| Hamstreet | |
|---|---|
 Village sign ofOrlestone and Hamstreet | |
  Hamstreet Location withinKent | |
| Population | 1,988 [1] |
| OS grid reference | TR005335 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ashford |
| Postcode district | TN26 |
| Dialling code | 01233 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°03′56″N0°51′45″E / 51.0656°N 0.8626°E /51.0656; 0.8626 | |
Hamstreet is a village inKent, inSouth East England.
The village is located 6 miles (10 km) south ofAshford on theA2070, the main road betweenAshford andHastings. The majority of the village is in the parish ofOrlestone, named after a much older hamlet located 1 mile north of Hamstreet on the ridge of hills; however, part of the village falls within the parish ofWarehorne, including the significant Ingoldsby Lane / Pippins development, giving a total population of 1,988 which will have increased since the 2021 census.
The parish church, dedicated to the Good Shepherd[1], is now a sharedAnglican/Methodist building, and the parish churches ofOrlestone,Snave (now a redundant church),Ruckinge,Warehorne andKenardington are all within the traditional benefice which was expanded to form the new Saxon Shore benefice along with Bilsington, Bonnington and Aldington.
Parts of the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Orlestone date back to the 11th century.Until the coming of the railway in 1851, Hamstreet was just a hamlet known as 'Ham' based around the village centre which contains many buildings in the traditional Kentish weatherboard style. The village expanded rapidly during the 20th century and had its moment of fame in 1991, when maps of Hamstreet at various stages in history were used on a series ofpostage stamps to mark 200 years of theOrdnance Survey – this arose as the Hamstreet area was the first to be mapped in this way. An episode of BBC TV'sCountryfile was also devoted to the occasion. The village also featured in a mountaineering spoof inBlue Peter to raise money for charity.
Although from the 1970s onwards there has been a loss of some traditional village outlets, there are still a number of shops and places to eat and drink in the village, as well as a school, doctor's surgery, dental clinic and sports facilities.The village is twinned with the village ofThérouanne in northern France.
Two large areas of public woodland surround the village, namelyHam Street Woods and Orlestone Forest,Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Both are remnants of the ancient forest that once covered the whole of theWeald ofKent.TheRoyal Military Canal, the UK's third longest defensive structure, passes by ½ mile to the south. Three long distance footpaths also run through the parish:
The area is also popular with cyclists, asRomney Marsh to the south is completely flat.
Ham Street railway station opened in 1851.[3] It was designed by William Trees and is in an Italianate style built in red brick.[3] The village was bypassed by the A2070 road in 1994 and is situated on the B2067. It is served by a bus service between Ashford and Romney Marsh.
Media related toHamstreet at Wikimedia Commons