Meopham
Encyclopedia
Meopham is a large linear village
and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham
and ceremonial county of Kent
, in England
, and lies to the south of Gravesend
. The parish covers 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²), and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it has a population of 6,427. Meopham has been described as having one of the longest village streets in Kent
, being 7 miles (11.3 km) in length.
, in the time of King Offa. The modern pronunciation of the name comes from different ways of writing and spelling.
One of the hospitals founded during the Middle Ages
was located here; and three medieval manor house
s - those of Meopham, Dodmore and Nurstead - governed the land now occupying the parish. Edward Hasted
in 1797 described the village as being "out of the way" and with "no well frequented thoroughfare through it". Since the 1920s, when the road numbering scheme started, the main road through the village, the A227
, has become busier as a through route connecting North Kent with the M20 motorway
at the foot of the North Downs
, although this now has been somewhat relieved by the M25
.
; and two other settlements: Culverstone and Dodmore. The Parish Council, which meets at Meopham Windmill, has twelve members.
, the four settlements are Hook Green; The Street (Dodmore); Meopham Green; and Culverstone. The first three contain conservation area
s. There were originally seven village green
s in the parish; only three remain today.
Hook Green is the most northerly of the settlements. Originally called Hoo Green, it lies around a small triangular village green to the west of the main road. There are again many listed buildings in the area, including the Weavers Cottage. More modern developments are situated near to Meopham railway station
to the north, as is the Railway Tavern. There is also an Italian restaurant called Bartellas, previously a public house, known as the Fox & Hounds.
The Street (Dodmore) is the oldest of the village's settlements, where the manor house of Dodmore stands: it is close to the 14th century church, the parish church of St John the Baptist. In addition, there are many other historic buildings, including The George Inn, where the manorial court of Dodmore once sat. At The George Inn there is still the Courtroom Bar, the room in which the court baron
of the manor was held. The present lord of the manor of Dodmore
lives in the old manor house. The family of the cricketer Thomas Nordish
worked Dodmore Farm. Recently Ifield CC relocated here, becoming New Ifield CC.
Meopham Green is by far the largest remaining village green in the parish. The main road passes to the west; around the other two sides are buildings, many of which are of 18th and 19th century origin. Here are two public house
s: the King's Arms; and the The Cricketers Inn, formerly The Long Hop
Meopham Green is home to a cricket
pitch, where the sport has been played since at least 1776, and which is one of Kent
's idyllic settings for the game; Sir John Major
, the former Prime Minister
is Patron
of Meopham Cricket Club and stood on a soapbox
here during General Election
campaigns. Meopham Windmill
is nearby.
Culverstone Green is the most southerly of the main village settlements. The original village green has been given up to agriculture
. On the main road, and down Whitepost Lane to the east, are both older and modern houses; a small supermarket; and a petrol station.
There is a considerable built-up area between the main road and Harvel. This is known as Culverstone Valley: it covers some 250 acres (101.2 ha) and lies among woodlands. It is described as a unique development, which in its origins was the result of the sale of plots of land in the 1930s. Originally, chalets, shacks and caravans were built on the plots. Since then unauthorised developments, often extending the original buildings, have taken place in an area which is now Green Belt
. Poor access and limited facilities such as proper drainage has led Gravesham Borough Council to take action by curbing this trend.
, 480 feet (146.3 m) above sea level
.
The Mill
was built by James Killick, a millwright
from Strood
, in 1801. After his death in 1823, it passed to his wife Sukey, then to his son James, and after to his grandson Thomas who died in 1891. The Killicks lived in Strood
where the family also owned mills and were reputed to walk the eight miles to Meopham each day. The mill worked by wind until 1929 and then by engine until 1965. It has been fully restored and is now in full working order.
Church built in 1828, located near Meopham Green, South Street Baptist Church, north of Culverstone and the Catholic
Church of St Paul, consecrated in 1965.
is within the borough
, and nearby are fee-paying schools, such as Cobham Hall
, and King's School, Rochester.
