«'1  ' 

V

-rs. Jack friend.
2 Bering Vi]1iS,
Bridge.

June 19th 1955:

“ | , ‘ bunﬁ
:A.’i :{.L2;.Bs.; Uitiir. Q33

BKLDGA

These are a few items of ihterest arouhd my village of
C0-M

Patrixbourne cane Bridge, and District near by. some are taken
from Old Booko and Directories; also from memories of aged
inhabitants told to my late husband and myself durinn my 66 years

residence here.

As we all know, the Romans landed at walmer. There, a

Sotize Board is ere:ted to mark the spot of landinv. They came
to land that was very rough and rureed, towards Adisham downs on
to Barham downs, and arrived to fight the last battle at a sunken
spot, 3ourne Park side of Bridpe 3111, which is still called

The nomans remained on this high ground. de

1

"nnelend's Hole."
must remember there was no Dover noad then. They mgdc an amphi-
theatre, and performed feats of skill and daring to emprose the

poor old Britons, Lower down the hill there is a spring of water,

in a field still called "doman's Field", and here the momans used
to bathe. This spring flows into the mad; lake in front of Bourne
House. No mansions were therc then, only a few humble dwellings

ford at Brepee, now

by the Brides.

It will be noticed that thn xomans came over the Downs

after leavina Dover, with their famous road makin , mud jridge is

the second villsre on the road. some years later local gentry


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paid for a bridge to cross over the river to make it easier for
their transport. The good firm roads in east Kent are made from
solid foundations of the Kent Flint stones, of which our churches
are built. ﬂhen I was a small child I often stopped on my way to
school to watch an old man seated on a cant 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 by the farmers,
who later sold them to the road contractors. How many farmers
would bother about the stones on their fields to day? There is a
special way to measure these oants of stones, wnich is 10W a thing

of the past with our tarred Macadam and concrete roads. such is

progress!

we have signs of uaxon occupation, for on the ton of
Side hill nearing the present keeper's cottave a daxon Surial
Ground was found. The relics found are good examples of the times

and are called the "Bifrons Jolleotiou" and arezyaidstone inseam.

There is a very large wood called Gosley wood in the
Parish of Bridge which once belonged to St Augustine's Aonastery
afterwards granted to Sir Thomas Jolepepper. About 1898-99 1 well
4  g _

remember a Mr.é$a¢sks%§i%s-who lived in a cottage in Bourne Bark.
He was a great Archaeologist and had heard from tht woodmen that
some stone slabs were together in the wood. He inspected them and
found them to he Tumult, and then got permission to open them. The

stones that govered them were brourht from miles away as they are


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‘not of Kent -Stone.

from 1896.

5.

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 hears off-to Gosley Hood by Flint Gottages. 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 Kingston end. One can recognise this

$LL
Park Farm with its beautifully made wall and wood Gate and Rark
Gate, which must certainly refer to the Park round this mansion.
b The

Now a few reminiscences of the Dover dead. famous

ﬁile stones 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 here all taken up owing to

the scare of invasion. These were replaced after the war, but i,
for one, feel very cross that the ﬁoman Numerals were not kept
intact, as they were, cut 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

pass along this road.

I will now give my memories of transport for 60 years,

Then, our connections with lanterhury were to walk or

ride, We rode on solid tyre cycles, sometimes 5 penny farthing

bicycle, tricycles, pony carts, or horse back. iest of all was

the Coach, with its four in hand and Post Horn. This came from

Folkestone to Ganterbu ry daily and was driven by Mr. dcott,

passing through the village between 22 and l'o'clock, and returning


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between 3-50 and 4 o'clock. About 1900 a great tragedy happened

to the Joach going round the bend at the ded House, (since

I

Barham,
by-passed‘. The coach went over, and Mr. eoott has killed.

