
. Following his death, all property in Sutton Valence was sold at auction
, although the family kept their property at East Sutton
until 1939.
The village has declined in economic importance during the latter part of the 20th century partly as a result of the growth of Maidstone
and changes in farming.
proposed construction of an extension
of the Kent & East Sussex Railway
line from Headcorn
to Maidstone
via Sutton Valence. However the Great War intervened and the powers were allowed to lapse. The nearest railway station to Sutton Valence is .
which was built c1720. The mill was rebuilt and raised a storey in 1796 following gale damage in which the cap and sails were blown off. The mill worked by wind until 1918, when it was damaged in a gale, and was worked into the 1930s by engine. The mill was demolished in 1945, leaving the base standing. The base was subsequently given an additional weatherboarded storey and house-converted.
A windmill
also stood at Five Wents, to the north of Sutton Valence. It had been demolished by 1875.
from Maidstone
to Tenterden
and is linked by bus to both towns, as well as Headcorn.
The nearest railway station is in Headcorn
, which is on the South Eastern Main Line from London
to the Kent Coast via Ashford
.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, 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...
on the Greensand Ridge overlooking the Vale of Kent
Vale of Kent
The Vale of Kent, located in Kent, England, is the name given to the broad clay vale between the Greensand Ridge and the High Weald. The area is drained by a number of rivers, including the Beult, Eden Medway, Stour and River Teise....
and Weald. One of the main landmarks in the village is Sutton Valence Castle, of which only the ruins of the 12th century keep remain, under the ownership of 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...
, open any reasonable time. Sutton Valence School, a leading independent school is located in the north-west part of the village but also owns Art and Design Technology departments in the centre of the village. There is also 2 primary schools for the young children of the village. Many of the older buildings in the village are constructed from ragstone formerly mined locally at Boughton Monchelsea
Boughton Monchelsea
For other Boughtons in Kent see Boughton Aluph; Boughton under Blean and Boughton MalherbeThe village and civil parish of Boughton Monchelsea is in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The civil parish lies on a ragstone ridge situated between the North Downs and the Weald of Kent and has...
.
The village can be said to be split into two. The principal and oldest part occupies the upper slope of the Greensand Ridge overlooking the Vale of Kent
Vale of Kent
The Vale of Kent, located in Kent, England, is the name given to the broad clay vale between the Greensand Ridge and the High Weald. The area is drained by a number of rivers, including the Beult, Eden Medway, Stour and River Teise....
, while the remainder is located at the bottom of the hill. This area is known as The Harbour and the houses here include a significant number of homes originally owned by the local authority.
History
The earliest mention of a settlement at Sutton Valence was in 814, when CoenwulfCoenwulf of Mercia
Coenwulf was King of Mercia from December 796 to 821. He was a descendant of a brother of King Penda, who had ruled Mercia in the middle of the 7th century. He succeeded Ecgfrith, the son of Offa; Ecgfrith only reigned for five months, with Coenwulf coming to the throne in the same year that Offa...
mentioned Suinothe in a charter. Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
artefacts have been found in the area. The Roman road from Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
to Lympne
Lympne
Lympne is a village situated on the former sea cliffs above the Romney Marsh in Kent. It lies approximately west of Folkestone, 2 miles west of Hythe and east of Ashford....
passed through the village.
Before the Battle of Hastings
Battle of Hastings
The Battle of Hastings occurred on 14 October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II...
, Town Sutton was owned by Leofwine Godwinson
Leofwine Godwinson
Leofwine Godwinson was a younger brother of Harold II of England, the fifth son of Earl Godwin.When the Godwin family was exiled from England in 1051 he went with Harold to Ireland...
, brother of Harold
Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.It could be argued that Edgar the Atheling, who was proclaimed as king by the witan but never crowned, was really the last Anglo-Saxon king...
who was to become King of England in 1066. The village is recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 as Town Sutton and granted to Odo Fitzhubert, Bishop of Bayeux. The village was granted to Baldwin of Bethune
Baldwin of Bethune
Baldwin of Bethune or Baldwin de Béthune , a knight from the House of Bethune in Artois and a crusader, was close companion to successive English kings and on marriage to Hawise of Aumale became Count of Aumale with extensive estates in England.-Origins:Baldwin was the third son of Robert V of...
, who is believed to have rebuilt the castle in stone. He died in 1212 and the manor went to his daughter Alice. She married William Marshal
William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was a medieval English nobleman, and the son of the famous William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.-Early life:William was born in Normandy probably during the spring of 1190...