, carries a large amount of traffic. It first became a main road under the Turnpike Acts
in 1825, when it was designed to connect Gravesend
with Wrotham
.
Meopham Railway Station
, at the north end of the village, is on the Chatham Main Line
which runs to Victoria Station in London
. Ebbsfleet
International Station is under 8 miles (12.9 km) away.
(1327–1332), John Tradescant the elder
(c. 1570-1638) and his son of the same name
(1608–1662), both botanists. Residents in more recent times have included the artists Spencer Gore
(1878-1914) and Graham Sutherland
(1903-1980), Michael Gilbert
(1912-2006), the author, Harry Price
(1881–1948), a psychic researcher, Hughie Green
(1920–1997), the entertainer, and Kelvin MacKenzie
, former editor of The Sun; current residents include Sir Michael Gambon
, the actor, Lady de Grey, widow of Sir Roger de Grey
, former President of the Royal Academy
, as well as Donald Adamson
, the author and historian, and Major Sir Richard Gethin, Bt
, who lives at Sole Street. The Arnold family were seated at Meopham Court, lately represented by Major Ralph Arnold.
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...
and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham
Gravesham
Gravesham is a local government district and borough in North West Kent, England. It has borders with the River Thames to the north; the City of Rochester and Medway to the east; the borough of Tonbridge and Malling ; and the boroughs of Sevenoaks and Dartford to the west.Its council is based at...
and ceremonial 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...
, in England
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...
, and lies to the south of Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
. The parish covers 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²), and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it has a population of 6,427. Meopham has been described as having one of the longest village streets 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...
, being 7 miles (11.3 km) in length.
History
The name of the village derives from Meapaham (Meapa's village): it is first recorded in 788788
Year 788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 788 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charlemagne conquers Bavaria.* Bermudo I...
, in the time of King Offa. The modern pronunciation of the name comes from different ways of writing and spelling.
One of the hospitals founded during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
was located here; and three medieval manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s - those of Meopham, Dodmore and Nurstead - governed the land now occupying the parish. Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted was the author of a major county history, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent .-Life:...
in 1797 described the village as being "out of the way" and with "no well frequented thoroughfare through it". Since the 1920s, when the road numbering scheme started, the main road through the village, the A227
A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
, has become busier as a through route connecting North Kent with 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...
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...
, although this now has been somewhat relieved by the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
.
The Parish
The parish comprises the main village, divided into four named settlements; the outlying village of HarvelHarvel
Harvel is a village in the civil parish of Meopham in the west of the English county of Kent. It is sited on the southern edge of the North Downs, and forms part of the AONB for that area....
; and two other settlements: Culverstone and Dodmore. The Parish Council, which meets at Meopham Windmill, has twelve members.
The main village
From the north along the main A227A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
, the four settlements are Hook Green; The Street (Dodmore); Meopham Green; and Culverstone. The first three contain conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
s. There were originally seven 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...
s in the parish; only three remain today.
Hook Green is the most northerly of the settlements. Originally called Hoo Green, it lies around a small triangular village green to the west of the main road. There are again many listed buildings in the area, including the Weavers Cottage. More modern developments are situated near to Meopham railway station
Meopham railway station
Meopham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the village of Meopham in north Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
to the north, as is the Railway Tavern. There is also an Italian restaurant called Bartellas, previously a public house, known as the Fox & Hounds.
