Manston, Kent
| Manston | |
|---|---|
| Population | Expression error: "1,512" must be numeric |
| OS grid reference | TR345665 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ramsgate |
| Postcode district | CT12 |
| Dialling code | 01843 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
Manston is a village in the Thanet district of Kent. It is situated just to the north of the eastern end of the runway at Kent International Airport. It is east-north east of its closest town Ramsgate and due south of Margate.
The village was originally Mannestone which means 'farm on top of a hill' (a possible alternative variation is a farm belonging to a man called Mann) and was recorded in 1254 as Manneston , but got its modern spelling in 1381 around the time of the Peasants' Revolt.
What's In The Village
- There is an active village hall with its own committee. During elections the hall is used as a polling station.
- There are two caravan parks; Preston Parks (statics) and Manston Court.
- There is one pub in the village called The Jolly Farmer.
- St Catherines church is situated next to the village green opposite the Jolly Farmer. The village green has a war memorial which has names of those from the village who have served and died in the two world wars of the twentieth century.
- There used to be a post office and village store, but that closed around 2002. A letter box bearing the mark of GR can still be found on the wall of the old post office, which is now residential.
- there are also large fields of sheep, to add further to this there are more animals that graze on the land.
- There is also a taxi firm called 'donkey travel' it is the only taxi firm in the country which uses animals instead of cars for tansport.
- there is also an airport, but there is no train railink system or a decent bus service.
Notable people
Jordan Hughes a manston resident, highly influential amongst the farming community, attempting to develop electricity for manston, taking on the role of a shepard to control rising levels of sheep.
History
- The Ozengell burial ground from 870 CE is situated on Haine Road between the Lord Of The Manor roundabout and Staner Hill. An excavation in 1840 found 200 graves including a Roman stone and lead lined coffin, but this was never preserved.
- In June 1381 the Peasants' Revolt reached Manston as RKI Quested cites a local curator: "A proclamation in the name of Jack Straw and Wat Tyler ordered that labour services should not be performed nor distraints made, and called on the people to destroy the Manston house of William de Medmenham (a local coroner who evidently acted as representative for St Augustine's), and if possible behead him. The same day a crowd some 200 strong attacked the house, burnt "the books and muniments" and "took away and burnt the rolls" to the value of 20 marks."
- Manston Court was the seat of the Manston family which held high offices including Richard de Manston in the time of King John (circa 1200) and later William Manston, who was Sheriff of Kent in 1436.
- Spratling Street gets its name from the Sprakling family who lived in Ellington in Ramsgate from 1558 to 1659, back when Manston was still a part of St Lawrence Extra.
- The Jolly Farmer building was built in 1672 as part of a pair of farm dwellings, but was originally registered as a public house in November 1738 by Lazarus Haywood under the title "Jolly Farmers" and it was leased to its first tenant Keeper, Samuel Packer (a boot and shoe maker from Ramsgate) in March of the following year. During the Second World War the Jolly Farmer was a favourite of Pilots stationed at RAF Manston. It was rumoured that many of the pilots signed their names on the ceiling of 'the snug', but this has been painted over and so unverifiable.
- St Catherines church was built in 1872 with moneys raised by locals as and extension of the St Lawrence Parish as a Chapel of ease for those who were unable to attend the church in St Lawrence. The land was donated by the Vicar of St. Lawrence, a Rev. G.W.Sicklemore.
- In 1901, the Isle of Thanet Poor Law Union opened a children's home at Manston. The homes comprised four pairs of houses and could accommodate a total of 120 children. In the 1901 census there were 46 inmates and the Superintendent was Edmund L MARTINS. One of the orphans in later life painted a pictue of Manston from memory which is now hanging in St Catherines Church. The children's homes have now been converted to residential use. The orphanage's school is now the village hall.
- Manston Cave is situated on the road towards Sandwich. It was believed to be used as a refuge from marauding Vikings and in later times used as the site of parties. Little of it now remains.
See also
External links
- Manston Parish Council
- St Catherine's church
- Manston Garden Club
- P Higginbottom - Workhouses in Thanet
- RAF Manston museum
- RKI Quested on Sackett Family archive
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