, the manor passing to him on her death in 1215. Marshal then married Eleanor, sister of Henry III. After his death, she married Simon de Montfort
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
, who was killed during the Battle of Evesham
Battle of Evesham
The Battle of Evesham was one of the two main battles of 13th century England's Second Barons' War. It marked the defeat of Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and the rebellious barons by Prince Edward – later King Edward I – who led the forces of his father, King Henry III...
in 1265. A Royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
was granted in 1221 by Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
allowing the village to hold a fair annually.
In 1265, Henry III granted the manor to his brother William de Valence
William de Valence, 1st Earl of Pembroke
William de Valence, 1st Earl of Wexford and 1st Earl of Pembroke , born Guillaume de Lusignan or de Valence, was a French nobleman and Knight, who became important in English politics due to his relationship to Henry III...
, from whom the village takes its current name. On his death, the manor passed to his son Amaury de Montfort
Amaury de Montfort, Canon of York
Amaury de Montfort was the fourth son to parliamentary pioneer Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and Eleanor of England, daughter of King John....
. Following the death of Amaury de Montfort in 1344, the village passed to the Hastings family and became known as Sutton Hastings. In 1401, the manor was one of those sold to provide a ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
for the release of Baron Grey of Ruthin
Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn
Reginald Grey, 3rd Baron Grey de Ruthyn , a powerful Welsh marcher lord, succeeded to the title on his father Reginald's death in July 1388.- Lineage :...
who had been captured by Owain Glyndŵr
Owain Glyndwr
Owain Glyndŵr , or Owain Glyn Dŵr, anglicised by William Shakespeare as Owen Glendower , was a Welsh ruler and the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales...
.
It subsequently passed to the Clifford family in 1418 who sold it to the Filmer family in 1548. The Filmers encouraged the provision of a gas supply in the village and lent money for the construction of the turnpike from Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
to Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
(the current A274
A274 road
The A274 is a major road running through mid Kent. The northern end of the road is in Maidstone, at the Wheatsheaf public house where it leaves the A229...
). The Filmer connection with Sutton Valence ended in 1916, when Robert Filmer was killed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Following his death, all property in Sutton Valence was sold at auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
, although the family kept their property at East Sutton
East Sutton Park (HM Prison)
HM Prison East Sutton Park is a women's open prison and Young Offenders Institution, located in the village of East Sutton , in Kent, England. The prison is operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service.-History:...
until 1939.
The village has declined in economic importance during the latter part of the 20th century partly as a result of the growth of Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
and changes in farming.
Railways
In 1904, Colonel Holman StephensH. F. Stephens
Colonel Holman Fred Stephens was a British light railway civil engineer and manager. During his lifetime he was engaged in engineering and building, and later managing, 16 light railways in England and Wales.- Biography :...
proposed construction of an extension
Headcorn and Maidstone Junction Light Railway
The Headcorn & Maidstone Junction Light Railway was a proposed railway in Kent, which although an Act of Parliament was granted for construction, was not built apart from a short branch at Tovil, which was opened to goods only.-Background:...
of the Kent & East Sussex Railway
Kent and East Sussex Railway
The Kent & East Sussex Railway refers to both an historical private railway company in Kent and Sussex in England, as well as a heritage railway currently running on part of the route of the historical company.-Historical Company:-Background:...
line from Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
to Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
via Sutton Valence. However the Great War intervened and the powers were allowed to lapse. The nearest railway station to Sutton Valence is .
Windmills
Town Mill was a tall smock millSmock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
which was built c1720. The mill was rebuilt and raised a storey in 1796 following gale damage in which the cap and sails were blown off. The mill worked by wind until 1918, when it was damaged in a gale, and was worked into the 1930s by engine. The mill was demolished in 1945, leaving the base standing. The base was subsequently given an additional weatherboarded storey and house-converted.
A windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
also stood at Five Wents, to the north of Sutton Valence. It had been demolished by 1875.
Local amenities
Sutton Valence has a post office, bookshop and four pubs including The Swan Inn, as well as a garage and several other small businesses. There is a recreation ground next to the village hall to the north of the village centre.Communications
Sutton Valence lies on the main A274 roadA274 road
The A274 is a major road running through mid Kent. The northern end of the road is in Maidstone, at the Wheatsheaf public house where it leaves the A229...
from Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
to Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
and is linked by bus to both towns, as well as Headcorn.
The nearest railway station is in Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
, which is on the South Eastern Main Line from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to the Kent Coast via 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...
.
Notable people
- Hezekiah HollandHezekiah Holland (minister)Hezekiah Holland was an Anglo-Irish Anglican clergyman, tending towards Puritanism. He used the pen name Anglo-Hibernus....
, 17th century Puritan rectorRectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Sutton Valence