Kent Today & Yesterday

My Darent Valley Walk Part 5 - Darenth to Dartford Central Park

2012-01-14T09:39:00.017Z

Regular readers of this blog will know that over the last year or so I have been walking the Darent Valley Path in bite sized chunks.

This post follows on from my last walk which ended near the village church in Darenth. The path passes through meadows closely following the bank of the river itself. The area is dotted with worked out gravel pits which are now used as private fishing lakes.

The path passes under the M25 motorway in the village of Hawley and eventually emerges onto the busy A225 (Dartford to Sevenoaks road).

Thankfully the path only follows the A225 for a short distance before returning to the river bank.

The river at this point flows quite rapidly despite being shallow and weed filled.

The Darent was once renowned for an abundance of trout but years of pollution by the riverside industries and over-extraction by water companies put paid to that. Efforts are now being made to rehabilitate the river but it will take many more years to reverse.

I came across this impromptu rope swing hanging from a tree over the river. It brought back memories of the sort of mischief I used to get up to when I was a kid! I used to spend much of my school Summer holidays mucking about in the river at Horton Kirby, catching tadpoles and getting wet and muddy.

One of the industries that used to operate on this stretch of the Darent was the manufacture of gunpowder. The water from the river was channelled through sluices to provide power for the powder mill machinery.

The first powder mill was established in 1732 and by 1810 Dartford had become the largest centre of production in the UK. Dartford powder was known for it's high quality. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the safety standards at the mill. There were frequent explosions and many fatalities.

A news report from November 1790....

" The 12th, at four o'clock in the afternoon, the inhabitants of Dartford and of the country for several miles around were alarmed by a dreadful concussion occasioned by the explosion of seventy barrels of gunpowder at the works of Messrs. Pigou and Andrews. Six men were destroyed in the dreadful havoc, most of whom have left wives and families behind them. The foreman of the works has left a wife and seven children."

The path continues on passing through Brooklands Lakes, another former gravel pit, used as a fishing lake since the 1930's. It was originally known as Ellingham's Ponds. During the Second World War it was camouflaged to prevent German bombers from locating a nearby Vickers armaments factory.

The path and river pass through the Princes Tunnel into Dartford Central Park. The tunnel was built in 1923 and passes under the Dartford by-pass. The road was officially opened on 19th November 1924 by the Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII).

Dartford Central Park which dates back to 1905 is well worth a visit. The ornamental flower beds are maintained to a very high standard and provide a sea of colour during the Summer months.

A replica Edwardian bandstand and cafe have recently been opened and there is an excellent children's play area.

At the other end of the park (and the end of this particular walk) are Dartford Central Library and the war memorial.

My fellow blogger Emm (a South African ex pat living in the UK for the last few years) wrote a post on her blog about the park and library.

The war memorial designed by Arthur Walker was unveiled on 7th May 1922 and originally contained the names of 345 local men who perished in the Great War. Additional names were added after World War II and subsequent conflicts.

Strangely one of the men listed on the memorial has exactly the same initial and surname as me but is not a relation....

On a lighter note, when I was very young I used to think the statue was a postman carrying a bag of letters on his back. The innocence of youth.

I will shortly be writing up the last leg of my Darent Valley Walk which covers the section from Dartford Central park to the Thames. In the meantime, if you have enjoyed reading this post you may also like....

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Steam Open Days at Preston Court Farm

2011-12-29T23:29:00.010Z

If you're looking for somewhere (free) to go in Kent next weekend and have an interest in all things steam, I would recommend a trip out to Preston Court Farm (nr. Canterbury).

On 31st December 2011/1st January 2012, Preston Steam Services will once again be hosting their annual open days.

Preston Services trade in everything from full sized steam locomotives, steam rollers and traction engines to hand built scale models.

Many have been rescued from far flung corners of the earth and shipped back to Preston for storage before eventually being sold on to steam enthusiasts for restoration.

We braved the bitter cold on News Years Day 2011 and had an enjoyable time exploring. Apart from the stored engines and locos there was plenty of other things to see. Here are a few pictures to give you a flavour...

A few of the restored traction engines on display and in steam.

A showman's engine which would have been used at fun fairs etc.

A steam powered organ playing in one of the barns (very loudly!).

Little man testing the catering facilities. The burgers and bacon rolls were going like hot cakes.
Jenny, one of the steam rollers on show. She was built in 1925 by Wallis and Steevens.

If you have a spare £ 40 k and plenty of time and energy you could become the new owner of locomotive No 1. She was built in Glasgow by Neilson and Co in 1892 and used to haul coke wagons at Beckton Gas Works in East London.

A 1912 J I Case traction engine awaiting some T.L.C.

A collection of traction engines. On closer inspection most of these appear to have been rescued from North and South America.

Last but not least one of four Orenstein and Koppel steam locomotives dating back the mid 1920's. They were operated by the sugar company San Martin de Tabarcal in Argentina to haul sugar cane to the refinery.

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The Unknown Sailor

2011-11-13T00:25:00.006Z

This is the grave of an unknown sailor under some trees in a corner of the graveyard at St James church in Grain.

I can imagine he would have been washed up on the shore line days, weeks or possibly even months after his ship was sunk by German bombs or mines in the Thames Estuary.

I stumbled across this grave earlier this year and it made me think of my own late grandfather who also served in the Merchant Navy during World War II.

He went to sea in 1942, aged only sixteen as mess room boy. His first voyage lasted five months and took him all the way to South America and back to the UK via West Africa . On the return from Freetown four ships in his convoy were sunk.

The Merchant Navy suffered huge casualties with ships being lost to enemy action from the 3rd September 1939 right up to VE day in May 1945.

A total of more than 32000 men made the ultimate sacrifice.

Fortunately he was one of the lucky ones and back came home safely to his family.

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Kent's Disappearing Pubs

2011-10-09T21:06:00.008+01:00

I have been inspired to write this latest post by my fellow blogger Helen in Melbourne, Australia.

She wrote an interesting piece on her blog about the contribution to the world of the traditional British pub.

I have read reports that pubs are closing at a rate of two a day (although I suspect it could be even more than than this).

A combination of factors have lead to this criminal state of affairs. The smoking ban, increases in alcohol duties and the general economic downturn.

Many well established pubs in Kent have been closed including a number of historic ones like the Terrace Tavern below in Gravesend.

This pub has been closed for several months now and faces an uncertain future. As a riverside town Gravesend used to boast numerous traditional Victorian pubs like this but many have now disappeared and with them their unique architecture.

The Terrace Tavern is a particularly good example of Victorian decoration with the green glazed tiles, etched glass windows (hidden by the hoardings) and fancy ironwork. The Shrimp Brand Beers were brewed locally in Gravesend.

Another closed pub I came across on one of my recent walks is the Fox and Hounds at Darenth.

This pub is located on a busy main road between Dartford and Longfield. Despite the passing trade it still does not appear to have been able to generate enough trade to survive.

The Colyer Arms at Betsham named after a local Great War hero (more about him in a future post) is no longer with us.....

A few months later....

This was the only pub in the village. It's closure followed that of the local petrol station and shop. The village had already lost it's railway station in 1962 courtesy of Dr Beeching.

The pub will be replaced with housing.

