| Shoreham | |
|---|---|
 Crown Road | |
  Shoreham Location withinKent | |
| Population | 2,041 (2011 census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ515615 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Sevenoaks |
| Postcode district | TN14 |
| Dialling code | 01959 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°19′57″N0°10′24″E / 51.33242°N 0.17329°E /51.33242; 0.17329 | |
Shoreham is a village andcivil parish in theSevenoaks District ofKent,England. It is located 5.2 miles north ofSevenoaks.
The probable derivation of the name isestate at the foot of a steep slope. Steep slope was from the Saxon wordscor. pronouncedshor, but writtensore by Norman scribes.
The village of Shoreham contains three traditional independent pubs: The Samuel Palmer (formally Ye Olde George Inn), The King's Arms and the Crown; with The Rising Sun in nearby Twitton.
The Darent valley was one of the major areas ofStone Age settlement; Shoreham is not mentioned in theDomesday Book.
In 1668,cricket was mentioned in a court case as being played at Shoreham, one of the sport's earliest references.[2]
It was also known as asmuggling area.
Shoreham was the most bombed parish in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. The reasons for this is not clear but more than likely a combination of several factors - the Army took over several manor houses for operational use, there was a dummy airfield situated nearby at Lullingstone designed specifically to fool the Luftwaffe, and Fort Halstead was also nearby. Quite often, bomber crews would jettison their bombs having missed their primary target or if they were intercepted by the RAF on the way to London.[citation needed]
Papermaking was once a local industry; the mill finally closed in 1928.
Shoreham was the birthplace and home of PrivateThomas Highgate, who was the first British soldier to be shot fordesertion during theFirst World War on 8 September 1914, following theBattle of andRetreat from Mons. In 2000, when the memorial was being refurbished, Shoreham Parish Council voted not to inscribe Highgate's name, although a space was left allowing for its inclusion at a later date. In 2006, a posthumous pardon led to some calls for Highgate's details to be added.[3]
The war memorial is incomplete. It has been established that at least one of its fallen, George Arthur Rouse (brother of Percy Aslin, marked on the memorial, both sons of Harriet Rouse, as recorded in the 1901 census), is missing. One hundred years after he died, an effort to have George added was underway.[citation needed]
Opposite the church, and in a direct sight line from the war memorial, is theShoreham Memorial Cross. The cross was cut into thechalk hillside in 1920 in remembrance of the men of Shoreham killed during the First World War. The cross is referenced in the inscription on the war memorial, which reads; ‘SHOREHAM/KENT/REMEMBER/AS YOU LOOK/AT/THE CROSS/ON THE HILL/THOSE/WHO GAVE/THEIR LIVES/FOR/THEIR COUNTRY/1914-1919’. The memorial is aGrade II listed structure.[4] The Shoreham Cross was designated aScheduled monument in October 2021.[5]
The official opening of theShoreham Aircraft Museum in 1978 was attended by fifteen formerBattle of Britain pilots. It pays lasting tribute to all those airmen who fought in the skies over southern England duringWorld War II and houses a substantial collection of aviation relics excavated by the group over many years from sites of crashed British and German aircraft, as well as items which have been donated.
Run by local enthusiasts, the museum is largely funded by proceeds made by visitors whose donations contribute to the recovery and preservation of the artefacts.The Battle of Britain brought the village of Shoreham directly into the war when on 15 September 1940, aDornier Do 17Z, part of a force of about 100 German bombers approaching London, was shot down shortly before noon. The invading formation had been challenged by nineRAF squadrons and the battle developed into a series of individual 'dogfights'. The unfortunate pilot of the Dornier was forced to land in a field at Castle Farm, with aSpitfire circling overhead, its cockpit canopy open, and its pilot waving a handkerchief, to signal a warning to the growing crowd of hop-pickers nearby to stay away until the ShorehamHome Guard arrived to recover the German crew. Feldwebel Heitsch, the pilot, and Feldwebel Pfeiffer, the observer, were taken to a nearby pub where they were bought a drink before being driven to Sevenoaks Police Station. The museum holds a collection of photographs of the Dornier, along with items taken from the wreckage at the time.
The Duck Race is a long-running event in the village. It is held each year, on the May Day bank holiday. Entrants pay a small fee (usually £1) to enter their 'duck' into the race. The duck has to travel along the river Darent from the war memorial in the village, to the bridge before the old Mill. A 'duck' can be anything from a shop-bought rubber duck to a model made by the entrant(s). Actual ducks are forbidden. It is a large event in the village and several hundred people turn out each year to line the riverbanks and watch. Anyone can enter and there is a prize for the 'Best Duck in Show' (awarded before the race begins) and the 'First placed Duck.' The money raised goes towards charitable organisations in the village.
TheShowdown kitchen featured in the BBC programmeThe Big Family Cooking Showdown is aconverted barn in Shoreham.[6]
On 29 September 1934,Airspeed Courier G-ACSY ofLondon, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd crashedjust north of Shoreham, at the bottom of Cockerhurst Road.[7] The aircraft was on a scheduled international passenger flight fromParis toCroydon Airport and all four people on board were killed.
(in alphabetical order)
Shoreham station connects the village withThameslink services toLondon Blackfriars viaBromley South andCatford and toSevenoaks.
Shoreham is served byGo-Coach route 2, connecting it with Sevenoaks andSwanley.
