Hartley, Kent facts for kids

Hartley is a lovely village in Kent, England. It's about 6 miles south of the towns Gravesend and Dartford. The old church in Hartley is called All Saints.

Today, Hartley has a mix of new buildings and older houses. It has grown so much that it now connects with Longfield, a place to its north. In 2001, about 5,395 people lived here. You can also find woods and a farm close to the houses. Most of the 2,145 homes in Hartley are owned by the people who live in them.

The name Hartley means "place in the wood where the deer are." It used to be a very small place, but now it feels more like a small town. No huge, famous events happened here, and not many super famous people have lived in Hartley.

What is Hartley Made Of?

Long, long ago, during the Cretaceous time, much of England was covered by the sea. In these deep waters, a type of rock called chalk was formed. This chalk is what makes up the North Downs of Kent. After that, the sea left behind clay, which now sits on top of the chalk. Later, during the Ice Age, the chalk froze, and rivers carved out a "dry valley" at a place called Hartley Bottom.

A Look at Hartley's Past

Let's travel back in time to the year 1086. Back then, only about 15 families and 3 slaves lived in Hartley. It was a tiny settlement!

How Many People Lived Here?

Before a terrible sickness called the Black Death arrived in 1348, around 150 people lived in Hartley. By 1377, records show that 53 people paid taxes. This means about 85 people lived there at that time.

Hartley Court and Old Ways of Life

In 1392, a document tells us there was a main house called Hartley Court. A manager lived there and farmed the land for the owner. Other people who owned land in Hartley had to go to the owner's court and sometimes do work for him.

A Small Battle and Changes Over Time

In 1554, there was a small fight in Hartley Wood. It was between people who supported Queen Mary I of England and those who didn't. The Queen's supporters won. By 1650, Hartley looked a lot like it did in 1850, because most of the buildings were already there. In 1770, a writer named Edward Hasted said that not many people visited Hartley.

Some buildings we see today, like Hartley House and Yew Cottage, were built in the 1700s. In 1841, 224 people lived in Hartley. Most of them worked on farms. There was also a person who made wheels, a metal worker, and people who sold drinks.

How Hartley Grew

Hartley really started to grow after a railway line came to Longfield in 1876. Then, in 1902, water pipes brought fresh water to the area. After that, two companies, Payne, Trapps and Co Ltd, and Small Owners Limited, started selling land for people to build houses and small farms. After 1945, many new houses and roads were built, making Hartley the village it is today.