Offham, Kent

History

The village has been occupied since Roman times, and the major Roman road from London to the Weald ran through the parish. Offham grew in prominence in the early ninth century under the Saxons.

The village has two entries in the Domesday Book. This shows that there were two separate estates. The first is:

The second entry follows a little later:

Jack Straw, the rebel during the reign of Richard II, is said to have been born at Pepingstraw Manor in the parish.

Quintain

The village is famed for its medieval quintain which stands on the green, believed to be the last remaining example in the country.

The quintain consists of a wooden post around eight feet in height with a freely rotating arm on the top. One end of the arm is flat (the "eye"), with the other used to attach heavy objects such as a leather pack. In a sport dating back to perhaps Roman times, a horseman would ride at the quintain at full pace with his lance extended to strike the flat end. Should the horseman not be riding sufficiently quickly, the arm would swing around and the heavy object knock him off his horse.

Ragstone

The village's houses are predominantly constructed from ragstone, Kent's most celebrated building stone. The stone has been mined in the parish since Roman times, with its hardness and durability making it a popular choice for fortifications in London and the south-east.

Church

The first church in the parish was founded by the Saxon lord of the manor who built a private chapel in the early ninth century. After the Norman Conquest it was replaced by a stone church and the lower stage of the tower of the present church dates from this time.

The present church is dedicated to St Michael.

Village life

The village hosts annual May Day celebrations on the green; a May Queen parades through the village, accompanied by Morris Men, school children perform maypole dances, and occasionally local horseriders undertake the ancient sport of "tilting at the quintain", though a replica quintain is now used.

The King's Arms is the only remaining public house. Built-in the sixteenth century, the pub was originally two cottages, later owned by a saddler and harness maker who ran his business there until granted a licence in 1680. Offham also has its own primary school.

Offham Cricket Club plays at its ground in Church Road, with two teams in the Kent Cricket League as well as age-group sides.

Notes

References

Nearest settlements

References

1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Office for National Statistics.
2. (July 2024). "Location of Tonbridge".
3. "Origins of the Offham Quintain". Offham Parish Council.
4. (May 24, 2006). "Off the beaten track: Offham". BBC.
5. (2003). "Domesday book: a complete translation". Penguin Books.
6. (2003). "Domesday book: a complete translation". Penguin Books.
7. ''A Topographical Dictionary of England'' (1848), pp. 469-472