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Fordwich

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Fordwich
Fordwich bridge, Fordwich
Fordwich is located in Kent
Fordwich
Fordwich
Location within Kent
Area1.81 km2 (0.70 sq mi)
Population372 (2021)
• Density206/km2 (530/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTR179597
• London65.8 miles
Civil parish
  • Fordwich
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townCANTERBURY
Postcode districtCT2
Dialling code01227
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°17′42″N 1°07′34″E / 51.295°N 1.126°E / 51.295; 1.126

Fordwich /ˈfɔːrdwɪtʃ/ is a market town and a civil parish in east Kent, England, on the River Stour, northeast of Canterbury. It is the smallest community by population in Britain with a town council.[1] Its population increased by 30 between 2001 and 2011.[2]

History

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Etymology

The name Fordwich derives from the Old English fordwīc meaning 'trading settlement at the ford'.[3]

Prehistory

Fordwich traces back to Prehistory. Lower Palaeolithic hand axes have been found in multiple archeological excavations of the town.[4] Notably, Moat Rough in Fordwich holds archaeological interest as the ground has been left fallow for decades.[5][6] Archaic scrapers confirm the possible presence of the early and poorly understood Homo heidelbergensis.[7]

Middle Ages

Fordwich is first mentioned in the charter of Hlothhere of Kent in 675, and later by Eadric of Kent in 686. Both relate to determining the boundaries for a grant in Stodmarsh. In 866, the Augustine Abbot gained a small area of six houses, three acres of land and a meadow in Fordwich.[8] By 1055, St. Augustine Abbot was granted two thirds of the land by Edward the Confessor. A decade later, a share previously owned by Earl Goodwin and then granted to Odo of Bayeux was granted the Augustine Abbot[9] To gain the favour of the Normans, Abbot Egelsin abdicated his post in 1070 and the land went to the of the Sherif of Kent, Hamo de Crevequer. However, Fordwich was restored back to the monastery on the bidding of William The Conqueror to Archbishop Lanfranc.[8][10][11]

By the Domesday Book in 1086, Fordwich had 6 burgesses, smaller than most settlements recorded, and referred to as “The little borough of Fordwich.”[12][13] Conflict between the burgesses, known as freemen or property owning citizens, and monks of St. Augustine monastery is recorded in 1184; the two forces went to the King’s Court of Henry II, settling in favour of the monastery.[8] From a charter of Henry II, Fordwich gained greater rights and a mayor, the earliest known named mayor was John Maynard in 1292, and became established as the corporate limb of Sandwich Cinque Ports[14][15] The Corporation of Fordwich consisted of a Mayor, Jurats, and Freemen.[16]

Modern period

In 1520, there was conflict between the Abbot of Augustine and the Mayor relating to the respective rights in the Fishery and Waterways.[17] The abbot had erected a hedge, which blocked vessels to the quays. The matter was brought to Lord Poynings, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and an appeal was sent to the Abbot to restore the passage for Fordwich.[18] St. Augustine monastery was stripped away in 1538, which saw ownership of Fordwich transfer to Henry VIII. In 1553, the manor was granted to Sir Thomas Cheney by King Edward VI.[11][8]

Fordwich Trout

As the River Stour filled with slit during the 15th and 16th century, the fishing trade began to decline.[19] By 1563, the population saw a noticeable drop to 120.[20] As plague ravaged London in 1605, Shakespeare on Tour performed for 10 shilling at the Fordwich Town Hall.[21][22]

The Mayor of Fordwich and Christopher Lord Teynham went to court in 1621 over the fishing rights in Fordwich.[23][24] In 1653, Fordwich gained repute from Izaak Walton for the large "Fordidge trout”, which became a local delicacy.[25][26] However, later sources suggest it to be a “salmon trout.” or “sea trout”[27] Complaints were issued against various Fordwich residents in 1669 for avoiding common fines.[28]

In the Meadows of Fordwich: 1840

The brick bridge over the River Stour in Fordwich was built in the 18th century.[29] Gentleman Paul Johnson held a mansion in Fordwich in 1749[30] George Coutham made a small name for himself in the early 1820s for boxing by the marshes of Fordwich and attracting crowds[31][32] In 1824, a bullock charged from Sturry to Fordwich, resulting in a man of the name Hooker to be gored in the face by the beast and people tossed and injured while in the bull’s path. Multiple shots were fired, but unsuccessful. It only was until the bull was wading through River Stour that local butchers seized it by the nostril and plunged a knife into its throat.[33][34][35] In 1825, a soap maker in Fordwich brought action against a wealthy man for the seduction of his daughter. The plaintiff was a respected family man in Fordwich, while the defendant was a wealthy, well-connected young man. The defendant had met the daughter while being introduced to the family. The defendant pressured premarital sex under the guise of potential marriage. She fell pregnant, and marriage was delayed before abandoned. In court, the verdict was the defendant to pay 50 pounds in damages.[36][37][38]

Fordwich Meadows: 1889

Along the marshes of Broad Oak road, a new system was constructed for sewage in 1842. The system allowed any manure to escape by an outfall drain and into the river below Fordwich.[39] Lime in the new precipitating tanks water-works was thrown into the River Stour in 1871. In Fordwich, it resulted in fish suffocating as the water thickened, the bodies sinking the bottom.[40] In 1883, a man became gravely injured after attempting to destroy a wasp nest after gunpowder exploded and resulted in the amputation of one of his hands.[41] Fordwich lost its status as a town during the Municipal Corporations Act 1883.[42][43] In reorganisation during 1974, Fordwich regained town status.[44]

Landmarks

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Fordwich has 29 listed buildings. 26 are grade II, 2 are grade II* and 1 is grade I.

