Goudhurst
Encyclopedia
Goudhurst is a village in 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...

 on the Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...

, about 12 miles (19 km) south 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...

.
It stands on a crossroads (A262 & B2079), where there is a large village pond. It is also in the Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School, Kent
Cranbrook School is a co-educational boarding and day grammar school located in Cranbrook, Kent in South East England.-Brief history:Founded in 1518 for poor boys of the town, it received a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1574. Although in 1817 the town petitioned the Master of the Rolls,...

 catchment area.

The parish consists of three wards: Goudhurst, Kilndown
Kilndown
Kilndown is a hamlet west of Cranbrook in Kent, England.-History:Kilndown was estalished in the 1840s by Viscount Beresford.-References:...

 and Curtisden Green
Curtisden Green
Curtisden Green is a hamlet, lying 3 miles to the north of Goudhurst, Kent, England. It is the location of Bethany School.-External links:...

. Hamlets include Bedgebury Cross
Bedgebury Cross
Bedgebury Cross is a hamlet located, as its name suggests, in the Bedgebury Forest area of Kent, England. It is located on the B2079 road connecting Goudhurst with the A21 road at Flimwell. The term "cross" refers to a wayside cross that originally existed at this site, this cross is replicated in...

, Iden Green, Stonecrouch and Winchet Hill.

Origin of name

The place name of Goudhurst is derived from the Old English guo hyrst, meaning Battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...

 Hill, or the wooded hill on which a battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...

 has been fought. The name commemorates a battle fought on this high ground in Saxon times
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...

. The spelling has evolved over the centuries: Gmthhyrste (c. 1100), Guthurst or Guhthersts (c. 1200), Gudhersts (1232), Guthhurste (1278), Goutherst (1316), Goodherst (1610), then the current-day spelling.

History

The church in Goudhurst probably existed long before 1119, its earliest recorded date. The church has been altered and restored many times over the centuries. Until 1637 it had a tall spire which was eventually destroyed by lightning. In 1638 three London masons rebuilt the west tower During the 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...

 the church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...

 by the architect Richard Carpenter
Richard Carpenter (architect)
Richard Herbert Carpenter was an eminent Victorian architect from England.Richard was born 1841 in St. Pancras, London, Middlesex, England and died in 1893...


The village was one of those involved in the Wealden iron industry
Wealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...

; it was a centre for the growing of hops
Hop (plant)
Humulus, Hop, is a small genus of flowering plants native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The female flowers of H. lupulus are known as hops, and are used as a culinary flavoring and stabilizer, especially in the brewing of beer...

 and for weaving. A group of weavers' cottages stands opposite the church.

The Battle of Goudhurst in 1747 led to the end of the Hawkhurst Gang
Hawkhurst Gang
The Hawkhurst Gang was a notorious criminal organisation involved in smuggling throughout southeast England from 1735 until 1749. One of the more infamous gangs of the early 18th century, they extended their influence from Dorset, where they successfully raided the customs house at Poole, to the...

 of smugglers
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...

.

The village's recent history is extremely well documented. The Goudhurst Jubilee Book (1935), Goudhurst Coronation Book (1937) and Goudhurst and Kilndown
Kilndown
Kilndown is a hamlet west of Cranbrook in Kent, England.-History:Kilndown was estalished in the 1840s by Viscount Beresford.-References:...

 Millennium Book (2001, ISBN 0-9527822-1-9) contain detailed reminiscences, directories, historical notes, matters of local intelligence and records of celebrations starting from the 1800s and before, up to the current time. These books were printed as limited editions and are much sought after, as the authors painstakingly recorded not only the written but also the oral history of the village.

Bedgebury

Bedgebury
Bedgebury Forest
Bedgebury Forest is a forest surrounding Bedgebury National Pinetum, near Flimwell in Kent. In contrast to the National Pinetum, which contains exclusively coniferous trees, the forest contains both deciduous and coniferous species. It forms part of the High Weald Area Of Outstanding Natural...

 is one of the oldest estates in 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...

: having given its name to the de Bedgebury family, it passed into the hands of the Culpeper family in 1450. When the estate was sold in 1680, a new house was built which itself became a girls' school in the 1920s (closed in the summer of 2006). In 2007 the school was purchased by the Bell
Educational Trust, an educational charity. In the summer of 2007 the school reopened as the Bell Bedgebury International School, and the grounds also play host to the Bell Bedgebury Language Centre. In November 2010, the owners decided to close and sell the school. - the riding school and 125 acres were sold separately and are now independent .
Bedgebury Pinetum
Bedgebury Pinetum
Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury, Kent, in the United Kingdom, is a recreational and conservational arboretum and, with the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, comprises the UK National Arboreta. It was established as the National Conifer Collection in 1925 and is now recognised as the most...

 is nearby. It was acquired by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....

 in 1924.

Public transport

In the past, the branch railway line from Paddock Wood had a station for the village. It was opened on 1 October 1892 and was originally named 'Hope Mill for Goudhurst and Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst is a village and civil parish in Kent although the latter parish was at first in both Kent and East Sussex. The line of the county border was adjusted following the Local Government Act 1894, which required that parish boundaries be aligned with counties...

' before being renamed to 'Goudhurst' on 4 September 1893, the day the final part of the line came into service – the extension to Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst
Hawkhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. The parish lies to the south-east of Tunbridge Wells. Hawkhurst itself is virtually two villages...

 via Cranbrook
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...