The Street (Dodmore) is the oldest of the village's settlements, where the manor house of Dodmore stands: it is close to the 14th century church, the parish church of St John the Baptist. In addition, there are many other historic buildings, including The George Inn, where the manorial court of Dodmore once sat. At The George Inn there is still the Courtroom Bar, the room in which the court baron
Court baron
A Court baron is an English or Scottish manorial court dating from the Middle Ages.It was laid down by Sir Edward Coke that a manor had two courts, "the first by the common law, and is called a court baron," the freeholders being its suitors; the other a customary court for the copyholders...
of the manor was held. The present lord of the manor of Dodmore
Donald Adamson
Donald Adamson is a historian, biographer, philosophical writer, textual scholar, literary critic, and translator of French literature...
lives in the old manor house. The family of the cricketer Thomas Nordish
Thomas Nordish
Thomas Nordish was an English cricketer. He was a wicket-keeper who played for Kent. He was born and died in Meopham.Nordish made two first-class appearances, eight years apart...
worked Dodmore Farm. Recently Ifield CC relocated here, becoming New Ifield CC.
Public 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...
s: the King's Arms; and the The Cricketers Inn, formerly The Long Hop
Meopham Green is home to a cricket
Cricket
Cricket 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...
pitch, where the sport has been played since at least 1776, and which is one 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...
's idyllic settings for the game; Sir John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, the former Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
is Patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of Meopham Cricket Club and stood on a soapbox
Soapbox
A soapbox is a raised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech, often about a political subject. The term originates from the days when speakers would elevate themselves by standing on a wooden crate originally used for shipment of soap or other dry goods from a manufacturer to a...
here during General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
campaigns. Meopham Windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
is nearby.
Culverstone Green is the most southerly of the main village settlements. The original village green has been given up to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. On the main road, and down Whitepost Lane to the east, are both older and modern houses; a small supermarket; and a petrol station.
There is a considerable built-up area between the main road and Harvel. This is known as Culverstone Valley: it covers some 250 acres (101.2 ha) and lies among woodlands. It is described as a unique development, which in its origins was the result of the sale of plots of land in the 1930s. Originally, chalets, shacks and caravans were built on the plots. Since then unauthorised developments, often extending the original buildings, have taken place in an area which is now Green Belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
. Poor access and limited facilities such as proper drainage has led Gravesham Borough Council to take action by curbing this trend.
Other settlements
The other two main settlements in the parish are Nurstead, where Nurstead Court is located next to the parish church, and there are several cottages nearby; and Camer, once home to the family of Smith-Masters, with a few cottages near Camer Park.Geography
The village lies on the northern slope of the North DownsNorth 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...
, 480 feet (146.3 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
.
The Windmill
The Mill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
was built by James Killick, a millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
from 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....
, in 1801. After his death in 1823, it passed to his wife Sukey, then to his son James, and after to his grandson Thomas who died in 1891. The Killicks lived in 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....
where the family also owned mills and were reputed to walk the eight miles to Meopham each day. The mill worked by wind until 1929 and then by engine until 1965. It has been fully restored and is now in full working order.
Churches
There are two parish churches: the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Meopham and Nurstead's parish church of St. Mildred. Other churches include Mount Zion BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church built in 1828, located near Meopham Green, South Street Baptist Church, north of Culverstone and the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church of St Paul, consecrated in 1965.
Education
There are three State schools in the village: the secondary Meopham School has evolved into a specialist and sports college, where Meopham Library is situated too; and two primary schools: Meopham Community Primary School and Culverstone Green Primary School. Gravesend Grammar SchoolGravesend Grammar School
Gravesend Grammar School is a selective secondary school located in Gravesend, Kent, England. The school accepts boys at age 11 by examination and boys and girls at 16, based on their GCSE results.-The school:...
is within the borough
Gravesham
Gravesham is a local government district and borough in North West Kent, England. It has borders with the River Thames to the north; the City of Rochester and Medway to the east; the borough of Tonbridge and Malling ; and the boroughs of Sevenoaks and Dartford to the west.Its council is based at...
, and nearby are fee-paying schools, such as Cobham Hall
Cobham Hall
Cobham Hall is a country house in Cobham, Kent, England. There has been a manor house on the site since the 12th century. The current building consists of a pair of Tudor wings built for William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham in the 16th century and a later classical central block, and a kitchen court...