The Polhill Arms at Halstead was another large pub on a busy main road close to Orpington. The pub was named after the Polhill family who were important local landowners in the 18th century.

Finally two views of the Chequers Inn in the affluent village of Ightam near Sevenoaks taken on recent walks. The first shows the pub for sale....

Then a couple of months later boarded up....

These are just a few examples of the pubs we have lost in Kent over the last couple of years. Sadly before we come through the other side of the current recession there will no doubt be many more added to the list.

If you have any comments on this post I would love to hear from you.

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The Youngest Person Ever to Fly?

2011-08-30T23:27:00.005+01:00

This is a fuzzy old picture of Gravesend airport, or Gravesend London East, as it used to be more grandly known when it first opened in the 1930's.

The airport was the starting point for many air speed record attempts by famous pioneer aviators such as Amy Johnson but I will write more about that in a future post.

Whilst looking through some old newspaper cuttings I came across an amusing article in the Evening News of 5th February 1936.

It would seem that the youngest person ever to fly, may have flown from Gravesend....

At the time the article was written, the airport's Chief Engineer was Mr H C Brown. According to the report his wife had just given birth to a baby boy called Kenneth.

On the Sunday morning, Mr Brown telephoned his close friend Mr Messenger, a pilot at the airport, to pass on the happy news and to invite him to become Godfather to little Kenneth.

Mr Messenger rushed over immediately to see his Godson and congratulate his friends.

To mark the auspicious occasion a fitting celebration was needed.

Without further ado Mr Brown quickly plucked his one day old son from his cot, wrapped him in furs and blankets, placed him in the car and they all set off to the airport.

On arrival at the airport, Mr Brown strapped himself into the open cockpit of Mr Messenger's biplane his baby son held tightly in his arms. Mr Messenger hopped into the pilot's seat and within a few minutes the three of them were airborne.

Mr Messenger flew with great care at up to 2000' feet over the Thames Estuary before landing safely back at Gravesend some fifteen minutes later.

Needless to say, the whole escapade took place without the knowledge of poor old Mrs Brown!

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A walk by the Thames and Medway Canal

2011-07-27T23:26:00.009+01:00

Over the last year or so I have done a lot of walks all over Kent but haven't got around to writing about them yet.

So to make amends this post is about a pleasant afternoon walk I made last October along the former Thames and Medway Canal starting close to my office in Gravesend.

The 7.7 mile long canal was conceived as a way of connecting the River Thames at Gravesend with the River Medway at Strood (near Rochester). Prior to construction of the canal ships had to make a 47 mile voyage down the River Thames and then back up the River Medway.

The canal was started in 1799 with the construction of a basin in Gravesend (now used as a marina). The basin was accessed from the River Thames by locks which are still in operation today.

The projected construction budget was a totally inadequate £ 40,000 and by 1801 the canal had only progressed one mile. It should be borne in mind of course that the canal was dug entirely by hand.

Further funds were eventually secured so that the canal could be completed and opened on 14th October 1824. Work undertaken to finish the canal included the digging of a 2 mile long tunnel through a chalk hill and construction of locks and another basin in Strood.

The final construction cost was purported to have been £ 260,000.

Unfortunately the canal was never a commercial success.

Access to the locks at Gravesend and Strood was dependent on the tides. It was therefore often quicker for ships to make the longer voyage than to wait for the tide and use the canal.

To compound matters, by the mid 1840's the railways were taking off and rapidly stealing trade away from the canals.

In an effort to combat this threat the canal company built their own railway which ran parallel with the canal and shared the tunnel that had been dug through the chalk hill.

Uniquely the railway line was carried over wooden trestles in the tunnel while barges could continue to ply the canal underneath.

In 1846 the railway including the tunnel was sold to the South Eastern Railway (SER). The SER decided to fill in the section of canal running through the tunnel to enable a double track to be laid.

This effectively cut the canal in two, permanently severing the connection between the Thames and Medway.

Barges continued to use the stretch of canal from Gravesend as far as the British Uralite (asbestos) works at Higham and to the aptly named Dung Wharf (no prizes for guessing what that was used for!).

In 1934 the canal was finally abandoned and fell into disrepair.

Efforts are now being made to restore parts of the canal but as you can see from the photos above it is still very much a work in progress.

A cycle path now follows the canal bank and eventually goes all the way through to Rochester.

I continued along this path about a mile or so as far as the former British Uralite Works and then just before the railway bridge took a footpath to the left across the marshes towards the Thames river bank.

The marshes are partially drained by dykes like the one above (which are teaming with fish). It is very peaceful and a haven for wildlife.

Eventually the footpath reached the river bank and linked up with the long distance Saxon Shore Way mentioned in a previous post.

At this point as the light was beginning to fade I decided to follow the river back towards Gravesend.

The foreshore at this point is strewn with the timbers of numerous long lost sailing ships.

If you take a close look on the "beach" you will see literally thousands of old broken bottles.

These were once used as ballast by the sailing ships and barges arriving in the Thames and had to be dumped before any cargo could be loaded.

The sun setting over the river with Tilbury power station in the background.

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Long John Silver Cumbers

2011-06-28T00:16:00.011+01:00

This rather dapper looking gentleman is Sydney Cumbers, affectionately known as Long John Silver due to his distinctive eye patch and nautical attire.

Sydney Cumbers had a boyhood dream to go to sea but sadly the loss of his left eye at an early age ended that ambition and instead he went into the family business in the City of London.

Due to the success of the business, in the 1930's he was able to afford a weekend river front retreat in Gravesend (not far from the Mission House where General Gordon had taught Sunday School).

He named his house "The Lookout" and set about redecorating it with all manner of nautical paraphernalia from ship's wheel to models.

Different parts of the house were named after parts of a ship such as the bridge and the forecastle and it was described by some visitors as being "like a ship laid out ready for sea"

In particular he amassed what was thought to be the world's largest private collection of ship's figure heads. In total over one hundred with the oldest carved in 1663.

When staying in Gravesend, Cumbers would practically have an open door. Anyone with an interest in ships and the sea was welcome to call into "The Lookout" for a chat.

In 1953, the lease on "The Lookout" came to an end and due to his advancing years, Cumbers reluctantly decided to move to a smaller more practical residence.

The move of course meant that a suitable home had to be found for his burgeoning collection which apart from the figure heads included another thousand plus items.

Fortunately the famous tea clipper Cutty Sark had recently returned to the UK for preservation at Greenwich.

The Cutty Sark Preservation Trust gratefully accepted the donation of Cumbers collection which would eventually be displayed aboard the clipper.

Here is an interesting 1951 vintage Pathe news clip I found which will give you a better idea of the inside of "The Lookout".

Sydney Cumbers died in 1959.

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My North Downs Challenge

2011-05-18T23:07:00.030+01:00

A few months ago I signed up to take part in a charity 20 mile North Downs Challenge on behalf of St Mary's church in Kemsing. Some parts of the church date back to the 11th century so are understandably in need of some attention.

Earlier this month I duly reported in at the church hall along with many others who had taken on the challenge, and was given a very detailed set of instructions to follow, so detailed and clear in fact I never had to look at my map all day.

The very first part of the walk involved a steep climb out of Kemsing to join the North Downs Way. This certainly got the heart pumping!

