Rusthall
Coordinates: 51°08′00″N 0°14′07″E / 51.1333°N 0.2354°E
| Rusthall and Denny Bottom | |
 Rusthall and Denny Bottom
Rusthall and Denny Bottom shown within Kent |
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| Population | 4,776 (2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TQ565395 |
| District | Tunbridge Wells |
| Shire county | Kent |
| Region | South East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Tunbridge Wells |
| Postcode district | TN4 |
| Dialling code | 01892 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | Tunbridge Wells |
| List of places: UK • England • Kent | |
Rusthall is a village located approximately 2 miles to the west of the spa town of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The village grew up around a large property called "Rusthall" located on the Rusthall Common en route to the neighbouring village of Langton Green. Today the village is home to some sandstone outcrops on Harmony Street, one of which is called "Toad Rock" since it is shaped like a toad. The centre of the village is mainly Victorian and is surrounded by commonland.
Jeremy Menuhin, son of Yehudi Menuhin was the previous Lord of the Manor of Rusthall. In early 2008 this title, along with the common land and the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells was purchased by TargetFollow, a property development company based in Norwich.
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[edit] History
The first known mention of Rusthall and Speldhurst is in a grant of lands by Egeburth, an Anglo-Saxon or Jutish king of Kent, to Diora, Bishop of Rochester in the 8th century.[1]
During the 17th century, lodging houses appeared in Rusthall to accommodate visitors to the newly-discovered chalybeate spring at The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells. During the reign of King Charles I, Rusthall tended to attract visitors from the Puritan faction, whilst the Cavalier faction tended to stay at nearby Southborough.[2]
Following the end of the English Civil War, a time during which the Puritans took a hostile attitude to most forms of amusement, the waters at Tunbridge Wells became popular once more, and further accommodation houses were provided in Rusthall. The village also gained an assembly room and bowling green, in order to provide amusement for visitors, making it a more popular destination than Southborough, which could only offer a bowling green and coffee house.[2]
During the 18th century, Rusthall fell out of favour, following the emergence of Tunbridge Wells town, which could now offer ample accommodation closer to the waters. Following this shift in popularity, some Rusthall houses, which had been built on moveable sledges, were wheeled to be relocated to the more fashionable Mount Sion area of Tunbridge Wells.[2]
[edit] Cold Water Baths
Rusthall, which derived its name from the rusty nature of the local water, also had its own wells known locally for their curative powers. A cold water bath house used to be situated on the south side of Rusthall Common, in the grounds of what is now the Beacon Hotel. The bath waters were known for their coldness and the clearness of the water which were observed to be "as excellent as any in the kingdom".[3] The baths were designed as a place of entertainment, the grounds being embellished with fountains and ornaments. Despite these attractions, the baths waned in popularity by the end of the 18th century and fell into a state of decay.[2] The foundations of the cold bath house are still present today.[1]
[edit] Government
Rusthall originally formed part of Speldhurst civil parish (together with Ashurst, Groombridge, Langton and Speldhurst) when it was formed in 1894. Four years later, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council took control over Rusthall, apparently against the parish council's wishes,[4] and the village formed part of the unparished Tunbridge Wells urban area between 1898 and 2011.
On 23 February 2011, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council agreed that Rusthall should become a civil parish and have its own parish council. The first parish council election will take place in May 2011.[5]
The local Member of Parliament for the Tunbridge Wells constituency is Greg Clark MP.
[edit] Geography
Rusthall is located just under 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Tunbridge Wells town centre, and is separated from the built-up area of Tunbridge Wells by Rusthall Common and the Tunbridge Wells Golf Club.
The village is around 30 miles (48 km) south-east of London.
[edit] Toad Rock
Rusthall and the surrounding area features several sandstone outcrops. One of these formations, located in the Denny Bottom area, close to Rusthall Common, is known as Toad Rock because it resembles a sitting toad. The first known record of the rock's name is in an 1823 guide by J. Clifford, although the rock itself was first popularised in a local guide published in 1810.[6] The fencing around the rock's base was first installed in 1881-2 and has since been renovated in 1993-94.