, and King's School, Rochester.
Transport
The main road through the village, the A227A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
, carries a large amount of traffic. It first became a main road under the Turnpike Acts
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in 1825, when it was designed to connect Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
with Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
.
Meopham Railway Station
Meopham railway station
Meopham railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the village of Meopham in north Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern....
, at the north end of the village, is on the Chatham Main Line
Chatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
which runs to Victoria Station in 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...
. Ebbsfleet
Ebbsfleet International railway station
Ebbsfleet International railway station is a railway station in Ebbsfleet Valley, in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, 10 miles outside the eastern boundary of Greater London, England. It is near Dartford and the Bluewater shopping centre to the west and Gravesend to the east. Ebbsfleet International...
International Station is under 8 miles (12.9 km) away.
Notable people
Famous residents have included Simon de Mepham, Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop 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...
(1327–1332), John Tradescant the elder
John Tradescant the elder
John Tradescant the elder , father of John Tradescant the younger, was an English naturalist, gardener, collector and traveller, probably born in Suffolk, England...
(c. 1570-1638) and his son of the same name
John Tradescant the younger
John Tradescant the Younger , son of John Tradescant the elder, was a botanist and gardener, born in Meopham, Kent and educated at The King's School, Canterbury...
(1608–1662), both botanists. Residents in more recent times have included the artists Spencer Gore
Spencer Gore
Spencer William Gore was an English cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club in 1874 and 1875 and a tennis player who won the first Wimbledon Championships in 1877.-Early years:...
(1878-1914) and Graham Sutherland
Graham Sutherland
Graham Vivien Sutherland OM was an English artist.-Early life:He was born in Streatham, attending Homefield Preparatory School, Sutton. He was then educated at Epsom College, Surrey before going up to Goldsmiths, University of London...
(1903-1980), Michael Gilbert
Michael Gilbert
Michael Francis Gilbert, CBE was a British writer of both fictional mysteries and thrillers who wrote as Michael Gilbert.-Life and work:...
(1912-2006), the author, Harry Price
Harry Price
Harry Price was a British psychic researcher and author.-Early life:Although Price claimed his birth was in Shropshire, he was actually born in London in Red Lion Square on the site of the South Place Ethical Society's Conway Hall. He was educated in New Cross, first at Waller Road Infants School...
(1881–1948), a psychic researcher, Hughie Green
Hughie Green
Hughie Green was the host of numerous British television shows.-Early life:Hugh H. Green was born in London; his Scottish father was a former British Army Major who made his fortune supplying tinned fish to the Allied forces in World War I, while his mother Violet was the Surrey-born daughter of...
(1920–1997), the entertainer, and Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin Calder MacKenzie is an English media executive and former newspaper editor. He is best known for being editor of The Sun newspaper between 1981 and 1994, an era in which the paper was established as Britain's best selling newspaper.- Biography :MacKenzie was educated at Alleyn's School...
, former editor of The Sun; current residents include Sir Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
, the actor, Lady de Grey, widow of Sir Roger de Grey
Roger de Grey
Sir Roger de Grey P.R.A. was a landscape painter. From 1984 to 1993 he was President of the Royal Academy.-Early life and education:...
, former President of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, as well as Donald Adamson
Donald Adamson
Donald Adamson is a historian, biographer, philosophical writer, textual scholar, literary critic, and translator of French literature...
, the author and historian, and Major Sir Richard Gethin, Bt
Gethin Baronets
The Gethin Baronetcy, of Gethinsgrott in Cork, is a title in the Baronetage of Ireland. It was created on 1 August 1665 for Richard Gethin, who represented Clonmel and Newtown Limavady in the Irish House of Commons...
, who lives at Sole Street. The Arnold family were seated at Meopham Court, lately represented by Major Ralph Arnold.
Additional reading
- The History of Meopham, C.H. Golding-Bird, 2000 (reprint from 1934 edition), Williams & Norgate Ltd