Wingham, Kent
Encyclopedia
Wingham is a civil parish and English Kent
village
situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough
to London
and close to Canterbury
. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. The Domesday book
tells us that during Saxon
times Wingham manor was in possession by the Archbishop of Canterbury
. In 1286, Archbishop Peckham
founded a college in Wingham; many other buildings in Wingham date back to this time, including the Red Lion Inn. St Mary the Virgin, the present church of Wingham, dates from the early 13th century with fabric dating from the Norman to Victorian era
s.
was built between 1911 and 1917 to serve the new coal mines which were being opened up in the area. The site of the former Wingham Colliery station forming what is now the Grain Harvester's site. Three stations were opened; Wingham Colliery, Wingham Town (now occupied by garages and a scout hut) and Wingham Canterbury Road [adjacent to the Station Farm Shop].
Wingham Colliery never opened into production and the line failed and completely closed to passengers in 1948 with the section north of Eythorne
closed to freight in 1951. Plans and some advanced earthworks had been commenced in the 1920s to extend the line from Wingham Canterbury Road Station to Canterbury via Stodmarsh
.
Today Wingham is an attractive village serving some light industry but mostly a dormitory town for Sandwich
and Canterbury
. There are three pubs, The Anchor, The Dog and The Red Lion.
Frequent bus services run between these two towns and a less frequent service to Aylesham
and Plucks Gutter
. The nearest National Rail Station is Adisham or Aylesham [Hourly off peak service on Dover-Faversham-London Victoria line]. Taxis can be obtained locally or from Canterbury, Sandwich or Aylesham.
Wingham was also the birthplace of the poet Herbert Kingsford
.
, In front of Miller Close, A recent housing development created by the Southern Housing Group
. The previous fire station was located next door to The Red Lion. The crew is retained and the current fire appliance at the station is a Volvo
Fl6 inter-cooler water tender
.
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...
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...
situated along the ancient coastal road, now the A257, from Richborough
Richborough
Richborough is a settlement north of Sandwich on the east coast of the county of Kent, England. Richborough lies close to the Isle of Thanet....
to 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...
and close to 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....
. It has existed since the Stone Age but only became established as a village in Roman times. 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...
tells us that during 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...
times Wingham manor was in possession by the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. In 1286, Archbishop Peckham
John Peckham
John Peckham was Archbishop of Canterbury in the years 1279–1292. He was a native of Sussex who was educated at Lewes Priory and became a Franciscan friar about 1250. He studied at Paris under Bonaventure, where he later taught theology. From his teaching, he came into conflict with Thomas...
founded a college in Wingham; many other buildings in Wingham date back to this time, including the Red Lion Inn. St Mary the Virgin, the present church of Wingham, dates from the early 13th century with fabric dating from the Norman to Victorian era
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...
s.
Modern Wingham
The East Kent Light RailwayEast Kent Railway
The East Kent Railway was an early railway operating between Strood and the town of Faversham in Kent England, during 1858 and 1859. In the latter year it changed its name to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway to reflect its ambitions to build a rival line from London to Dover via Chatham and...
was built between 1911 and 1917 to serve the new coal mines which were being opened up in the area. The site of the former Wingham Colliery station forming what is now the Grain Harvester's site. Three stations were opened; Wingham Colliery, Wingham Town (now occupied by garages and a scout hut) and Wingham Canterbury Road [adjacent to the Station Farm Shop].
Wingham Colliery never opened into production and the line failed and completely closed to passengers in 1948 with the section north of Eythorne
Eythorne
Eythorne is a civil parish and small village of about 1000 homes, located 7.3 miles NNW of Dover in Kent. There are currently about 2500 residents. Eythorne holds many historical attributes. Situated a few miles away from Dover beach, it offers many articles of evidence of the war...
closed to freight in 1951. Plans and some advanced earthworks had been commenced in the 1920s to extend the line from Wingham Canterbury Road Station to Canterbury via Stodmarsh
Stodmarsh
Stodmarsh is a small village 5 miles to the east of Canterbury in east Kent, England, overlooking the valley of the River Stour.Stodmarsh is now part of the parish of Wickhambreaux...
.
Today Wingham is an attractive village serving some light industry but mostly a dormitory town for Sandwich
Sandwich, Kent
Sandwich is a historic town and civil parish on the River Stour in the Non-metropolitan district of Dover, within the ceremonial county of Kent, south-east England. It has a population of 6,800....
and 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....
. There are three pubs, The Anchor, The Dog and The Red Lion.
Frequent bus services run between these two towns and a less frequent service to Aylesham
Aylesham
Aylesham is a village and civil parish near the cathedral town of Canterbury. Aylesham has its administrative and political seat in the Dover district of Kent in England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 3,884....
and Plucks Gutter
Plucks Gutter
Plucks Gutter is a small hamlet in Kent, England where the Little Stour and Great Stour rivers meet. During the Middle Ages, the two rivers met the Wantsum Channel at Stourmouth, but the combined rivers now flow onward to the sea via Sandwich to Pegwell Bay near Ramsgate, leaving Plucks Gutter...
. The nearest National Rail Station is Adisham or Aylesham [Hourly off peak service on Dover-Faversham-London Victoria line]. Taxis can be obtained locally or from Canterbury, Sandwich or Aylesham.
Wingham was also the birthplace of the poet Herbert Kingsford
Herbert Kingsford
Herbert Kingsford , born Sampson Herbert Child Kingsford was a poet born in Dover, Kent. He had two sisters called Edith and Ada and a brother called Ernest...
.
Fire Station
The current fire station which serves Wingham and other surrounding villages when needed is located at the end of Staple Road and is maintained by Kent Fire and Rescue ServiceKent Fire and Rescue Service
Kent Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service for the county of Kent covering a geographical area south of London, to the coast and including major shipping routes via the Thames and Medway rivers. The total coastline covered is ; it has 67 fire stations, and 4 district fire...
, In front of Miller Close, A recent housing development created by the Southern Housing Group
Southern Housing Group
The Southern Housing Group is among the largest and oldest Housing Associations in the UK. Housing Associations in the UK are not for profit businesses providing affordable housing.Following the successful housing built in Liverpool Road, Islington, London...
. The previous fire station was located next door to The Red Lion. The crew is retained and the current fire appliance at the station is a Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
Fl6 inter-cooler water tender
Water tender
A water tender, also known as a tanker in some regions, is a specialized firefighting apparatus designed for transporting water from a water source to a fire scene...
.