Cuxton
Encyclopedia
Cuxton is a village in the unitary authority of Medway
. It lies on left bank of the River Medway
in the North Downs
. It is served by the A228, and Cuxton railway station
on the Medway Valley Line
between Strood
and Maidstone
. A low valley leads up from the river to the hamlet of Lower Bush.
. The name is believed to have developed from "Cucula's stone".
Remains of a Roman villa was found under the church yard. The Saxons occupied the village and it became known as Cuckelstane. The church and parish was given by Æthelwulf, King of the West Saxons to the Cathedral church of St. Andrew, Rochester. The church contains much Norman architecture
, and is unusual as it lies on a southeast northwest axis. This gave rise to the rhyme, He that would see a church miswent / Let him go to Cucklestane in Kent.
In Tudor times the principal house in the village was Whorne's Place, erected on the river by Sir William Whorne
, Lord Mayor of London in 1487. This was later owned by Sir Joseph Levinson (1556-1615) the privateer. This was taken over by the Mashams, strong royalists
who moved on to the Mote in Maidstone. The mansion was demolished in 1782 and only an outlying granary, now a house still bearing the name Whorne's Place, survives in 2011.
The only other manor in Tudor Cuxton was that of Beresse or Beresh, now known as Bush. It doesn't survive.
In 1610, William Laud
was rector of Cuxton; he later became Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I
and was executed by the puritans in 1645 because of his strong royalist loyalties.
In Upper Bush there are four houses dating from 14th century and a Tudor
Kentish
Yeoman
's house. A tin chapel from Cuxton was dismantled and re-erected at the Museum of Kent Life
, Sandling
.
nature reserve
, country park
and working farm. Part of the site is included in the Cobham Woods
Site of Special Scientific Interest
, and the whole farm is within the Kent Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
Medway
Medway is a conurbation and unitary authority in South East England. The Unitary Authority was formed in 1998 when the City of Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with Gillingham Borough Council and part of Kent County Council to form Medway Council, a unitary authority independent of Kent County...
. It lies on left bank 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....
in 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...
. It is served by the A228, and Cuxton railway station
Cuxton railway station
Cuxton railway station is a railway station in the United Kingdom. It is located on the Medway Valley Line in the local government area of Medway, and it lies well to the east of the village of Cuxton.Train services are provided by Southeastern...
on the Medway Valley Line
Medway Valley Line
The Medway Valley Line is the name given to the railway line linking and the Medway Towns with and onward to , and London St Pancras International...
between Strood
Strood
Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. It lies on the north west bank of the River Medway at its lowest bridging point, and is part of the Rochester post town....
and 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...
. A low valley leads up from the river to the hamlet of Lower Bush.
History
Archaeological evidence suggest the first human occupation was around 200,000 years ago. A hoard of 196 handaxes from the Acheulian era was excavated in 1962. This is now displayed in the British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. The name is believed to have developed from "Cucula's stone".
Remains of a Roman villa was found under the church yard. The Saxons occupied the village and it became known as Cuckelstane. The church and parish was given by Æthelwulf, King of the West Saxons to the Cathedral church of St. Andrew, Rochester. The church contains much Norman architecture
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...
, and is unusual as it lies on a southeast northwest axis. This gave rise to the rhyme, He that would see a church miswent / Let him go to Cucklestane in Kent.
In Tudor times the principal house in the village was Whorne's Place, erected on the river by Sir William Whorne
Sir William Whorne
Sir William Whorne was Lord Mayor of London in 1487. He is sometimes also reported as William Horne or William Littlebury.He erected a house, Whorne's Place, on the north bank of the River Medway at Cuxton, Kent, between Halling and Strood...
, Lord Mayor of London in 1487. This was later owned by Sir Joseph Levinson (1556-1615) the privateer. This was taken over by the Mashams, strong royalists
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
who moved on to the Mote in Maidstone. The mansion was demolished in 1782 and only an outlying granary, now a house still bearing the name Whorne's Place, survives in 2011.
The only other manor in Tudor Cuxton was that of Beresse or Beresh, now known as Bush. It doesn't survive.
In 1610, William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
was rector of Cuxton; he later became Archbishop of Canterbury under Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and was executed by the puritans in 1645 because of his strong royalist loyalties.
In Upper Bush there are four houses dating from 14th century and a Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
Kentish
Kentish
The Kentish Council is a Local Government Area of Tasmania. It is located in the north-west of the state, slightly inland from the coast. The area was explored by the surveyor Nathaniel Kentish in 1842 who was given the task of finding a route from Deloraine through to Tasmania's north west coast...
Yeoman
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
's house. A tin chapel from Cuxton was dismantled and re-erected at the Museum of Kent Life
Museum of Kent Life
Kent Life is an open air museum located at Sandling, next to Allington Locks on the east bank of the River Medway.- History :...
, Sandling
Sandling, Maidstone
Sandling is a suburb to the north of the town of Maidstone, Kent, England. Within the area is the headquarters of the Kent Wildlife Trust at Tyland Barn. Beside the River Medway is an eating place called The Malta Inn. Sandling is also home to the Museum of Kent Life...
.
Ranscombe Farm
Ranscombe Farm is a plantlifePlantlife
Plantlife is a wild plant conservation charity. As of 2007, its membership was 10,500 and it owned 23 nature reserves around the UK.-History:It was founded in 1989 with its first President being Professor David Bellamy. By 1999 it had 22 nature reserves....
nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
and working farm. Part of the site is included in the Cobham Woods
Cobham Woods
Cobham Woods is an area of woodland, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , located between Strood, Cuxton and Cobham in Kent...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, and the whole farm is within the Kent Downs
Kent Downs
Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Kent, England . They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.