The Pilgrim's passed from the Dover Aoad by Gipsy Jottage,
Gold Harbour Farm, shepherds Jlose, Keeper's Jottage, through
Patrixbourne, Hode or Head Lane as it used to be spelt, to Little
Barton, and spring Lane to the Jathedralfatone can see how these
names explained to the Pilgrims just what to find and where to rest.
At Gipsy Cottage I erpeot gipsies were to be found. At Gold Harbour,
it was very cold to rest. Shepherds llose, something warmer.
Patrixbourne, with its old Jhuroh,
Spring Lane, somewhere near by a spring to water the horses.

Along this road marzhed soldiers to be camped on the
Downs during the soaresof Napoleon; dorld ear I and world war II.
Each war had better equipped soldiers, but all to protect their
country as their forefathers had done at"sngland's Hole". On this
road in 1914, a road of thick chalky dust, not yet tarred, came a
hundred or two of London Buses to be eonveyed to France to trans-
port our troops over there. well 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 Jarrier's van..... the Jarrier used to

get your town shopping for you. He never forgot any order and his

charge was, ld. small, and 2d. large, per parcel. Later we had

somewhere to rest and find comfort.-


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motor oars, very early vintage, to the most up to date makes, still
travelling along this wonderful road. Actor buses also, from

the large open bus wkth 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 Janterbury and
Folkestone. Passing through the lovely hlham 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 I want that way to see the sights of London, until motor
buses came past our doors, and deposited us in London. But alas,
this Railway only lasted until 1945- its last gtllant 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 Jary's Jhurch is circular,
ornamented with carved work, and emblematioal figures of Saxon
architecture; and in St Pete ‘a Church on the south side of the
chancel is a circular arched doorway with eaxon ornaments.

Records in old books tell us that, "the ancient Janor

‘of Blackmansberry extended over the greater part of Bridge.

It was originally part of the possession of the Abbey of


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"St Augustine's, until the suppression of the Abbey by King

Henry VIII, in the 38th year of his reign. sir Arnold Braems,
descended from a family out of Flanders, came into possession

of the Manor in 1638. On the sight of ancient Jourt Lodge, a
spacious and magnificent mansion was built arn named Bridge
Place. The cost of this mansion so impoverished the estate that
the heirs of Sir rhom§§~§?;°eSi‘~;e®B"€3lﬁ}'ee to part with it in l704.to
Mr. John Taylor of Bifrons who pulled down the greater part of it
leavinp only one thug standing." It is still called Bridge
Place. I remember when General and Lady Bing resided there,
there was a great occasion when the Duchess of Albany, daughter
of Queen Victoria, stayed there after opening some official event:

in Canterbury. In 1954 the Hon. hrs. Neame purchased the Bridge

Place dansion.

\ Over that part of Bridge, on the North side of Dover
Road, is the manor called "Bifrons", Going back to Tudor days,
the original builder was sir John Bargrave, an important person
of the l6th century. His son was John, Rector of Harbledown. A
Rev. Edward Taylor, son of the said John Iaalor above, rebuilt
Bifrons as a Georgian mansion, using some of the materials from

Bridge Place. mince it was demolished in 1949, who knows, perhaps

another Bifrons will be built of some future architecture? The

I

Rev. Edward Taylor sold Bifrone to the ﬂarquie of Jonyngham, who
died in 1832. His widow, the darchioness, continued to live

there until her death. The ﬂanor is still owned by her heirs.


‘railway embankment then, and it must have been very bleak.

The Marchioness was a famous beauty of George IV‘s Court. when

she had previously resided at Sharlton dark, Bishopsbourne, ad

the King visited her there, a large saloon was added to the mansion
for the entertainment of his Gourt. This place is now one of Dr. .
Barnardo's Homes. During her lifetime she was very generous to the
villages of Patrixbourne and Bridge. She opened a school for girls

at the Lower Lodge Gate. These girls were very proud of their
1£ku.£uXR:i~1 Rowd-

special clothes.