; physically, the station was about half a mile from the centre of Goudhurst, and somewhat further from Lamberhurst. The station was closed on 12 June 1961 because of lack of use, passenger numbers having dropped to fewer than 200 per day. The track was lifted in 1964, and in 1967 the station sites were offered for sale.

At present, the only public transport for Goudhurst are two bus routes operated by Arriva Southern Counties
Arriva Southern Counties
Arriva Southern Counties is a bus operator in London, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Essex in England. It is a regional division of Arriva.- History :...

 - the 26 to 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...

, and the 297 which runs to Tunbridge Wells in the west and Tenterden
Tenterden
Tenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....

 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...

 in the east.

Notable people

  • Ernest Alfred Benians
    Ernest Alfred Benians
    Ernest Alfred Benians was a British academic and historian.He was born in Goudhurst, Kent, and was educated at Bethany School, where his father was headmaster. He went up to the University of Cambridge in 1899, where he was admitted to St John's College...

     (1880–1952), academic and historian, was born in Goudhurst.
  • William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
    William Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford
    General William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford, 1st Marquis of Campo Maior, GCB, GCH, GCTE, PC , was a British soldier and politician...

     (1768–1856), owned the Bedgebury Estate and built Kilndown
    Kilndown
    Kilndown is a hamlet west of Cranbrook in Kent, England.-History:Kilndown was estalished in the 1840s by Viscount Beresford.-References:...

     in the 1840s.
  • Harry Christophers
    Harry Christophers
    Harry Christophers is an English conductor. He attended the King's School, Canterbury and was a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral under choirmaster Allan Wicks and played clarinet in the school orchestra alongside Andrew Marriner...

     (b 1956), conductor, was born in Goudhurst.
  • Leonard Benjamin Franklin
    Leonard Benjamin Franklin
    Leonard Benjamin Franklin was an English barrister, banker and Liberal Party politician, of Jewish descent.-Family:...

     (1862–1944), barrister and politician, was born in Goudhurst.
  • Stephen Groombridge
    Stephen Groombridge
    Stephen Groombridge FRS was a British astronomer.In 1806, using a then new transit circle built by Edward Troughton, he began compiling a star catalogue of stars down to about eighth or ninth magnitude...

     (1755–1832), astronomer, was born in Goudhurst.
  • Daniel Horsmanden
    Daniel Horsmanden
    Daniel Horsmanden was a chief justice of the supreme court in the Province of New York and member of the governor's executive council....

     (1691–1778), judge, was born in Goudhurst.
  • Stephen Law
    Stephen Law (Governor of Bombay)
    Stephen Law was the Governor of Bombay from 7 April 1739 to 15 November 1742.Law retired to Broxbourne Manor, Broxbourne. After his wife died in January 1785, he moved to Goudhurst in Kent....

     (d c. 1788), Governor of Bombay from 1739–42, lived in Goudhurst at the time of his death.
  • William Howard Vincent Levett
    Hopper Levett
    William Howard Vincent "Hopper" Levett . Educated at Brighton College, Hopper was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1934. Levett was a gentleman farmer from an old Kentish family who owned hops farms for many years...

     (1908–55), Kent
    Kent County Cricket Club
    Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...

     and England cricketer, was born in Goudhurst.
  • Richard Milbourne
    Richard Milbourne
    -Life:He was born in London, and educated at Winchester School and Queens' College, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1579, and graduated B.A. in 1582. He was Fellow of Queens' from 1582 to 1593. He became rector of Sevenoaks, Kent in 1607 , of Cheam, Surrey, and vicar of Goudhurst, Kent...

     (d 1624), bishop, was vicar of Goudhurst 1611-15
  • Alfred Mynn
    Alfred Mynn
    Alfred 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, was born in Goudhurst.
  • William Rootes
    William Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes
    William Edward Rootes, 1st Baron Rootes GBE was a noted Coventry motor manufacturer and the innovative Chairman of the Promotion Committee which founded the University of Warwick.-Early life:...

     (1894–1964), founder of Rootes Group was born in Goudhurst.
  • Sir James Stirling
    James Stirling (judge)
    Sir James Stirling FRS was a British barrister, judge, and amateur scientist. In his youth he demonstrated exceptional ability in mathematics, becoming Senior Wrangler at Cambridge in 1860, regarded at the time as "the highest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain"...

     (1836–1916), jurist and Privy Councillor
    Privy Council of the United Kingdom
    Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...

    , lived at Finchcocks
    Finchcocks
    Finchcocks is an early Georgian manor house in Goudhurst, Kent, which houses a large collection of historical keyboard instruments: harpsichords, clavichords, fortepianos, square pianos, organs and other musical instruments...

     in Goudhurst from 1890 until his death
  • Sir Jeffrey Gilbert
    Jeffrey Gilbert (judge)
    Jeffrey Gilbert was an English judge and author who was Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in both Ireland and England and later became renowned for his legal treatises, none of which were published in his lifetime.-Family and early career:...

     ( 1674–1726 ) jurist and author was born in Goudhurst.

Sources

  • The Place Names of Kent, Judith Glover.
  • The Origin of English Place Names, P. H. Reaney.
  • The Dictionary of British Place Names
  • Dictionary of English Place Names, A. D. Mills.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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