On the ascent I passed close by Otford Manor, an impressive arts and crafts style house which is now used as a Christian retreat. The Manor is built on top of one of the highest points in Kent and has excellent views across the North Downs.

After climbing all the way to the top of the hill and following the North Downs Way for about an hour, the route dropped back downhill into the village of Otford which I have mentioned before in My Darent Valley Walk Part 2.

The route passed close by the remains of Otford Palace originally built for the Archbishops of Canterbury but later seized by King Henry VIII.

I continued through the churchyard along the Pilgrims Way through the village for a short distance before heading across the fields towards Twitton. This is one of my favourite parts of the Darent Valley as you actually find yourself away from the noise of traffic and for a change all you can hear is birdsong.

Twitton can't even be classed as a village as it consists of only a handful of ancient farms including Filston which served as check point 1. Distance covered 4.7 miles (7.62 km).

At each check point the organisers had laid on complimentary refreshments which were very welcome as it was a hot day. After leaving Filston Farm there was another steep climb to the top of the valley.

The route then followed the length of the valley for some distance passing by the village of Shoreham and eventually descending through fields full of wild flowers such as daisies and poppies before passing through Lullingstone golf course.

A field full of daisies. As I crossed a stile at this point I spotted a lizard but unfortunately he shot off like a rocket before I could get a picture. Somehow I don't think I'll end up being a wildlife photographer....

The poppies are amazing this year and can be seen for miles. Shortly after passing the field full of poppies, Lullingstone Castle came into view.

I dropped down to the foot of the hill and followed my old friend the Darent Valley Path to check point two at the Lullingstone Visitor Centre.

Shortly before reaching the check point I was pleasantly surprised to bump into one of my old scout leaders who I hadn't seen for about thirty years, heading in the other direction with a party of kids on a point to point exercise along the Darent Valley.

Check point two - distance covered 9.8 miles (15.2 km). A quick sandwich and a drink before pressing on along the Darent Valley Path through Shoreham village then back up the other side of the valley to the little hamlet of Romney Street.

Romney Street consists of a handful of houses and The Fox and Hounds pub which also doubled up as Check Point three. The pub features in many books about walking in Kent and was a welcome oasis after a long uphill slog.

Check point three. Distance covered 15 miles (24.19 km). My knees beginning to ache a bit at this point but I couldn't give up.

For most of the walk I had been accompanied on and off by a nice lady about twenty years older than me so if she could manage it so must I.

Just after leaving the pub we had another unexpected surprise....

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster flew over low and slow heading towards London.

The route continued on through Knatts Valley and (yet) another golf course to the little village of Woodlands. Although the village only consists of a handful of houses, the golf clubhouse and a manor house it has it's own church.

The church is located in the amusingly named Tinker Pot Lane. Next door to the church is a hall which was the location for the final Check Point.

Check Point four. Distance covered 17.71 miles (28.5 km).

For the return leg to Kemsing the route took us back onto the North Downs Way.

A welcome sight as by now my knees were very sore!

The weather stayed kind and the views from the top of the Downs were stunning.

I came across this friendly cow munching on the grass minding her own business. One of her bovine friends on the other hand decided to go on a mini adventure....

Somehow she managed to find a gap in the fence and wandered off deep into the woods.

A little further on I could hear her owners trying to chase her out of the woods and back into the field. The language was quite ripe!

I got back to the church at Kemsing where sandwiches had been laid on. Total distance covered 20.3 miles (32.73 km). Total time taken including breaks for refreshments - 8 hours 27 minutes.

An enjoyable day despite the sore knees. Maybe I'll do it all again next year.

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Tin Tabarnacles in Kent

2011-05-11T23:50:00.000+01:00

What is a tin tabernacle?

A tin tabernacle, also sometimes known as a tin chapel, was a "temporary" building constructed from corrugated iron built during the late Victorian era and used for religious worship.

The late Victorian period was a time of religious missionary zeal and the Anglican church sought to spread the word particularly in rural areas such as Kent. Farm labourers and seasonal hop pickers would often find themselves living many miles walk from the nearest parish church.

To overcome this problem, tin tabernacles were built in the countryside as satellites of the parish churches. The minister would travel out to the tin tabernacle to deliver the Sunday sermon to the farm labourers and their families.

Although the tin tabernacles were only intended to be temporary structures in lieu of a more permanent building some can still be found in Kent well over one hundred years later.

The example pictured above was originally constructed in 1897 and located in Cuxton (near Rochester) but was dismantled and moved to the Museum of Kent Life in Sandling (near Maidstone) in 2000 where it is open to the public.

The tin tabernacles were usually very spartan inside as can be seen above.

I came across the St Mary's Church Room in Sole Street by accident during a recent walk. As far as I can tell from looking at old Ordnance Survey maps it dates back to around 1880. Sole Street is a small rural village a few miles from Gravesend which grew up around the railway station which opened in 1861.

Unusually for a tin tabernacle this one has a stained glass window.

Lastly another one I came across by accident on a walk around Halstead. This is not technically at tin tabernacle as it is made from wood but interesting all the same! It is located in Otford Lane and was known as the Mission Church.

At the time the church was constructed in 1891 most of Otford Lane lay in neighbouring Shoreham parish. Until that time the labourers and fruit pickers working on the farms and orchards there faced a walk of two or three miles to their proper parish church.

Eventually in 1938 Otford Lane was brought completely into Halstead parish. The Mission Church remained in use until 1985.

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Trevithick's Industrial Dartford Celebration

2011-05-06T22:53:00.030+01:00

This weekend (7th/8th May) Central Park, Dartford will once again be filled with reminders of Britain's industrial heritage such as the steam traction engine "Challenger" pictured above.

She was built by John Fowler & Co in Leeds in 1914.

Around the same time each year the Trevithick's Industrial Dartford Celebration takes place. Central Park is filled with traction engines, vintage buses, cars and tractors of all shapes and sizes.

The celebration honours the memory of the pioneering Cornish steam engineer Richard Trevithick who worked at J & E Hall & Co in Dartford in the twilight of his career.

He died in the town and is buried close to the Dartford Martyr's Memorial off East Hill.

One day I will write a more detailed post about Richard Trevithick. He had a very colourful life but came to a sad end despite the major contributions he made to British engineering.

Admission to the park is free and it's well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Here are a few more pictures taken at last year's event....They don't make them like that any more. 1921 Foden steam omnibus.

A bit more up to date. This Routemaster RML2345 entered service with London Transport in 1965 but was later painted green and based in Northfleet, Kent. She operated the 480 service between Dartford and Gravesend. She has now been restored to her original London Transport livery and is privately owned.

Two steam rollers, "Moby Dick" (in the background) and "Rhoda" both manufactured in Rochester, Kent by Aveling and Porter.

Finally and fittingly a 1912 Hallford bus built in Dartford by Trevithick's employers J & E Hall & Co Ltd.

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Rochester's Lightning on the Move

2011-04-30T23:30:00.014+01:00

The English Electric Lightning which has stood at the gates to British Aerospace site at Rochester Airport for many years is currently being dismantled prior to a move to an new home at Bentwaters Cold War Museum.

The aircraft ZF581 was originally built in December 1967 as a Lightning F53 for the Royal Saudi Air Force.

