L ;m&‘-mMwWwu7/mwmumfi K (mg *9 W M iém/ébvc {;¢,.,.,,¢, U f; Dfifl (»>cM.A 'q7q ’ 3% ?/U(f>®_w,,,e®(,( 2's/ I’-l>-l>-l>-A-l>-in-is-I:-bwwwuwwwwwwmwmwwmwmwIx)»-»—»—-->->-v-av-—>—->-xoooxloxuu4>u.>l\J>- l\J>—*O\Doo\1O\Uu-l>L»Jt\>-—-AC>\ooo\1O\U14>L»Jt\.>>-*O\Ooo\lO\U1-l>L»3l\>v--O\Ooo\lc\U1-l>UJl\.>>—O Title Symonson 1596 Ogilby 1675 Hasted 1790 OS Map 1898 Sketch Map 2000 The Bridge The Bridge Under the Bridge Schellinks 1664 Schellinks Town Hill The Bridge today Aerial view: Field House Vine Map 1887 Aerial View Star Hill Corner of Hexagon Saxon (J utish) Graves Coin of Sept. Severus (ca 200) Glass Cup F aussett Cup Gold Pendant Jar Beads Church 1853 Church today Church today Village Hall Tin Chapel 1894 Mediaeval Cottages Primrose Alley Hillside High Street & Hillside Hillside & Beechmouint Bridge Farm 1952 Bridge Farm White Horse & Farm Beans Cotts Neo—Georgian housing l960’s Cotts Bridge Hill Symonson Map rep Windmill Mill House then Mill House now Bridge Place today A Ocker: Bridge Place ca 1670 A Ocker detail Bridge Place from same View Ground Plan Custom House Dover Bridge Place Garden Garden Drawing J Siberechts: Bifrons ca 1680 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 l 06 Bifrons Detail Bifrons ca 1780 Bifrons ca 1900 George III & Lady Conyngham The Bridge at Bifrons Higham Zborowski 27 lit Zborowski in France Hihgam today Racecourse 1786 Bridge Hill House Rowlandson: Canterbury Races The Red Lion The White Horse The Plough & Harrow Aerial View of Workhouse Workhouse The Close The School Schoolchildren ca 1890 Schoolchildren ca 1920 Schoolchildren ca 1940 Excursion 1900 Excursion l 91 0 Wireless Concert 1920s Excursion 1930s Excursion 1950s Fire Brigade Fire Brigade Fire Brigade Jobs: Shooting Jobs: Orchards Jobs: Hops Off License Price Grocer & PO Price Grocer Price Grocer Golds 1974 Mrs Johnson Woods Boots Edwards Butcher Garage High St & Phone Box Parade Shops Chemist Baker Floods Floods Lewis Grocer demolished Bypass 1976 Bypass Celebrated Hurricane 1987 The Aftermath A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute -s. 7x.,:l.«-\.J" ‘Q 3 THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE The village of Bridge lies astride the Nailbourne ~ when, that is, the ‘bourne’, an intermittent water course of the Little Stour, is running! The river has its ' ‘ ultimate ‘'‘‘‘’'‘‘r “R MB source at East Brook, near Etchinghill — hardly more than 3 miles from the channel coast at I-lythe, but it only runs continuously from the spring at Well Chapel, Littleboume. It dries up, or runs underground, frequently, but once, when the Wantsum Channel was open to the sea, it was a faster and wider water course. As late as the 1920s, it is said that trout were to be caught in School Lane, Bekesbourne. Legends abound of the river in filll flow portending national disaster. As recently as 2000 it caused widespread flooding. The Kentish Travellers’ Companion of 1794 records that ‘the bridge being decayed and otherwise inconvenient for carriages, a new and more commodious one has been built by subscription’: this double-arched bridge still survives beneath the present road. Cozens’ History of Kent of 1798 states that Bridge ‘is now but a small village of about 20 houses, situated in a narrow valley’, but above all, the bridge allowed the easy passage of travellers, and it is because of the road itself that the Village of Bridge has developed into the village it is today. YI(i'5]E‘Y|lloi3Q From Domesday, we learn that the abbot of St Augustine’s Abbey held the hundred of Bridge. A hundred was an administrative district within an English shire, with a court house, or meeting-place, usually located centrally within it, often sited at river crossings or cross roads. Within the hundred, the parish of Bridge comprised two manors: that of Bereacre, of which no trace remains in terms of a big house; and the more significant manor of Blackmansbury, in which a building, referred to by I-lasted, the eighteenth century historian of Kent, as ‘the 4 court lodge’, was situated, probably on the site of the present Bridge Place. The parish of Bridge, as we think of it today, was regarded throughout the middle ages and beyond as a subsidiary part of Patricksbourne. Indeed, the proximity of the church to the partish boundary indicates that the parish was originally carved out of Patrixbourne. Archaelogical evidence shows Bridge to have been the site of an Iron- Age settlement, and pottery, fragments of weapons and other artefacts have been excavated from the Romano-British period. A near-circular hollow, cut into by the road part way up Bridge Hill, and traditionally known as ‘Old England’s Hole’ may well represent a defensive position, constructed by the ancient Britons to protect their river crossing after their defeat by Ceasar’s seventh legion in 54BC — or it may be just an old chalk quarry. Since the first century AD, when the Romans first built the road, travellers to and from Europe have come through Bridge. Harris in his History of Kent of 1719, lists various encampments on Barham Down at dilferent times, whose occupants would have had to take the road on their route between the coast and Canterbury. King John in 1212, assembled on the Down with ’60,000’ men, ready to repel any attempted invasion from France. It is likely that King Henry V marched down Bridge Hill on his return from Agincourt in 1415, to celebrate his victory in Canterbury Cathedral. In 1450, during Cade’s Rebellion, ‘John Ysake of Patrykesboume...and William atte Wode of Brigge, smyth, and other men in Brygge hundred. . . gathered together against the statutes of the realm’ but were ‘granted general pardon at the request of the queen’. Every three years throughout the 15"’ century, a huge wax candle, rolled into a coil, or trindle, was carried on the road through Bridge — a gift from the people of Dover to be used at the cathedral to provide tapers for the poor and destitute to light at the shrine of St Thomas. This must have been one of the more unusual items to pass through the village of Bridge, matched only, perhaps, by the four dromedaries and two camels brought in 1466 by the lord patriarch of Antioch, as a gifi for the king and queen! In 1520, King Henry VIII must have passed through Bridge with his magnificent retinue on his 5 way France to meet Francois I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In the 1630’s, during the thirty years war, Spanish silver was carried in great quantities from Dover on the road to London to be minted into coin. In August 1799, at the height of an invasion scare during the Napoleonic wars, more than 10,000 infantrymen camped on Barham Down to prepare for invasion. The Kentish Gazette recorded that The immense train of farmers’ and artillery wagons employed in conveying the troops and baggage, ammunition, military and other stores and provisions towards the camp, adding to the numerous carriages filled with oflicers and other passengers; these together have produced a scene of populousness and traffic in this ancient city [of Canterbury], which has not been beheld by its inhabitants since the days of St Thomas Becket. , ‘ In preparation for this influx, a Dr Wardell, physician to the forces quartered in Bridge, was looking for a ‘roomy house or other sort of building. . to be used for a regimental hospital’. The hills on either side of the village were once steeper than they are now. In summer, the passage of traffic over the road surface resulted in clouds of dust; in winter in muddied ruts. On 26 December 1769, the Kentish Gazette noted that ‘some public—spirited Gentlemen intend to petition Parliament for a Turnpike Act’ for the road from Dover to Canterbury. Substantial roadworks included the lessening of the gradient of both hills down into the village and the smoothing out of the slope ~ though the work was not completed until 1829 Tolls were imposed, and there was to be no parking in the street’ — a controversial issue until this present time! The street was not tarred, of course, until the mid-20"‘ century, and the wide water-splflash to one side of the Bridge, used for watering horses or coolingmthe metal rims of wheels after the steep descent into the village, also remained in place until well into the 20”‘ century. The origins of the village lie in its dependency on the road. For centuries, the buildings flanking its single street were principally concerned with meeting the needs of travellers and passers by — premises supplying food and drink, a blacksmith, saddler, shoemaker av: 6 and so on. Numerous daily coach services provided a connection to London. A long-term Bridge resident, Mrs Jack Friend, was able to recall in 1955 how, in her childhood, a four-in-hand coach travelled daily through the village on its journey from Folkestone to Canterbury and return, with a post horn to alert passengers of its arrival. In the Great War, troops were once again encamped close to Bridge. One day in 1914, the roadway up Bridge Hill was thick with chalky dust as over 100 London buses passed through to be used in France as transport for the troops. The dust became so thick that the drivers complained the enemy had covered the surface with something to choke them. This story even made the London newspapers! Probably the drivers were more used to the better constructed surfaces of London roads. In both World Wars, a canteen was established in Bridge village hall, to serve the men stationed outside the village. During the latter war, the milestones up Bridge Hill were taken up and anti-tank emplacements installed at the top of Bridge Hill to prevent the enemy progressing down the A2. Indeed, one afternoon in 1981, some of the residents of Bridge Hill were required to evacuate their houses in response to an alert concerning an unexploded device found on the Hill! By the middle of the 20th century, the A2 London—Dover road, including Bridge High Street, became increasingly congested, as heavy traffic thundered through the village. In January 1962, pensioner George Smith was knocked down and killed while out shopping. In 1963, two lorries and a bus were involved in a collision in the main street. Incidents like this became increasingly frequent and, by 1964, the I — . ' ' villagers had had enough. They launched a series of protests in support of the construction of a bypass. Initially, these protests consisted of people walking in the roadway, to disrupt the flow of traffic to cause the vehicles to slow down. When this action failed, the V *” ~ " I W - ‘A villagers resorted to sitting in the road! Clearly the spirit of Cade’s Rebellion was not dead! In l972, a Dover-bound truck drove into Colin Lewis’s grocer’s shop, trapping "» i ': ain- 7 a young girl and killing the driver. After this, the sit-down protests increased in frequency until on one occasion a thousand people staged a sit-in in the High Street, closing the village to all traflic for an hour and causing a Very long tail-back. Eventually, repeated lobbying and demonstrations led to victory and a bypass was opened on 29 June 1976 accompanied by great celebration. At last the villagers were able to enjoy their village in relative peace and comfort. 7 The history of Bridge is not ‘*~~ = that of a characteristic * medieval village, radiating from its centre; nor yet was Bridge part of any great estate, even though in later years it has been surrounded by great houses, notably Bourne House, Bridge Place, Higham and * ‘ s I Bifrons — all of whose owners have played their part in developing the village, though only Bridge Place lies within the parish boundaries. For most of its existence, the inhabitants of Bridge have numbered no more than a few hundred. The late 18th century saw the building of a few cottages in Brewery lane. In the 19th century, the Workhouse (1835) was built, as were houses in Dering and Filmer Road (1860’s). The later 19th century saw a gradual extension along the Street towards Canterbury. It is only since 1962 that there has been any serious expansion, with the construction of Bridge Down (1962), Western Avenue (1963) and Riverside Close (1965). In the census for 1801, the population of the entire parish was 325. By 1834 it had reached 543, and in 1841 it was 817, of whom 165 were inmates of the workhouse. In 1871 the population reached 941, declining to 699 in 1921 as agricultural employment diminished. In the 1960s, Bridge began to change irrevocably, with the demolition of the most notable building at its centre, the 14th century Bridge Farm, and the expansion of modern housing C ‘v ‘*5’ .r’‘_. K,» 1:, 1 8 development, resulting in a population in 1971 of 1225, and by the Millennium, of almost 2000. The village still boasts more than twenty houses dating to the 18th century or before, and others built in the 19th century. Some of the houses in the Street are older than they look, having received new fronts in the 18th century. Historically, employment of the villagers of Bridge was provided by a thriving retail trade and serving the needs of travellers in the pubs and inns. Significant numbers were engaged in farm labour, much of it seasonal: hop tying, stone picking, cherrying, hay making, pea and bean harvesting, fi'uit picking, hop picking. The hop garden near Flint Cottages has been growing hops since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and a few hops are still grown. Local shops, the dental and doctors’ surgery, the care home and the pubs and restaurant still provide more employment than many villages but most villagers, of course, now commute elsewhere to work. Jim--the-lustwtahirty years Bridge has lost a number of shops, but it . remains a thriving community, boasting a post ofiice and pharmacy, general store, bakery, butcher, hairdresser, photography studio, school, church, care home, restaurant and three pubs. It is served by a regular bus service to Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone. It has an active and hosts many local societies, including such parish council, charitable enterprises as the Fish scheme. The most substantial house in the parish was Bridge Place, built on the site of what was probably the medieval court Lodge in the manor of Blackmansbury, alias Bridge. Here Symonson’s map of Kent of 1596 shows a building lying astride the Nailbourne, a reminder of the mediaeval watermill that surely once occupied the site. Until Henry 9 VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, the manor of Blackmansbury was in the possession the abbey of St Peter, St Paul and St Augustine, Canterbury, and was let to tenants. With the suppression of the Abbey in 1540, the manor reverted to the Crown. Henry VIII granted the manor to John Laurence, whose family retained it until 1576, when it was sold to William Partheriche, who built a new house on the site. Traces of this house were revealed in an archaeological excavation in 1964/5. and relics of the old house survived in the basement until the l970’s. Partheriche was surveyor of the Ordnance Office under Elizabeth I, and was appointed by the queen in 1582 to undertake extensive works at Dover Harbour. He died in 1598 and was buried in his chapel in Bridge church. William’s grandson, Edward, sold the property in 1638 to Arnold Braems. Braems was born in Dover in 1602. His ancestors were of Flemish descent — immigrants who had originally settled at Sandwich in the 16th century. During the Civil War, he was a loyal supporter of Charles I. At the Restoration of Charles 11, his loyalty was rewarded with a knighthood. Braems was a Dover merchant and, preferring commerce to politics, he worked to develop Dover as a successful port, acquiring land on the seafront, creating vast warehouses for goods, and making a fortune on harbour tolls and customs. This fortune he spent in the building of a fine house in Bridge, and in support of his King. He lived in Bridge until his death in 1681. In place of the former manor house, Bridge Place, built with hand—made Dutch bricks, was the largest house in 17th century East Kent, excepting Chilham Castle. It had a deer park, an extensive garden, an aviary, a bowling green, woods, a rabbit warren, ‘beautifully well-kept pleasure grounds’ and a fine avenue of lime trees stretching to the church. Arnold Braems had a reputation as a generous host, who kept a ‘princely table’. Among his guests was the artist Will~iam Schellinks who in 1661 recorded his visit in his journal and made a number of sketches, including a view of the Street from the bottom of Bridge Hill. Another guest writes of being ‘merrily entertained’, at Braems’ ‘delightfiil residence at Bridge, one hour’s walk from Canterbury’. The ,;,~ N 0.9% ‘_ 10 company played bowls, and ‘we saw a hart shot with a crossbow in the deerpark...everybody, especially the ladies, washed their hands in the warm blood, to get white hands. The hart was immediately gutted and cut up into quarters’. The following day, ‘venison pie and other dishes of the hart were on the menu’. Walter Breams inherited the house on his father’s death in 1681, but by this time the estate was burdened with debt. Walter had been much involved in the Civil War and, at the Restoration, was made Comptroller of HM Customs at Sandwich, and later at Dover, not least as a reward for having been the ‘youngest prisoner in England for your Majesty’s Service’. In 1690, however, he was petitioning for ‘six years arrears of salary’, and after his death in 1692, his family could no longer afford to maintain the house. His son inherited, but by 1695 the estate was sold to John Taylor of Patrixboume, who soon demolished the greater part of Bridge Place in order to use the bricks in the building of Bifrons, on his property in Patrixbourne. What survives of the original Bridge Place is just one wing, but, in the view of Hasted, ‘the size and stateliness...being of itself full sufficient for a gentleman’s residence’. An advertisement in the Gazette in June 1791 advertises the house for let as having ‘proper offices for a family: a coach-house with stabling for seven horses, and eleven acres of very fine pasture...and a cottage consisting of a brewhouse, laundry and dairy, with good 1odging—rooms over them’. Since then, the house has had a succession of owners, and was purchased by Peter Malkin in 1969. In 1976, Bridge Place hosted a party to celebrate the opening of the A2 by—pass, an achievement long fought for by the villagers. Until recently it housed a night-club and country club. Little Bridge Place nearby was almost certainly built at the same time in the 17th century. Once part of a larger estate, Bourne House (in Bishopsbourne)) is considered to be amongst the finest Queen Anne houses in Kent. It was built using materials from Westenhanger Castle by Dame Elizabeth Aucher, widow of Sir Henry Aucher, for her son Hewytt, between 1704 and 1707 on the site of an ancient house known as Hautboume. (The Haute family, kinsmen of Edward IV’s queen Elizabeth Woodville, was prominent in the area in the 15th century). In 1756, Stephen Beckingham, who had married an Aucher granddaughter, inherited the estate. In 1765, Mozart was a guest in ll the house, and while staying there, visited the popular Barham Downs racecourse. In 1845, Matthew Bell,a director of Equitable Life, and the owner also of ‘Oswalds’ in Bishopsbourne purchased the house." Bell was responsible for the ” ' J construction of the ornamental lake, and for constructing of a number of buildings in the vicinity, including estate cottages, the school in Bishopsboume and Bridge Lodge in Bridge. Such buildings are often ' . A distinguished by a stone plaque, showing an intertwined MFB motif, for Matthew and Fanny Bell, his wife. When the Elham Valley railway was built at the end of the 19th century, Matthew Bell agreed to its passing through his land only if it was hidden by a cut—and—cover tunnel where it ran behind his house. Memorials to the Auchers and the Bells can be seen in the north chapel of Bishopsboume church. 