and Bridge, helped towards the formation of a Volunteer Fire Brigade,

and had a small Gas dorks erected to supply the mansion and villages -

a wonderful thing in her generation. She gave a large Reading Room
and Library to Bridge Parish, and in 1847 a small organ to Patrix-
bourne Church. (Later another organ was given by Mrs. Spencer haunt

in memory of her husband‘. After her death the mansion was let to

Sir John miller, Mr. Marshall, ﬁr. Frank Penn, Gel. Hon. A110 Talbot,

and than demolished.
Another of the Manors is"Bereacre" afterwards called Great
and Little Barakers, and is now called Great and Little Pett Farms.
when looking at Pett Farms now, one must remember that there was no
Another
manor, very ancient, is "Higham", formerly owned by the Higham
family, and later the Hughes Hallett family, who sold it to Jr. Gay,
who in turn sold to Countess Zborowski, who diedfbefore the great-
alterations we~e made. Her son Count Zborowski in~herited it and
he was killed, motor racing abroad. Jrs Walter ﬁhigham then bought

it and renamed it "Highland Court". On his death the Hospital

Then she supported the Free schools of Patrixbourne


- manaold pullina.

.These broughfpickers from Dover, "what a ridei".

8.

Committee bought it for an Annexe to Canterbury Hospital. Another
Manor was "ﬁinville" which was formgily owned by the Orippen
J. Packham owned and farmed it. on his death

family. In 1896 Mr.

Jr. niller rented it from the Jonynghams. Later Er. Crawford

rented it, and in 1954 it was sold to hr. Jim haunt.

As the land was mostly agricultural there was always
outdoor employment for the women and children from early spring to
late autumn. They did not earn much money, but were a jolly com-
nany,with their hop-tying, stone picking, oherrying, hay-making,
pea and bean harvesting, gleaming, plum picking, hop picking, and’
not the up to date machines of today! There is
a hop garden called Flint Garden. It has been growiny hops since
the days of dueen alizabeth I without a break. if one looks
at the Binman's knife now, one will see it is the same as weapons
used in her time. I doubt if the farmers know the age of their
Binmens°tools which are used year after year. Again transportion
plays a great part in hop picking. Gone are the days of fetching
pickers in farmwagons, or traction engines with three trucks.

Now there are
motor buses to fetch and carry the pickers.

The modern outdoor employment for women is fruit picking.
The good agricultural ground all round our village is planted up
with strawberries, currants, raspberries, pears and apples,(ear1y
and late7- It is a beautiful sight when all the blossoms are out,
altho the trees are pruned and sprayed with many lashes, the farmers

still revert to numerous hives of bees to pollinate them. These


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hives are hired from an apiary until the blossom is finished.
Women when pickinp hope in the Bifrons Gardens were supplied with
hot tea at lunch time; another kind thought of the Marchioness.

This was carried on until the first world war.

From extracts taken from an old directory by damsel
Bagshaw, 1855, 102 years ago, we learn that "the Church at Bridge

"dedicated to St Peter is an edifice with Nave, Jhancel, side
Aisles and north Transept, with a spire steeple. At the .
south east corner there are 5 bells under a circular arch;
against the north wall of the Ghanel are two rows-of small
imagery, beautifully carved in stone, the uppermost represent-
ing God the Father with several figures on each side; the
lower one contains symbolical figures from the Old Testament-
Underneath is the figure of a man lying full length with his
hands uplifted. Another monument has the figure of a skull,
with a snake entering in at one eye, and a hand with one
finger pointing up to it, as if it had been hhe cause of the
person's death. The Parish negister contains many entries
from 1580 - 1660. The living has always been esteemed as a
chapel to Patrixbourne. There is a ﬁesleyan Ghapel in Bering
Road in the villape-" (This was demolished in 1951‘.

"The free School is supported by subscription. There is an
infants‘ school chiefly supported by Mrs. Gregory of Bridge
Hill house. The Bridge Poor Law Union, situated % mile North
of the Jhurch oomprehends 22 Parishes with a population of

10,945 souls. The Union House is a spacio s brick fabric


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"built in 1835 at a cost of £4,500, for the acoomodation of
350 inmates. Additions an_d alterations have since been made
making the total ooet £5,000.

The Board consists of 22 Guardians and 4 ex offioo Guardians.
Chairman........ Charles Jollard.