It returned to the UK in 1986 and was eventually rescued from the scrap heap by British Aerospace in 2000. They spend a number of years restoring the aircraft before placing it on the gate at Rochester. The aircraft currently sports the livery of 56 Squadron Royal Air Force.

British Aerospace claim they can no longer afford the cost of maintenance which is apparently the reason for the move to Bentwaters.

The Lightning is widely acknowledged to be one of, if not the best fighter interceptors ever built. It had a top speed of over mach 2 and could climb to possibly as high as 80000 feet (the maximum ceiling was classified). It was the only aircraft fast enough to intercept Concorde.

Here is a video I found about the aircraft when it was still in operational service with the Royal Air Force for you to enjoy....

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St George's Day in Gravesend

2011-04-23T22:40:00.016+01:00

Happy St George's Day.

By some miracle, this year Gravesend Borough Council decided to spend some of our council tax to mark St George's Day and judging by the amount of people in town today it was money well spent.

This is like a breath of fresh air after more than a decade of New Labour rule when I often felt it was fine to be proudly Scottish, Welsh or Irish but you practically had to apologise for being English.

Anyway rant out of the way, we were treated to street musicians and performers from the Big Fish Arts group re-enacting the story of George and the Dragon in their own inimitable style...

First some music to get everyone in the mood for some serious dragon slaying.

Now enter the dragon.

Son, please don't feed the dragon!

Bring on brave St George to dispatch the evil dragon.

The dragon is quickly dispatched.

The dragon defeated. Now it's the turn of the saracen....

The performance lasted about half an hour and was much appreciated by the large crowd gathered in the sunshine.

Apart from the show in the street, the Council had arranged free arts and crafts for the children at the Tourist Information Centre adjacent to the aptly named St George's church pictured at the top of this post.

Here is my son's masterpiece.

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Another Royal Wedding

2011-04-19T23:16:00.009+01:00

Unless you happen to have been living on Mars for the last few months you will no doubt be aware of the forthcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton next week.

Of course, this is certainly not the first Royal wedding and back in March 1863 one took place which brought the town of Gravesend, Kent to the attention of the world.

The wedding was between Prince Albert Edward, son of Queen Victoria and later King Edward VII, and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

To the consternation of Queen Victoria, Prince Edward was a playboy and lady's man (he had a string of mistresses during his lifetime). This was deemed inappropriate behaviour for the heir to the throne and it was decided to arrange a suitable marriage.

Prince Edward's sister Princess Victoria of Prussia was given the role of matchmaker and eventually nineteen year old "minor" royal Princess Alexandra was selected as a suitable bride. The wedding date was set for the 10th March 1863.

Preparations for the royal wedding were meticulous and said to have cost over a million pounds - a small fortune at the time. The nation and the Royal family had been in deep mourning for many years following the death of Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert from typhoid and the wedding was seen as chance to finally move on.

On 28th February, the "Rose of Denmark" as Alexandra was popularly known, began her long journey to England. She left Copenhagen and proceeded to the port of Korsor where she boarded the Danish royal yacht Slesvig for the voyage to Hamburg. From there she passed through Hanover, Cologne and Brussels before arriving at the port of Antwerp.

On 5th March, Princess Alexandra boarded the British royal yacht Victoria and Albert for the voyage to Gravesend. The yacht was accompanied by a squadron of Royal Navy warships decked overall in bunting and flags and firing a twenty one gun salute.

On the morning of the 7th March the royal party reached the Kent coast. Guns were fired in welcome and local dignitaries from Margate sent by boat to greet the Princess. The Victoria and Albert proceeded into the Thames Estuary accompanied by a large flotilla of pleasure boats packed with well wishers.

The banks of the Thames were lined with spectators eager to catch a glimpse of the Princess. At 1120 in the morning on the 7th March the Victoria and Albert came safely alongside at the Terrace Pier, Gravesend to tumultuous applause from the gathered crowds.

At considerable expense the town corporation appointed a professional decorator to plan and co-ordinate the flags and bunting on the nearby houses. Stands for up to 1200 people were built at the pier entrance and garlanded arches erected every forty feet along the route of the royal procession through the town to Gravesend railway station.

At the same time the Victoria and Albert was making fast at the pier Prince Albert's royal train arrived at the station. The Prince was driven by carriage to the pier and went aboard to meet his future bride who incidentally he had only met a handful of times previously. The Prince is said to have kissed the Princess before disembarking.

The couple were greeted by the Bishop of Rochester and the lady mayoress presented the Princess with a large bouquet of flowers. As the royal couple walked along the pier sixty young Kentish girls dressed in red and white in honour of the Princess, strewed violets and primroses before them.

All the while church bells rang and guns were fired from naval ships in the river and from Tilbury Fort on the opposite bank of the Thames.

The royal couple and their entourage were taken by carriages to Gravesend station and from their proceeded slowly via London to Windsor Castle to meet Queen Victoria. All along the route massive crowds clamoured to see the Prince and Princess.

The wedding took place on 10th March at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle and Alexandra eventually became Queen consort on the death of Victoria in 1901.

Despite being more or less an arranged marriage and her husband's well documented affairs, it lasted over forty seven years.

Wonder how long William's and Kate's will last?...

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Vaisakhi 2011 in Gravesend

2011-04-17T23:57:00.008+01:00

The Sikh community paraded through the streets of Gravesend, Kent this Saturday, as they do every year in April, to mark the festival of Vaisakhi.

Vaisakhi is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar and also marks the start of the Hindu solar new year.

A new Gurdwara (Sikh temple) has been under construction in Gravesend for several years now and is expected to be completed soon. The first Sikh settlers arrived in Gravesend as early as the 1920's.

Leybourne Castle

2011-04-06T23:57:00.013+01:00

Due to it's proximity to London and the English Channel, a large number of castles were built in Kent after the Norman invasion and again during the Tudor period.

Some of Kent's castles such as Rochester, Dover and Leeds are very well known around the world. Leybourne Castle (near Larkfield), however, is one that most people, even in Kent, will not have heard of before.

The first castle on the site is likely to have been built by the Normans shortly after the conquest in 1066. The manor of Leybourne was given to William the Conqueror's half brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent.

It seems Odo was a very ambitious and somewhat unsavoury character who set his sights on buying his way into the papacy. This caused a rift with William and lead to his eventual imprisonment for a number of years and the forfeiture of his lands in Kent.

The confiscated land included the manor of Leybourne which passed initially to Sir William d'Arsick and then into the de Laibron family from Yorkshire in 1166.

The de Laibron name morphed into Lillebourne and eventually over time into de Leybourne. The de Leybournes were Knights who fought during the crusades as well as in campaigns against the Welsh and Scots.

Sir Roger de Leybourne was amongst the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215 and was later captured during the siege of Rochester Castle. His estates were confiscated by King John but in 1216 he was able to buy them back again (for a hefty fee).

His son, also named Roger, inherited the estate in 1251 and built a stone castle at Leybourne in 1260. Roger served King Henry III for many years and is credited with saving the King's life at the battle of Evesham in 1265.

