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'3‘? 5;: < _‘. ‘...:t ‘. e‘ , ‘11‘ow}_€ i‘;_ 'r—« -. 7, _ 1,‘ “f-,-,_’ H ;,~.”—;"" . :3 ?:TItg4’w1,i‘;%‘ ‘no no,g:%1:§'e\.q__tJ1n_a~t - _7'ta_i?te1j%_IeaV?-in;;j.1‘;:J:I_o‘v,g iftH=.<:gha;r;;£a;apz_;§T.Ljrgp , iand; Bfidga is . ‘is, ‘f ; 4394- '; .‘.?:‘FC? 2‘: P. "am, ' T ' theds,eéond;»*vi}:1a -, A .» ad‘. .;lE"‘.ue« , 1; “ xx‘ er ‘.pm§fié'déme .3 =32» "thej tove} the Ddwnsf r .'f*w W ,3! V . . '~ 20 paid for a bridge to cross over the river to make it easier for their transport. The good firm roads in East Kent are nade from soiid foundations of the Kent Flint Stones, of which our Ghurohes are built. When I was a small child I often stopped on my way to school to watch an old man.seated on.a cent of stones with a small rake in his left hand and a hammer in his right hand, breaking these stones to use for road making. These stones had previously been picked up from the fields by women. employed hy the farmers, who later sold them to the road oontraotors. .How many farmers _would bother about the stones on their fields to day? There is a special way to measure these oants of stones, which is now a thing of the past with our tarred Haoadam and concrete roads. such is progress! we have signs of oaxon oooupation, for on the top of Side hill nearing the present keeper's cottage a Saxon Burial Ground was found. The relies found are good examples of the times and are called the "Bifrons Collection” and aremhaidstone &usaan. A . There is a very large wood called Gosley wood in the . Parish of Bridge which once belonged to St Augustine's Honastery afterwards granted to Sir Thomas Golepepper. About 1898-99 I sell rememb‘er" a fir. who lived in a_oott7age in Bourne Park. ‘he was a great Arohaeolegist and had heard from the woodman that some stone slabs were together in the wood. He inspected them and‘ >found than to be Tumult, and then get permission to open them. The stones that covered them were brought from miles away as they? 3. ‘not of Kent stone. It was fenced off and it is now possible to see the place. The road leading to the Tumuli is now called Kingsley Lane and bears off-to Gosley Wood by Flint Cottages. My husband and I were talking to some woodman about these, and they then told us of the marks of the foundations of,a large mansion in Gosley floods towards the Kinaston end. One can recognise this d€uL Park Farm with its beautifully made wall and dood‘Gate and Rark ‘ , Gate, which must certainly refer to the Park round this mansion. .,\_ Row a few reminiscences of the Dover doad. The famous Kile dtones could certainly tell us a lot if they could only talk. They had remained, (for all we know‘, just where they had been first erected, until 1940, when they were all taken up owing to "the scare of invasion. These were replaced after the war, but I, for one, feel very cross that the Roman Numerals were not kept intact, as they were, out into the stones. Our new generation have painted on our everyday numerals._ They could at least have kept us this bit of history to show our many overseas visitors who J:;pass along this road. \. I will now give my memories of transport for 50 years, from 1896. Then, our connections with lanterbury were to walk or ride, Weurode on solid tyre cycles, sometimes 5 penny farthing binyele, tricycles, nony carts, or horse back. Best of all was the Coach, with its four in hand and Post Horn. ‘This came from Folkestone to Canterbuvry daily and was driven by fir. Scott, passing through the village between 22 and 1'o'c1ook, and returning V EMWM _4_ between'3-30 and 4 o'clock. About 1900 a great tragedy happened to the Goach going round the bend at the Red House, Barham, (since byspassed‘. The coach went over, and Er. Scott has killed. The Pi1grim‘s passed from the Dover dead by Gipsy Sottage, 2 Gold Harbour Farm, Shepherds Close, Keeper's Gottage, through Patrixbourne, Hode or Head Lane as it used to be spelt, to Little Barton, and Spring Lane to the 3athedralI%,0ne can see how these ‘cs, names explained to the Pilgrims Just what to find and where to rest. ' \_’ At Gipsy Cottage I expect gipsies were to he found. At Gold Harbour, it was very cold to rest. Shepherds Glose, something warmer. Patrixbourne, with its old Shurch, somewhere to rest and find comtort.s Spring Lane, somewhere near by a spring to water the horses. Along this road marched soldiers_to be camped on the ’ Downs during the scaresof Napoleon; World fiar I ahd dorld War II. at Each war had better equipped