0 . F.’ Bell’s grandson (also Matthew) died in 1927, at which time the house was purchased by Sir John Prestige, who owned it until his death in 1962. In the 1950s, Sir John proposed that Kent County Council should take over the house as a museum, but this scheme did not materialise, and by 1957 the house was empty and in a poor state of repair. Sir John then sought to have the house demolished, but following a public enquiry, a Preservation Order was placed on the house, which was eventually Grade One listed. Extensive restoration work followed, and Sir John’s next scheme was to offer the house and 300 acrefiiestate as the site for the new University of Kent, but this too was turned down. During the 1960s and 70s, the house changed ownership a number of times, and various proposals were made for its fixture. These included a religious house, a residential retirement club, a private hospital, offices and residential accommodation and a luxury hotel. The house’s future became assured when it was purchased in 1983 by Lady Juliet, the only 12 daughter of the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, and Mr Somerset de Chair, a conservative MP and noted collector of art and antiques. Sensitive and expert restoration work was carried out on the house and grounds. Somerset de Chair died in 1995 aged 83. Lady Juliet remarried in 1997, and the work of improving and enhancing the grounds, the house and its contents has continued. One of the first cricket matches in Kent took place on the ground at Bourne Park, now sadly defunct, but which in the l8th century attracted very many people. In 1767 booths selling food were available on the cricket ground itself, including one for gentlemen ‘in a tent pitched for that purpose, separate from all the other booths’. After 1780, publicans from Bridge and Canterbury were allowed to set up booths operating outside the ‘paddock’. When Hambledon played England in August 1772 undwer the patronage of the then tenant Sir Horace Mann, a grandstand was built to accommodate the huge crowd. There were said to be 20,000 people present on the first day. Many of the supporters were ordinary Kentish folk, and a rhyme of 1773 suggests how far they were willing to travel: From Marsh and Weald their hay fork left To Bourne the rustics hied From Romney, Cranbrook, Tenterden And Darent’s verdant side For many centuries Bridge church, built in the late 12th century on the ’ . 7 9 site of a previous Anglo-Saxon chapel, served as no more than a ‘chapel of ease’ for the church at Patrixbourne, providing for the ‘ease’ of those living at some distance from the parish church. By tradition, such chapels were often built at the roadside, and often near river-crossings, for the convenience of travellers, so Bridge church satisfied both these 13 requirements. As the parish of Bridge grew, however, its inhabitants became increasingly resentful of their subordinate position to Patrixboume. Indeed, at the time of Archdeacon Harpsfield’s visitation, in 1557, the parishioners submitted a petition requiring That the said chapel of Bridge may be appointed to be the head church to Patrixbourne, because as they say, the said chapel standeth in the midst part of the inhabitants of both parishes, and that Patrixbourne standeth in the uttermost part of the dwellers of the two parishes, very far out of the way. In 1844 WP Griffith surveyed Bridge church. His report, when compared with its present appearance shows the extent to which it was rebuilt in 1859-61 by the ’ generosity of Mrs Mary Gregory, wife if the Vicar of Petham, who lived in Bridge Hill House, and was related to the Aucher family. She died in 1867, and left a bequest to the poor of the village, which has only recently been would up. The restoration of the church was achieved, according to the Pevsner guide, ‘with gross insensitivity’! Some vestiges remain of the medieval architecture, including two Norman doorways and various sculpted pieces inserted in the walls, including an effigy of Malcolm Rarnesey (vicar 1495-1538), There is also a portrait of a Robert Bargrave (1584-1649)by Cornelius Janssen, a frequent visitor to Bridge Place. Outside the west door and rarely noticed is the top slab of a 15”‘ century table tomb, once containing several brasses. The churchyard contains a number of notable memorials to Bridge villagers, not least that of Zebulon Vinson, butler to Mrs Gregory. N- of Bifrons for which there is evidence is that built, according to Hasted, by John Bargrave in the early 17th century. John Bargrave’s brother, Isaac, became dean of Canterbury Cathedral. The family sold the house in 1662 The first house built on the site*C:\_\___,p l4 and there were a number of owners before the house was purchased by John Taylor in September 1694. His grandson Edward inherited the property in c.1775, demolished the house and began reconstruction. A number of drawings survive of this ‘plain building in the classical style with little architectural embellishment’. In 1802, Edward’s son, Edward, married Louisa Beckingham of Bourne Place, and Bifrons was let to tenants. It was sold in 1830 to the first Marquis Conyngham. Henry Conyngham was » , -3. -. . created marquis by George IV 7 while he was Prince Regent. Conyngham married a wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Denison, whose father was a merchant banker. His rise through the ranks of the peerage was due to his — , services in Ireland, and the Conyngham’s Irish country seat was (and still is) Castle Slane, between Belfast and Dublin. The Marquis was much at court, and held the post of Lord Steward of the Household until the king’s death. Lady Conyngham was famed as the companion and confidante of George IV. A favourite at court, she was described as ‘fat, handsome, kindly, shrewd and extremely fond of jewels’! The king heaped presents and money on her and, when in London, she and her family lived largely at his expense. Though they never appeared in public together, the king and the marchioness were often ridiculed by the press, but this did not seem to deter them. A popular rhyme at the time suggested that Lady Conyngham and George IV spent time Quafling their claret, then mingling their lips Or fondling the fat about each others hips The king once said to her ‘thank you, my dear; you always do what is right. You cannot please me so much as by doing everything you please, everything to show that you are mistress here’. However, it seems never to have been proven that their relationship was other than platonic. The Marquis died in 1832. The Marchioness lived to the age of 92, and died in 1861. During her lifetime, she added considerably to her Kent estates in Kent. She was active in Patrixboume and Bridge, founding the school, supporting the free schools’ movement, helping form the volunteer fire brigade. She and the marquis were founder shareholders in the Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company. Considerable alterations 15 were carried out at Bifrons during the 19”‘ century. When the fourth marquis inherited, he decided against living there; indeed the family ceased to live in the house afier 1882, preferring to let the property to a succession of tenants. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Bifrons was cleared of its contents and taken over for military purposes. The condition of at the end of the War was poor, and the decision was taken to demolish it. A number of the houses in Patrixboume belonging to the estate were sold, and the land rented out on long lease, together with the stable block, which was converted into houses for farmworkers. The Conyngham family continue to take an active interest in their local property and in the village of Bridge. In 1989, Canterbury Archaeological Trust undertook an excavation of the Bifrons site, funded by the Conyngham estate, and reported in Archaeologia Cantiana in 1989. It was hoped at that time that the house might be reconstructed, but this plan was abandoned. a convent) since mediaeval times The present building retains a udor core, but its front was added only in l921’Vby perhaps the most colourful character to own the house Count Louis Zborowski, who designed and built the first aero—engine powered racing car, which later was immortalised in the film Chitty—Chitty-Bang-Bang. He also presented Bridge Fire Brigade with a suitably adapted car to serve as a fire engine to accommodate ten men and a mile of hose. With a rating of 75 horse power, and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, this was probably the fastest fire engine of its kind in the country at the time. For his generosity, Zborowski was made honorary captain of the brigade. Higham has been the site of a grand house (and also said to haxgrbeen 16 After Zborowsky’s death in a racing accident the house was bought by Walter K Whigham, a director of the Bank of England and deputy chainnan of the London & North Eastern Railway, and after whom one of their Pacific Class locomotives was named. He servced twice as High Sheriff of Kent. He for reasons of euphony renamed the property Highland Court. Duringwhhe second World War the house served as a hospital, and it continued in this role until the 1980s, when it was closed and the estate fell into a state of neglect. Since 1995 it has been subject to ongoing redevelopment, and has recovered its original name. (Brid e Hill House was in the l8th century popularly known as the -4- A Horse and Groom and seved as the headquarters of those involved with Canterbury Races. One of the two stands overlooking the course was sited in the woodland opposite. A painting by Thomas Rowlandson in the Beaney Institute in Canterbury shows both this house and the two stands during a lively race meeting. In about 1804. Races on Barham Down began (officially at least) in 1678. A century later the races were attracting vast crowds, including the fashionable gentry, and in 1774 a ‘new stand’ was built, to supplement the original. There was a racing stable in Union Road, not far from the old windmill. The official race week was in August, but there was also a meeting at Easter and at various other times. In 1773, a race was run ‘over the New Round Course on Barham Downs, one four-miles heat, for one hundred Guineas, between two Gentlemen’s horses...to start exactly at Twelve o’clock. Dinner will be ready at Bridge-Hill alter the race is over’. Racing was not limited to horses! In June 1770, there was a ‘match of running between twenty-four of the Chilham Club and Twenty—four Gentlemen of East Kent’. In July the previous year was held ‘A match of Running by Maids. To Strip at Five o’clock’! It was reported that the match was run ‘to the great satisfaction of a vast concourse of people’,:’Cock/fighting took place here, as at the White Horse in the village, too. In March 1773, Bridge met Deal ‘to shew eleven cocks on each side and fight for Four Guineas a battle’. Once again, dinner was provided. At election times hustings would take place here and on the racecourse. E owever the house was bought by a refugee from the French Revolution, Charles 17 Louis Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1749-1824), grandson of the political philosopher. He lived there until his death, when it was bought by the Revd Edward Gregory, vicar of Petham, whose wife Mary ensured the restoration of Bridge church. East Bridge House dates to the early 19th century. More recently it was turned into three flats, until restored to a single house (and hate?) during the l980s.To the rear of the house, where formerly the kitchens were to be found, is now a separate house with a doorway which was imported from Bifrons in Patrixbourne, when it was demolished. Bourne Lodge (formerly Hill Cottage) was built in the later 19th century as the home of Mrs Fanny Bell, widow of Matthew Bell of Boume Park. In 1926, Mr F Cowderoy left it to his son and daughter, the Rev C C Cowderoy (later Roman Catholic archbishop of Southwark) and Mrs C Berry. Mrs Berry lived in the house for many years with her husband Frank, who was a well-known Canterbury estate agent. Lynton House is first mentioned (though not of course by that name) in 1674, as the property of William Cheston, yeoman of Bridge, who was assessed in the parish rate for 12 acres of land. It subsequently came into the hands of the Crosoer family who in 1764 owned the house, barn, stable, garden, orchard and 24 acres.It later came into the hands of John Lansberry (d. 1849) and for the rest of the century became known as Lansberry Cottage. From 1930-1940, the house belonged to a coal merchant, Albert Taylor, whose proud advertisement stayed on the south wall of the house until the late 20th century. Like Boume Lodge, 18 it suflfered substantial damage in the storm of 1987. In recent years it has undergone considerable restoration, including the return of the front door to its ori inal position. On the site of the fodge opposite, Ogilby’s map of 1675 marks, rather mysteriously, The Grayhound. Below Lynton House were formerly six small cottages , with Church Cottage, formerly Park House, opposite. The Red Lion is first mentioned in 1593 as a dwelling house. It has a central hearth core of the period, but has been much altered since. It now has a late 18"‘ century facade. By 1632, Jacob Jarvis, ‘victualler of Canterbury’, was granted a licence for the sale of ale on the premises, at the sign of the Red Lion. It subsequently became a registered inn, with stabling facilities, serving the needs of travellers using the road from Canterbury to Dover. There were in addition three wheelwrights, two blacksmiths and two saddlers in the village, quite apart fi'om the ‘livery and bait’ facilities offered here On race days facilities were much in demand, both for horses and racegoers. By 1850 the landlord ‘Joseph Eyre was advertising the Red Lion as ‘a fine lodging inn, with carriage and stabling facilities’. For a short period at the turn of the 20"‘ century Bridge fire engine was also housed here, before being transferred to the rear of the Plough and Harrow. In 2000 the inn suffered serious damage from floodwater, and not long afier it had undergone considerable refiirbishment it was again severely damaged by fire. The first mention of Methodism in Bridge occurs in 1823, authorising William Fordred to ‘rent a house for Methodist meetings at no more than two shillings and sixpence per week’. A site was found in the High Street (for £50) and a chapel built (what is now the front portion of the village hall) but by 1851 the congregation had deserted, in part towards the vicar, and the chapel had been taken over by the Primitive methodists. Not until 1892 was a Methodist Society was re-formed with fourteen members to raise funds for the building of a chapel and a regular schedule of house services was re-established. ’In 1894 the ‘Iron Chapel’ was builtbThe choice of corrugated iron as a building to 19 material met with thorough disapproval from the central Chapel Committee in Manchester, who preferred the idea of a brick-built structure and were prepared to ofier a loan to assist the financing of such a chapel. The Trustees for the Bridge venture were dedicated to the idea of their Iron Chapel, and a determined fund—raising effort and " " u ~ much hard work resulted in the erection of the chapel, free of debt. The cost of the building, including seating, hymn books, mats and oil lamps, amounted to a grand total of £139. l7s.0 ‘A (1. During the Second World War, a baby clinic operated from the Chapel, and this continued until 1987. The Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company was established in September 1858 on a site in Patrixboume road (next to the school!) by the Marquis and Marchioness of Conyngham and Matthew Bell, of Bourne Park — chairman of the company. Lamp posts were fitted and tested on 10 December 1858. Edward Dadds, the gasman was provided with a cottage. A Memorandum of Agreement was made 7 January 1896 between Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company and the new Bridge Parish Council, that the company was to ‘keep in repair and light...the Eleven existing Lamps for the sum of Five Pounds and Ten Shillings for each Lamp per annum. The Lamps to be lighted one hour after sunset and extinguished at 10.30 pm except for three months in the summer...’ A further exception was made ‘for five nights of every full Moon at which time the Lamps will not be required’! From 1906, general street lighting was installed, maintained by James Wonfer until 1928. Wonfer lived in the only house in Patrixboume Road, Brookside, and was employed making gas and installing it into houses in the village. He worked seven days a week, and was responsible for seeing that the street lights were lit in the village at dusk and extinguished after dawn. Coke was produced and sold as a by-product.. By 1929, gas was supplied by East Kent Gas Company and the Bridge company was wound up in 1932. The Marchioness Conyngham had established a school for 30 girls at Bifrons Gate, with smart uniforms of blue serge dresses and red cloaks, but with the introduction of the National Schools she also established Bridge School in 1849, on the Patrixboume side of the parish boundary. By 1861 the school, under Richard Wells, master, and Mrs 20 Sophie Sayer, mistress, had 99 pupils. Mr and Mrs Robert Wye were appointed as the first government teachers of the school in 1871, following the Education Act.. Mr Wye’s sister Fanny was appointed mistress of the infants’ school. After 44 years at the school she was presented on her retirement with a purse of gold. Government inspectors praised her skill as a teacher to the ‘little ones, to whom she had been a second mother’ (K-entish Gazette, 1 January 1916). She died in 1944, aged 94. Just four years later Miss Olive Seath (Mrs Knight) was appointed headmistress. She retired in 1971. The school house has been a private residence since the opening of the new school in Conyngham Lane in 1971: for three-quarters of the century of its existence therefore this old primary school had only two principal teachers! The 18th century row adjoining Brewery Lane contains a baker’s shop which has existed on the site for at least 150 years. At the other end of the row was the chemist’s, before it was removed to the Post Office at the other end of the village. In between was one of the more notable businesses to grace Bridge again for over a century, that of the watch and clockmakers William Nash and Samuel and William Hardeman. The Plough and Harrow was built in 1692, constructed originally as J ._ two dwelling houses and, in » 1703, a shoemaker and a carpenter occupied the premises. The building was sold in 1785 to Thomas Williams, a Maltster, 21 who established a malthouse. Malting was a specialized process used in the making of ale. Following the terms of the Beer Act of 1830, Thomas Williams’ son William acquired a licence to sell beer from his dwelling 1831, whereupon it was known as ‘the Beer House at Bridge’. In 1858 Joseph Burch, an ale and porter brewer, bought the premises, and in 1863 it became known as the Plough and Harrow. In 1877, the pub was sold to Shepherd Neame as a ‘beerhouse with brewhouse and outbuildings’ for £410. By 1878, a new lessee was granted a licence for wine and spirits, and it became a registered tavern. Not until 1861 is ‘Brewhouse Lane’ identified in the census returns. In 1873, a headquarters was set up for a voluntary fire brigade, and a fire engine was purchased. The Marquis of Conyngham, of Bifrons, ii‘ ’ §’” T I ' "ill, Q was an enthusiast for fire ' ‘ " apparatus and became Captain of the local crew. By 1878, his son and heir, earl Mount Charles, had become captain. In the early days the pump was horse- drawn. For many years the engine (including CE 1037, that donated by Count Zborowsy) was housed in a shed behind the Plough and Harrow and kept running through donations from insurance companies. The firemen were mostly local tradesmen (two grocers, the cycle agent, a publican, the draper, two gardeners, the coal merchant and the blacksmith), who were summoned to service with a maroon flare. On 31 March 1910, the brigade was called to a fire at Pett Bottom. The young second engineer of the fire brigade, John Fenn, had the job of preparing the flare. In lighting the match, two simultaneous explosions occurred, causing Mr Fenn terrible injuries. He died just twenty minutes after the explosion. His funeral, on April 3, was probably unique in Bridge, attracting a crowd 22 of some 5000 mourners, who thronged the street and overflowed into the surrounding fields. Afier WW II the brigade was absorbed into the national fire service. , i V Close to the bridge and ~ " ~ . 1 v ‘ "A 1 3' probably of 17th century origin, Anne’s House, or Willow Brook house served also as a shop. Damaged by fire in the early 20th century, it was partly rebuilt. It is remembered as a tea room, with a fine garden. In the early 20th century the building to the right of the premises, once served as a motor repair and spares shop and, more recently, a printer’s studio. Built around 1780, River House was once owned by T L Collard, auctioneer and valuer, clerk to the Board of Guardians of the workhouse. In 1904, the house was put up for auction, but failed to reach the reserve price of £390! It subsequently became a temperance hotel. The Temperance Movement originated in England in the 1820s. In 1831, the British and Foreign Temperance Society was fonned and extended Temperance fie/cl, Bridge V T its influence over the country in a decade. In 1853, the UK Alliance, an aggressive organization not always popular by the less militant temperance societies, ,. .. .. ,, . .. . aimed to persuade politicians into a policy of prohibition, but this did not succeed. A temperance hotel would have provided a pleasing alternative to those who did not wish to stay in accommodation with licensed premises. 23 The sign of The White Horse is a thoroughly Kentish one, and this pub is probably the oldest surviving in Bridge. The building has a late medieval core, and an early 1 6th century inscription is to be seen on the fireplace lintel. An indenture of 1 June 1668 refers to the sale of the property by Sir Arnold Braems to Sir Anthony Aucher, and the tenant at that time seems to have been William Ford. The ‘ ownershhip probably ‘ remained in the hands of the descendants of Sir Anthony and subsequent owners of Boume Place until it was sold at the end of the 18th century. The pub was the posting house (hence also post office), though Bridge was only a half-stage between Dover and Canterbury — necessary because of the hills on either side. Mail coaches were drawn by teams of four horses in stages of 7-10 miles, according to gradients and the condition of the road. The fastest mail—coaches ran at about 10 miles per hour. It was here too that the first meeting of the workhouse guardians was held, on 22 April 1835. The census returns show that the inn ofien provided accommodation for lodgers, including in 1881, Geiorge Webb, aged 23, a professional cricketer. Like other public houses, the inn was used for property sales and auctions. The White Horse was host to meetings of gardening enthusiasts and to gardening shows. In April 1774, there was an ‘Auricula Feast’ held, with a prize for the first flower of fifieen shillings! Exhibitors at the show were expected to attend the dinner, ‘or have no Right to shew his Flower’! Less sympathetic to today’s readers’ taste would be the cock fighting, advertised in June 1772 ‘to show Twenty-one Cocks on each side...for four guineas a battle and ten the odd battle’. Finally, in the sporting line, the census returns of 1851 show that the licensee was ‘a trainer of racehorses’. One other public house within the parish might be mentioned here for completeness: the Woodman ‘s Arms, built as a farm (Woodlands) in 1623. licenced to sell ales, groceries and provisions in 1849 and renamed, now (since the l960’s) the Duck at Pett Bottom. 24 Lime Cottage, built in 15th or 16th century and was formerly the village forge — much in demand when numerous horse drawn vehicles came regularly through the village, and the White Horse, next door, was the staging post. It was no doubt used also for the mending of farm equipment and horse-drawn vehicles. Before becoming a private house it was for a period Mrs Turner’s grocer’s shop. The handsome early 19th century row of houses known as Albany Terrace is said to have been built by Trinity House, the lighthouse e ,_ V. ._ authority for i the coast of England and Wales, to serve their employees engaged in work in Dover and Whitstable. It was erected in the first place as two more or less symmetrical detached buidings An additional house was created a few years later by infilling between them. A much—loved and stalwart resident of the terrace was for many years Charles Wills, who ran the village bakery, following his father’s death in 1896, He was an enthusiastic chief oflicer of Bridge Fire Brigade for over 30 years, as well as serving on the parish council from its inception. He served on the old Bridge Blean Rural District Council, the Board of Guardians of the " " workhouse, and was secretary to the Bridge Gas, Coal and Coke Company. During the first World War, he was nightly on duty at the canteen run in the village Reading Room (now the village hall) for the benefit of the troops stationed at Bourne Park. Mr Wills was described as ‘a man of charming manners and genial disposition’, who was also a keen cricketer and a long-serving member of St Peter’s Church choir. He died aged 94 in 1943, and this brief look at his life illustrates how 25 much Bridge village has always been at the centre of the lives of many of its residents. Illustrated above is Mr Wills with his aunt (aged 100) and his two sisters. At this date the combined ages of the four was 335 years. Opposite the White Horse, on the site of the present neo-Georgian houses was a row of four tiny board cottages attached to Albert Terrace, known as Bean or Bean’s Cottages, and adjacent to Bridge Farm. This, (known latterly, after the last owner, as ‘Daddy Fagge’s Farm’). was the home farm of Blackmansbury, and before the Dissolution of the Monasteries part of the land holdings of St Augustine’s Abbey. Until its regrettable demolition in 1962, the farmhouse that stood here was a typical 15th century timber—framed Wealden hall house, originally with a central hall open to the roof, with rooms on two levels on either side, and a jettied overhang. In the earl’ 17th century, a great fireplace was added, and an upper floor inserted. Another timber- framed house had stood at the right-hand end of the building, but was demolished in the 18th century when the wagon entrance was blocked and the entrance to the yard was moved to the right. The house itself must have presented a very attractive appearance, and was a prestigious building with the style of vertical timbers known as close studding. It had a fine stairway of eight solid oak block of medieval date. At the rear was a medieval barn and cowsheds, probably also dating to the 15th century. In the mid 20th century, Captain Maslin, of Btidge’s riding school, kept some of his horses at the farm. The fields behind, now the Western Avenue estate, were the usual venue for summer fétes and similar village functions. nu». Ceniuly Correspondence survives between Lady Conyngham’s solicitor and her agent, prompted by a villagers’ petition, concerning the purchase, from 26 the Canterbury Wesleyan Trustees, of a house, garden and methodist chapel at Bridge for £270. The sale involved difficult negotiations regarding the tenants’ rights. A group of Primitive Methodists (or ‘Ranters’) rented the chapel at £4 per annum. These may be defined as a ‘people of a joyous and evangelical disposition’, rather than rowdy, but they apparently ‘disturbed the whole neighbourhood’, as they were accustomed to sing through the streets on their way home from services. The vicar, the Reverend Stevenson, had drawn the Wesleyan methodists back into the Anglican fold. When agreement was finally reached on the sale the agent statied that he had been informed that the ‘Wesleyans possess a rnillion’s worth of property in this country. . . so they are quite indifferent about the matter’! Lady i Conyngham agreed to a more sober use of the erstwhile chapel as ‘a lecture room or a village literary institution, for the improvements of the rising generation’. This is now the village hall. The Primitive Methodists retrired to a private house until they were able to erect their own chapel in Dering Road in 1868, which they used until the first decade of the 20th century. It then became a private house, and was demolished in & I 1951. _ . --——-v ~ = - The original reading room and library was enlarged in 1878 for the benefit of the villagers, to twice its size (and including the additional comfort of a fireplace), to celebrate the _ 4* coming of age of his heir, ‘ 2 Lord Mount Charles. In the 1st World War, when troops were camped at the top of Bridge Hill the hall was used as a military canteen In l952, the hall was given to the villagers by the Conyngham estate on a 50-year lease at a peppercorn rent of 6d per year. 27 The lefi—hand house of the early 19'“ century pair adjacent to Union Road may justifiably called the ‘doctor’s house’ Originally symmetrical with the other, this house has been extended twice, to accommodate the requirements of the village doctors, five of whom lived here in turn for a period of over 130 years. The earliest record we have of a doctor in Bridge is of Amelius Sicard, born in Blackheath 12 June 1809, the son of refiigee from revolutionary France, and of the dynasty of Lautrec, who was ‘major-domo’ in the household of Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Amelius took on the practice in Bridge in 1832, aged 23, and was the village doctor for 48 years. Sicard’s tombstone claims him to have been a beloved physician to rich and poor, and his friends paid for a wall tablet and the J glazing of the west window in 9 S the church. Charles Schon ' followed Sicard, a British subject born in the Grand Duchy of Baden. He died in 1899, to he succeeded by Robert Moorhead, from London, and then in 1906 by Arthur Wilson, born in Dublin, and described as ‘a small man with a big heart, an Irishman’s sense of humour and a characteristic laugh’. He was also said, perhaps more unfortunately, to have been unable to restrain a nervous giggle, even in the gravest circumstances. Dr Roger Hunter was also a graduste of Trinity College Dublin, and came to the village with his wife in 1937. They bought the house and practice, together with the carriage house and stables. Private patients entered by the front door and waited in the dining room. ‘Panel’ paptients entered at the rear via the garden door which until the l990’s bore the legend ‘surgery’. Until recently too the old butler’s pantry survived, as did the wine and apple store. In the 1970s, restoration work took place and the pediment was removed. The house is hung with mathematical tiles, which were renovated in 1999. The upper tiles hung in the traditional manner on timber laths, whereas the lower ones are fixed in plaster. Dr Hunter’s generosity allowed for the building of an extension to the village hall. He died in 1988, and his widow remained in the house until her death. Dr William Russell, who succeeded Dr Hunter, set up his practice in Green Court, and on his sudden death in 1988 the practice was 28 assumed by Dr Mark Jones, who was instrumental in establishing the new Health Centre in Patrixbourne Road. It is remarkable that the village has had no more than six doctors in over 170 years. The late 18”‘ century pair of cottages now used as the Post Office are known from earlier documents as occupying ‘Chapel Yard’. This name appears to be derived from the fact that the building backs on to the site of the Primitive Methodist chapel, and from the fact that here was the yard belonging to Frederick Colegate (1790-1877), a prominent local builder, who in all probability erected Alexandra House (next to Rogers Garage) for his retirement. Here his daughter Jane and granddaughter Elizabeth Williams ran a private school until the early 20"‘ century. 11‘ Next to Alexandra House stands one of the oldest buildings remaining in Bridge: a late 15”‘ or early 16"‘ century structure, timber-framed and jettied, according to one theory an old hall house and inn known as the ‘ship’, but in fact at least since 1841 a row of four labourers’ cottages known a ‘Primrose Alley’, a pretty name belying the lowly character of its early inhabitants, and proclaimed until the 1990’s by a board afiixed to the side of the house. The building attached to the side is a double oast. The brick infill between the timbers of the house (‘hogging’) is probably a later replacement of the wattle and daub of the original. It may be noted that the house beside the Ford in Mill Lane, erected as a row of three cottages in the early 19”‘ century, was collectively known as ‘Bricknoggin’. 29 The 18”‘ century cottage now known as ‘Sunnyside’ once stood level with the road. As a result of the turnpike roadworks, it found itself overlooked by a new embankment. Consequently the descent into Dering Road, once no more than a footpath, became steep. The cottage was once perhaps ‘Aunt Betsy’s’ tearooms though the fact that No. 2 ” Rose Cottages immediately opposite was for long a ‘beer house’, popular among the soldiery during WWI as ‘Prickett’s off-licence’ suggests the presence of a euphemism. The Prickett family subsequently took over the village shop, an early 19“ ‘I, C i ' century infill structure next to ‘ the village hall, later converted to equestrian supplies. The fact that the gateway opposite Dering Road stands level with the main road suggests that it postdates the grading works of the 18205. It bears a striking stylistic similarity to the entry to Patrixboume Old Vicarage. This is a relic of a large 19”’ century house. known as ‘Hillside’. Further evidence of its existence may be glimpsed in the garden behind the door, where the tiled floor of a glazed passageway to the house proper still survives. ‘Hillside’ replaced a much earlier buiding, the now vanished ‘Oliver’s Court’. The present house, beyond the gateway, was once no more than the gardener’s cottage and outbuildings of ‘Hillside’. ,..