The estate remained in the de Leybourne family until the 1380's. It then passed via the Crown to the Cistercian Abbey of St Mary in London. The Abbey rented the estate to Sir Simon de Burley, Warden of the Cinque Ports who came to a rather unfortunate end when he was executed for treason in 1388.

The estate passed back to the crown following Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries. By this time the castle was in a poor state of repair and a farmhouse was built on the site.

The house was occupied by many different families over the ensuing centuries. In 1846 the owner at the time, Sir Joseph Hawley, founded a racing stud from which he produced four Derby winners. Quite an achievement.

The Hawleys remained at Leybourne until 1920 when it was purchased by Mrs Ogilvy.

In 1931 Mrs Ogilvy appointed architect Walter Godfrey to design a new arts and crafts style house. Godfrey boldly incorporated the ruins of the old castle into his plans as can be seen in the picture above.

In the 1980's the house was sold to footballer Nigel Short who made a number of unauthorised "improvements" to the listed building (without the knowledge or agreement of English Heritage).

Since the mid 90's the castle has had new owners who are now working to restore it back to a sound condition.

Here is another view of the castle from the rear.

The castle is not open to the public as it is a private residence but it can be seen from the grounds of the adjacent Leybourne church or from a public footpath which passes along the edge of the grounds towards the village of Ryarsh.

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Kent for less than a fiver

Day trip to Rochester

Visit to West Malling

Spa Valley Railway

2011-03-24T23:28:00.012Z

In little more than a few hours, the first steam train since 1966, in fact the first train of any description since 1985, will run from Tunbridge Wells West in Kent via Groombridge to Eridge in Sussex.

Following many years of dedicated hard work and despite limited funds, the heritage Spa Valley Railway has re-opened the line from Groombridge to Eridge.

We visited the railway in 2009 and had an enjoyable day out although the line at that time only ran as far as Groombridge.

Tunbridge Wells West station originally opened in 1866 by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway is the headquarters for the Spa Valley Railway and location for their engine shed and workshops.

They maintain a mixed fleet of heritage steam and diesel locomotives. Engines such as the GWR liveried Pannier tank locomotive 7715 pictured above are also sometimes loaned or hired in from other heritage railways.

7715 was built in Stoke on Trent in 1930 and spent most of her early working life in Cornwall hauling china clay wagons. In 1963 she was sold to London Transport and in 1970 went for preservation.

The Lady Ingrid was built in Kilmarnock in 1951 for the South of Scotland Electricity Board and spent many years working at the Braehead Power Station before going into preservation. She is currently out of service awaiting boiler repairs.

33063 R J Mitchell, named after the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire, is an example of the more modern diesel engines at the railway. She was one of 98 British Railways Class 33 locomotives built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co between 1960 and 1962.

If you have enjoyed this post you may also like -

Kent for less than a fiver

Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway Gala Pictures

My Darent Valley Walk Part 4 - Farningham to Darenth

2011-03-05T23:16:00.019Z

Regular readers of this blog will know that over the last few months I have been walking the Darent Valley Path in stages.

The Darent Valley Path runs from the Thames at Dartford to Riverhead and Chipstead (nr Sevenoaks).

For reasons unknown, I actually started my first part of the walk from Farningham which is about half way along! (see my Darent Valley Walk Part 1). This post will cover the walk I did from Farningham via Horton Kirby to Darenth (in the direction of Dartford).

My walk started from the Lion Hotel at Farningham. It was originally built in the 16th century but much modified in the early 1800's. The River Darent flows through the hotel grounds.

Straddling the river opposite the hotel is an ornamental screen which dates to the 1700's. It is thought that this screen may have been used as some kind of cattle trap.

The path closely follows the river under the busy A20 and M20 main trunk roads which transverse the valley and on, into thankfully more peaceful, open fields.

On the outskirts of the next village Horton Kirby, partly obscured by trees, is Franks Hall, a grade 1 listed building.

The Hall was built in 1591 by Lancelot Bathurst and replaced an earlier building erected in 1220 on the other bank of the river. The Hall is now used as offices by a publishing company and as a wedding venue.

A short distance from Franks Hall the path crosses the bridge at Franks Lane. The bridge was built in 1794. At this point the river starts to get wider and considerably faster flowing. The path veers slightly away from the river across open meadows eventually coming to a weir adjacent to the former Westminster Mill which has now been demolished and replaced with riverside apartments.

The first mill on the site constructed in the 18th century used a water wheel to grind corn. The mill remained operational until 1908 when it was hit by lightning and burnt down.

A replacement building on the site was used as a shoe lace factory. This closed down in 1991 and the site was derelict for many years.

The village sign depicting...

At the bottom - the River Darent (once renowned for it's abundance of trout) and reels of paper once manufactured at the Horton Kirby Paper Mills.

In the centre - the village church flanked by hops which are still grown in the village to this day.

At the top - the railway viaduct built in the 1860's and still in daily service and the imposing paper mill chimney that dominates the village skyline.

Instead of following the Darent Valley Path along the river to the railway viaduct mentioned above, I decided to follow Horton road to the village church, St Mary the Virgin, where another public footpath skirts the edge of the hop fields, crossing through farmland until it transects the London to Dover railway line.

The line runs through a very deep cutting. Amazing to think this was constructed by an army of Irish navvies in the late 1850's mainly by hand.

The footpath crosses some fine countryside and orchards before emerging on Darenth Hill at Court Lodge Farm close to the ancient St Margarets Church (of which I will write more in a future post). Alongside the road is another fine memorial erected by the Shoreham Aircraft Museum as part of their ongoing work to honour all the Battle of Britain pilots who made the ultimate sacrifice in this part of Kent.

This one is dedicated to volunteer South African Hurricane pilot Nathaniel John Merriman Barry of RAF 501 Squadron who died on 7th October 1940 after a dog fight with German Me 109's.

The aircraft museum is well worth a visit but remember to check their web site for opening times.

Well all that remains now is to cover the last sector of the Darent Valley Path from Darenth through to the Thames at Dartford. Will have to see when I can fit that one in.

In the meantime, if you have any comments, they are always very welcome.

Further posts you may like...

My Darent Valley Walk Part 2

My Darent Valley Walk Part 3

The White Cross of Shoreham, Kent

Kent Big Weekend Out - 26th/27th March 2011

2011-02-05T23:52:00.006Z

Following the success of last year's event, Visit Kent is organising another Big Weekend Out on 26th and 27th March.

KENT residents are able to bid for free tickets to over 100 different attractions throughout the county including Rochester Castle, Wildwood, Chartwell (home of Winston Churchill) and the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway.

As demand is expected to be high for certain venues, tickets will be allocated by ballot and not on a first come, first served basis.

Hurry, as you only have until 17th February to apply for tickets.

Full details are available here

Another post you may like....

Kent for less than a fiver!

General Charles Gordon - A Victorian Hero

2011-01-27T00:00:00.024Z

The 26th January 2011 marks the 126th anniversary of the death of General Charles George Gordon, perhaps more commonly remembered by his nicknames "Chinese Gordon" or "Gordon of Khartoum".

He was born in Woolwich, Kent on 28th January 1833 into a military family (his father was a Major-General). Charles was duly enrolled into the Royal Military College at Woolwich and after passing out in 1852 joined the Royal Engineers in the rank of 2nd Lieutenant based at Chatham, Kent.