soldiers, but all to protect their country as their forefathers had done at"dng1and's Hole". On_this road in 1914, a road of thick chalky dust, not yet tarred, came a .s\;:hundred or two of London Buses to be conveyed to France to trans—' port our troops over there. dell ofter the first dozen passed by, the dust became a nuisance. The drivers were only used to clean London streets. The dust made them cough and sneeze, and they really thought that the Germans had put something on the road. Even" the newspapers mentioned it. , We also had the 3arrier's van..... the Jarrier used to \ get your town shopping for you. He never forgot any order and his \ \ \ charge was, 1d. small, and 2d. large, per parcel. Later we had 5. motor cars, very early vintage, to the most up to date makes, still; travelling along this_wonderful road. Motor buses also, from the large open bus with high backed seats like theatre seats. when it rained the driver pulled to the side of the road and adjusted a large hood over the passengers. Just think of our lovely luxury coaches going along this same road over which Roman Chariots travelled 2000 years ago! Enough about the Dover Road. One has only to look above, and see the many sorts of aeroplanes to wonder at the advancement of transportation. In 1887 a wonderful means of transport came to the village. A Railway was made to link up Canterbury and Folkestone. Passing through the lovely Elham Valley, it was wonderful to see the country beyond, to Folkestone, and it was a link with London with day excursions costing 5/- return. deny times 1 want that way to see the sights of London, until motor buses came past our doors, and geposited us in London. But alas, this Railway only lasted until 1945. its last gallant use was to carry the invasion guns using the track during the War. in the lovely St Mary's and St Peter's Churches we see Saxon building. The doorway of St Mary's 3hurch is circular, ornamented with carved work, and emblematical figures of Saxon architecture; and in St Peter's Church on the south side of the chancel is a circular arched doorway with oaxon ornaments. Rehords in old books tell us that, "the ancient Manor’ "of Blackmansberry extended over the greater part of Bridge. }t was originally part of the possession of the Abbey of V‘ 7 50/ V"St Augustine's, until the suppression of the Ahhey by’King\ ’Henry VIII, in the 58th year of his reign. Sir Arnold hraemst, L‘ descended from a family out of Flanders, came into possession of the flanor in 1638. On the sight of ancient Court Lodge, a 1 6 spacious and magnificent mansion was built and named Bridge _ . ‘ Place. The cost of this mansion so impoverished the estate that l the heirs of Sir Tnom2§"§§§ia§3§l§ed to part with it in l704.to \ Hr. John Taylor of Bifrons who pulled down the greater part of iti W ““’ leaying only one tang standing." I It is still called Biidge ‘sflace. I remember when General and Lady Bing resided there; A there was a great occasion when the Duchess of Albany, daughter ,of Queen Victoria, stayed there after opening some official eyents in Canterbury. In 1954 the Hon. firs. Eeame purchased the Bridge Placejansion. 4% Over that part of Bridge, on the North side of Dover ‘ ‘it i‘ . ‘Road, is the manor called "Bifrons", Going back to Tudor days, \ ~ the original builder aas Sir John Bargrave, an important person ”‘ of the 16th century. ‘His son was John; Rector of Harbledown. A d Bet. Edward Taylor, son of the said John ggglor abate, rebuilt ‘idol Bifrons as a-Georgian mansgggy using some of the materials from Bridge Place. since it was demolished in 1949, who knows, perhapsitvl another Bifrons will be built of some future architecture?" The \ Rev. Edward“Taylor sold Bifrons to the finrquis of Conyngham, who *‘” ;_ . Jdied in‘18i2. Bis widow, the flarehioness, continued to liven‘ ‘?;§ there until/her death. _Te Manor is still owned hy her heiggig ._.t at l f :}i‘e I H’ fig.’ \_. 4., -;_ .' .__~ ._ -- i t Z i‘ 7. The Marohioness was a famous beauty of George IV's Court. When she had.previously resided at Charlton dark, Bishopsbourne, nd the King visited her there, a large saloon was added to the mansion for the entertainment of his Court. This place is now one of Dr. Barnardo‘s Homes. During her lifetime she was very generous to the villages of Eatrixbourne and Bridge. She opened a school for girls at the Lower Lodge Gate. .