The rock formation is not man-made, as was at first suspected, but was eroded into its current shape by wind action during the Ice Age. The area has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[6]
[edit] Demography
| Rusthall compared | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Rusthall | Tunbridge Wells district | England |
| Population | 4,776 | 104,030 | 49,138,831 |
| Foreign born | 5.5% | 7.1% | 9.2% |
| White | 97.9% | 97.5% | 90.9% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 1% | 4.6% |
| Black | 0% | 0.3% | 2.3% |
| Christian | 74.8% | 75% | 71.7% |
| Muslim | 0.9% | 0.6% | 3.1% |
| Hindu | 0.1% | 0.2% | 1.1% |
| No religion | 16.8% | 16% | 14.6% |
| Unemployed | 1.8% | 1.9% | 3.3% |
| Retired | 12.8% | 13.3% | 13.5% |
As of the 2001 UK census, the Rusthall electoral ward had a population of 4,776. The ethnicity was 97.9% white, 0.7% mixed race, 1.2% Asian, 0% black and 0.2% other. The place of birth of residents was 94.5% United Kingdom, 0.5% Republic of Ireland, 1.4% other Western European countries, and 3.6% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 74.8% Christian, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.1% Hindu, 0% Sikh, 0.1% Jewish, and 0.9% Muslim. 16.8% were recorded as having no religion, 0.3% had an alternative religion and 6.9% did not state their religion.[7]
The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 43.6% in full-time employment, 12.9% in part-time employment, 11.1% self-employed, 1.8% unemployed, 2.1% students with jobs, 2.8% students without jobs, 12.8% retired, 7.2% looking after home or family, 3.7% permanently sick or disabled and 2% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 18.6% retail, 9.3% manufacturing, 9% construction, 13% real estate, 11.5% health and social work, 8% education, 6.9% transport and communications, 3.4% public administration, 4.9% hotels and restaurants, 8.2% finance, 1.4% agriculture and 5.8% other.Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in construction and finance. There were a relatively low proportion in public administration and manufacturing. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 17.4% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.[7]
[edit] Culture and Community
[edit] Culture
The village fete returned in 2010, for the first time since 1977.[8] It is held on the playing fields at Southwood Road and features a variety of stalls and events.
Every October, the village hosts a torchlit procession, bonfire and fireworks night. The bonfire is built up throughout the day by villagers.
[edit] Community Facilities
Rusthall has a thriving High Street featuring an unusually wide variety of services for a village of its size. These include convenience stores, post office, a greengrocer, butcher, baker, hardware shop, bookmaker, pharmacy and dry cleaner amongst others. Restaurant and take-away options include Chinese, Indian, fish and chips, and pizza as well as a traditional "greasy spoon" cafe.
Pubs in the village include the historic Red Lion, The Oak, The White Hart, Toad Rock Retreat and the Beacon Hotel. There is also a working men's club.
Rusthall St Paul's CE Primary School is located on the High Street. Rusthall Medical Centre is nearby, on Nellington Road.
Rusthall Common separates the village from the main built up area of neighbouring Tunbridge Wells and features a cricket pitch, open spaces, wooded areas and footpaths.
[edit] Transport
Rusthall is connected to Tunbridge Wells and High Brooms by the frequent 281 bus service operated by Arriva. There is no railway line serving Rusthall, although the 281 bus service links the village to Tunbridge Wells main-line station for direct services to London, Tonbridge and Hastings.
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Speldhurst (village) | Bidborough (village) | Southborough (town) | |
| Langton Green (village) |  |
Tunbridge Wells (town) | ||
 Rusthall  |
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| Groombridge (village) | Eridge (village) | Tunbridge Wells (town) |
[edit] References
- ^ a b [1], Rusthall Local History Group.
- ^ a b c d Melville, L (1912): Society at Tunbridge Wells in the 18th Century. London: Eveleigh Nash (available at www.theweald.org)
- ^ Clifford, J. (1834) The Tunbridge Wells Guide, or an account of the ancient and present state of that place
- ^ Langton Green Village Website. "A history of Langton Green". http://www.langtongreen.org.uk/history.html. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, accessed 25 February 2011.
- ^ a b Tunbridge Wells Commons Conservators
- ^ a b "Neighbourhood Statistics". Statistics.gov.uk. http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadDatasetList.do?a=3&b=5945167&c=Rusthall&d=14&g=461046&i=1001x1003&m=0&r=1&s=1203785733380&enc=1&domainId=16. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
- ^ Rusthall Village Association
[edit] External links
Media related to Rusthall at Wikimedia Commons
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