Bearsted
Encyclopedia
Bearsted is an ancient village and civil parish in mid-Kent
, three miles (4.7 km) to the east of Maidstone
. The original village site was on the north bank of the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway
, and at the foot of the North Downs
.
Despite being part of a growing urban conurbation
on the outskirts of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 18th and 19th Century (and older) properties surrounding a village green
, flanked by two pubs.
The parish of Bearsted has a population of around 10,000 and is broadly divided into two areas of development, the traditional village of Bearsted, lies north of the A20 Ashford Road and the newer Maidstone suburb of Madginford that lies south of the Ashford Road. Madginford is an area of housing constructed in large part during the 1960s. The area includes a small supermarket and shopping centre, a park and ride
facility and primary school. The parish also incorporates part of Mote Park
on its western boundary. Parts of Madginford were formerly part of the parish of Otham.
is located on Church Lane to the south of the green. It is a Grade I listed building. On three corners of the tower are stone beasts. Many books on Kent describe the animals on the tower as bears, and say these represent the name of the village.
Group (1st Bearsted The Scarlet Pimpernels) and a Guide unit. Other establishments include a Rifle Club(http://www.btrc.org.uk) and a private members' club (The Bearsted and Thurnham Club).
Communications. The village lies between Maidstone and Ashford
and has road and rail links with both:
The planning application was rejected by the local planning authority, Maidstone Borough Council
, and a public inquiry was held into Axa's appeal of this decision between 13 October 2009 and 23 December 2009. Following the public inquiry and review of the resulting Inspector's report, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles
, rejected the appeal and refused planning permission for the development on 5 August 2010.
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...
, three miles (4.7 km) to the east 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...
. The original village site was on the north bank of the River Len, a tributary of the River 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 at the foot of the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
.
Despite being part of a growing urban conurbation
Conurbation
A conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
on the outskirts of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 18th and 19th Century (and older) properties surrounding a village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, flanked by two pubs.
The parish of Bearsted has a population of around 10,000 and is broadly divided into two areas of development, the traditional village of Bearsted, lies north of the A20 Ashford Road and the newer Maidstone suburb of Madginford that lies south of the Ashford Road. Madginford is an area of housing constructed in large part during the 1960s. The area includes a small supermarket and shopping centre, a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facility and primary school. The parish also incorporates part of Mote Park
Mote Park
Mote Park is a 180 hectare multi-use public park in Maidstone, Kent. Previously a country estate it was converted to landscaped park land at the end of the 18th century before becoming a municipal park. It includes the former stately home Mote House together with a miniature railway, pitch and putt...
on its western boundary. Parts of Madginford were formerly part of the parish of Otham.
Church
Holy Cross ChurchHoly Cross Church, Bearsted
-Building:Construction of the church began in the 13th century and continued in stages during the 14th and 15th centuries. It is built of local rag-stone and the roofs are covered with plain tiles. The nave is flanked by a single aisle on the north side and entered from a porch on the south side...
is located on Church Lane to the south of the green. It is a Grade I listed building. On three corners of the tower are stone beasts. Many books on Kent describe the animals on the tower as bears, and say these represent the name of the village.
Amenities
The village is home to a tennis club along with a bowls club and both a ScoutBoy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
Group (1st Bearsted The Scarlet Pimpernels) and a Guide unit. Other establishments include a Rifle Club(http://www.btrc.org.uk) and a private members' club (The Bearsted and Thurnham Club).
Communications. The village lies between Maidstone and 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...
and has road and rail links with both:
- Road: the A20 road passes through the village; and junction 7 on the M20 motorwayM20 motorwayThe 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...
is a mile (2 km) to the west. - Rail: Bearsted railway stationBearsted railway stationBearsted railway station serves Bearsted in Kent. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern. Inside the station building are a manned and self-service ticket sales and a café...
was opened with the rail line on 1 July 1884: it was originally named Bearsted and Thurnham (the latter a village to the north). - Footpaths: both the ancient Pilgrims' WayPilgrims' WayThe Pilgrims' Way is the historic route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent...
and the modern North Downs WayNorth Downs WayThe North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
run along the North Downs north of Bearsted.