-...... Dering Road and Filmer Road (named afier two prominent Kentish families) form the bulk of an early estate development in Bridge from 1853 onwards, when 30 the field forming the gap between the Union Workhouse and the High Street was sold off by the Marchioness Conyngham as indivudual plots. Not all were built on at the time: some were incorporated into the gardens of pre—existing properties (notably, for instance, the ‘doctor’s’.. Dering Road in particular probably commemorates Colonel Cholmoley Dering, younger brother of Sir Edward Dering, 7th baronet of Surrenden Dering, Pluckley. Dering raised and commanded the Duke of York’s Own New Romney Fencible Cavalry, in 1794. He served with the regment in Ireland for three years, winning the thanks of the Lord Lieutenant of the county, and both houses of parliament for services in the rebellion of 1798. The regiment disbanded in 1800 on return from Ireland. Cholmoley Dering bought Howletts from the builder (Isaac Baugh) in 1799, and lived in the house. On becoming the guardian of his nephew, the infant son of his elder brother, he moved to Pluckley, selling Howletts in c.1816 to George Gipps, son and heir to one of the founders of the Canterbury Bank. The Poor Law Union workhouse in Bridge was erected in 1835, at a cost of £4,376 by Thomas Finch Cozens, one of the original trustees of the Methodist chapel, following the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, This Act abolished outdoor relief to the able—bodied poor who, on applying for aid, were to be offered maintenance in a workhouse. To deter people from seeking relief, life was to be made as unpleasant as possible. Married couples were separated and children taken from their parents. The only contact allowed was in the chapel or refectory, and then infrequently. Responsibility for the poor law passed into the hands of three Poor Law Commissioners. The country was divided into Poor Law Unions, each with a Board of Guardians, and composed of several parishes. Bridge Poor Law Union had 22 parishes under the authority of 22 guardians, four ex-otficio guardians, surgeons, a relieving officer and a clerk. The parishes included were Adisham, Barham, Bekesbourne Bishopsbourne, Bridge, Chartham, Fordwich, Harbledown, Upper Hardres, Lower Hardres, Ickham, Kingston, Littlebourne, Nackington, Patrixbourne, Petham, Stodmarsh, Thanington, Waltham, Westgate— 31 Without, Wickhambreaux and Womenswold. The first meeting of the Bridge Union Board of Guardians was held on 22 April 1835 at the White Horse Inn. The master was known as the Governor and his wife the Governess. They were paid a joint salary of £80. The average weekly cost of indoor paupers by 1847 was .3s.4d (17p).. Tramps were accommodated in a separate building nest to the main workhouse (now demolished) where the sleeping accommodation was basic: a line stretched across the room, over which the tramps were invited to hang .. There was also a mortuary. In 1840, one family was given £4 to assist them to emigrate. Unmarried women ‘lying in’ were admitted, but punished if it was to be their second child. Clothing grants were issued and medical aid given. Children received education, and boys were ofien apprenticed as sweeps, brick-layers, hop growers, etc. A survey of census returns for Bridge shows that the workhouse population was about 15-20% of the total. And consisted predominantly of the aged and infirm, and young women with children. The Union building was well-constructed, on the quandrangle pattern of most contemporary workhouses, with an entrance gate and offices, a chapel in the centre, a porter"s lodge, cook’s house and exercise yard, together with three acres of garden. The red bricks of the Union building were described as giving ‘an appearance of cheerfulness, while the garden plots on either side of the entrance are generally a blaze of flowers.’ (A Saunter Yhrough Kent). The evidence indicates that the Guardians of the Bridge Union, while careful over financial matters, were conscientious in executing their duties and not unduly harsh. The buildings later became a home for the elderly and nursing home (The Close), before being converted into housing in the nineteen eighties, when the New Close was built in Conyngham Lane in the grounds of the new school.. The Domesday survey of 1086 refers to a total of six mills within the parish of Patrixboume (which in effect included Bridge). These were almost certainly water-mills, one of which was probably sited where Bridge Place now stands: the present artificial course of the Nailbourne indicates this. At a much later date (first recorded on Symondson’s map of 1596) a post-mill was erected on the brow of Biidgedown within Patrixboume parish. Milling was a high value but also high risk business: many were the mills that burned down, due to the easily combustible nature of flour dust. The Kentish Gazette in 1808 records a different risk: 32 “MILL ROBBED. . . in the night of the 30th November, the Mill belonging to John Fagg, on Bridge Hill, was broke open by forcing the hinges of the door. . . and a Quantity of flour with TWO SACKS marked ‘J .Fagg, Bridge Mill’ » were stolen thereout and traced ‘ for about half a mile across the fields. . .” This mill was dismantled in about 1818 and soon after another was erected in ‘Three Corner Meadow’ at the junction of what were to become Mill Lane and Union Road on a spot now occupied by a large oil tank. This was by now probably a smock mill, built by James Ashenden, to process corn for local farmers. For secirity purposes, no doubt not only to watch for robbers but also to keep an eye on the working of the mill, the miller’s house stood at right angles to the road a few yards down the hill (now 41 Union Road). Thomas Johnson was the miller from 1832 until his death in 1856, and ‘the fugure of the dusty miller was a familiar sight in the village, for his practice was to deliver flour for his customers personally, his method of transport being the back of a donkey’ (Folkestone Herald, March 1933). The Johnsons later went on to run Barton Mill in Canterbury. The miller from 1859 to 1879 was Goerge Fryer, who was succeeded by William White. By the 1890’s industrial milling was fast overtaking the traditional method. Mr White installed a steam engine, and his successor William Mainwaring an oil engine, but the inevitable could not be put off. Wind power was abandoned in 1907, and the sweeps were removed. Flour production by whatever means was given up during the first world war, and the body of the mill began slowly to decay. By 1933 the site was being used as a coal yard, which then was taken over as a liquid fiael depot. The remains of the mill (still containing most of the gear) were finally demolished on Friday 15th October 1954. If it had survived perhaps another 15 years it might have benefited from the revival of the heritage industry. But an age which had allowed the destruction of Bridge Farm had no time for an old windmill. 33 53:34: 924. ‘rd yflifi s-(«an {_ uoag-£:;»;:§ THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE The Village of Bridge stradles the Nai1bou‘r’ne — when, that is, the ‘boume’, or intermittent water course of the Little Stour, is nmning! The ' ' river has its source at East "'—— ' In‘Bfid'9eY Brook, near Etchinghill — hardly more than 3 miles from the channel coast at Hythe(?) It dries up, or runs underground, frequently, but once, when the Wantsum Channel was open to the sea, it was a faster and wider water course. As late as the l920s, it is said that trout were to be caught in School Lane, Bekesboume. Legends abound of the river in full flow portending national disaster. The Kentish Travellers’ Companion of 1794 records that ‘the bridge being decayed and otherwise inconvenient for carriages, a new and more commodious one has been built by subscription’. Cozens’ History of Kent of 1798 states that Bridge ‘is now but a small village of about 20 houses, situated in a narrow valley’. Above all, the bridge allowed the passage of travellers, and it is because of the road itself that the village of Bridge has developed into the village it is today. ¥ I iuge From Domesday, we learn that the abbot of St Augustine’s Abbey held the hundred of Bridge. A hundred was an administrative district within an English shire, with a court house, or meeting—place, usually located centrally within it, often sited at river crossings or cross roads. Within the hundred, the parish of Bridge comprised two manors: that of Bereacre, of which no trace remains in terms of a big house; and the more significant manor of Blackmansbury, in which a building, referred to by Hasted, the eighteenth century historian of Kent, as ‘the court lodge’, was situated, probably on the site of the present Bridge Place. The parish of Bridge, as we think of it today, was regarded chalk-bedded’ ‘ Pages: (Contents: Acknowledgements, etc) B & W map (colour) colour 4 B&W 5 B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W B&W Colour Colour B&W Na-.2 = ‘:<333'Cé%BREKBBBEE§S5C.‘E$B:S‘°°°“°“"“"""“ throughout the middle ages and beyond as a subsidiary part of Patricksboume. Archaelogical evidence shows Bridge to have been the site of an Iron- Age settlement and pottery, fragments of weapons and other artefacts have been excavated from the Romano-British period. A near-circular hollow,gclose to the road, part way up Bridge Hill, may well represent a defensive position, constructed by the ancient Britons to protect their river crossing after their defeat by Ceasar’s A l V’, I ' I seventh legion in 54AD. Harris in his History of Kent of 1719, lists various encampments on Barham Down at different times, whose occupants would have had to take the road through Bridge on their route between the coast and Canterbury. King John in I212, assembled on the Down with ’60,000’ men, ready to repel any attempted invasion from France. It is likely that King Henry V marched down Bridge Hill on his return from Agincourt in 1415, to celebrate his victory in Canterbury Cathedral. In 1450, during Cade’s Rebellion, ‘John Ysake of Patrykesbourne...and William atte Wode of Brigge, smyth, and other men in Brygge hundred...gathered together against the statutes of the realm’ but were ‘granted general pardon at the request of the queen’. Every three years throughout the 15”‘ century, a huge wax candle, rolled into a coil, or trindle, was trundled on the road through Bridge — a gift from the people of Dover to be used at the cathedral to provide tapers for the poor and destitute to light at the shrine of St Thomas. This must have been one of the more unusual items to pass through the village of Bridge, matched only, perhaps, by the four dromedaries and two camels brought in 1466 by the lord patriarch of Antioch, as a gift for the king and queen! In 1520, King Hem'y VIII must have passed through Bridge with his magnificent retinue on his way France to meet Francois I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. And in May 1660, King Charles II must have returned this way in some splendour from his exile in France to regain the throne. In August 1799, at the height of an invasion scare during the Napoleonic wars, more than 10,000 infantrymen camped on Barham Down to prepare for invasion. The Kentish Gazette recorded that The immense train of farmers and artillery wagons employed in conveying the troops and baggage, ammunition, military and other stores and provisions towards the camp, adding to the numerous carriages filled with officers and other passengers; these together have produced a scene of populousness and traffic in this ancient city [of Canterbury], which has not been beheld by its inhabitants since the days of St Thomas Becket. In preparation for this influx, a Dr Wardell, physician to the forces quartered in Bridge, was looking for a ‘roomy house or other sort of building...to be used for a regimental hospital’. The hills on either side of the village were once steeper than they are now. In summer, the passage of traffic over the road surface resulted in clouds of dust; in winter in muddied ruts. On 26 December 1769, the Kentish Gazette noted that ‘some public-spirited Gentlemen intend to petition Parliament for a Turnpike Act’ for the road from Dover to Canterbury. Substantial roadworks included the lessening of the incline §‘. of both hills down into the . C" village and the smoothing out of, the slope. Tolls were imposed, and there was to be no parking in the street’ — a controversial issue until this present time! The street was not tarred, of course, until the mid—20"' century, and the wide water-splash to one side of the Bridge, used for watering horses or cooling the metal rims of wheels alter the steep descent into the village, also remained in place until the 20"‘ century. * ' ~ ' " ~ ‘ The origins of the village lie in its dependency on the road. For centuries, the buildings flanking its single street were principally concerned with meeting the needs of travellers and passers by — premises supplying food and drink, a blacksmith, saddler, shoemaker and so on. A daily coach service provided a connection to London, and a “ = - long—term Bridge resident, Mrs Jack Friend, was able to recall in 1955 how, in her childhood, a four-in-hand coach travelled daily through the village on its journey from Folkestone to Canterbury and return, with a post horn to alert passengers of its arrival. The coach was driven by a Mr Scott, who eventually died in a tragic accident, when his coach overturned as it went through Barham. In the Great War, troops were once again encamped close to Bridge. One day in 1914, the roadway up Bridge Hill was thick with chalky dust as over 100 London buses passed through to be used in France as transport for the troops. The dust became so thick that the drivers complained the enemy had covered the surface with something to choke them. This story even made the London newspapers! Probably the drivers were more used to the better constructed surfaces of London roads. In the second World War, a canteen was established in Bridge village hall, to serve the men stationed on Town Hill[?]. During the war, the milestones up Bridge Hill were taken up and anti-tank emplacements installed at the top of Bridge Hill to prevent the enemy progressing down the A2. Indeed, one afternoon in 1981, some of the residents of Bridge Hill were required to evacuate their houses in response to an alert concerning an unexploded device found on Bridge Hill! By the middle of the 20th century, the A2 London-Dover road, including Bridge High Street, became increasingly congested, as heavy traffic thundered through the village. In January 1962, pensioner George Smith was knocked down and killed while out shopping. In 1963, two lorries and a bus were involved in a collision in the main street. Incidents like this became increasingly frequent and, by 1964, the villagers had had enough. They launched a series of protests in support of the construction of a bypass. Initially, these protests consisted of people walking in the roadway, to disrupt the flow of traffic to cause the vehicles to slow down. When this action failed, the villagers resorted to sitting in the road! Clearly the spirit of Cade’s Rebellion was not dead! In 1972, a truck drove into a shop, trapping a young girl and killing the driver. Afier this, the sit-down protests increased in frequency until on one occasion a thousand people staged a sit-in in the High Street, closing the village to all traffic for an hour and causing a very long tail-back. Eventually, repeated lobbying and demonstrations led to victory and a bypass was opened on 29 June 1976 accompanied by great celebration. At last the villagers were able to enjoy their village in relative peace and comfort. ’. (5; lat-‘ The history of Bridge is not that of a characteristic medieval village, radiating fi'om its centre; not yet was Bridge part of any great estate, even though in later years it has been surrounded by great houses, notably Boume House, Bridge Place, Higham and Bifi'ons - all of whose owners have played their part in developing the village, though only Bridge Place lies within the parish boundaries. For most of its existence, the inhabitants of Bridge have numbered no more than a few hundred. The late 18th century saw the building of a few cottages in Brewery lane. In the 19th century, the Union Mas built, as were houses in Dering and Filmer Road. The later 19th century saw a gradual extension along the Street towards Canterbury. It is only since 1962 that there has been any serious expansion, with the construction of Bridge Down (1962), Western Avenue (1963) and Riverside Close (1965). In the census for 1801, g the population of the entire parish was 325. By 1834, it reached 5 3, and in 1841 it was 817, of whom 165 were inmates of the workhouse. In 1871, the population reached 941, declining to 699 in 1921 as agricultural ,5-.1? - employment diminished. In the 1960s, ' Bridge began to change irrevocably, with the demolition of the most notable building at its centre, the 14th century Bridge Farm, and the expansion of modern housing development, resulting in a population in 1971 of 1225, and by the Millennium of almost 2000. The village still boasts more than twenty houses dating to the 18th century or before, and others built in the 19th century. Sadly this small publication is not able to feature them all. Historically, employment of the villagers of Bridge was provided by a thriving retail trade and serving the needs of travellers in the pubs and inns. Significant numbers were engaged in farm labour, much of it seasonal: hop tying, stone picking, cherrying, hay making, pea and bean harvesting, fruit picking, hop picking. The hop garden near Flint Cottages has been growing hops since the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and a few hops are still grown. Local shops, the dental and doctors’ surgery, the care home and the pubs and restaurant still provide more employment than many villges but most villagers, of course, now leave the village to work. Today Bridge is a thriving community, boasting a post office and pharmacy, a general store, a bakery, a butcher, a hairdresser, a photography studio, a school, a church, a care home, a restaurant and three pubs. It is served by a regular bus service to Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone. It has an active parish council, a Fish Scheme (providing a coffee drop-in club for the elderly and others, and a driving service for those in need of such), a horticultural society, a history society, a Women’s Institute, and a number of other community groups. For the young, there is a youth club, scouts, guides, cubs, brownies and beavers (???), Bridge and its environs provide a wonderful place to live! Bridge Place Bridge Place is built on the site of what was probably the medieval court Lodge in the manor of Blackmansbury, alias Bridge. Here Symonson’s map of Kent of 1596 shows a building lying astride the Nailboume. Until I-lem'y Vlll’s Dissolution of the Monasteries, the manor of Blackmansbury was in the possession the abbey of St Peter, St Paul and St Augustine, Canterbury, and was let to tenants. With the suppression of the Abbey in 1540, the manor reverted to the Crown. Hemy VIII granted the manor to John Laurence, whose family retained it until 1576, when it was sold to William Partheriche, who built a new house on the site. Traces of this house were revealed in an archaeological excavation which took place in 1964/5. Partheriche was surveyor of the Ordnance Office under Elizabeth 1, and was appointed by the queen in 1582 to undertake extensive works at Dover Harbour. He died in 1598 and was buried in his chapel in Bridge church. William’s grandson, Edward, sold the property in 1638 to Arnold Braems. 