Tovil 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

Borough of Maidstone The Borough of Maidstone is a local government district with borough status in Kent, England. Its administrative centre is Maidstone, the county town of Kent. The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mai ...

, in

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 ...

in the South East of

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 is a mixture of residential and industrial zoning, with an increase in commercial usage towards the centre of Maidstone, and more arable use on the outskirts.

History

Tovil is mentioned in the Cecil Papers with the leasing of a tenement at Tovil to Thomas Peene, commencing at Michaelmas, 1628. Tovil has a history of

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

s on the Loose Stream near 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 ...

, which ceased operation in the 1980s. These included Great Ivy Mill, Hayle Mill,

Upper Tovil Mill The Loose Stream sometimes called the River Loose or Langley Stream is a tributary of the River Medway notable for the number of watermills that it powered in its short length. It rises in Langley, flows through Boughton Monchelsea, Loose ...

, Lower Tovil Mill and Bridge Mill. These and other mills located along the Loose Stream which flows through Tovil were formerly used for fulling, corn and in one case gunpowder. The Tovil Bridge connects Tovil to

Barming Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone 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 remaind ...

over the Loose Stream and the Medway. The church of St Stephen was built in around 1840. The architect was

John Whichcord Snr John Whichcord Sr. (1790–1860) was a British architect who worked in Maidstone, Kent and designed many public and institutional buildings in the town. Life Whichcord, the son of a surveyor, was born in Devizes, Wiltshire. He was articled to ...

. It was built of ragstone ashlar in the Early English style but demolished in about 1990. Alabaster Passmore had an important printing works in Tovil and there were other small industries and a railway siding.

Modern Tovil

Many of the industrial units have since been replaced by housing. One notable local business is loudspeaker manufacturer KEF, which is based on Eccleston Road in Tovil. Goachers

microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...

is also based there. Kent Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters is based in Tovil on Straw Mill Hill.

Governance

Tovil is in the South ward of

Maidstone Borough Council Maidstone is the largest 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 centre of the town, linking it with ...

, represented as of 2020 by three Liberal Democrat councillors. It is in the Maidstone South division of

Kent County Council Kent County Council is a county council that governs most of the non-metropolitan county, county of Kent in England. It is the upper tier of elected local government, below which are 12 non-metropolitan district, district councils, and around ...

, represented as of 2020 by one

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

councillor. The local MP is the Conservative, Helen Grant.

References

Civil parishes in Kent {{Kent-geo-stub