Newington, Swale
| Newington | |
|---|---|
 A2 High Street | |
  Newington Location within Kent | |
| Population | 2,551 (2011 Census)[1] |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SITTINGBOURNE |
| Postcode district | ME9 |
| Dialling code | 01795 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
Newington is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England. The parish is located beside the A2 road (originally a Roman road) between Rainham to the west and Sittingbourne to the east. The population of the parish in 2011 was 2,551.[1]
Newington acquired its name (Newetone) in Saxon times meaning 'New Town' built on an old one. The original town was probably Roman and possibly the site of the lost Roman station Durolevum.[2] The remains of a Roman villa were discovered at Boxted Farm, Newington in 1882.[3]
The village has its own Railway Station which is situated on the Chatham Main Line between Sittingbourne and Rainham.[4]
The parish church, dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is a grade I listed building.[5] It was built between 1163 and 1177 by Richard de Lucy, with additions being made in the 13th and 14th century. The church was to eventually become the property of Henry VIII who gave it to the Provost and Fellows of Eton College in 1531. The patron today is the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is a stone in the church car park known as the Devil's Stone, which is said to bear the Devil's footprint.[6]
Newington holds the national collection of Witch Hazel which is kept at the Witch Hazel Nursey[7] in Calloways Lane
Newington Manor, now a conservation area,[8] is to the south of the village.
The Newington Pill Boxes: Newington has at least four World War I pill boxes (or bunkers) at various locations.
People
- Don Potter, a 20th-century sculptor and potter, was born in Newington.
- David Hendry
Sporting teams
Newington has a very successful and popular cricket club. Members of the Medway Sunday League, they field two Sunday XI's that play home games at either Bobbing Court (just off Rook Lane) or at Upchurch Cricket Club. Read about their latest triumphs via the club website.
Entertainment
Being a small village, entertainment is at a premium in Newington. However, there are Chinese and Indian takeaways, a tearoom Cafe Vintage and one pub, The Bull, which, sadly, is the village's sole remaining pub.[9] In the past several other pubs existed in Newington and many of those buildings still stand: the White Hart (now an office and was a general store), the Wheatsheaf (letting agents) and the George (houses) are all on the High Street.
A food and crafts fair is held in the Village Hall on the first Sunday of the month (11am-4pm).
The parish council organises an annual Village Festival[10] at the primary school on a Saturday in mid-July. It includes a tug-of-war tournament.
References
- ^ a b "2011 Census Parish population" (PDF). Kent Gov UK. Office for National Statistics. 2011. p. 13. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ^ "History of Newington, in Swale and Kent". A Vision of Britain. University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ "Monumont No. 418307". Pastscape. Historic England. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
Site of a Roman villa east of Boxted Farm excavated in 1882.
- ^ "Newington (NGT)". National Rail Enquires. National Rail. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ^ "Church of St Mary - Newington". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
- ^ "History of Newington - Kent Past". Kent Past. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ Witch Hazel Nursery
- ^ Swale Borough Council
- ^ The Bull, Newington
- ^ [1]
External links