St Mary’s Church, Fordwich

St Mary’s Church

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich is a Grade I listed mediaeval church along The Drove northeast of the town. The church has Norman features, with Anglo-Saxon work on the nave. The Walls paintings and fittings found in the church date to the 7th century. The Fordwich stone is believed to be a shrine for the body of a saint dated to 1100. Before permanent residence in 1877, the stone was often taken and showcased in Canterbury Cathedral.[45][46]

Fordwich Townhall

Fordwich Town Hall

Fordwich Town Hall is a Grade II* listed post-medieval municipal building dated 1544 along King Street, Fordwich. The building contains a courtroom, prison and store with stocks outside. The last people convicted in hall were two men in 1855 for poaching. As town lost its municipal status in 1883, the building now serves as the main parish hall.[47][48][49]

Fordwich Bridge

Fordwich Bridge

Fordwich bridge is a bridge over the River Stour is a grade II listed structure. It leads to local villages and hamlets such as Grove Ferry, Sarre pen and Plucks Gutter. It was first built in the 17th century, though may date earlier. In 1940, there was a road block at Fordwich Bridge, which is present today. The sight of Canoes may be spotted along the Stour.[50][51][52]

Sports

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Water Sports

Water Sports in Fordwich is offered along the River Stour by Canoe Wild. Services that can be hired range from the canoe, kayak and paddleboard.[53]

Golf

Canterbury Golf Course is a Golf Course in Fordwich established in 1927 on a field used as practice trenches by the Royal East Kent Regiment in WW1.[54] The land is around 160 acres, and has hosted events such The Ladies' Home International matches and English Men’s Amateur Championship. The course was designed by Harry Colt.[55][56]

Demographics

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Data from the 2021 Census for Fordwich Parish[57]

Gender Ratio

  • Female 52.2%
  • Male 47.8%

Country of birth

  • Born in the UK 82.8%
  • Born outside the UK 17.2%

Ethnic groups

  • White 91.7%
  • Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 3.8%
  • Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh 3.5%
  • Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African 1.1%

Religion

  • Christian 54.2%
  • No religion 36.2%
  • Not answered 5.4%
  • Buddhist 1.9%
  • Jewish 1.3%
  • Muslim 1.1%

Legal partnership status

  • Married or in a registered civil partnership 54.0%
  • Never married and never registered a civil partnership 31.9%
  • Widowed or surviving civil partnership partner 6.3%
  • Divorced or civil partnership dissolved 5.4%
  • Separated, but still legally married or still legally in a civil partnership 2.4%

Household composition

  • Single family household 72.1%
  • One person household 23.0%
  • Other household types 4.8%

Media

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Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC South East and ITV Meridian. Television signals are received from the Dover TV transmitter.[58] Local radio stations are BBC Radio Kent, Heart South, and KMFM Canterbury, a community based station that broadcast from Canterbury. The town is served by the local newspaper, Kentish Gazette.

