Aylesford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aylesford |
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 Medieval bridge over the River Medway at Aylesford |
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 Aylesford
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| Population | 10,660 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TQ729589 |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AYLESFORD |
| Postcode district | ME20 |
| Dialling code | 01622 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Aylesford is a village and civil parish in Kent, England. It sits on the River Medway, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Maidstone.
The old part of the village is a small riverside settlement with about 60 houses. Many of these used to be shops. You can find two pubs, a village shop, and other services on the main street. Aylesford itself has a population of around 5,000 people.
The wider area of Aylesford Parish is quite large, covering more than 7 square miles (18 sq km). It stretches north towards Rochester Airport and south to Barming. This larger area has over 10,000 people (as of 2011). Its main settlements include Aylesford, Eccles, Blue Bell Hill, and part of Walderslade.
A big employer in the past was Aylesford Newsprint. This was Europe's largest paper recycling factory. It made newsprint for newspapers. Sadly, the factory, known locally as Aylesford Paper Mill, closed down in 2015. All its equipment was removed.
Contents
Aylesford's Long History
People have lived in the Aylesford area since the Neolithic period, which was the New Stone Age.
Ancient Burial Sites
North of the village, you can find several ancient chamber tombs. These are burial places made of large stones. The most famous one is Kit's Coty House, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north. These tombs have been damaged over time by farming. Kit's Coty House is what's left of a burial chamber at one end of a long barrow, which is a long mound of earth.
Just south of this, on the same hillside, is a similar structure called Little Kits Coty House. It is also known as the Countless Stones.
Iron Age and Roman Times
People have found Bronze Age swords near Aylesford. An Iron Age settlement and a Roman villa once stood at Eccles. In 1886, a cemetery from the British Iron Age was discovered. Sir Arthur Evans, famous for his work at Knossos, led the excavation. His findings were published in 1890.
Many of Evans' discoveries are now in the British Museum. These include a bronze jug, a pan, and a 'bucket' with handles shaped like a human face. These items came from a cremation burial, where a body is burned. This site, along with another nearby at Swarling, is very important for understanding the Aylesford-Swarling pottery or culture. Experts believe this culture was linked to the Belgae people from mainland Europe.
Some people think Aylesford was the site of the Battle of the Medway. This battle happened during the Roman invasion of Britain, but there is no direct proof.
Early English Battles
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us about the Battle of Aylesford in 455. In this battle, the Germanic leader Hengest fought the Welsh leader Vortigern. Hengest's brother, Horsa, is said to have died here.
Later, Alfred the Great defeated the Danes in 893. And in 1016, Edmund II Ironside also defeated the Danes nearby.
Norman Conquest and Beyond
After the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror owned the land of Aylesford. Some of this land was given to the Bishop of Rochester. This was to make up for land taken to build Rochester Castle. The Domesday Book of 1086, a great survey of England, mentions this.
The church of St Peter and St Paul in Aylesford has parts that are from the Norman period. Inside, there is a memorial to the Culpeper family. They used to own the nearby Preston Hall Estate.
The Friars
In 1240, a Carmelite monastery was started in Aylesford by Ralph Frisburn. This was one of the first Carmelite monasteries in Europe. Later, Simon Stock became the leader of the Carmelites in 1254.
Saint Simon Stock died in 1265. His relics (parts of his body, specifically his head) were brought to the friary in 1951. They are now kept in a special container called a reliquary.
Changes Over Time
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1536, the monastery was closed. Its ownership changed many times after that. It was owned by Sir Thomas Wyatt, then taken back by the Crown, and later given to Sir John Sedley by Queen Elizabeth.
In the 1670s, Sir John Banks made big changes to the buildings. In 1696, the estate passed to Heneage Finch, who later became the Earl of Aylesford.
Modern Restoration
A fire in the 1930s destroyed the main part of the house. This fire actually revealed many of the original features that had been hidden by earlier changes. The Carmelites bought the site back in 1949. They restored some of the old buildings.
They also built four new chapels for the many groups that visit each year. These include the Choir Chapel, St Joseph's, St Anne's, and the Relic Chapel, which holds the remains of St Simon Stock. The new buildings blend well with the old ones, using traditional materials like Kentish ragstone.
