| Bekesbourne | |
|---|---|
 The Old Palace | |
  Bekesbourne Location withinKent | |
| Area | 8.47 km2 (3.27 sq mi) |
| Population | 925 (Civil Parish 2011)[1] |
| • Density | 109/km2 (280/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TR191559 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CANTERBURY |
| Postcode district | CT4 |
| Dialling code | 01227 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°15′27″N1°08′39″E / 51.2576°N 1.1443°E /51.2576; 1.1443 | |
Bekesbourne (listenⓘ) is a village and formercivil parish, now in the parish ofBekesbourne-with-Patrixbourne, in theCanterbury district, inKent,South-East England. In 1961 the parish had a population of 538.[2]
The village centre is 2.9 miles (4.7 km) east-south-east ofCanterbury Cathedral and stretches less than 1 km fromBekesbourne railway station to theA2 road to the south.
The parishchurch is dedicated toSaint Peter and has aNorman doorway, a 13th-centurychancel and the first recorded example of brickmathematical tiles.[3]
Howletts Wild Animal Park is in Bekesbourne, the home of manyendangeredspecies and the world's largest breedinggorillacolony in captivity.[4]
Bekesbourne railway station serves the area, on the line betweenCanterbury East andDover Priory railway stations.
TheA2 road borders the south of the village's formal area.
Bekesbourne was the site ofBekesbourne Aerodrome, which was established duringWorld War I and thrived as the home of the Kent Flying Club untilWorld War II, when it was closed. One large hangar remained. It was severely damaged by theGreat Storm of 1987, but soon rebuilt. It was demolished in 1997, and replaced by 10 detached houses on a new road, De Havillands.[n 1]
On 1 April 1987 the parish was abolished to form "Bekesbourne with Patrixbourne", part also went toAdisham and theunparished area ofCanterbury.[5]
Media related toBekesbourne at Wikimedia Commons