£.0cua2u‘nW~*\ Irwi- special clothes. Then she supported the Free schools of Patrixbourne These girls were very proud of their and Bridge, helped towards the formation of a Volunteer Fire Brigade, \, I and had a small Gas Works erected to supply the mansion and villages - a wonderful thing in her generation. She gave a large Reading fioom fand Library to Bridge Parish, and in 1847 a small organ to Patrix- hourne church. (Later another organ was given by Mrs. Spencer Hount in memory of her husband‘. After her death the mansion was let to Sir John Miller, Mr. Marshall, Ar. Frank Penn, Col. Hon. silo Talbot, and then demolished. Another of the Manors is"Bereacre" afterwards called Great and Little Barakers, and is now called Great and Little Pett Earns. when looking at Pett Farms now, one must remember that there was no raileay embankment then, and it must have been very bleak. Another manor, very ancient, is "Highem", formerly owned by the Highem family, and later the Hughes Hallett family, who sold it to Mr. Gay, who in turn sold to Countess Zborowski, who diedfbefore the great alterations were made. .Her son Count Zborowski inkherited it and he was killed, meter racing abroad. Er. Walter ehigham then bought it and renamed it "Highland Court". On his death the Eospital gggh N plays a great part in hop Gommittee bought it for an Annexe to Canterbury Hospital. Another xflg which was formally owned by the Orippen On his eeath * Q fianor was "flflnyille" family. In 1896 Mr. J. Paokham owned and farmed it. i A lfi gflr. Killer rented it from the Sonynghams. Later fir. Srawford a “ rented it, and in 1954 it was sold to nrx Jim flaunt. icultural there was always ..’5D, As the land was mostly agr «QE _ outdoor employment for the women and children from early spring.to ‘~ late autumn. They did not earn much money, but were a jolly com- pany,wi§h their hop-tying, stone picking, cherrying, hay-making, ~pea and bean harvesting, gleaning, plum picking, hop picking, and e up to date machines of today! There is fiumdngold nulling. flot th f_ I a hop garden called Flint Garden. It has been growing-hope since If one looks ~ ; w, one will see it is the same as weaponsv at the Binman'e knife no I doubt if the farmers know the age of their ' J s which are used year after year. Again transportioh picking. Gone are the days of fetching 5* \‘ pickers in farmwagone, or traction engines with three trucks. ~,i _i These broughfpiokers from Dover, "what a ridel". Now there_are 1 and carry the pickers. motor buses to fetch yment for women is fruit picking. ~ The mogern outdoor amplo ‘The good agricultural ground all round our village is planted up, " - . - _ ,, , ~V ,'g"._~‘.‘ with strawberries, currents, raspberries, peers and apples,(earf§3 jh§1 egnd_1ate‘-T It ig a beautiful sight when all the blossoms areTont,i ,;, 0 hltho the trees are pruneg an - '1 . :7; I ,, ,,stil1~ren§rt to nnme;¢e§;‘:; :¥;‘“ ‘- > r . + M \ ; _ _ ‘ . > \ . ‘ gr. _ 3%!" :‘:'C’\ ;- 4. 9. lhives éf%'hirsd from an apfery nntil the blossom is finished. Homen nhen picking hops in the Bifrons Gardens were supplied with i . hot tea at lnneh,time; another kind thought of the Harehieness» \.‘ \ _ gghisiwas carried on until the first world war. From extracts taken from an old directory by §amuel Bagshaw, 1853, 102 years ago, we learn that "the Church at Bridge ' "dedicated to at Peter is an edifice with Rage, Chancel, sid§" .Aisles and north Traneept, with a spire steeple.? itfighe \sonth east corner there are 3 bells under a circular arch; "99 A- against the north wall of the Ghanoel are two rows-of small 6 « imagery, beantifully carved in stone, the uppermost represent- L e —?\ ing God the Father with several figures on each side; the ire .‘ t , , . L .lower one contains symbolical figures from the Old Testament. Underneath is the figure of a man lying full length with his 5 hands uplifted. Another monument has the figure of a skull, \ __wi;h a snake entering in at one eye, and a hand with one finger pointing up to it, as if it haaébeen the cause of the '*< ‘T person's death. The Parish Register contains manyjeptgies “U - from 1580 - 1666. The living has always been esteemed as a, ghapel to Patrixbourne. There is a Wesleyan Ghapel in Daring Road in the village." ‘(This was demolished in 1951‘. "The iree School is supported by subscription. ’There is an _ ._ " ‘ \ ~ " 2:; ' ' .. Infants‘ School chiefly supported hy-firs. Greggry of Bridge*%i ‘. Hill house; !fi§herBridge Poor Law Union, situated t mile North .73 of the Church comprehends_§é ?ari§Fes with a population-oiiw‘ souls. tgtiiginigflolfse ‘is’ ’f£~s§j:g>aeioxa