| Lenham | |
|---|---|
 High Street | |
  Lenham Location withinKent | |
| Area | 23.4906 km2 (9.0698 sq mi) |
| Population | 3,370 (2011)[1] |
| • Density | 143/km2 (370/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ585395 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Maidstone |
| Postcode district | ME17 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| 51°14′17″N0°42′58″E / 51.238°N 0.716°E /51.238; 0.716 | |
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Lenham is a market village andcivil parish in theMaidstone district, inKent, England, situated on the southern edge of theNorth Downs, 9 miles (14 km) east ofMaidstone.[2] The picturesque square in the village has twopublic houses (one of which is a hotel), a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room. The parish has a population of 3,370 according to the2011 Census.[3]
Lenham railway station is on theMaidstone East Line.
The village is at the main source of theGreat Stour and theStour Valley Walk starts here, heading to Ashford and on toCanterbury and theEnglish Channel nearSandwich. It is also the source of theRiver Len, which flows in a westerly direction to join theRiver Medway at Maidstone.
In 850,Æthelwulf, King ofWessex, grantedEalhhere,ealdorman of Kent, a large estate of fortyhides at Lenham.[4][5]
Mentioned in theDomesday Book of 1086, Lenham market dates back to 1088, when the village was an important crossroad settlement. The manor of Lenham belonged toSt Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, until thedissolution of the monasteries when it reverted to the Crown. Queen Elizabeth I awarded the manor to her chief courtier,William Cecil, Lord Burleigh. It then passed through ownership of the Wilford,Montagu,Hamilton and Best families.[6]
Technically the fact that Lenham isallowed a market, makes it a town but the community have always desired to maintain its village status.
The High Street has a number of listed buildings.[7]
Mary Honywood was born in Lenham. When she died in Essex at the age of 93, she had 367 living descendants.
ThePilgrims' Way/North Downs Way passes along thedownland ridge to the north of Lenham.[8] Between this ridge and the village lies a 200-foot (61 m)chalk cross carved into the scarp slope. First constructed in 1922, to remember those who fell in theGreat War, and fully restored in 1994, theLenham Cross now commemorates the dead of both world wars. To avoid its use as a navigation aid by theLuftwaffe, the cross was filled in between 1939 and May 1945.
On 27 August 1950, Lenham, along with the village ofHarvel, was one of the signal relay points (betweenCalais andLondon) of the first-ever live television pictures from the continent.
In 2020, Co-op staff member, Jo Bate, won Sales Assistant of the Year for her excellent service during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9]
The parish church ofSt Mary was rebuilt in the 14th century after fire had destroyed its predecessor.[10] It and the nearbyTithe Barn are Grade Ilisted buildings.[11][12] From 1876 to his death in 1903, the vicar of the church wasCharles Nepean,[13] who played forOxford University A.F.C. in the1874 FA Cup Final.[14] Nepean also played cricket forMiddlesex.[15]
There is a primary school, Lenham Primary and a secondary school,The Lenham School, at Lenham. A pair of cottages in Lenham had to be demolished to make way for theChannel Tunnel Rail Link (Maidstone Line). They were dismantled and re-erected at theMuseum of Kent Life,Sandling.
A local kit car firmGKD Sports Cars has its workshop based in Lenham and its main base inBoughton Monchelsea.
Also in Lenham is a pharmacy, famous as the discovery site of a sixth-century Saxon warrior’s body and weapons. The village has a website dedicated to recording the village's cultural heritage.[16] Lenham Meadows Trust works to protect open spaces in the area.[17] The church is supported by the Friends of St Mary's.[18] The village also has a film club.[19]
Lenham is also a home of HAMS Productions, amateur dramatic society, a diverse group that serves community since 2016. HAMS Productions' yearly pantomimes are gaining popularity. It also had two successful serious plays, written and directed by a local author.HAMS Productions has around a hundred of members and is located in Lenham Community Centre.
Maidstone Borough Council has proposed a garden village called Heathlands in their Local Plan adopted in 2024.
The following people and military units have received theFreedom of the Parish of Lenham.
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Media related toLenham at Wikimedia Commons
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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