3:5’: ‘N Braems was born in Dover in 1602. His ancestors were of Flemish descent — immigrants who had originally settled at Sandwich in the early 17th century. During the Civil War, he was a loyal supporter of Charles I. At the Restoration of Charles II, Braems’ loyalty was rewarded with a knighthood. Braems was a Dover merchant and, preferring commerce to politics, he worked to develop Dover as a SllCC€SSfi1l port, acquiring land on the seafront, creating vast warehouses for goods, and making a fortune on harbour tolls and customs. This fortune he overspent in the building of a fine house in Bridge, and here he lived until his death in l68l. In place of the former manor house, Breams had constructed a magnificent mansion which he called Bridge Place. It was made of hand—made Dutch bricks, and was the largest house in 17th century East Kent, excepting Chilham Castle. It had a deer park, an extensive garden, an aviary, a bowling green, woods, a rabbit warren, ‘beautifiilly well-kept pleasure grounds’ and a fine avenue of lime trees stretching to the church. Arnold Braems had a reputation as a wonderful host, who kept a ‘princely table’. One of his guests was the artist William Schellinks in the 166]. Sellink recorded his visit in his journal and made a number of sketches, including a view of the Street from the bottom of Bridge Hill. Another guest in 1661 writes of being ‘merrily ~.._, entertained’, at Braems’ 4' 3 - i 5' ‘delightful residence at ' A W Bridge, one hour’s walk from Canterbury’. The company played bowls, and ‘we saw a hart shot with a crossbow in the deerpark...everybody, especially the ladies, washed their hands in the warm blood, to get white hands. The hart was immediately gutted and cut up into quarters’. The following day, ‘venison pie and other dishes of the hart were on the menu’. Walter Breams inherited the house on his father’s death in 1681, but by this time the estate was burdened with debt. Walter had been much involved in the Civil War and, at the Restoration, was made Comptroller of HM Customs at Sandwich, and later at Dover, not least as a reward for having been the ‘youngest prisoner in England for your Majesty’s Service’. In 1690, however, he was petitioning for ‘six years arrears of salary’, and after his death in 1692, his family could no longer afford to maintain the house. His son inherited, but by 1695 the estate was sold to John Taylor of Patrixboume, who soon demolished the greater part of Bridge Place in order to use the bricks in the building of Bifrons, on his property in Patrixboume. What survives of the original Bridge Place is just one wing, but, in the view of Hasted, ‘the size and stateliness...being of itself full sufficient for a gentleman’s residence’. An advertisement in the Gazette in June 1791 advertises the house for let as having ‘proper offices for a family: a coach-house with stabling for seven horses, and eleven acres of very fine pasture...and a cottage consisting of a brewhouse, laundry and dairy, with good lodging-rooms over them’. Since then, the house has had a succession of owners, and was purchased by Peter Malkin in 1969. In 1976, Bridge Plce hosted a party to celebrate the opening of the A2 by-pass, an achievement long fought for by the villagers. Most recently, it has housed a night-club and country club and, for one week only, a restaurant! It was sold in 2005?? To whom??? Bourne Park Once part of the larger estate, Bourne House is considered to be amongst the finest Queen Anne houses in Kent. It was built by Dame Elizabeth (Hewyfi) Aucher, widow of Sir Henry Aucher, between 1704 and 1707 on the site of an ancient house known as Hautboume. (The Hautf family, kinsmen of Edward IV’s queen Elizabeth Woodville, was prominent in the area in the 15th century). More can be discovered about the Auchers in The Aucher Family of the Bourne Estate, Bishopsbourne, Kent (Ian D Taylor) in the Archives of Canterbury Cathedral. In 1756, Stephen Beckingham, who had married an Aucher daughter, inherited the estate. In 1765, Mozart was a guest in the house, and while staying there, visited the popular Barham Downs racecourse. In 1845, Matthew Bell /purchased the house,‘ the owner also of ‘Oswards’ ‘in Bishopsbourne. \”YD Q“; A Bell was responsible for the construction of the ornamental lake, and for constructing of a number of buildings in the vicinity. including the school in Bishopsbomne/and Bridge Lodge in Bridge. Such buildings are ofien distinguishedrby a «J 4; A :’t* ‘ ° stone plaque, showing an * ' intertwined MFB motif, for Matthew and Fanny Bell, his wife. When the Elham Valley railway was built at the end of the 19th century, Matthew Bell agreed to its passing through his land only if it was hidden ‘ ‘J .« — e« by a cut-and-cover tunnel where it ran behind his house. Memorials to the Auchers and the Bells can be seen in the north chapel of Bishopsboume church. i- -~L-1 The last Bell owner died in 1927, at which time the house was purchased by Sir John Prestige. who owned it until his death in 1962. In the 19505, Sir John proposed that Kent County Council should take over the house as a museum, but this scheme did not materialise. and by 1957 the house was empty and in a poor state of repair. Sir John then sought to have the house demolished, but following a public enquiry, a Preservation Order was placed on the house, which was eventually Grade One listed. Extensive restoration work followed, and Sir John’s next scheme was to offer the house and 300 acre estate as the site for the new University of Kent, but this too was turned down. During the 1960s and 70s, the house changed ownership a number of times, and various proposals were made for its future. These included a religious house, a residential retirement club, a private hospital, offices and residential accommodation and a luxury hotel. The house’s future became assured when it was purchased in 1983 by Lady Juliet, the only daughter of the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, and Mr Somerset de Chair, a conservative MP and noted collector of art and antiques. Sensitive and expert restoration work was carried out on the house and grounds. Somerset de Chair died in 1995 aged 83. Lady Juliet remarried in 1997, and the work of improving and enhancing the grounds, the house and its contents has continued to this day. One of the first cricket matches in Kent took place on the ground at Boume Park, which in the 18th century, attracted numerous people. 3/ Initially, spectators would go to the Horse and Groom on Bridge Hill, , but by 1767, booths selling food were available on the cricket ground itself, including one for gentlemen ‘in a tent pitched for that purpose, separate from all the other booths’. After 1780, publicans from Bridge and Canterbury were allowed to set up booths operating outside the ‘paddock’. When Hambledon played England in August 1772, a grandstand was built to accommodate the huge crowd. There were said to be 20,000 people present on the first day. Many of the supporters were ordinary Kentish folk, and a rhyme of 1773 suggests how far they were willing to travel: From Marsh and Weald their hay fork left To Boume the mstics hied From Romney, Cranbrook, Tenterden And Durent’s verdant side St Peter’s Church, Bridge Until the 19th century(?}, Bridge church served as no more than a chapel of ease for the church at Patrixboume, A chapel of ease provided for the ‘ease’ of those living at some distance from a parish church, and was subordinate to it. By tradition, - t such chapels were often built at the roadside, ofien near river-crossings, for the convenience of travellers, so Bridge church satisfied both these requirements. As the parish of Bridge grew, its inhabitants became increasingly resentful of their subordinate position to Patrixbourne. Indeed, at the time of Archdeacon Harpsfield’s visitation, in 1557, the parishioners submitted a petition requiring That the said chapel of Bridge may be appointed to be the head church to Patrixboume, because as they say, the said chapel standeth in the midst part of the inhabitants of both parishes, and that Patrixbourne standeth in the uttermost part of the dwellers of the two parishes, very far out of the way. '2 I _ In 1846, S R F lynne described Bridge church in his Churches 0fKent. However, being seen as in need of extensive repair, it was largely rebuilt in 1859-61, owing to the generosity of Mrs Mary Gregory, 4. who lived in Bridge Hill House, - and was related to the Aucher family. She died in 1867, and lefi a bequest to the poor of the village which is still in existence. The restoration of the church was achieved, according to the Pevsner guide, ‘with gross t insensitivity’! Some vestiges remain of the medieval architecture, including a relief of the Three Persons of the Trinity, surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists. There is also a 17th century portrait by Cornelius Johnson, who was a frequent visitor to Bridge Place. Bifrons and the Conynghams The first house built on the site of Bifrons for which there is evidence is that built, according to Hasted, by John Bargrave in the early 17th century. John Bargrave’s brother, Isaac, became dean of Canterbury Cathedral. The family sold the house in 1662 and there were a number of owners before the house was purchased by John Taylor in September 1694. In 1695 Taylor also bought Bridge Place, demolishing the greater part of the house to use the bricks in the — - rebuilding of his Patrixboume house. His grandson Edward inherited the property in c.1775, demolished the house and began reconstruction (again??). A number of drawings survive of this ‘plain ~ ’ ’ P ' building in the classical style with little architectural embellishment’. In 1802, Edward’s son, Edward, married Louisa Beckingham of Boume Place, and Bifrons was let to tenants. It was sold in 1830 to the first Marquis Conyngham. """ 1 we-'§~1: 3: .—= 'x«‘ _ -—-:‘.‘*—~ - 1' {mi Henry Conyngham was created marquis by George IV while he was Prince Regent. Conyngham married a wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Denison, whose father was a merchant banker. His rise through the ranks of the peerage was due to his services in Ireland, and the Conyngham’s Irish country seat was (and still is) Castle Slane,‘ between Belfast and Dublin. The Marquis was much at court, and held the post of Lord Steward of the Household until the king’s death. Lady Conyngham was famed as the companion and confidante of George IV. A favourite at court, she was described as ‘fat, handsome, kindly, shrewd and extremely fond of jewels’! The king heaped presents and money on her and, when in London, she and her family lived largely at his expense. Though they never appeared in public together, the king and the marchioness were often ridiculed by the press, but this did not seem to deter them. A popular rhyme at the time suggested that Lady Conyngham and George IV spent time Quaffin g their claret, then mingling their lips Or fondling the fat about each others hips The king once said to her ‘thank you, my dear; you always do what is right. You cannot please me so much as by doing everything you please, everything to show that you are mistress here’. However, it seems never to have been proven that their relationship was other than platonic. The Marquis died in 1832. The Marchioness lived to the age of 92, and died in 1861. During her lifetime, she added considerably to her Kent estates in Kent. She was active in Patrixboume and Bridge, founding the school, supporting the free schools’ movement, helping form the volunteer fire brigade. She and the marquis were founder shareholders in the Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company (see p. ?) Considerable alterations were carried out at Bifrons during the 19”‘ century. When the fourth marquis inherited, he decided against living there; indeed the family ceased to live in the house after 1882, preferring to let the property to a succession of tenants. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Bifions was cleared of its contents and taken over for military purposes. The condition of at the end of the War was poor, and the decision was taken to demolish it. A number of the houses in Patrixboume belonging to the estate were sold, and the land rented out on long lease, together with the stable block, which was converted into houses for farmworkers. In 1945, the Conyngham estate engaged Sir Edwin Savill as land and estate agent to manage their properties in Kent, and Savills still act as the estate’s agents. The Conyngham family continue to take an active interest in their local property and in the village of Bridge. In 1989, Canterbury Archaeological Trust undertook an excavation of the Bifrons site, funded by the Conyngham estate, and reported in Archaeologia Cantiana in 1989. It was hoped at that time that the house might be reconstructed, but this plan was abandoned. Higham Higham has been the site of a grand house since 1320, when it was ceded to the de Hegham family by Edward II. The present building dates from 1768, with a later front addition built in about 1805. Perhaps the most colourful character to own the house was Count Louis Vorrow Zborowski, who designed and built the first aero—engine powered racing car, which later was immortalised in the film Chitty—Chitty-Bang-Bang. In 1920, Bridge Fire Brigade was concerned at the inadquacy of its horse—drawn fire appliance, which was unable to reach fires in outlying districts in time to be effective. The Count, hearing of this, presented them with a car to serve as a fire engine, adapted the body of the vehicle and made it of a suitable size to accommodate ten men and a mile of hose. With a rating of 75 horse power, and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, this was probably the fastesi fire engine of its kind in the country at the time. For his generosity, Zborowski was made honorary captain of the brigade! ..., H... -J '2 'UIw :-‘j. hk‘ (‘Vet ‘» the second World War the house served as a hospital, and it continued in this role in various guises until the 1980s, when it was closed and the estate fell into a state of neglect. In 1995, it was purchased by Patricia Gibb and Amanda Harris—Deans, who devoted themselves to restoring the house and gardens to their former glory, and opened the gardens to the public. In 2005 ('2) the estate was sold once more, and continues now as a private residence. The Horse and Groom (Bridge Hill House) The Horse and Groom was the licensed premises for the local sporting fraternity in the 18th and early 19th century, particularly for the devotees of horse racing. Races on Barham Down began (officially at least) in 1678. A century later the races were attracting vast crowds, including the fashionable gentry, and in 1774 a ‘new stand’ was built, to supplement the original. There was a racing stable in Union Road, not far from the old windmill. The official race week was in August, but there was also a meeting at Easter and at various other times. In 1773, a race was rim ‘over the New Round Course on Barham Downs, one four-miles heat, for one hundred Guineas, between two Gentlemen’s h0rses...to start exactly at Twelve o’cl0ck. Dinner will be ready at Bridge-Hill after the race is over’. Racing was not limited to horses! In June 1770, there was a ‘match of running between twenty- four of the Chilham Club and Twenty-four Gentlemen of East Kent’. In July the previous year was held ‘A match of Running by Maids. To Strip at Five o’clock’!i! It was reported that the match was played ‘to the great satisfaction of a vast concourse of people’, but prersumably streaking was not a part of it! Cock fighting took place at the Horse and Groom too. In March 1773, Bridge met Deal ‘to shew eleven cocks on each side and fight for Four Guineas a battle’. Once again, dinner was provided at the hostellery. Before 1767 especially, cicket enthusiasts also patronised the Horse and Groomvuring the cricket season at Bishopsboume Paddock. The Horse and Groom was also, like the other village licensed premises, a venue for auctions. East Bridge House This building dates to the early 19th century. More recently it was turned into three flats, until restored to a single house during the l980s.To the rear of the house, where formerly the kitchens were to be found, is now a separate house with a doorway which was imported from Bifrons in Patrixboume, when it was demolished. Bourne Lodge fa Boume Lodge was built in the later 19th century, possibly on the site of W an earlier dwelling known as Hill . ‘ ‘J House. In 1898 It became the home ' . of Mrs Fanny Bell, widow of - 9 Matthew Bell of Boume Park. In _ . _ I A the 20th century, the house was for I__A_—_“l V fl many years owned by a single ‘ ' family. In 1926, Mr F Cowderoy lefi it to his son and daughter, the Rev C C Cowderoy (later Roman Catholic archbishop of Southwark) and Mrs C Berry. Mrs Berry lived in the house for many years with her husband Frank, who was a well- known Canterbury estate agent. His son John and his wife owned the house from 1967, until it was sold in 1981 and again in 2003. Lynton House At the core of Linton House is a 17th century house, once ovmed by William Cheston, yeoman, and given to his son on his marriage. In 1743, a Bridge clock-maker of considerable repute, John Nash, rented the house from Richard Barham (father of the author of the Ingoldsby Legends ??), _ who was administrator to the will of William Ford. Ford was a member of the ‘Congregation of Baptists’ in 1706, and lefi in his will ten pounds for the poor of that congregation in his will. In 1822, the house belonged to James Delmare, linen weaver. From 1930-1940, the house belonged to a coal merchant, Albert Taylor, whose advertisement once appeared on thefwall of the house. (I??)’ In recent years it has undergone considerable restoration, including the return of the front door to its original position. ? Church Cottage Lu-A- .4.-._4......._.. . 1...“ jl“1A.l. u...‘. | u,\.x;—_Lu_n:.;; ua.u nu I.I1(l|;_L_. 1| 1 ununuv The Red Lion [black and white page] First mention of this establishment occurs in 1593. Considerable reconstruction took place in the later 18th century, and again in the Victorian period. The original building was a dwelling house with stables and outbuildings, situated in a significant tract of land. By 1632, Jacob Jarvis, ‘victualler of Canterbury’, was granted a licence for the sale of ale on the premises. By 1640, the Red Lion had become a registered inn, with stabling facilities. After Jac0b’s death, his widow continued to run the inn until 1672, when she sold the licensed premises to Martyn Bradstowe, former landlord of the Black Griffin in St Peter’s Street, Canterbury. Bradstowe’s wife conducted her trade as a harness maker from the premises — a suitable occupation for a resident of Bridge, sewing the needs of travellers using the road from Canterbury to Dover. There were in addition three wheelwrights, two blacksmiths and two saddlers in the village, quite apart from the ‘livery and bait’ facilities offered by the Red Lion. The licence subsequently passed to the Knight family, and in 1768 to Thomas Fagge, a member of a prominent Bridge family in the 18th century, which provided the village with a baker, a miller, a blacksmith and a carpenter. The improvements of the London to Dover highway in the 1760s meant an increased flow of traffic. The Red Lion provided a resting 6 ‘f place for private coaches, for the hire of horses and for transfer to local transport. Joseph Moss, the landlord in 1804, was an equine dealer in addition. By 1850, the landlord Joseph Eyre was advertising the Red Lion as ‘a , £5 fine lodging inn, with carriage ~ ‘ V "=~ .