In 1855, Gordon served in the Crimean War at the Siege of Sebastapol and remained in Russia until 1858.

In 1860, he volunteered to serve in China where the British were fighting the Opium Wars and endeavouring to suppress the Taiping Rebellion which threatened lucrative European trade interests.

The British occupied Northern China until April 1862 when they fell back to form part of an international force to protect Shanghai which was in imminent danger of attack from the rebels.

The international force was lead by an American, Frederick Townsend Ward and Gordon was attached to his staff as engineer officer. Ward was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cixi on 20th September 1862. Gordon assumed command in March 1863.

Gordon lead a very successful campaign against the Taipings and his force became known popularly as the "Ever Victorious Army". By May 1864 the rebels had been defeated and the army was disbanded.

Gordon returned to the UK and between 1865 and 1871 was stationed at New Tavern Fort in Gravesend, Kent. There he was responsible for overseeing the modernisation of the various forts that defended the lower Thames Estuary.

During his time in Gravesend, Gordon was known for his many philanthropic works with the poor and needy in the local community. He set up a Ragged School for Boys and in his free time taught at a Sunday School held at the Mission House pictured above.

In 1872 Gordon met the Prime Minister of Egypt whilst in Constantinople and was eventually invited to join the Egyptian Army in the rank of Colonel. In early 1874, he left for Egypt with the blessing of the British Government.

Gordon became Governor of the Gondokoro province and later in 1877 was appointed Governor-General of the Sudan.

The 1870's was a turbulent period in the history of the region. The Europeans were tyring to stamp out the slave trade in the Sudan which lead to an economic crisis in the North of the country and much unrest. Egypt and Abyssinia (later to become Ethiopia) went to war in 1875 over a border dispute.

Egyptian expeditionary forces were defeated in two battles at Gundet and Gura so in March 1877, Gordon was sent on a mission to make peace with the Abyssinian King. The mission was not a success. The Abyssinian King had gone South to fight the Shoa (one of the local tribes).

Back in the Sudan, an insurrection had broken out in Darfur (parallels of today?). Gordon decided to use diplomatic rather than military means to diffuse the volatile situation. Accompanied only by his interpreter, Gordon bravely rode into the insurgents camp and following talks succeeded in pacifying them.

Over the next three years Gordon was kept busy dealing with various revolts around the country, trying to broker peace with the Abyssinians and continuing the action against the slave traders.

In 1880, Gordon resigned his position and spent several months in Switzerland recovering from the exhaustion of his work in Africa. Gordon received many prestigious offers of employment from around the world and took short term commissions in India, China, Mauritius and South Africa before returning to the UK in 1882.

Finding himself "between" jobs, Gordon spent a year out in Palestine visiting biblical sites and writing a book "Reflections in Palestine".

On his return to the UK in 1883, Gordon was invited by King Leopold II of Belgium to take charge of the Congo Free State and was about to take up this offer when the British Government requested he return with all haste to the Sudan.

Yet another insurrection had broken out in the Sudan this time lead by the Mahdi, Mohammed Ahmed. The Egyptian Army was unable to contain the rebellion in the Sudan as unrest had erupted simultaneously in Egypt (once again parallels of today!).

By December 1883 the situation had got so bad that the British Government instructed the Egyptians to abandon the Sudan and evacuate their forces as well as any civilians and their families. Gordon was ordered to proceed to Khartoum to assist in the plans for the evacuation.

Gordon arrived in Khartoum on 18th February 1884 and immediately set about evacuating the women and children, sick and wounded back to Egypt. The Mahdi's forces closed in on Khartoum following victories over the Egyptian Army at Suakin and the siege began on 18th March.

In April the British Government withdrew their troops from the Sudan and the garrison at Berber surrendered to the Mahdi in May.

Gordon and his men were alone - effectively abandoned by the British Government.

Unlike the British Government, Gordon resolved to defend Khartoum to the last.

This captured the imagination of the British public over the ensuing months and the Government came under intense pressure to send a relief expedition to break the siege.

Eventually, in August a decision was made to send an expeditionary force to relief. However, this was not ready to move until November.

Finally, the force (mounted on camels) set out from Egypt and arrived in Sudan on 20th January 1885. An advance party arrived in Khartoum on 28th January only to find that Gordon had been killed by the Mahdists two days earlier.

It is believed that Gordon was killed on the steps of the palace around dawn fighting to the last bullet. The Mahdists are said to have cut off his head and placed it in the branches of a tree on public display and children were encouraged to throw stones at it.

Gordon's remains were never recovered from the Sudan.

When news of Gordon's death reached the UK, he was immediately feted as a hero for his stoic defence of Khartoum and for facilitating the safe evacuation of many thousands of women and children.

The statue above (by Doulton), one of many memorials erected around the country in his honour, can be found in Gravesend in the grounds of the New Tavern Fort where he served for five years.

Even to this day, wreathes are still laid in his memory on the anniversary of his death.

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may also like....

Double Murder at the Greyhound

In Foreign Fields

Kent Invicta The Legend

Hattie

2011-01-17T23:01:00.010Z

This Wednesday (19th January), a film called Hattie will be shown on BBC4.

The film stars Ruth Jones (of Gavin and Stacey fame) as comedienne and actress Hattie Jacques.

It tells the story of her complex love life during her marriage to actor John Le Mesurier.

Unbeknown to the public at the time, Hattie's young lover John Schofield was living openly in the house at the same time as her husband John Le Mesurier who had moved into the attic!

Hattie Jacques and John Le Mesurier were two of my favourite actors when I was growing up and are sorely missed. Both had strong connections with the county of Kent.

Hattie was born Josephine Edwina Jaques in Sandgate, Kent on 7th February 1922. Her father was an RAF pilot who died in a plane crash when Hattie was still only a toddler and her mother an amateur actress.

During the Second World War, Hattie served as a nurse with the Red Cross and also worked as a welder in a factory in London.

At the age of twenty she made her debut on stage at the Players Theatre in London. She became a regular on stage and in 1947 was spotted by a scriptwriter from the radio show It's That Man Again (ITMA) and invited to join the cast.

She later appeared in other popular radio shows such as Educating Archie and later Hancock's Half Hour.

In the early 1950's she appeared in a number of films including Norman Wisdom comedies.

In 1958 she joined the Carry On team and appeared in Carry On Sergeant - the first of fourteen Carry On films in which she would star. She is probably best remembered for playing the part of the battleaxe matron in films such as Carry On Nurse and Carry On Doctor.

In 1960 Hattie teamed up with lifelong friend Eric Sykes, They appeared as brother and sister in the long running TV comedy Sykes together for nearly twelve years.

In 1965 Hattie divorced John Le Mesurier but they remained on good terms. She even actively encouraged him to marry his third wife Joan.

Following the break up of her relationship to Schofield (he ran off with another woman), Hattie started to put on weight and her health deteriorated.

On 6th October 1980 she died of a heart attack in London aged only 58.

John Le Mesurier was born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley in Bedford on 5th April 1912. His father was a solicitor. His mother's family came from Alderney in the Channel Islands and he later used her maiden name as his stage name.