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Matthews, Peter (1992), The Guinness Book of Records, 1993, Guinness World Records Limited, ISBN 978-0-85112-978-5
  2. ↑ Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density Archived 20 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine 2011 United Kingdom census Office for National Statistics Retrieved 14 October 2016
  3. ↑ "Key to English Place-names". Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Murugesu, Jason Arunn. "UK's earliest hand axes were made by ancient humans 560,000 years ago". New Scientist. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  5. ↑ University, Durham. "Professor Mark White – Durham University". durham.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  6. ↑ University, Durham. "Professor David R. Bridgland – Durham University". durham.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "The 600,000-year-old Lower Palaeolithic Site at the West Gravel Pit, Fordwich, Kent". Kent History & Archaeology. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Woodruff, C. E. (1895) A history of the town and port of Fordwich, with a transcription of the XVth century copy of the Custumal. Canterbury: Cross & Jackman.
  9. ↑ "St Mary Church, Fordwich". Kent History & Archaeology. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "The town and parish of Fordwich | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 Ireland, William Henry (1828). England's topographer, or, A new and complete history of the county of Kent: from the earliest records to the present time. Including every modern improvement. Embellished with a series of views from original drawings by Geo. Shepherd, H. Gastineau, &c. With historical, topographical, critical & biographical delineations. By W. H. Ireland. Geo. Virtue.
  12. ↑ "Fordwich | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Encyclopædia britannica; or, A dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature. University of California Libraries. Edinburgh : A. Bell and C. Macfarquhar. 1810.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. ↑ "OUR VILLAGES 1900". www.dover-kent.com. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Cinque Ports History: The Normans & The Great 1287 Storm". SaxonHistory.co.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Cross, Francis William; Hall, John R. (10 April 2024). Rambles Round Old Canterbury. Outlook Verlag. ISBN 978-3-385-42053-3.
  17. ↑ An agreement entered into between the Abbot and Convent of St. Austin' and the Mayor and Commonalty of Fordwich relating to the respective rights in the Fishery. 6 June. 12 Hen. VIII. 1520.
  18. ↑ Boggis, Robert James Edmund, A History of St. Augustine's Monastery, Canterbury (Canterbury: Cross & Jackman, 1901)
  19. ↑ Gibson, James M. (1 January 2002). Kent: Diocese of Canterbury. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-8726-3.
  20. ↑ Gibson, James M. (1 January 2002). Kent: Diocese of Canterbury. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-8726-3.
  21. ↑ "BBC - Shakespeare On Tour - A rare example of a surviving Shakespearean venue". BBC. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  22. ↑ "Did Shakespeare visit Fordwich?". www.fordwich.net. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Christopher Lord Teynham v. Mayor and Commonalty of Fordwich relating to Fishing-rights. (Brief for Counsel). 1621.
  24. ↑ Christopher Lord Teynham v. Mayor and Commonalty of Fordwich relating to Fishing-rights. 1621.
  25. ↑ Izaak Walton (1653). "Chapter 4 Observations of the nature and breeding of the Trout, and how to fish for him. And the Milk-maids Song.". The Compleat Angler. ISBN 978-1-5002-4755-3. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  26. ↑ Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (Great Britain) (1833). Penny cyclopaedia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. Harvard University. London, C. Knight.
  27. ↑ Yarrell, William (1836). A history of British fishes. Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University. London, J. Van Voorst.
  28. ↑ Complaints against various inhabitants of Fordwich for non payment of common fines. 1669.
  29. ↑ "Bridge Over the Great Stour, Fordwich - 1336533 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
  30. ↑ AGNES STRICKLAND (1842). LIVES OF THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND, FROM THE NORMAN CONQUEST; WITH ANECDOTES OF THEIR COURTS. Internet Archive.
  31. ↑ Monday, 16 July 1821 Star (London) (Page 4) London, London, England
  32. ↑ Saturday, 27 April 1822 Star (London) (Page 3) London, London, England
  33. ↑ Saturday, 25 December 1824 Star (London) (Page 3) London, London, England
  34. ↑ Monday, 27 December 1824 Morning Herald (London) (Page 4) London, London, England
  35. ↑ Tuesday, 28 December 1824 English Chronicle and Whitehall Evening Post (Page 1) London, London, England
  36. ↑ Sunday, 31 July 1825 Englishman (Page 2) London, London, England
  37. ↑ Monday, 1 August 1825 Morning Herald (London) (Page 4) London, London, England
  38. ↑ Monday, 1 August 1825 Morning Herald (London) (Page 4) London, London, England
  39. ↑ The builder. Getty Research Institute. London : [s.n.] 1842.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  40. ↑ The Journal of Gas Lighting, Water Supply, & Sanitary Improvement 1871-04-25: Vol 20 Iss 484. Internet Archive. Benn Publications Ltd. 25 April 1871.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  41. ↑ Saturday, 11 August 1883 Denton and Haughton Examiner (Page 6) Denton, Lancashire, England
  42. ↑ Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. (1899). United States: New Jersey Historical Society.
  43. ↑ Thursday, 13 September 1883 East Kent Times and Mail (Page 4) Ramsgate, Kent, England
  44. ↑ Archaeologia Cantiana. Vol. 112. Kent Archaeological Society. 1994. p. 116.
  45. ↑ Trust, Churches Conservation. "Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich". Churches Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  46. ↑ Richmond, Simon (25 September 2026). Kent (Slow Travel). Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-80469-458-9.
  47. ↑ Averby, Karen (15 November 2022). Town Halls. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-8811-4.
  48. ↑ "Data Catalogue". archaeologydataservice.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  49. ↑ "Fordwich Town Hall". See Kent. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  50. ↑ Prothero, Francis Thomas E. (1896). A new oarsman's guide to the rivers and canals of Great Britain and Ireland, by F.E. Prothero and W.. Clark.
  51. ↑ Salis, Henry Rodolph De. Bradshaw's Canals and Navigable Rivers of England and Wales. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-95427-214-3.
  52. ↑ "TR 15 NE 794 - BRIDGE OVER THE GREAT STOUR, Fordwich - Historic Environment Record". heritage.kent.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 November 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  53. ↑ "Fordwich Town Council | Sports". Fordwich Town Council. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  54. ↑ "Monument record TR 15 NE 1062 - First World War practice trenches, Canterbury Golf Course".
  55. ↑ "Canterbury Golf Club Scorecard". www.golfingrecord.com. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  56. ↑ "Canterbury Golf Club | Golf Course & Driving Range in Kent". Canterbury Golf Club. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  57. ↑ "Build a custom area profile - ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2026.
  58. ↑ "Full Freeview on the Dover (Kent, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
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