Temple Ewell
Encyclopedia
Temple Ewell is a civil parish and historic village in the county of Kent
, England. The village is part of the Dover district
of Kent, and forms part of the Dover urban area, it is situated three miles North West of the town of Dover
.
Situated in the Dour valley
, Temple Ewell is surrounded by nature reserves
and conservation areas. The village has a parish church, a village hall and a primary school. It also has a local shop and post office, and an 18th century public house
.
Temple Ewell is served by Kearsney railway station
, which is situated between the villages of Temple Ewell, Kearsney and River
.
The 2001 Census
records a population of 1,696 for Temple Ewell.
word ǣwielm, meaning river source or spring, and is so called because one of the sources of the River Dour
rises on the village outskirts at a place called Watersend and flows through the village towards Dover. The prefix Temple indicates that at one time the village was owned by the Knights Templar
.
village in Surrey) was founded sometime before the 8th century, and is first mentioned by name in a charter of c.772 as Æwille. In the Domesday Book
of 1086, it is named Ewelle or Etwelle, and is recorded as having a manor house, five watermills, and about fifty dwellings around a small wooden Saxon
church. At this time, the village was owned by Bishop Odo
, the half-brother of William the Conqueror
.
In 1163, the Knights Templar was granted the manor
of Ewell by the crown in recognition of their role in the Crusades
, and the word Temple became prefixed to the village name. The Templars founded a Preceptory in the village, and around 1170 built the Norman
church of St.Peter and St.Paul.
In 1213 King John
surrendered the crown to the Pope
, and it is thought that this may have taken place either at the Preceptory in Temple Ewell, or possibly in Dover.
Following the Templars' dissolution in 1312, Temple Ewell passed out of their possession in 1314. The village was then given to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem
, and was retained by them until King Henry VIII
dissolved the monasteries
in 1540.
During the 18th and 19th Centuries, Temple Ewell had two of several watermill
s along the stretch of the River Dour. The two mills (which still stand today as private residences) produced flour, and supplied the English troops at Dover during the Napoleonic wars
.
The railway station at Kearsney was built in 1861, linking Temple Ewell with Dover and London, and leading to an increase in population and prosperity. Temple Ewell C.E. Primary School
, a parochial
primary school, was established next to the church in 1871, and the Victorian
schoolhouse building was completed in 1872. Major renovation work was carried out on the church in the 1870s, and a parish hall
was constructed in 1909.
Between 1940 and 1944, Temple Ewell was victim to several stray shells, which were fired at the Dover area across the English Channel
from France during the Second World War
. One of these destroyed the church's main stained glass window
when it landed outside the school.
are a National Nature Reserve
which borders Temple Ewell on one side, stretching up to the neighbouring village of Lydden
. The reserve consists of an area of chalk downland which is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
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. The village is part of the Dover district
Dover (district)
Dover is a local government district in Kent, England. Dover is its administrative centre. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the boroughs of Deal, Dover, and Sandwich along with Dover Rural District and most of Eastry Rural District...
of Kent, and forms part of the Dover urban area, it is situated three miles North West of the town of Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.
Situated in the Dour valley
River Dour, Kent
The River Dour is a river in the county of Kent, in England. It flows from the villages of Temple Ewell and River, through the village of Kearsney, to Dover. It is roughly 4km long....
, Temple Ewell is surrounded by nature reserves
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
and conservation areas. The village has a parish church, a village hall and a primary school. It also has a local shop and post office, and an 18th century public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
.
Temple Ewell is served by Kearsney railway station
Kearsney railway station
Kearsney railway station serves Kearsney in Kent. It is served by Southeastern.The station and the line it serves were built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway as the station for Temple Ewell and the parish of River. The community of Kearsney grew around the Railway Bell Hotel which was on...
, which is situated between the villages of Temple Ewell, Kearsney and River
River, Kent
River is a village and civil parish in Kent, England, United Kingdom, situated between the historic town of Dover and the neighbouring village of Temple Ewell. "Village" is a somewhat loose term for River; it is a community of several thousand and is probably more usefully regarded as a suburb of...
.
The 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
records a population of 1,696 for Temple Ewell.
Etymology
The name Ewell is derived from the Old EnglishOld English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
word ǣwielm, meaning river source or spring, and is so called because one of the sources of the River Dour
River Dour, Kent
The River Dour is a river in the county of Kent, in England. It flows from the villages of Temple Ewell and River, through the village of Kearsney, to Dover. It is roughly 4km long....
rises on the village outskirts at a place called Watersend and flows through the village towards Dover. The prefix Temple indicates that at one time the village was owned by the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.
History
The village of Temple Ewell (not to be confused with EwellEwell
Ewell is a village in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, close to the southern boundary of Greater London. It is located 14 miles south-south-west of Charing Cross and forms part of the suburbia that surrounds Greater London. Despite its growing population it is still referred to as a...
village in Surrey) was founded sometime before the 8th century, and is first mentioned by name in a charter of c.772 as Æwille. 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...
of 1086, it is named Ewelle or Etwelle, and is recorded as having a manor house, five watermills, and about fifty dwellings around a small wooden Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
church. At this time, the village was owned by Bishop Odo
Odon of Conteville
Odo, Earl of Kent and bishop of Bayeux, was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and was for a time second in power to the king of England.-Early life:...
, the half-brother of William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
.
In 1163, the Knights Templar was granted the manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Ewell by the crown in recognition of their role in the Crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, and the word Temple became prefixed to the village name. The Templars founded a Preceptory in the village, and around 1170 built the Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church of St.Peter and St.Paul.
In 1213 King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
surrendered the crown to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, and it is thought that this may have taken place either at the Preceptory in Temple Ewell, or possibly in Dover.
Following the Templars' dissolution in 1312, Temple Ewell passed out of their possession in 1314. The village was then given to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, and was retained by them until King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
dissolved the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1540.
During the 18th and 19th Centuries, Temple Ewell had two of several watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s along the stretch of the River Dour. The two mills (which still stand today as private residences) produced flour, and supplied the English troops at Dover during the Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
The railway station at Kearsney was built in 1861, linking Temple Ewell with Dover and London, and leading to an increase in population and prosperity. Temple Ewell C.E. Primary School
Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School
Temple Ewell Church of England Primary School is a mixed Church of England primary school in Temple Ewell, Kent.It is a voluntary controlled school, which takes children from the age of 4 through to the age of 11...
, a parochial
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
primary school, was established next to the church in 1871, and the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
schoolhouse building was completed in 1872. Major renovation work was carried out on the church in the 1870s, and a parish hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
was constructed in 1909.
Between 1940 and 1944, Temple Ewell was victim to several stray shells, which were fired at the Dover area across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
from France during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. One of these destroyed the church's main stained glass window
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
when it landed outside the school.
Nature Reserve
The Lydden and Temple Ewell DownsLydden and Temple Ewell Downs
Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs are a stretch of chalk downland near Dover in East Kent. The site is a National Nature Reserve, owned and managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust and is also listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.-Ecology:The main chalk grassland...
are a National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
which borders Temple Ewell on one side, stretching up to the neighbouring village of Lydden
Lydden
Lydden is also the name of a hamlet in the Manston, Kent civil parishLydden is a civil parish and small village in the Dover district of Kent, England...
. The reserve consists of an area of chalk downland which is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Theatre
Temple Ewell is home to two amateur dramatics groups. The Dover Operatic and Dramatic Society (or 'DODS') were formed in 1911 to perform for Dover and the surrounding area, and their headquarters are based in one of the old mills in Temple Ewell. In 1971 the Temple Ewell Players were formed, and have since staged productions every year in the village hall.