- and stabling facilities’.By 1886, the premises were owned by the Frederick Flint Brewery of St Dunstan’s, Canterbury, and later to the Beer and Rigden Brewery. In the 1940s Whitbread’s bought the pub, and then Bass Charlngton. All these brewerys run the establishment through tenant landlords. 43:35» “$9 '4 ,2‘ \»~. In recent years the Red Lion has continued to serve the community until a fire inflicted serious damage to the building in~——February[?] 2006. to be lighted one hour after sunset and extinguished at 10.30 pm except for three months in the summer...’ A further exception was made ‘for five nights of every full Moon at which time the Lamps will not be required’! From 1906. general street lighting was installed, maintained by James Wonfer until 1928. Wonfer lived in the only house in Patrixbourne Road, Brookside, and was employed making gas and installing it into houses in the village. He worked seven days a week, and was responsible for seeing that the street lights were lit in the Village at dusk and extinguished after dawn. Coke was produced and sold as a by—product.. The coal store wasbeliind (house on Patrixbn rd) By 1929, gas was supplied by East Kent Gas Company and the Bridge company was wound up in 1932. Bridge School The school was founded by Lady Elizabeth, Marchioness of Conyngham in 1849. At that time, the school stood within the Patrixboume parish boundary. girls, were educated at the expense of the Marquis. They wore uniforms of blue serge dresses and red cloaks, and wore sailor hats with blue ribbons. This uniform was worn by the girls until 1885. The education the girls received gave them a basic knowledge of reading and writing, and provided them with the skills that they would need. Many of them would expect to be employed in domestic service. Mr and Mrs Robert Wye were appointed as the first government teachers of the school in 1871, following the Education Act. They lived in Weston Villas, now 1 High Street. Mr Wye’s sister was appointed headmistress of the infants’ school in 1871. After forty years at the school she was presented with a purse of gold. Government inspectors, praised her skill as a teacher to the ‘little ones, to whom she had been a second mother’ (Kentish Gazette, 11-January 1916). The school house has been a private residence since the opening of Bridge Church of England Primaryscheel in .?~? The new school in Conyngham Lane was opened in ??? and now has approximately 360 pupils. Bridge primary school is popular and highly regarded . The Plough and Harrow The Plough and Harrow was built in l692,constructed originally as two dwelling houses and. in 1703, a shoemaker and a carpenter occupied the premises. The building was sold in 1785 to Thomas . Williams, a Maltster, who A established a malthouse. Malting p’ * was a specialized process used in 4 the making of ale. In 1833;” Thomas Williams acquired a . licence to sell beer from his V dwelling l»8v3’l;» It was known as ‘the Beer House at Bridge’. In 1858 Joseph Burch, an ale and porte brewer, bought the premises, and in 1863 it became known as the Plough and Harrow. In 1877, the pub was sold to Shepherd Neame as a ‘beerhouse with brewhouse and outbuildings’ for £410. By 1878, a new lessee, was granted a licence for wine and spirits, and it became a registered tavern. A tavern was licensed to sell wine as well as ale and beer. In 1873, a headquarters was set up by the residents of Bridge for the voluntary fire brigade, and a fire engine was purchased, and kept at the Plough and Harrow (?I. The Marquis of Conyngham, of ’ Bifrons, was an enthusiast for fire apparatus and became Captain of the local crew. By 1878, his son and heir, earl Mount Charles, had become captain. In the early days the pump was horse-drawn. In 1929, the brigade acquired its own motor pump, and a Rolls Royce chassis was converted into a fre-engine. In 1938, a new fire-engine was supplied by Count Zprovsky of Higham House (see Higham). The firemen were mostly local tradesmen, who were summoned to service with a maroon flare. On 31 March 1910, the brigade was called to a fire at Pett Bottom. The young second engineer of the fire brigade, John Fenn, had the job of preparing the flare. In lighting the match, two simultaneous explosions occurred, causing Mr Fenn terrible injuries. He died just twenty minutes after the explosion. His funeral, on April 3, was probably unique in Bridge, attracting a is-1937 , 1» crowd or some 5000 mourners, who throngcd the street and overtlowed into the surrounding fields (see p.» ). Recent publicans of the Red Lion, James Crowhurst and, I‘or~—the'past ten;E?1 years, Chris Maclean, have run a popular and lively village pub, much appreciated by local patrons, and the present landlords ‘[,‘2']’ continue in this tradition. ? Church House Anne’s House/Willow Brook This 19th century photograph shows this cottage, on the right, close to the bridge. Probably of 17th century origine, the house served also as a shop. Damaged by fire in the early 20th century, it was partly rebuilt. It is remembered as a tea room, with a fine garden. In the early 20th century the building to the right of the premises, once served as a motor repair and spares shop and, more recently, a printer’s studio. River House Built around 1780, River House was once owned by T L Collard, auctioneer and Valuer, clerk to the Board of Guardians of the workhouse. In 1904, the house was put up for auction, but failed to reach the reserve price of £390! It subsequently became a temperance hotel. The Temperance Movement originated in England in the 1820s. In 1831, the British and Foreign Temperance Society was formed and extended its influence over the country in a decade. In 1853, the UK Alliance, an aggressive organization not always popular by the less militant temperance societies. aimed to persuade politicians into a policy of prohibition. but this did not succeed. A temperance hotel would have provided a pleasing alternative to those who did not wish to stay in accommodation with licensed premises. The White Horse The sign of The White Horse is a thoroughly Kentish one, and this pub is probably the oldest in Bridge. The building has a late medieval core, and an early 16th century V A _ — . ~ inscription is to be seen on V T the fireplace lintel. An indenture of 1 June 1668 refers to the sale of the property by Sir Arnold Braems to Sir Anthony Aucher, and the tenant at that time seems to have been William Ford. The ownershhip probably . remained in the hands of -» A A V the descendants of Sir Anthony and subsequent owners of Boume Place until it was sold at the end of the 18th century. The pub was once a posting house, though Bridge was only a half-stage between Dover and Canterbury — necessary because of the hills. Mail coaches were drawn by teams of four horses in stages of 7-10 miles, according to gradients and the condition of the road. The fastest mail-coaches ran at about 10 miles per hour. The White Horse served also as the village post office, with the publican serving as post-master. It was here too that the first meeting of the workhouse guardians was held, on 22 April 1835. The census returns show that the inn ofien provided accommodation for lodgers, including in 1881, Geiorge Webb, aged 23, a professional cricketer. Like other public houses, the inn, was used for property sales and auctions.The Stables for the White Horse were ‘ once to be found as a single—storey building opposite (Sebastapol Terrace), later a laundry and cottages (true?). The White Horse was host to meetings of gardening enthusiasts and to gardening shows. In April 1774, there was an ‘Auricula Feast’ held, with a prize for the first flower of fifteen shillings! Exhibitors at the show were expected to attend the dimer, ‘or have no Right to shew his Flower’! Less sympathetic to today’s readers" taste would be the cock lighting, advertised in June 1772 ‘to show Twenty-one Cocks on each side...for four guineas a battle and ten the odd battle’. Finally, in the sporting line. the census returns of 1851 show that the licensee was ‘a trainer of racehorses’ . The Old Forge Lime Cottage, built in 15th or 16th century and was formerly the village forge ~ much in demand when numerous horse drawn vehicles came regularly through the village, and the White Horse, next door, was the staging post. It was no doubt used also for the mending of farm equipment and horse—drawn vehicles. Albany Terrace This handsome early 19th century row of houses was built by Trinity House. the lighthouse authority for the coast of England and Wales, to serve their employees engaged in work on thglollroad between Dover and London‘?? A much-loved later ~ resident of the terrace was Charles Wills, who ran the village bakery, following his father’s death in 1896. He was an enthusiastic chief officer of Bridge Fire Brigade for over 30 years, as well as serving on the parish council from its inception. His served on the old Bridge Blean Rural District Council, the Board of Guardians of the workhouse, and was secretary to the Bridge Gas, Coal and Coke Company. During the first World War, he was nightly on duty at the canteen nm in the village Reading Room (now the village hall) for the benefit of the troops stationed at Boume Park. Mr Wills was described as ‘a man of charming manners and genial disposition’, who was also a keen cricketer and a long-serving member of St Peter’s Church choir. He died aged 94 in 1943, and a brief look at his life illustrates how much Bridge village has always been at the centre of the lives of many of its residents. Bridge Farm (known as ‘Daddy F agge’s Farm’) At the centre of Bridge village was the home farm of Blackmansbury, before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, part of the land holdings of St Augustine’s Abbey. Until its demolition in 1962, the farmhouse that stood here was a typical 15th A * «~... ~ < A century timber-framed Wealden hall house, originally with a central hall open to the roof, with rooms on two levels on either side, and a jettied overhang. In the early 17th century, a great fireplace was added, and an upper floor inserted. Another timber-framed house had stood at the right-hand end of the building, but was demolished in the 18th century when the wagon entrance was blocked and the entrance to the yard was moved to the right. The house itself must have presented a very attractive appearance, and was a prestigious building with the style of vertical timbers known as close studding. It ,,_ if: A _ had a fine stairway of eight 1: p 1, g; ° _ [1 ‘E§E:;__gV____ solid oak block of medieval ‘ " " date. At the rear was a medieval barn and cowsheds, probably also dating to the 15th century. In the mid 20th century, Captain Maslin, of Bridge’s riding school, kept some of his horses at the farm. Diana Cairns, Dr Hunter’s daughter, can remember well riding with the Captain, and the family kept their ponies in the fields where the Western Avenue estate now is. The Village Hall Correspondence survives between Lady Conyngham’s solicitor and her agent concerning the purchase, from the Canterbury Wesleyan Trustees, of a house, garden and methodist chapel at Bridge for £270. The sale involved difficult negotiations regarding the tenants’ rights. A sect called the Ranters rented the chapel at £4 per annum. Ranters were defined as a ‘people of a joyous and evangelical disposition’, rather than rowdy, but they apparently ‘disturbed the whole neighbourhood’, as they were accustomed to sing through the streets! The vicar, the Reverend Stevenson, had drawn the Wesleyan methodists back into the Anglican fold, and agreement was finally reached on the sale. The agent statied that he had been informed that the ‘Wesleyans possess a million’s worth of property in this country...so they are quite indifi:"erent about the matter’! Lady Conynghama wanted to ‘turn the chapel into a lecture room or a village literary institution, for the improvements of the rising generation’. The original reading room and library were enlarged in 1878, when the marquis of Conyngham presented the hall to the village on the coming of age of his heir, _; _ _ Lord Mount ' 1 Charles. In the W‘ ?i.**&_. ’, 1st World War, when troops were camped avthe top of Bridgev’s”Twoawn i=fillE?], the hall was used as a military canteen. In 1894, the Local Government Act established parish councils, and it was then that Bridge acquired its parish council. The parish council meets monthly in the Village Hall. In l952, the hall was given to the villagers by the Conyngham estate on a 50-year lease at 6d per year (and now??) The hall is used for numerous village activities. The ‘Doctors’ House’ (24 High Street) The earliest record of a doctor in Bridge is of Amelius Sicard, born in Blackheath 12 June 1809, the son of refiigee from revolutionary France, who would-~seem to have 2-..~—= K held an important position ‘in the ‘ ' W‘ household of Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Amelius took on the practice in Bridge in 1832, aged 23, and was the village doctor for 48 years. Sicard’s tombstone claims him to have been a beloved physician to rich and poor, and his friends paid for a wall tablet and the glazing of the west window in the church. Charles Schon followed Sicard, a British subject born in the Grand Duchy of Baden. He died in 1899, to be succeeded by Robert Moorhead, from London, and then in 1906 by Arthur Wilson, born in Dublin, and described as ‘a small man with a big heart, an lrishman’s sense of humour and a characteristic laugh’. Wilson resided in Bridge Place, using the house in the High Street as his surgery. ' Dr Roger Hunter graduated at Trinity College Dublin, and came to the village with his wife in 1937. They bought the house and practice, together with the carriage house and stables. Private patients entered by the front door and waited in the dining room. ‘Panel’ paptients entered at the rear. Until recently, the old butler’s pantry survived, as did the wine and apple store. In the 1970s, restoration work took place and the pediment was removed. The house is hung with mathematical tiles, which were renovated in 1999. The upper tiles were hung in the traditional manner on timber lathes, whereas the lower ones were fixed in plaster. Dr Hunter’s generosity allowed for the building of an extension to the village hall. He died in 1988, and his widow remained in the house until her death, when the house was sold to the current occupents. It served as a doctor’s house for 130 years, and one of the current owners was, until recently, in the medical profession. Dr William Russell, who succeeded Dr Hunter, set up his practice in Green Court Today the modern, purpose-built surgery serves the area from Patrixboume Road. 1... r 2 ; L 1 V K - Lisa "_ ‘Sunnyside’ Olivers’ Court This 18”‘ century cottage once stood level with the road. As a result of the turnpike roadworks, Sunnyside found itself overlooked by a new embankment ;—as a result of the descent into Dering Road, once no more than a footpath, had to be made steep. The cottage once served as Aunt Betsey’s tearooms. '\ iii‘ The gateway once served as the entry to a house, now demolished, once known as Olivers’ Court.’The house belonged to the Cobb family. The present house, beyond the gateway, was once the gardener’s cottage, and outbuildings, with a saddle room at the back. The original -house is said to have resembled the old Vicarage at Patrixboume. Day’s house And/or post office The ‘Old Ship’ (...High Street) This timber—framed house dates to the 15th centmy. Between the timbers is an infill of patterned brickwork, known as ‘nogging’ which, in the late 17th or 18th century, replaced the original lath and plaster or wattle and daub of an earlier date. Despite its popular name, there seems to be no evidence that the building was ever an inn. By 1918 the house had been divided into 4 labourers cottages, one of which was the home of the Sole family, who moved in as lodgers to what was to be the first of three houses they occupied in Bridge following the 1st World War. The cottage was accessed from Primrose Alley, and the door opened Dering Road (Aunt Betsy’s Hill) This short road is named afier the Dering family — in particular Colonel Cholmoley Dering, younger brother of Sir Edward Dering, 7th baronet of Surrenden Dering, Pluckley. Dering raised and commanded the Duke of York’s Own New Romney ' * “ ' Fencible Cavalry, in 1794. He served with the regment in Ireland for three years, winning the thanks of the Lord Lieutenant of the county, and both houses of parliament for services in the rebellion of 1798. The regiment disbanded in 1800 on ' ‘ return from Ireland. Cholmoley Dering bough Howletts from the builder (Isaac Baugh) in 1799, and lived in the house. On becoming the guardian of his nephew, the infant son of his elder brother, he moved to Pluckley, selling Howletts in c.1816 to George Gipps, son and heir to one of the founders of the Canterbury Bank. Howletts remained in the Gipps family until the 1950s or 60s. \ buiidiiig were described as giving ‘an appearance oi checrlulness, while the garden plots on either side of the entrance are generally a blaze 01 flowers.’ (A saunter Hzroug/1 Kent). lhe evidence indicates that the Guardians of the Bridge Union, while careful over financial matters, were conscientious in executing their duties and not unduly harsh. The buildings later became a home for the elderly and nursing home (lhe Close), belore being converted into housing in the nineteen eighties, when the New Close was built in Conyngham Lane.p.3l Bridge Windmill, Union Road lhe name Mill Lane indicates the area where once stood a smock mill, used for grinding corn for local farmers to make flour for bread. The miller in the early nineteenth century, lhomas Johnson, ottered a personal service to his customers by delivering sacks of flour carried on the back of a donkey. The mill is shown on an Ordnance Survey map dated 1819, but had probably existed for some years. This mill must have been preceeded by an earlier one, as a county map of 1719 is shown at the same spot. A map of 1596 shows that there was once an old post mill also, to the east of Bridge Church. The smock mill was last operated by wind power in 1907 and by the 1930s, it was in poor condition. By l933, the site was in use as a coal merchant’s yard, but the mill survived the war years, before being finally demolished in October 1954. One of the oil storge tanks in Corrall’s yard now rests on the old brick base of the mill. Close to the mill stands the Old Mill House (41 Union Road), built c.1730, and for many years one of few houses in the street. This was once the miller’s house, and is set at right angles to the road so that the miller could keep and eye of his mill A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute 1 1 A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE . And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute Bifrons , «' "Parish Botlmlury -Hillside I ,Wcs10n Villas '1 I,‘ 7 Scllon Villas /Albany ‘I emcc Priclxclfs O11‘ Liccngc: '(' wage \ P 011‘ “ ’/ osl 1CC \ I \\ 4/ / "llxc l)0cl0r‘s H«)\1sc\\ / ,' mwr HUM; V ‘ V / /I / r’! « . l L'haI)e1%\~, ‘ ,-’ /’ /« //\\‘1llm\Br0ol; .\lilllmu;'? “ ’ /I / , \ I ' f ' /V’ // \1ill ‘ l «/ ‘ / x / / * ~.\ \'1llag<:IlzIll \ / / \ , O B1'idg<:l"am1 "'—‘ /Forge /'/While Horse / \(}as\\‘0rks Plough & llntrowxx 4 K « \ Cflocklnakerfl \ \S,«1.0o1 /; ' lron Chapel fl . l,,yntonllo1Ls: / ' Vhufch Roumc l-louse Bridge $ /Place ' '1 Old linglands llolc: East Bridge llouse .\§ailh0L1mc Stream Bridge Hill House Boumc House & Crickcl Ground l3ifrqns , l’zm'sl1 Boundary ‘ ,llillside V I ;\\/cslon Villas I ‘,7’ .Sel1&)n Villas V _:Albany 'l‘cn‘:Icc ,(f.'ol(agc.' /, l’riL-kct1's OIT l ,icL:nL:c Post ()ll'1cc . "Forge - _ I , \\’l1i1cllm"su llw l')oct<>r‘s Housc ‘~ " Primitive Chapel 'i N Worklxousc \ :/ K / , Millhousc ‘ ‘ _ /’ I / . W‘ M ‘ Village Hall , l{i\'<;1‘l'l0u.sc V . \VillowBrook Red Lion 5 Bridge Farm ' Plough & llanvw KN v '_ (‘.loclns ’ Parish Bnundary /l fliillsidc ' I,-Weston Villas ,senun Villas "V ;Albnny Terrace l’rickeu‘s Off I.iwI\¢{e I ,:’Cmmg° Post Otlice /P °'g" ~ / ’ White Horse V I ’Rivcr House / Willow Brook‘ ', 4/ The Doctor's House ‘ Primitive Chapel Workhouse‘ Mnllhousc , Red Iiigi‘ ' . . ‘- "V / ' “"1, ‘,3 Village Hall I ,’ \ K" (iusworks Bridge Farm Plough & Hamaw-~.. Jookmakcr East Bridge House Bridge §M/ Plnc: ; ~,..-.1 Nailholmw Strcam 1‘ f 1 4 I ;. Higham Boumc I-louse & Crickul Ground (4) The Bridge in about 1900 (5) Colin Lewie‘ grocer's shop (2) Bridge Village ca 1912 (1) Willem Schellincks, Bridge Street in 1661 (10) Garage and tobacconist "“ any-uni ‘M! v (11) Bridge Place (12) Adriaen Ocker, Old (13) Bourne House (15) Boume Park Cricket Bridge Place Ground . 1 F“ _ ,... flsf-. (17) WF Saunders, Bridge (18) Jan Siberechts, Old (19) Bifrons, ‘a plain building‘ (20) Bifrons, ca 1900 Church, 1853 Bifrons (21) Higham (22) Bridge Hill House (27) The "0" Chapel (23’)'Hardeman clock I‘. 1) J (31) Fire Brigade (32) CE 1037 (33) Funeral ofFlreman (34) R1VHoue Fenn, 1910 ’ (35) Temperance Ladies K; ./“ (39)‘Wills family 4* " £40)Coniectured (36) The White Horse gr (3 development of Bridge Farm ‘fl? pr; (43)“"The Doctor's House’ (45) Primrose Alley 3; Chapel “‘ ‘R’ Yard) j,J .= ‘J ll: ($63 Prickett's Off Licence (4vT)"Doorway to ‘Hillside’ (48 ‘Hi|lsie' (49)“l' he Old Close, formerly (50) Windmill « - ' i ' ‘ - " ' .3- the Union Workhouse -. , ’ ' . I ’~l ‘ "J! ‘*1! . » g. £52)’ Captain Mflaslin cottages, 15tl; or early 16th Mill House Sunnyside 5; .‘ can ury _ ‘ >9... Va 1-’ fir .9 4.’-A‘? 3 . \“ . _ rm- Two cottages, 1693 Weston Villas .4 1’ I, - -_o»..««~..-..«}‘ .,« ,« _ ‘WM 95 . 9.“ ..I*~'*5:‘—‘:~.:x’v K / ,, 7': 6% trisvseuytxzg. mm The shape of Bridge Parish 1894-1984 MILL ROBBED. . . in the night of the 30th November. the Mill belonging to John Fagg, on Bridge Hill, was broke open by forcing the hinges of the door. . . and a Quantity of flour with TWO SACKS marked ‘J.Fagg, Bridge Mill’ were stolen thereout and traced for about halfa mile across the fields. . . This mill was dismantled in about 1818 and soon after another was erected in ‘Three Corner Meadow’ at the junction of what were to become Mill Lane and Union Road on a spot now occupied by a large oil tank. This was by now probably a smock mill, built by James Ashenden, to process corn for local farmers. For security purposes, no doubt not only to watch for robbers but also to keep an eye on the working of the mill. the miller’s house stood at right angles to the road a few yards down the hill (now 41 Union Road). Thomas Johnson was the miller from 1832 until his death in 1856, and the Folkeslone Herald of March 1933 describes ‘the figure of the dusty miller was a familiar sight in the village, for his practice was to deliver flour for his customers personally, his method of transport being the back of a donkey’. The Johnsons later went on to run Barton Mill in Canterbury. The miller from 1859 to 1879 was George Fryer, who was succeeded by William White. By the l890’s industrial milling was fast overtaking the traditional method. Mr White installed a steam engine, and his successor William Mainwaring an oil engine, but the inevitable could not be put off. Wind power was abandoned in 1907, and the sweeps were removed. Flour production by whatever means was given up during the first world war, and the body of the mill began slowly to decay. By 1933 the site was being used as a coal yard, which then was taken over as an oil depot. The remains of the mill (still containing most of the gear) were finally demolished on Friday 15th October 1954. If it had survived perhaps another 15 years it might have benefited from the revival of the heritage industry. But an age which had allowed the destruction of Bridge Farm had no time for an old windmill. Wickhambreaux and Womenswold. The first meeting of the Bridge Union Board of Guardians was held on 22 April 1835 at the White Horse Inn. The master was known as the Governor and his wife the Governess. They were paid a joint salary of £80. The average weekly cost of indoor paupers by 1847 was 3s.4d (17p). Tramps were accommodated in a separate building next to the main workhouse (now demolished) where the sleeping accommodation was basic. There was also a mortuary. In 1840, one family was given £4 to assist them to emigrate, a practice not uncommon at the time. Unmarried women ‘lying in’ were admitted, but punished ifit was to be their second child. Clothing grants were issued and medical aid given. Children received education, and boys were often apprenticed as sweeps, brick-layers, hop growers, etc. A survey of census returns for Bridge shows that the workhouse population was about 15-20% of the total, and consisted predominantly of the aged and infirm, and young women with children. The Union building was well-constructed, on the quadrangle pattern of most contemporary workhouses, with an entrance gate and offices. a chapel in the centre, a porter’s lodge, cook’s house and exercise yard, together with three acres of garden. The red bricks ofthe Union building were described in A Sazmter Through Kent as giving ‘an appearance of cheerfulness, while the garden plots on either side of the entrance are generally a blaze of flowers. The evidence indicates that the Guardians of the Bridge Union, while careful over financial matters, were conscientious in executing their duties and not unduly harsh. The buildings later became a home for the elderly and nursing home (The Close), before being converted into housing in the nineteen eighties, when the New Close was built in Conyngham Lane in the grounds ofthe new school. Six mills are mentioned in the Domesday survey of lO86 within the parish of Patrixbourne (which in effect included Bridge). These were almost certainly water-mills, one of which was probably sited where Bridge Place now stands: the present artificial course ofthe Nailbourne indicates this. At a much later date (first recorded on Symondson’s map of 1596) a post-mill was erected on the brow of Bridgedown within Patrixbourne parish. Milling was a high value but also high risk business: many were the mills that burned down, due to the easily combustible nature of flour dust. The Kentish Gazette in 1808 records a different risk: Hill’, was for long a ‘beer house’, popular among the soldiery during the first World War as ‘Prickett’s off-licence’. The Prickett family subsequently took over the village shop, an early 19"‘ century infill structure next to the village hall, later converted to equestrian supplies. Dering Road and Filmer Road (named after two prominent Kentish families) form the bulk of an early estate development in Bridge from l853 onwards, when the field forming the gap between the Union Workhouse and the High Street was sold off by the Marchioness Conyngham as individual plots. Not all were built on at the time: some were incorporated into the gardens of pre-existing properties (notably, for instance. the ‘doctor’s’). Dering Road in particular probably commemorates Colonel Cholmley Dering, younger brother of Sir Edward Dering, 7th baronet of Surrenden Dering, Pluckley. Dering raised and commanded the Duke of York’s Own New Romney Fencible Cavalry in l794. and served with the regiment in Ireland, winning the thanks of the Lord Lieutenant of the county and both houses of parliament. Cholmoley Dering bought Howletts from the builder (Isaac Baugh) in 1799, but on the death of his brother Edward, became the guardian of his brother’s infant son and moved to Pluckley. He sold Howletts in c.1816 to George Gipps, son and heir to one ofthe founders of the Canterbury Bank. The Poor Law Union workhouse in Bridge was erected in l835, at a cost of £4,376 by Thomas Finch Cozens, one ofthe original trustees of the Methodist chapel, following the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. This Act abolished outdoor relief to the able- bodied poor who, on applying for aid, were to be offered maintenance in a workhouse. To deter people from seeking relief, life was to be made as unpleasant as possible. Married couples were separated and children taken from their parents. The only Contact allowed was in the chapel or refectory, and then infrequently. Responsibility for the poor law passed into the hands of three Poor Law Commissioners. The country was divided into Poor Law Unions, each with a Board of Guardians, and composed of several parishes. Bridge Poor Law Union had 22 parishes under the authority of 22 guardians, four ex-officio guardians. surgeons, a relieving officer and a clerk. The parishes included were Adisham, Barham, Bekesbourne, Bishopsbourne, Bridge, Chartham, Fordwich, Harbledown, Upper Hardres, Lower Hardres, lckham, Kingston. Littlebourne, Nackington. Patrixbourne, Petham, Stodmarsh, Thanington, Waltham, Westgate-Without, new Health Centre in Patrixbourne Road. It is remarkable that the village has had no more than six doctors in over 170 years. The late 18"‘ century pair of cottages now used as the Post Office are known from earlier documents as occupying ‘Chapel Yard’. This name appears to be derived from the fact that the building backs on to the site of the Primitive Methodist chapel, and from the fact that here was the yard belonging to Frederick Colegate (1790-1877), a prominent local builder, who in all probability erected Alexandra House (next to Rogers Garage) for his retirement. Here his daughter Jane and granddaughter Elizabeth Williams ran a private school until the early 20"‘ century. The semi—detached Victorian houses opposite the post office were built on land bought in 1879 by Thomas Sergeant, a builder of Bridge. The houses erected were called respectively Weston and Sefton Villas. The Maslin family lived at 7 High Street (Sefton villas) for many years in the 20th century. The engaging Captain Maslin is remembered by many, and it is said that he ‘could charm the birds from the trees’. He ran the local stables, and taught numerous children in the area to ride. There was a paddock behind Sefion Villas, where some of his horses were grazed. During World War II, 1 High Street (Weston Villas) was requisitioned by the army, and after the war was used for some time as offices by Bridge and Blean Rural District Council. The fact that the gateway opposite Dering Road stands level with the main road suggests that it postdates the grading works of the l820’s. It bears a striking stylistic similarity to the entry to Patrixbourne Old Vicarage. This is a relic of a large 19"‘ century house. known as ‘Hillside’. Further evidence of its existence may be glimpsed in the garden behind the door, where the tiled floor ofa glazed passageway to the house proper still survives. ‘Hillside’ replaced a much earlier building, the now vanished ‘Oliver’s Court’. The present house, beyond the gateway (Beechmount), was once no more than the gardener’s cottage and outbuildings of ‘Hillside’. The 18"‘ century cottage now known as ‘Sunnyside’, once stood level with the road, and was for a while a teashop. As a result ofthe turnpike roadworks, the cottage found itself overlooked by a new embankment. Consequently the descent into Dering Road, once no more than a footpath, became steep. No. 2 Rose Cottages, down ‘Aunt Betsey’s The left—hand house of the early 19"‘ century pair adjacent to Union Road may justifiably be called the ‘doctor’s house’. Originally symmetrical with the other. this house has been extended twice, to accommodate the requirements of the village doctors, five of whom lived here in turn for a period of over 130 years. The earliest record we have ofa doctor in Bridge is of Amelius Sicard, born in Blackheath 12 June 1809, the son of refugee from revolutionary France, and of the dynasty of Lautrec, who was ‘major—domo’ in the household of Princess Caroline of Brunswick. Amelius took on the practice in Bridge in 1832, aged 23, and was the village doctor for 48 years. Sicard’s tombstone in St Peter’s churchyard claims him to have been a ‘beloved physician to rich and poor’, and his friends paid for a wall tablet and the glazing ofthe west window in the church. Charles Schon followed Sicard, a British subject born in the Grand Duchy of Baden. He died in 1899, to be succeeded by Robert Moorhead, from London, and then in 1906 by Arthur Wilson, born in Dublin, and described as ‘a small man with a big heart, an lrishman’s sense of humour and a characteristic laugh’. He was also said, perhaps more unfortunately, to have been unable to restrain a nervous giggle, even in the gravest circumstances. Dr Roger Hunter was also a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, and came to the village with his wife in 1937. They bought the house and practice, together with the carriage house and stables. Private patients entered by the front door and waited in the dining room. ‘Panel’ patients entered at the rear via the garden door which until the 1990’s bore the legend ‘surgery’. Until recently, the old butler’s pantry survived, as did the wine and apple store. In the 1970s, restoration work took place and the pediment was removed. The house is hung with mathematical tiles, which were renovated in 1999. The upper tiles hung in the traditional manner on timber laths, whereas the lower ones are fixed in plaster. Dr Hunter’s generosity allowed for the building of an extension to the village hall. He died in 1988, and his widow remained in the house until her death. Dr William Russell, who succeeded Dr Hunter, set up his practice in Green Court, and on his sudden death in 1988 the practice was assumed by Dr Mark Jones, who was instrumental in establishing the ‘Primrose Alley’, a pretty name belying the lowly character of its early inhabitants, and proclaimed until the 19905 by a board affixed to the side ofthe house. The building attached to the side is a double oast. The brick infill between the timbers of the house (‘nogging’) is probably a later replacement of the wattle and daub ofthe original. It may be noted that the house beside the Ford in Mill Lane, Bridgeford House, erected as a row of three cottages in the early 19"‘ century, was collectively known as ‘Bricknoggin’. Correspondence survives between Lady Conyngham’s solicitor and her agent, prompted by a villagers’ petition, concerning the purchase, from the Canterbury Wesleyan Trustees, of a house, garden and Methodist chapel at Bridge for £270. The sale involved difficult negotiations regarding the tenants’ rights. A group of Primitive Methodists (or ‘Ranters’) rented the chapel at £4 per annum. These may be defined as a ‘people of a joyous and evangelical disposition’, rather than rowdy, but they apparently ‘disturbed the whole neighbourhood’, as they were accustomed to sing through the streets on their way home from services. The vicar, the Rev. Stevenson, had drawn the Wesleyan Methodists back into the Anglican fold. When agreement was finally reached on the sale, the agent stated that he had been informed that the ‘Wesleyans possess a million’s worth of property in this country...so they are quite indifferent about the matter’! Lady Conyngham agreed to a more sober use of the erstwhile chapel as ‘a lecture room or a village literary institution, for the improvements of the rising generation’. This is now the village hall. The Primitive Methodists retired to a private house until they were able to erect their own chapel in Dering Road in 1868, which they used until the first decade of the 20th century. lt then became a private house, and was demolished in 1951. The original reading room and library was enlarged in 1878 for the benefit of the villagers, to twice its size (and including the additional comfort of a fireplace), to celebrate the coming of age of Marquis Conyngham’s heir, Lord Mount Charles. In the lst World War, when troops were camped at the top of Bridge Hill, the hall was used as a military canteen. In 1952, the hall was given to the villagers by the Conyngham estate on a 50-year lease at a peppercorn rent of 6d per yeah Brigade for over 30 years, as well as serving on the parish council from its inception. He served on the old Bridge Blean Rural District Council, the Board of Guardians of the workhouse, and was secretary to the Bridge Gas. Coal and Coke Company. During the first World War. he was nightly on duty at the canteen run in the village Reading Room (now the village hall) for the benefit of the troops stationed at Bourne Park. Mr Wills was described as ‘a man of charming manners and genial disposition’, who was also a keen cricketer and a long—serving member of St Peter’s Church choir. He died aged 94 in i943, and this brief look at his life illustrates how much Bridge