Addington, Kent
Encyclopedia
Addington is a village in the English
county of Kent
close to the M20 motorway
between Wrotham Heath
and West Malling
. It was known as Eddintune in the Domesday Book
. The meaning of Addington is Æddi's (or Eadda's) estate. Addington is notable for Addington long barrow
and the Chestnuts long barrow
, which are Neolithic
chamber tomb
s in the village.
powered by the Addington Brook (TQ 656 587 51.303227°N 0.376605°W) which was demolished in the nineteenth century, the site now lies within West Malling Golf Course. The remains of the old Addington Place (now beneath golf course and stables) were visible up until a few years ago, and traces of the former gardens of Addington Park can still be seen. Rockeries, ponds and old tennis courts, are easily discernible in the private grounds of the Seekers Trust between the church and the golf course. It is rich in Neolithic archaeology, but much archaeological evidence has been lost to the mechanical digger. Some sites were excavated during the building of the motorway.
The Chestnuts long barrow
is the better preserved of the two. It was excavated in 1957 and artefacts from the dig are displayed in Maidstone Museum. It is believed to lie on a Ley line
.
Long Barrow
Addington Long Barrow
is not as well preserved, with much plunder of the area taking place over the centuries, and a road driven through it.
, The Angel. There are rumours of a tunnel from the basement to the church, 750 metres (820.2 yd) away. There is no school in the village, with children attending schools in nearby villages. Addington is partially divided by the M20
& M26
motorways and is scarred on both sides of the motorway with sandpits and quarries, now almost worked out.
The village is home to a cricket club, Addington Village Cricket Club, which has two Saturday teams and a 1st XI in Division 4 of the Kent League (1st XI).
and West Malling
, on the Maidstone East line.
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...
county 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...
close to the M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
between Wrotham Heath
Wrotham Heath
Wrotham Heath is a settlement in Tonbridge and Malling Borough in Kent, England. It is part of the civil parish of Wrotham, and is located approximately two miles south east of the latter, seven miles east of Sevenoaks and seven miles west of Maidstone. It is located on the A20 road, close to...
and West Malling
West Malling
West Malling is a historic market town in the Tonbridge and Malling district of Kent, England. It has a population of about 3000-5000.-Landmarks:...
. It was known as Eddintune 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...
. The meaning of Addington is Æddi's (or Eadda's) estate. Addington is notable for Addington long barrow
Addington long barrow
Addington long barrow is a badly damaged Neolithic chambered long barrow near Addington in the English county of Kent. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths....
and the Chestnuts long barrow
Chestnuts long barrow
The Chestnuts long barrow is a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Addington in the English county of Kent. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths....
, which are Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
chamber tomb
Chamber tomb
A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interree than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could also serve as places for storage of the dead from one...
s in the village.
Geography
The parish covers just under 700 acres (2.8 km²) in area with 291 houses. The Addington Brook runs through the parish.History
Addington can lay claim to be one of the few villages in the country with over 5,000 years of continuous habitation. Addington had two mills at the time of the Domesday survey. There was a watermillMedway watermills
The River Medway, its tributaries and sub-tributaries have been used as a source of power for over 1,150 years. There are over two hundred sites where the use of water power is known...
powered by the Addington Brook (TQ 656 587 51.303227°N 0.376605°W) which was demolished in the nineteenth century, the site now lies within West Malling Golf Course. The remains of the old Addington Place (now beneath golf course and stables) were visible up until a few years ago, and traces of the former gardens of Addington Park can still be seen. Rockeries, ponds and old tennis courts, are easily discernible in the private grounds of the Seekers Trust between the church and the golf course. It is rich in Neolithic archaeology, but much archaeological evidence has been lost to the mechanical digger. Some sites were excavated during the building of the motorway.
The Long Barrows
The ChestnutsThe Chestnuts long barrow
Chestnuts long barrow
The Chestnuts long barrow is a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Addington in the English county of Kent. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths....
is the better preserved of the two. It was excavated in 1957 and artefacts from the dig are displayed in Maidstone Museum. It is believed to lie on a Ley line
Ley line
Ley lines are alleged alignments of a number of places of geographical and historical interest, such as ancient monuments and megaliths, natural ridge-tops and water-fords...
.
Long Barrow
Addington Long Barrow
Addington long barrow
Addington long barrow is a badly damaged Neolithic chambered long barrow near Addington in the English county of Kent. It is one of a group of monuments known as the Medway megaliths....
is not as well preserved, with much plunder of the area taking place over the centuries, and a road driven through it.
Addington today
There is one pubPublic 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...
, The Angel. There are rumours of a tunnel from the basement to the church, 750 metres (820.2 yd) away. There is no school in the village, with children attending schools in nearby villages. Addington is partially divided by the M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
& M26
M26 motorway
The M26 is a motorway in Kent, England. It provides a short link between the M25/A21 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham.-Route:The motorway starts at junction 3 of the M20 and heads west, encountering almost immediately the single junction along its length where it has an interchange with the A20...
motorways and is scarred on both sides of the motorway with sandpits and quarries, now almost worked out.
The village is home to a cricket club, Addington Village Cricket Club, which has two Saturday teams and a 1st XI in Division 4 of the Kent League (1st XI).
Church
The parish church is dedicated to St. Margaret. The Reverend Jeremy Cross is the current incumbent.Transport
Addington is served by bus routes 58, 70 and 222. The nearest railway stations are Borough GreenBorough Green & Wrotham railway station
Borough Green & Wrotham railway station is located in Borough Green in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.In Spring 2008, the concrete footbridge spanning the tracks here and linking the platforms was condemned and replaced by a new bridge immediately to the west.The ticket office in...
and West Malling
West Malling railway station
West Malling railway station lies to the east of West Malling, Kent, England and is close to Kings Hill, Larkfield and Leybourne. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern....
, on the Maidstone East line.