Surgeons........ Jr. A. Sioard, Jr. ﬂilliam banker, Hr. Thomas,
sankey Cooper, Hr. Robert Jooper-Kereey,
Mrs Frederick Harvey aankey, Mr. edward Long,

Relieving Officer. Mr~ Charles Holman.

Clerk............Mr. William Forth.

Parishes included Adishem, Barham, Beakesbourne, Biehopehourne,
3ridge, Ghartham, Fordwioh, Harbledown, Hardree,(Lower and Upper‘
Iokham, Kingston, Llttlebourne, Naokington, Patrixhourne,

Petham, Stodmarsh, Thanington, Naltham, ﬂestgate without,
ﬂiokhambreux and Nomenswold.

Average weekly cost of indoor panpere for the quarter ending,

ﬂiohaelmas 1847 was 3/4%, of which sum 3%d. was for clothing".

Ay comments in 1955 are that the schools are new State

«owned and,are ﬂrr children up to llyeare plus. éeniore can pass

for entry to Grammar, Art and Technical schools, and £31: to the
Secondary ﬁodern School at Sturry. These children are conveyed by
bus daily to the schools nowadays. The Primary 3ohool'e_Headmistrese
is Miss. seath. Ehe Poor Law Institution is another great member

of the Welfare state. It is now a peopleé hospital and nursing

home for aged folk. The buildings are vastly improved and the

residents are well looked after by a trained Matron, hiss nborn,

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‘well as good food and clothes.

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and trained nurses; and are given rocket money of 7/6 per week as
"The Close", as it is nos called
does not stipulate any parishes. desidents come from distances far
and wide. I doﬁt know the actual cost per person per week but it is
far above the 3/4% per week of 100 years ago. Again what a lot of
Surgeons then, today there is one, Dr. Mercer of iittlehourne.

Among Bagshaw's list of Public Houses, he names only,
"The Red Lion", "The dhite Horse", and a Jalt House and Brewery
whthh is now "The Plough and Harrow". The Post Office was at the
"white Horse" and.the tehant, Mr. dioharo dhcrrard was the Postmaster.
One must remember that not many villagers could read and erite in
those days. There was a Miller, Jr. iohnson; a Tailor, Mr. iiii
Collard; Blacksmith, Mr. Fagg; Clock Maker, Mr. Hardimen;
Sadaler, Mr. Aartin; schoolmaster, Jr. dichards.

when I came here in 1895 the Post|Offioe was at the
Grooerfe Shop, Mr. Perry; Miller, Jr. White; Tailor, Mr. dtevens;
Veterinary ourgeon, ﬁr. Howard; Blacksmith, Mr. Gilbert; Glook

Maker, Mr. Billy Hnrdiman; Saddler, Mr. Taylor; schoolmaster,

.Mr. Wye. Now in 1955, the Post hiaster its .4-. xioberts and the Post

Office is in his own house. No Mill Or miller, no Tailor. ﬁo Vet,

no Smithyg no Glock Aaker, No Saddler. - -

more extracts from $amue1VBagshaw's Directory of 1853
tell us that ”Patrixbourne is a small village 5 miles south east
from Janterbury, in a very healthy district with the Little stone

running through the Parish. Jlose to it in the valley is the Jhurch


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"Court Lodge and Vicarage near together. In 1841 therie were
55 houses and 251 inhabitants.

The Church, dedicated to St Mary is very ancient witvh
Nave,Transit, south Chancel and Spire. The East windows are
of beautiful stained glass; it contains many ancient memorials,
eiimptuous monument of white marble has been erected to the
late Marquis Conyngham who died in 1852. The living is that of
a viczrage with the 3hapel_of Bridge annexed. The Free School
is supported by the Marchioness Congngham, about 50 children
attexn. The living of the Churches was given and appropriated
to the Priory of Merton, Surrey, as early as 1258 in ﬂiich state
they continued until the dissolution of the Priory in the 51st.
year of Henry VIII's reign, when they came with the Manors into
the King's hands, since which they have passed in the same .
tract of ownership; the Parish was chiefly owned by Odo Bishop
of Baieux at the time of the Doomsday Bookbﬁurvey about 1080.
Shortly afterwards it was divided into éEli§§s, one of which
was called gamer of Patrixbourne Merton, and was held by
Harg§:§?fgﬁrri%ge to John De Poratis a Norman, who soon after

