Barming is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

in the

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...

District of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It lies to the west of

and at the 2011 census had a population of 2,690. The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural. The

River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a total distance ...

forms its southern boundary. Barming is mentioned in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

, and was then described as being divided into East and West; the latter being known as Little Barming, and having its own church until the 16th century. Barming Primary School dates back to 1854 but is no longer located on its original site. The area has undergone increased residential development in recent years due to its proximity to both Maidstone Hospital and the Maidstone East rail line to central London. The area has also suffered from significant disruption caused by sinkholes in the late 2010s, including the closure of the A26 road in the summer of 2018 as the road was repaired.

Transport

Barming railway station, on the Maidstone East line, was opened on 1 June 1874 but is not actually located in the district. It lies a mile to the north and is in the neighbouring borough of Tonbridge & Malling. The railway station named

East Farleigh East Farleigh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Maidstone, Kent, England. The village is located on the south side of the River Medway about two miles (3.2 km) upstream from the town of Maidstone. Heritage The ...

lies in Barming parish, at the extreme southern boundary adjacent to the River Medway. This is on the Medway Valley Line linking

Strood Strood is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in Kent, South East England. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham and Rainham. It lies on the northwest bank of the River Medway at its lowest ...

, Maidstone and

Paddock Wood Paddock Wood is a town and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England, about southwest of Maidstone. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 8,263, falling marginally to 8,253 at the 2011 Census. Paddock Wood is a centre f ...

. The A26 road crosses the parish. Local bus services are provided by

Arriva Southern Counties Arriva Southern CountiesCompanies House extract company no 20314 ...

and Nu-Venture.

St. Margaret's Church

Surrounded by fields, the church was built in the Norman period (12th Century) and has a characteristic triangle of east windows and a tower in the perpendicular style has been added. The Church is

Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

listed and some of the gravestones are Grade I. Amongst many items that you can see are three bench ends made in Germany in 1300. In the churchyard is a mounting block – four stone steps built in the 19th century to help riders to mount their horses.

Culture

At 7.15 p.m. on 1 May each year, local

Morris dance Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers, usually wearing bell pads on their shins. Implements such as sticks, swords and handkerchiefs may ...

rs Kettle Bridge Clogs Kettle Bridge Clogs
/ref> used to dance across Barming Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge) which spans the River Medway at the southern end of South Street. The event marked the official start of their Morris dancing season. The tradition has not been followed in recent years. In and around Barming (as well as much of the UK), it is believed that the word "barming" or "barmy" (meaning mad or crazy) were named after the village of Barming due to the location of the County of Kent's psychiatric hospital being in Barming. Whilst this story is generally understood to be apocryphal, many still consider it true.

Notable people

* Mark Noble (1754–1827), Rector of Barming and author * Gilbert Elliot (1800–1891), Rector of Barming * Charles Whittaker (1819–1886), cricketer, born and lived here *

Robinson Ellis Robinson Ellis, FBA (5 September 1834 – 9 October 1913) was an English classical scholar. Ellis was born at Barming, near Maidstone, and was educated at Elizabeth College, Guernsey, Rugby School, and Balliol College, Oxford. He took a Fi ...

(1834–1913), scholar, born here * David Clark (1919–2013), cricketer, born here * Fred Ridgway (1923–2015), Kent and England cricketer, lived here

References

External links

Barming Parish CouncilBarming village website
{{Geographic location , title = Nearest Settlements , Centre = Barming , North =

Aylesford Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, England, northwest of Maidstone. Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. Two pubs, a village ...

, Northeast = Sandling , East =

, Southeast =

, South =

West Farleigh West Farleigh is a village and civil parish four miles (6km) southwest of Maidstone in the county of Kent. The parish has a population of approximately 450, and is bounded by the civil parishes of East Farleigh, Hunton, Yalding, and over the Ri ...

, Southwest = Teston

Wateringbury Wateringbury is a village and civil parish near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows into the River Medway just above Bow Bridge. It formerly powered three watermills in the village, one of which survives. The ...