Kent International Gateway
In early 2007, the Kent International Gateway Group announced plans to build a large rail-freight and logistics depot in the corridor between Bearsted and the rail line and M20 motorway, an area which is currently made up of fields and woodland. The controversial plans raised significant objections from local residents and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.The planning application was rejected by the local planning authority, Maidstone Borough Council
Maidstone (borough)
Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone which is also the County town of Kent...
, and a public inquiry was held into Axa's appeal of this decision between 13 October 2009 and 23 December 2009. Following the public inquiry and review of the resulting Inspector's report, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles
Eric Pickles
Eric Jack Pickles is a British Conservative Party politician. Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government of the coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12 May 2010....
, rejected the appeal and refused planning permission for the development on 5 August 2010.
Notable people
- Robert Clifford (1752-1811), cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, lived in Bearsted. - William Clifford (chr. 1811-1841), cricketer, was christened in Bearsted church.
- Geoffrey DummerGeoffrey DummerGeoffrey William Arnold Dummer, MBE , C.Eng., IEE Premium Award, FIEEE, MIEE, USA Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm was a British electronics engineer and consultant who is credited as being the first person to conceptualise and build a prototype of the integrated circuit, commonly called the...
(1909-2002), electronics engineer, resided in Bearsted at the time of his death. - Nigel DonnNigel DonnAlan Nigel Donn is an English former professional association football player. His clubs included Leyton Orient and Gillingham. He currently resides in Bearsted, Kent and owns a picture framing shop named Kentish Frames....
(b 1962), football player, resides in Bearsted. - Sir Thomas Fludd (1545-1607), of Milgate House, Treasurer for Queen Elizabeth I’s forces in the Netherlands for which he was knighted.
- Robert FluddRobert FluddRobert Fludd, also known as Robertus de Fluctibus was a prominent English Paracelsian physician, astrologer, mathematician, cosmologist, Qabalist, Rosicrucian apologist...
(1574-1637), philosopher, was born in Bearsted. - Alfred Percy ("Tich") FreemanTich FreemanAlfred Percy "Tich" Freeman was an English cricketer. A leg spin bowler for Kent and England, he is the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season, and is the second most prolific wicket taker in first class cricket history.-Career:Freeman's common name comes from his extremely short...
(1888–1965), Kent leg spin bowlerCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season. He lived at a house called Dunbowlin. - Richard HearneRichard HearneRichard Lewis Hearne, OBE was an English actor, comedian, producer and writer. He was famous for his stage and television character Mr Pastry.-Career:...
(1908-79), actor, resided in Bearsted. - Thomas MunThomas Mun (MP)Thomas Mun was an English politician. He was a Member of Parliament for Hastings from 1681 to 1685 and again from 1689 to 1690.-Life:...
(c. 1645-1692), politician, is buried in Bearsted churchyard. - Alfred MynnAlfred MynnAlfred Mynn was an English cricketer during the game's "Roundarm Era". He was a genuine all-rounder, being both an attacking right-handed batsman and a formidable right arm fast bowler. The noted cricket writer John Woodcock ranked him as the fourth greatest cricketer of all time. Simon Wilde...
(1807-61), cricketer. - Baroness OrczyBaroness OrczyBaroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orczi was a British novelist, playwright and artist of Hungarian noble origin. She was most notable for her series of novels featuring the Scarlet Pimpernel...
(1865–1947), creator of the Scarlet PimpernelScarlet pimpernelScarlet pimpernel is a low-growing annual plant found in Europe, Asia and North America...
. - Edward ThomasEdward Thomas (poet)Philip Edward Thomas was an Anglo-Welsh writer of prose and poetry. He is commonly considered a war poet, although few of his poems deal directly with his war experiences. Already an accomplished writer, Thomas turned to poetry only in 1914...
(1878–1917) poet.