Chestfield is a village (and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
and with
Swalecliffe
Swalecliffe is a part of the ribbon development of the north Kent coast between Whitstable and Herne Bay in Southeast England. It forms Swalecliffe ward of City of Canterbury Council.
History
The Doomsday book provides an early record of Swa ...
a district council ward) in the
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
District of
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England. The parish is centred from the sea on the north coast of Kent, between the towns of
Whitstable
Whitstable () is a town on the north coast of Kent, England, at the convergence of the The Swale, Swale and the Greater Thames Estuary, north of Canterbury and west of Herne Bay, Kent, Herne Bay.
The town, formerly known as Whitstable-on-Se ...
and
Herne Bay
Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne, Kent, Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury loca ...
. It is approximately five miles (8 km) north of
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...
. Over a third of the parish, all of which is the south of its ambit, is woodland. The north-west consists of a business park and superstore.
Geography
Chestfield & Swalecliffe railway station is on the
Chatham Main Line a straight two-track line which marks the northern boundary of the parish.
A footpath and a road each lead to Radfall which is a woodland locality of a few houses on two streets in the wooded hills to the south - more than one third of the parish is woodland, and almost all of it was woodland in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, when it contributed greatly to the Forest of
Blean
Blean is a village and civil parish in the Canterbury district of Kent, England. The civil parish is large and is mostly woodland, much of which is ancient woodland. The developed village within the parish is scattered along the road between C ...
.
The north-east of the parish is non-residential, having a superstore spanning two buildings and the John Wilson business park.
History
The Chestfield Barn originated as part of the Chestfield Manor in the 14th century, it was held as tenant-in-chief by the half-brother of William the Conqueror,
Odo, Bishop of Bayeux
Odo of Bayeux (died 1097) was a Norman nobleman who was a bishop of Bayeux in Normandy and was made Earl of Kent in England following the Norman Conquest. He was the maternal half-brother of duke, and later king, William the Conqueror, and w ...
. It is believed that the Manor dates back to as early as 1084, although not directly mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. In the early part of the 20th century the barn was converted into a golf house by George Reeves,to service the golf course constructed in 1924 by George Reeves and designed by Abe Mitchell and James Braid.
Governance
Chestfield forms part of the
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
called Chestfield and Swalecliffe. This ward had a population of 8,398 at the 2011 Census.
Transport
Thanet Way provides a goods and long-distance commuter alternative to the railway station. However, much of the rest of the parish is better served by footpaths and country lanes suitable for cycling.
See also
*
Saxon Shore Way - this links to various footpaths in the area.
References
External links
Villages in Kent
Civil parishes in Kent
City of Canterbury
{{Kent-geo-stub