John was educated at Sherborne public school and studied acting at drama school from the age of twenty. In 1941 he joined the Royal Tank Regiment serving in the UK and India rising to the rank of Captain. In 1949 he married his second wife Hattie Jacques.

He appeared in over a hundred films during his long career but is of course best known and loved for his role as Sergeant Wilson in Dad's Army. The scriptwriters very cleverly closely based the character's background on John's own.

Even though I've probably seen every episode ten times over I still enjoy them just as much today as I did when I first saw them as a kid.

At the time of his divorce from Hattie in 1965, ever the gentleman and to maintain his ex wife's reputation, John always gave the impression to the public that he was at fault. (News of her tangled love life did not emerge until many years later).

John Le Mesurier was a very heavy drinker. Although he never appeared drunk, it may have had something to do with his trademark vague demeanor.

In the late 1970's he gave up drink on medical advice but became very ill. As a consequence he resumed drinking, regained his health and enjoyed life to the full for another seven years until his death on 15th November 1983.

He is buried in the churchyard at St George the Martyr in Ramsgate, Kent.

Before he died, he wrote his own typically laconic obituary which later appeared in The Times -

"John Le Mesurier wishes it to be known that he conked out on 15th November. He sadly misses family and friends"

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may also like -

Kitty Gordon - Kent's Colourful Silent Movie Star

Viscount Northcliffe - Pioneer Press Baron

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell

Kent for Less than a Fiver

2011-01-05T23:22:00.027Z

If you're planning a day out in Kent this year, here are ten suggestions of fun places you can go, or things you can do, for less than a fiver.

Yes, that's right, even in these austere times it is still possible to have a good day out in Kent, without breaking the bank.....

1. Take a Walk

There are over 4000 miles of public rights of way in Kent including long distance paths such as the North Downs Way, Pilgrims Way, Saxon Shore Way and Darent Valley Path.

Not only is this an excellent way to see the beautiful Kent countryside, you can also keep fit at the same time.

Best of all, walking is free.

If you are looking for ideas on where to go walking, I have written about a number of walks I have made over the last few months or you could also check out the following sites -

Rambling in Kent by Twisden

Kent County Council

2. Visit a Country Park or Nature Reserve

There are many country parks and nature reserves dotted throughout Kent, some run by KCC and others by organisations such as the Forestry Commission and RSPB.

Admission is usually free although in some, parking charges apply.

One of my favourites is Shorne Country Park near Gravesend where you can find the spider tickling a worm (pictured above). Parking during the week is currently £ 2 and on weekends/Bank holidays £ 2.50

There is a visitor centre/cafe, various waymarked paths suitable for all ages and even outdoor exercise equipment.

Activities are laid on for kids at various times during the year, for example - Easter Egg hunts, Christmas trail etc.

For details of some Kent country parks, please see here.

3. Visit Rochester Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral which can trace it's history back to before the Norman Conquest is well worth a visit and entry is free. The architecture is breathtaking and if you are lucky you may hear the choir singing - very atmospheric.

I would highly recommend a visit to the adjacent Cathedral tea rooms where they serve delicious home made cakes.

4. Spend A Day by the Thames

This year regattas will be held in Gravesend in June (date TBA) and on 24th July.

Apart from the rowing races, a fun fair, charity stalls and other entertainment will be provided alongside the river on the Gordon Promenade.

Entry to the Promenade is free.

5. Attend Whitstable Harbour Day

Whitstable Harbour Day takes place during the Summer. This year's date is still to be confirmed.

Various commercial and historic vessels are open to the public and there are charity and trade stalls lining the quayside. Entertainment is provided such as salsa bands (and one year, even sand dancers!).

Admission free.

6. Visit Hall Place, Bexley

Hall Place is an historic manor house in Bexley surrounded by gardens with magnificent topiary. Entrance to the house and gardens is free.

Inside the house there is a museum with an eclectic range of exhibits from wedding dresses to old bones!

7. Visit The Hurricane & Spitfire Memorial

Admission to the Hurricane and Spitfire Memorial at Manston Airport is free, although they greatly appreciate donations to assist in the upkeep of the aircraft.

Please see my earlier post for more details.

8. Visit South Foreland Lighthouse, St Margarets Bay

This historic lighthouse stands on top of the white cliffs at St Margarets Bay just outside Dover and is well worth a visit.

Excellent guided tours are provided by the National Trust and the current entrance price is £ 4.20 for adults. The tour ends at the top of the lighthouse where you are afforded excellent views over Dover Harbour and across the Channel to France.

For more information, please see here.

9. Visit New Tavern Fort, Gravesend

The New Tavern Fort next to the Promenade in Gravesend was first built in around 1780 and remained in active use until the early 1900's.

It's most famous resident was General Charles Gordon (of Khartoum) who had a house within the grounds (later destroyed by a V2).

At weekends between April and September the labyrinth of tunnels below the fort where munitions were once stored, are open to the public. There is a nominal entrance fee.

Various exhibits illustrate the fort's history from the 1780's onwards as well as that of the town of Gravesend itself during World War II.

10. Visit The Guildhall Museum, Rochester

I would recommend a visit to the Guildhall Museum in Rochester. The building dates back to 1687 and is very impressive.

The museum has numerous interesting artifacts and exhibits relating to the history of Rochester and some of it's more colourful characters like Sir Cloudesley Shovell.

An area of the museum realistically recreates one of the numerous prison hulks which once anchored in the River Medway and where French prisoners of war and convicts were incarcerated in terrible conditions.

Quite spooky!

Admission is free.

I hope you have found this post informative and enjoyable.

Please feel free to leave any comments. They are always welcome.

Double Murder at The Greyhound - A New Year Tale

2010-12-31T20:22:00.008Z

Picture by Dr Neil Clifton

The popular Greyhound pub in the quiet village of Sutton At Hone on the outskirts of Dartford, Kent has a very dark secret.

Exactly 125 years ago today it was the scene of a horrific double murder.....

Following his customary routine, at ten o'clock in the evening, the 64 year old landlord David Smith had locked the front door for the night.

In the dimly lit taproom, two of his lodgers, Alfred Kemp a bricklayer's labourer and James Stroude a boot maker, shared a pot of ale at a table by the window.

A third lodger, John Crowhurst had already retired upstairs to bed.

Shortly after ten, 42 year old paper mill worker John Knocker entered the taproom, ordered a pint of beer and sat near the fireplace.

About fifteen minutes later, Knocker suddenly got up and walked calmly across to Kemp.

Without uttering a single word, he placed his left arm around Kemp's neck and with his right hand drew a razor deep across his throat.

Kemp fell sideways to the floor with blood spurting from the six inch wound to his neck.

In horror, Stroude saw Knocker making towards him but managed to effect his escape through the back door of the pub.

Passing the landlord Smith in the passageway he shouted "John's gone wrong tonight!" and set off to raise the alarm.

Smith entered the taproom and was immediately set upon by Knocker.

A ferocious struggle ensued but "old man" Smith was no match for Knocker who had served 25 years in the army.

Smith was pushed to the ground and his throat slit virtually from ear to ear.

On hearing the commotion, Crowhurst rushed downstairs to find the lifeless bodies of Kemp and Smith lying in a pool of blood on the taproom floor.

Of Knocker, there was no sign.

