Addington, Kent

History

Addington has been continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. Many Neolithic artifacts have been extracted from the village, but much archaeological evidence has been lost to mechanical digging. Some sites were excavated during the building of the motorway. It had two mills at the time of the Domesday survey. There was a watermill powered by the Addington Brook (TQ 656 587 ), demolished in the nineteenth century; the site now lies within West Malling Golf Course. The remains of an old structure named the Addington Place were visible until the early 21st century, now beneath a golf course and stables.

During the Black Death, Addington was severely affected, and four of the church rectors succumbed to it.

Features

The village has one pub, the Angel. There are rumours of a tunnel running from the pub's basement to the church, located 750 m away. Addington does not have a school, so children attend schools in nearby villages. Addington is divided by the M20 and M26 motorways. There are sandpits and quarries on both sides of the motorways, which are now almost entirely worked out.

The village is home to Addington Village Cricket Club, which has two Saturday teams and a 1st XI that plays in Division 2 of the Kent League (1st XI).

The parish church is dedicated to St. Margaret, and dates back to 1403. It is part of a combined benefice with All Saints Birling, St. Martin Ryarsh and St. Peter & St. Paul Trottiscliffe.

Traces of the former gardens of Addington Park can still be seen. Rockeries, ponds and old tennis courts are easily discernible in the private grounds of the Seekers Trust between a church and the golf course.

Long barrows

Chestnuts

The Chestnuts long barrow is the better preserved of the two long barrows. It was excavated in 1957, and artifacts from the dig are displayed in Maidstone Museum. It is believed to be on a Ley line.

Addington

Addington long barrow is not well-preserved. Its area has been plundered throughout the history of the village, and a road goes through it.

References

References

1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics.
2. "Location of Tonbridge".
3. link. BBC. "Kent place names"
4. Coles Finch, William. (1933). "Watermills & Windmills".
5. "Watermills (Kent and the Borders of Sussex)".
6. "Watermills list". The Mills Archive.
7. Mee, Arthur. (1936). "The King's England: Arthur Mee's Kent". The Caxton Publishing Company Ltd..
8. "Parishes: Addington Pages 542-548 The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 4.".
9. "BART Group of Churches".