The friary is a popular place for pilgrimage, which is a special journey for religious reasons. It is also used for retreats and conferences. You can see interesting artwork there, especially pieces by the ceramic artist Adam Kossowski. Experts believe the remains of the original manor house from 1085 are under the Great Courtyard.
The River Medway's Role
The River Medway has been very important to Aylesford because the village is built on its banks. The name Aylesford comes from an Old English name, meaning 'Ægel's ford'. A ford is a shallow place in a river where you can cross. The name was first recorded in the tenth century as Æglesforda.
Aylesford was also where one of the earliest bridges across the Medway was built. This bridge is thought to be from the 14th century. It was the next place to cross the river after Rochester Bridge.
The river was used for boats and trade. Barges could reach Maidstone until 1740, and even Tonbridge after that. Because of this, wharves (docks) were built, including one in Aylesford. Important goods like corn, fruit, stone, and timber were transported on the river.
Today, the old bridge is mainly used by people walking. A new, modern bridge nearby handles most of the road traffic.
Life in the Village
The oldest parts of Aylesford are just north and south of the River Medway. Many buildings are very old, like the Chequers Inn, the George House (which used to be a place for coaches to stop), and the almshouses (old homes for poor people). The St Peter and St Paul's church, with parts dating back to the Norman invasion, sits on a hill in the southern part of the village.
During the Victorian era, many houses were built to serve the nearby quarry. The old brick and tile industries have been replaced by many commercial buildings. The huge Aylesford paper mills site is now home to a leading newsprint plant and new private housing estates.
More recently, the village has grown on the southern side of the river. A large area of suburban housing has developed there. This is partly because the village has a railway station, making it easy to travel to Maidstone and London. Many of these homes were first owned by people who worked at the paper mills. Now that the mills are closed, the area has smaller industrial estates with different businesses, such as engineering and manufacturing.
Schools in Aylesford
Henry Arthur Brassey (1840–1891) was a very generous person who helped Aylesford a lot. He paid for major repairs to the church and also provided the village with a school. This school was replaced in the 1960s by a new building. It was next to the local secondary school, now called Aylesford School - Sports College. The secondary school buildings were largely built in the 1940s by Italian prisoners of War. The old school buildings were completely rebuilt in 2008. The original village school is now called the Brassey Centre and is used as a church office and community hall.
The Railway Station
Aylesford railway station opened on June 18, 1856. It is on the Medway Valley Line, which connects Strood with Maidstone (West) and Paddock Wood. The original station buildings are very decorative. They were built with Kentish ragstone and have windows similar to those at Aylesford Priory. After being restored in the 1980s, these buildings have been used as a fast food restaurant.
Royal British Legion Village
South of Aylesford, on the A20 London Road, is the Royal British Legion Village. It was started after the First World War to help injured soldiers. They were discharged from the nearby Preston Hall hospital. It began as a small farming community called The Preston Hall Colony.
When the British Legion was founded in 1921, this became one of its first branches. By 1925, it was known as Royal British Legion Village. Since then, it has grown into a busy community. It offers nursing homes, sheltered housing, and independent living units. It also provides jobs and social activities for disabled veterans.
In 1972, the Poppy Appeal headquarters moved to the village. This village is now one of the main centers for the British Legion's activities. An industrial area in the village is home to Royal British Legion Industries. They make road and public signs used all over the UK.
Sports in Aylesford
Aylesford has its own football team, Aylesford Football Club. They play at the Recreation Ground on Forstal Road. Aylesford Bulls Rugby Football Club is located at the Jack Williams Memorial Ground. They have teams for children of all ages (U6-U18) and several adult teams for men and women.
The village is also home to what is said to be Britain's oldest working sauna, the Finnish Sauna Bath. It was built for the London Olympics in 1948 and later moved to Aylesford.
Aylesford's Population
At the 2001 UK census, the Aylesford area had 4,548 people. Most residents (98.2%) were white. About 77.4% of people were Christian. Most people (96.2%) were born in the United Kingdom.
Looking at jobs, 41.1% of people aged 16–74 had full-time jobs. Many worked in retail (19.6%), manufacturing (13.6%), and construction (9.2%). Compared to the rest of the country, Aylesford had more workers in construction. About 14.3% of residents had a university degree or similar qualification.
See Also
In Spanish: Aylesford para niños
Images for kids
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Detail of the Aylesford Bucket in the British Museum.