Shortly before midnight, John Knocker was apprehended by Police Constable Benge on West Hill, Dartford.

His face, hands and clothes covered in his victim's blood, Knocker immediately confessed to his crimes and was taken into custody.

An inquest was held into the tragic events.

Knocker had been resident at The Greyhound for around five months and had previously always been on very good terms with the landlord and his fellow lodgers.

His army conduct had been exemplary and Police Constable Benge who had made the arrest confirmed that he was not drunk.

So what had gone so terribly wrong?

At the inquest Mrs Smith told how Knocker had left The Greyhound in apparent good spirits on Christmas Eve for a short holiday but had returned the following Tuesday "a different man"....

We can only speculate what it was that tipped a sane man over the edge and made him commit such crimes.

Unfortunately I have not so far been able to find out what happened to John Knocker at trial but I can confirm that he was not hanged for his crimes.

In view of the circumstances of the case I imagine he may have been declared insane and committed to a lunatic asylum.

Nowadays, he would probably be tried for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

David Smith the landlord was buried in the nearby graveyard at St John the Baptist church on 10th January 1886.

If you have any comments regarding this post, they are most gratefully received.

Further posts you may enjoy....

The Meopham Air Disaster

Kitty Gordon - Kent's Colourful Silent Movie Star

They Burned for their Beliefs

Please buy a fleece and support Help for Heroes

2010-12-02T22:06:00.008Z

Help for Heroes is a charity that offers practical support to British servicemen and women wounded in the service of their country since 9/11.

If you would like to support Help for Heroes, you may wish to purchase a stylish Four Duck fleece - as fetchingly modelled by yours truly above (unfortunately George Clooney was not available to do the honours!).

All profits from the sale of the fleeces, priced at £ 17.99 each incl UK post & packing, will be donated to support Help for Heroes in their continuing work.

The cotton lined fleeces are brand new and come in sizes small, medium, large and extra large.

I have worn my Four Duck fleece on my walks around Kent in all weathers and can confirm that it certainly does keep you warm.

An ideal Christmas gift for any golfers, walkers, sailors etc in your family.

If you would like to purchase a fleece and support a very good cause, please follow this link to place your order now.

Thank you.

In Foreign Fields

2010-11-11T23:04:00.020Z

In practically every town and village in Kent you will come across memorials, such as the one pictured below, commemorating many thousands of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during two World Wars.

Visit any churchyard in Kent and you will find the neatly tended graves of service personnel, not only from Britain but Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other far flung corners of the former British Empire.

Here are the stories behind two of those many thousands, both buried in foreign fields.

The memorial at St Peter & St Paul church in Farningham includes the name of my great uncle William Wansbury.

He was born in Kent in 1919 and joined the RAF in 1938, eventually progressing to the rank of Aircraftman 1st Class (ground crew).

In February 1942 RAF personnel, including William, were sent to assist in the defence of the Dutch East Indies which were being invaded by the Japanese.

The combined Dutch, British and Australian forces on Java were not able to withstand the ferocious Japanese onslaught.

On 8th March 1942, William was taken prisoner.

In April 1943 a contingent of around 2000 "fit and healthy" British and Australian POW's were shipped in inhumane conditions to a small coral island called Haruku in the Moluccas.

Those who had not died during the long voyage from Java were immediately set to work building an airfield which the Japanese intended to use as a base for bomber missions against Australia.

Using only primitive hand tools the prisoners were forced to break coral all day long in an attempt to level the ground for the runway whilst enduring continual maltreatment from the brutal Japanese guards.

Tropical diseases including dysentery, malaria and beri beri were rife in the camp and claimed the lives of over 400 men in the space of a few short months.

William succumbed to malnutrition and disease on 14th September 1943 aged just 23.

He is buried on the neighbouring island of Ambon with nearly 2000 further victims of the Japanese war crimes in a cemetery immaculately maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Flight Lieutenant Zdzislaw Henryk Przygodzki is buried in Watling Street Cemetery in Dartford.

He was born on 12th July 1918 and flew with 316 "City of Warsaw" Polish fighter squadron which was formed in 1941.

Several Polish squadrons were formed during the Second World War and they fought with distinction during the Battle of Britain.

On 8th September 1944, Flight Lieutenant Przygodzki took off from RAF Coltishall in his North American Mustang III fighter FB345, possibly on a mission to intercept incoming V1 rockets.

Due to bad weather he was forced to return to base and for unexplained reasons his aircraft crash landed near Bayfield Hall in Norfolk.

I have not been able to find out so far why Flight Lieutenant Przygodzki was buried in Kent and not nearer to the crash site in Norfolk.

The grave is sadly in neglected state at the moment. There is, however, a chance that this situation may be rectified.

I recently sent a copy of my photograph of Flight Lieutenant Przygodzki's grave to the founder of a web site called Polish War Graves. The web site commemorates many thousands of Polish servicemen laid to rest in the UK and other European countries.

He was in contact with a member of the Polish Government and brought up the condition of Flight Lieutenant Przygodski's grave and was given an assurance that "something would be done about it".

Only time will tell whether a Polish politician is any better than a British one, at keeping his word!

If you would like to leave a comment, please do so, they are always very welcome.

Further reading from the archives...

The White Cross of Shoreham

The Hurricane and Spitfire Memorial

Remembering "The Few" in Kent

Kent - Invicta - The Legend

2010-11-04T23:38:00.018Z

No matter where you find yourself in Kent, you will come across the County's insignia - the white horse and invicta motto.

The stories behind these two ancient symbols of Kent are very intriguing and shrouded in legend.

The white horse is said to trace it's history back to the fifth century AD when Saxon mercenaries, lead by brothers Hengist and Horsa, landed in Kent at the behest of Vortigern, ruler of the Britons.

Vortigern wanted Hengist and Horsa and their warriors to aid him in his war with the Picts and Scots. The Saxons were fearsome warriors and very successful in battle. Vortigern is said to have rewarded them by granting them control of the Isle of Thanet in East Kent.

The Saxons, however, were extremely ambitious. Sensing weakness, they turned against Vortigern, eventually forcing him to cede the whole of Kent to them.

The white horse is said to have appeared on Hengist's battle flag and has remained a symbol of Kent to this day.

Now to the second part of the story - the Invicta legend.

Fast forward to 1067. The Normans under William the Conqueror have defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings and are marching on London.

According to tradition, close to the village of Swanscombe, William and his men were met by the Kentishmen lead by Archbishop Stigand and Egelsine, the Abbot of St Augustines.

Each of Kentishmen carried a bough giving the appearance of a moving forest descending rapidly on the Normans. At a given signal, the boughs were cast aside revealing the Kentishmen armed and ready for battle.

However, the Archbishop and Abbot met with William and assured him of their allegiance, provided he was willing to grant certain privileges to the people of Kent and to respect their ancient rights and traditions.

Not wishing to commit his forces to another major battle so soon after Hastings, William is said to have agreed to the request.

The word invicta, meaning undefeated or unconquered, was adopted as the motto of Kent.

The monument shown in the picture above can be found in the grounds of St Peter & St Pauls in Swanscombe and was erected in 1958.

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Further reading from the archives ....

They Burned for their Beliefs

The Meopham Air Disaster - 21st July 1930

Visit to West Malling