the year 1200 gave it to his newly elected priory at Beaulieu

.in Normandy to which afterwards became an alien cell in which

state it continued till the reign of Henry IV, when it was
granted to the Priory of Augustines Cannons of Merton in Surrey,
hence the name Patrixbourne Merton. Agter the suppression of
Henry VIII, the Manor with the Rectory and Advowson of Vicarage

"to Sir Thomas Cheney to hold to him and his heirs "Males GE :3
. J . J

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"as a castle of Rochest9T. The present holder of the Manor with the

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Rectory and Advowson is the ﬁarchioness of Conyngham and also pwner of
_PatrixBourne Chaney,
There are two cottages in this Pariah each divided into two dwellings

which were given by the Taylor family to the use of the Parish,”

My remarks are that there is a cottage of this description near the anal
shop and beerhouse,There is a brick,built in the front marked 1899,

Another is a nice house built the same near the Bridge and stream flofing

F"

j the garden, The cottages of Batrixbourne were sold ahout 1950 B? the

tponyngham family, The boundary between Patrixbourne and Bekesbourne is the

A

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K‘: nice Golf

main 3treet’so that one side of the street is Bekosbourne and the Church

’~/aide is Patrixbourne,

We consider our villages very hea1thy,and our inhabitants live to a great
age, I knew a Mrs Hayzen,a sweet old lady,who lived to br lOO,S§5ﬁ Her
hair was doneﬂﬂﬁ with side curls, She was very interesting to talk to,
she had been to Australia twice,each tine going round the Cape in
§'ind_ja1mners,W'hat pluck to travel sow/irh those comfortless days?

On the Downs of Bridge Hill was a Race Qourse_which must have a var?
good thing for Bridge, It was closed about 187455, I underatand the Stake:
have been transferred to F0 kestone and Wye Races, The Downs were then
made into a fine Golf Oourse,with a Golf Professional,and Groundsman,

iv

house and Club House, The pretty round cottage on Frognall
;ane was the home of the Grounds and Club Steward, Aﬁter the 1914.18 war
ghe Club House was the Headduarters of the Bridge and District British
Legion, Later the place was demollished,Now there are no Golf links,

The land was ploughed up by the Highland Estate, It was always said to

common land,but who can argue,even if such things as Horse Racing and


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Golf Links were there_ side Hill was also ommnon land, We always held all
village treats there_ I well remember school treats on Ascension Day,
ﬂﬁﬁfjj Jubi1ees,ané Coronation Days of fin; Edward VII,ﬁing George V,and

King Geor¢e VI with sports and feasts_ But it had to he another spot for

1

Elizabeth II's Ooronation,for Side Hill was ploughed up,l .

‘ ‘ .
Are the villages losing all their rights and oustoms?, The Village Green
was between Waterloo cottages and Brewery Zane, A well was there when I

came to Bridge and was used by the oottagers_ Now lodges and cottages
_are built there, .

cm;

\‘. . The inhabitants were very fortunate during the 9 world wars,

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.“[r11914.l8,hombs were dropped 5ﬁﬁﬁ7 by Zeppelins near Rode Farm,@trixBoumi

"hIn the 1939-45 war,enemy bombers were brought down,1ong range shells from
-/»“““ranoe fell near our Council Houses at BPidg9,We were in the direct I535
‘ route for the "Doodle Bugs” and Rockets meant for London, _
We lost two cottages at Fatrixbourne,but fortunately with no loss of life

or injury to any one,
with the memory of the famous "Battle of Britain” fought over our heads,

201039 the items of the History of Bridge and Patri:<‘uo‘vh*ne from
" B_C_56 to A,n_1955,

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ﬁrs Jack Friend,