| Staplehurst | |
|---|---|
 All Saints' Church | |
  Staplehurst Location withinKent | |
| Population | 6,003 (2001)[1] 5,947 (2011 Census)[2] |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Tonbridge |
| Postcode district | TN12 |
| Dialling code | 01580 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°09′50″N0°33′11″E / 51.164°N 0.553°E /51.164; 0.553 | |
Staplehurst/ˈsteɪpəlhɜːrst/ is a town andcivil parish in theborough of Maidstone inKent, England, 9 miles (14 km) south of the town ofMaidstone and with a population of 5,947. The town lies on the route of aRoman road, which is now incorporated into the course of theA229. The name Staplehurst comes from the Old English 'stapol' meaning a 'post, pillar' and 'hyrst', as a 'wooded hill'; therefore, 'wooded-hill at a post',[3] a possible reference to a boundary marker at the position of All Saints' church atop the hill along the road fromMaidstone toCranbrook. The parish includes the hamlet ofHawkenbury.
The first written mention of Staplehurst was in 1242 in a Tax list,[4] whilst All Saints' Church is believed to date back to the 12th century. The village was initially a series of hamlets and farmsteads set around local manors including Loddenden Manor, which still stands as a private residence in the heart of the village and dates back to the 16th century.[5] With time these hamlets joined up to form the village.
In the early 19th century, Staplehurst was often visited by invalids seeking recuperation, especially those fromRomney Marsh and East Kent, apparently attracted by the purity of the air.[6]
TheStaplehurst rail crash, in 1865,[7] is a significant event in the history of the village.Charles Dickens, who was on board, was uninjured, but affected by the incident for the rest of his life.[8][9]
In 2003, Staplehurst won the Kent Village of the Year Competition.[10]
Elderden Farm near Staplehurst was a centre of police investigations following theSecuritas depot robbery in 2006.[11][12]
Staplehurst is governed by StaplehurstParish Council,Maidstone Borough Council, andKent County Council.[13]
The 12th-centuryAnglicanparish church,All Saints', is located at the highest point in the village. It belongs to theDiocese of Canterbury. It is a Grade Ilisted building. The village also has aUnited Reformed Church, aFree church and aStrict Baptist chapel.
The United Reformed Church was formerly aCongregational church before the merger with the Presbyterians in 1972.[14] The first pastor was Daniel Poyntell, who had been theRector of Staplehurst Parish Church until he was ejected from the Church of England in 1662 for nonconformity. During his pastorship, and for many years afterwards, it was aPresbyterian church. The foundation of the present building was laid in 1825.[15]
The Strict Baptist chapel has been used a place of worship forBaptists since 1751, apparently having previously been used as a barn. The original congregation wereGeneral Baptists and were a continuation of the old Spilshill church that was formed around 1640. In 1838 the building was sold to theParticular Baptists.
The Free Church began in 1969 when a group began meeting for worship in homes throughout the village. The first church building was purchased in 1975 and the old Village Hall was purchased in 1989. The church was demolished in 2006 to make way for a new building which was completed in December 2012.[16]
Staplehurst School, the village primary school, is located on Gybbon Rise, near the village centre shops. Around 440 pupils are taught in 18 classrooms.[17] The school was originally housed in the stone buildings off the A229 and moved to the new site when the population of the village grew in the 1980s. The old school then became the village community centre. The village also has a small library.
Staplehurst railway station is on theSouth Eastern Main Line fromAshford International railway station toLondon Charing Cross andLondon Cannon Street, viaTonbridge. It is also the main station for commuters fromCranbrook,Hawkhurst,Sissinghurst and other nearby villages. Before the completion ofHigh Speed 1, the line was also used byEurostar trains.
Staplehurst Monarchs Football Club, founded in 1893, compete in theSouthern Counties East Football League. The club also has junior and women's teams and plays at Jubilee Field in the village.[citation needed]
The village is also home to Staplehurst Cricket and Tennis club which has 450 members.[citation needed]
Local news and television programmes are provided byBBC South East andITV Meridian. Television signals are received from either theBluebell Hill or Tunbridge Wells TV transmitters.[18][19]BBC London andITV London can also be received from theCrystal Palace TV transmitter.[20]
Staplehurst's local radio stations areBBC Radio Kent,Heart South,Gold andKMFM Ashford covers the village.
Newspapers providing local news include the Ashford Herald,Kentish Express andyourashford.[citation needed]
Whilst Staplehurst has transport links to London, Maidstone andTunbridge Wells, it is also home to a number of local businesses located in the industrial park near the station as well as the headquarters of electrical engineering firm Magnetic Shields[21] in the north of the village.
Towards the south of the village the parade and historic 'village Heart' is home to a number of eateries and independent shops including a butcher, wine retailer, optician, hairdressers, local gift shop, and a public house dating back to the 18th century, theKing's Head.
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Places adjacent to Staplehurst | |
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