village has always been at the centre of the lives of many of its residents. Illustrated above is Mr Wills with his aunt (aged 100) and his two sisters. At this date the combined ages ofthe four was 335 years. Opposite the White Horse, on the site of the present neo-Georgian houses was a row of four tiny board cottages attached to Albert Terrace, known as Bean or Bean’s Cottages, and adjacent to Bridge Farm. This, (known latterly, after the last owner, as ‘Daddy Fagge’s Farm’) was the home farm of Blackmansbury and, before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, part of the land holdings of St Augustine’s Abbey. Until its regrettable demolition in l962, the farmhouse that stood here was a typical 15th century timber-framed Wealden hall house, originally with a central hall open to the roof, rooms on two levels on either side and ajettied overhang. In the early 17th century, a great fireplace was added, and an upper floor inserted. Another timber-framed house had stood at the right-hand end of the building. but was demolished in the 18th century when the wagon entrance was blocked and the entrance to the yard was moved to the right. The house itself must have presented a very attractive appearance, and was a prestigious building with the style of vertical timbers known as close studding. It had a fine stairway of eight solid oak blocks of medieval date. At the rear was a medieval barn and cowsheds, probably also dating to the 15th century. In the mid 20th century, Captain Maslin, of Bridge’s riding school, kept some of his horses at the farm. The fields behind, now the Western Avenue estate. were the usual venue for summer fétes and similar village functions. One of the oldest buildings remaining in Bridge: a late 15”‘ or early 16"‘ century hall house, timber—framed and jettied, which according to one theory was an inn known as the ‘Ship’. By 1841, the house had been converted into a row of four labourers’ cottages known as and the condition ofthe road. The fastest mail—coaches ran at about 10 miles per hour. It was here too that the first meeting of the workhouse guardians was held, on 22 April l835. The census returns show that the inn often provided accommodation for lodgers including, in I881, George Webb, aged 23, a professional cricketer. Like other public houses, the inn was used for property sales and auctions. The White Horse was host to meetings of gardening enthusiasts and to gardening shows. In April 1774, there was an ‘Auricula Feast’ held, with a prize for the first flower of fifteen shillings! Exhibitors at the show were expected to attend the dinner, ‘or have no Right to shew his Flower’! Less sympathetic to today’s readers’ taste would be the cock fighting, advertised in June l772 ‘to show Twenty—one Cocks on each side...for four guineas a battle and ten the odd battle’. Finally, in the sporting line, the census returns of l85l show that the licensee was ‘a trainer of racehorses’. One other public house within the parish might be mentioned here for completeness: the Woodman ’s Arms, built as a farm (Wood/ands) in 1623, licenced to sell ales, groceries and provisions in 1849 and renamed, now (since the l960’s) the Duck at Pett Bottom. Lime Cottage, built in l5th or 16th century was formerly the village forge — much in demand when numerous horse drawn vehicles came regularly through the village, and the White Horse, next door, was the staging post. It was no doubt used also for the mending of farm equipment and horse-drawn vehicles. Before becoming a private house it was for a period in the 19705 Norman and Elsie Turner’s shop, which had its own market garden and small—holding behind, extending over some ofthe land currently occupied by the buildings of Riverside Close. From here customers could obtain freshly harvested produce, as well as new-laid free-range eggs, poultry and pork. The handsome early l9th century row of houses known as Albany Terrace is said to have been built by Trinity House, the lighthouse authority for the coast of England and Wales, to serve their pilots engaged in work in Dover and Whitstable. It was erected in the first place as two more or less symmetrical detached buildings. An additional house was created a few years later by infilling between them. A much-loved and stalwart resident of the terrace was for many years Charles Wills, who ran the village bakery, following his father’s death in 1896. He was an enthusiastic chief officer of Bridge Fire During the l940s, the firemen’s uniforms were supplied by the captain, and were passed on from one volunteer to another, regardless of size. A villager recalls how Harold De Cent, a small man known for his funny sayings, had considerable difficulty managing his over-large coat as he scrambled up the ladder! Another character, ‘Hatcher Downs’, the owner of the cycle shop, had a tendency to enter buildings by breaking down the door with his hatchet! After WW II the brigade was absorbed into the national fire service. Close to the bridge and probably of 17th century origin, Anne’s House, or Willowbrook house served also as a shop. Damaged by fire in the early 20th century, it was partly rebuilt. It is remembered as a tea room, with a fine garden. In the early 20th century the building to the right of the premises, once served as a motor repair and spares shop and, more recently, a printer’s studio. Built around 1780, River House was once owned by T L Collard, auctioneer and valuer, and clerk to the Board of Guardians of the workhouse. ln l904, the house was put up for auction, but failed to reach the reserve price of £390! It subsequently became a temperance hotel. The Temperance Movement originated in England in the 1820s. In 1831. the British and Foreign Temperance Society was formed and extended its influence over the country in a decade. In l853, the UK Alliance, a militant organization not always popular with the less forthright temperance societies, aimed to persuade politicians into a policy of prohibition, but this did not succeed. A temperance hotel would have provided a pleasing alternative to those who did not wish to stay in accommodation with licensed premises. The sign of The White Horse is a thoroughly Kentish one, and this pub is probably the oldest surviving in Bridge. The building has a late mediaeval core, and an early 16th century inscription is to be seen on the fireplace lintel. An indenture of 1 June 1668 refers to the sale ofthe property by Sir Arnold Braems to Sir Anthony Aucher, and the tenant at that time seems to have been William Ford. The ownershhip probably remained in the hands of the descendants of Sir Anthony and subsequent owners of Bourne Place until it was sold at the end of the 18th century. The pub was the posting house (hence also post office), though Bridge was only a half—stage between Dover and Canterbury — necessary because of the hills on either side. Mail coaches were drawn by teams of four horses in stages of 7-10 miles, according to gradients The 18th century row adjoining Brewery Lane contains a baker’s shop which has existed on the site for at least 150 years. At the other end of the row was the chemist’s, before it was removed to the Post Office at the other end ofthe village. In between was one ofthe more notable businesses to grace Bridge again for over a century, that ofthe watch and clockmakers William Nash and Samuel and William Hardeman. The Plough and Harrow was built in 1692, constructed originally as two dwelling houses and, in 1703, a shoemaker and a carpenter occupied the premises. The building was sold in 1785 to Thomas Williams. a Maltster. who established a malthouse. Malting was a specialized process used in the making of ale. Following the terms of the Beer Act of I830, Thomas Williams’ son William acquired a licence to sell beer from his dwelling in 1831. whereupon it was known as ‘the Beer House at Bridge’. ln I858 Joseph Burch, an ale and porter brewer, bought the premises, and in 1863 it became known as the Plough and Harrow. In 1877, the pub was sold to Shepherd Neame as a ‘beerhouse with brewhouse and outbuildings’ for £410. By 1878, a new lessee was granted a licence for wine and spirits, and it became a registered tavern. Not until 1861 is ‘Brewhouse Lane’ identified in the census returns. In I873. a headquarters was set up for a voluntary fire brigade. and a tire engine was purchased. The Marquis of Conyngham, of Bifrons. was an enthusiast for fire apparatus and became Captain of the local crew. By 1878, his son and heir, Earl Mount Charles, had become captain. In the early days the pump was horse-drawn. For many years the engine (including CE 1037, that donated by Count Zborowsi) was housed in a shed behind the Plough and Harrow and kept running through donations from insurance companies. The firemen were mostly local tradesmen (at the time of the photo, two grocers, the cycle agent, a publican, the draper, two gardeners. the coal merchant and the blacksmith) who were summoned to service with a maroon flare. On 31 March 1910, the brigade was called to a fire at Pett Bottom. The young second engineer of the fire brigade, John Fenn, had the job of preparing the flare. ln lighting the match, two simultaneous explosions occurred, causing Mr Fenn terrible injuries. He died just twenty minutes after the explosion. His funeral, on April 3, was probably unique in Bridge, attracting a crowd of some 5000 mourners, who thronged the street and overflowed into the surrounding fields. and light...the Eleven existing Lamps for the sum of Five Pounds and Ten Shillings for each Lamp per annum. The Lamps to be lighted one hour after sunset and extinguished at 10.30 pm except for three months in the summer...’ A further exception was made ‘for five nights of every full Moon at which time the Lamps will not be required’! From 1906, general street lighting was installed, maintained by James Wonfer until 1928. Wonfer lived in the only house in Patrixboume Road, Brookside. and was employed making gas and installing it into houses in the village. He worked seven days a week, and was responsible for seeing that the street lights were lit in the village at dusk and extinguished after dawn. Coke was produced and sold as a by—product. By 1929, gas was supplied by East Kent Gas Company and the Bridge company was wound up in 1932. During the 19th century, a number of schools existed in Bridge. The Marchioness Conyngham established a school for 30 girls at Bifrons Gate. It is said that the pupils wore smart uniforms of blue serge dresses and red cloaks. It was quite common for philanthropic ladies to found such schools, not least to provide girls with an education suitable for their probable future career in domestic service. They were taught basic numeracy and literacy, but also sewing and other domestic arts. There remains some confusion as to whether this school, founded by Lady Conyngham, was the same school as that on Patrixboume Road, the Bridge School of the photograph. By 1861 Bridge School, under Richard Wells. master, and Mrs Sophie Sayer, mistress. had 99 pupils. Mr and Mrs Robert Wye were appointed as the first government teachers of the school in 1871, following the Education Act of 1870. Mr Wye’s sister Fanny was appointed mistress of the infants’ school. After 44 years at the school she was presented on her retirement with a purse of gold. Government inspectors praised her skill as a teacher to the ‘little ones. to whom she had been a second mother’. She died in 1944. aged 94. Just four years later Miss Olive Seath (Mrs Knight) was appointed headmistress. She retired in 1971. The school house has been a private residence since the opening of the new school in Conyngham Lane in 1971: for three-quarters of the century of its existence therefore this old primary school had only two principal teachers! There were other Dame schools in the village, one of which was held in Alexander House. Dame schools, were small, private elementary schools run by women, the usual fee being 3d or 4d per week. These largely disappeared after the 1870 Education Act. with stabling facilities, serving the needs of travellers using the road from Canterbury to Dover. There were in addition three wheelwrights, two blacksmiths and two saddlers in the village, quite apart from the ‘livery and bait’ facilities offered here On race days facilities were much in demand, both for horses and racegoers. By 1850 the landlord, Joseph Eyre, was advertising the Red Lion as ‘a fine lodging inn. with carriage and stabling facilities’. For a short period at the turn ofthe 20"‘ century Bridge fire engine was also housed here, before being transferred to the rear of the Plough and Harrow. In 2000 the inn suffered serious damage from floodwater, and not long after it had undergone considerable refurbishment it was again severely damaged by fire in 2006. The first mention of Methodism in Bridge occurs in 1823, authorising William Fordred to ‘rent a house for Methodist meetings at no more than two shillings and sixpence per week’. A site was found in the High Street (for £50) and a chapel built (what is now the front portion of the village hall) but by 1851 the congregation had deserted, in part towards the vicar, and the chapel had been taken over by the Primitive methodists. Not until I892 was a Methodist Society re-formed, with fourteen members, to raise funds for the building of a chapel and a regular schedule of services was re—established. In 1894 the ‘Iron Chapel’ was built The choice of corrugated iron as a building material met with thorough disapproval from the central Chapel Committee in Manchester, who preferred the idea of a brick-built structure and were prepared to offer a loan to assist the financing of such a chapel. The Trustees for the Bridge venture were dedicated to the idea oftheir lron Chapel, and a determined fund-raising effort and much hard work resulted in the erection of the chapel, free of debt. The cost of the building, including seating, hymn books, mats and oil lamps, amounted to a grand total of£l39.l7s.0 '/a d. During the Second World War, a baby clinic operated from the Chapel, and this continued until I987. The Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company was established in September 1858 on a site in Patrixbourne road (next to the school!) by the Marquis and Marchioness of Conyngham and Matthew Bell, of Bourne Park ~ chairman of the company. Lamp posts were fitted and tested on l0 December 1858. Edward Dadds, the gasman, was provided with a cottage. A Memorandum of Agreement was made 7 January 1896 between Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company and the new Bridge Parish Council, that the company was to ‘keep in repair East Bridge House dates to the early 19th century. More recently it was turned into three flats, until restored to a single house (and guesthouse) during the 1980s.To the rear of the house, where formerly the kitchens were to be found, is now a separate house with a doorway which was imported from Bifrons in Patrixbourne, when it was demolished. Bourne Lodge (formerly Hill Cottage) was built in the later 19th century and was the home of Mrs Fanny Bell, widow of Matthew Bell of Bourne Park. In 1926, Mr F Cowderoy left it to his son and daughter, the Rev C C Cowderoy (later Roman Catholic archbishop of Southwark) and Mrs C Berry. Mrs Berry lived in the house for many years with her husband Frank, who was a well-known Canterbury estate agent. Their son, John Berry, subsequently lived there, with his family, until 1981. Lynton House is first mentioned (though not of course by that name) in 1674, as the property of William Cheston, yeoman of Bridge, who was assessed in the parish rate for 12 acres of land. It subsequently came into the hands of the Crosoer family who in 1764 owned the house, barn, stable, garden, orchard and 24 acres. It later came into the hands of John Lansberry (d.1849) and for the rest of the century became known as Lansberry Cottage. From 1930-1940, the house belonged to a coal merchant, Albert Taylor, whose proud advertisement stayed on the south wall of the house until the late 20th century. Like Bourne Lodge, it suffered substantial damage in the storm of 1987. In recent years it has undergone considerable restoration. including the return of the front door to its original position. On the site of the lodge house opposite, Ogilby’s map of 1675 marks, rather mysteriously. The Gray/vozmd. Below Lynton House were formerly six small cottages, with Church Cottage, formerly Park House. opposite. The Red Lion is first mentioned in 1593 as a dwelling house. it has a central hearth core of the period, but has been much altered since. It now has a late 18"‘ century facade. By 1632, Jacob Jarvis, “victualler of Canterbury’, was granted a licence for the sale of ale on the premises, ‘at the sign of the Red Lion’. it subsequently became a registered inn, After Zborowski’s death in a racing accident the house was bought by Walter K Whigham, a director of the Bank of England and deputy chairman of the London & North Eastern Railway, after whom one of their Pacific Class locomotives was named. He served twice as High Sheriff of Kent. Whigham, for reasons of euphony, renamed the property Highland Court. During the second World War the house served as a hospital. and it continued in this role until the I980s, when it was closed and the estate fell into a state of neglect. Since I995, restoration and redevelopment has continued, and Higham has recovered its original name. (Bridge) Hill House was in the I8th century popularly known as the Horse and Groom and seved as the headquarters ofthose involved with Canterbury Races. One of the two stands overlooking the course was sited in the woodland opposite. A painting by Thomas Rowlandson, in the Beaney Institute in Canterbury, shows both this house and the two stands during a lively race meeting, in about I804. Races on Barham Down began (officially at least) in 1678. A century later the races were attracting vast crowds, including the fashionable gentry, and in 1774 a ‘new stand’ was built, to supplement the original. There was a racing stable in Union Road, not far from the old windmill. The official race week was in August. but there was also a meeting at Easter and at various other times. In 1773, a race was run ‘over the New Round Course on Barham Downs, one four—miles heat, for one hundred Guineas, between two Gentlemen’s horses...to start exactly at Twelve o’clock. Dinner will be ready at Bridge-Hill after the race is over’. Racing was not limited to horses! In June 1770, there was a ‘match of running between twenty-four of the Chilham Club and Twenty-four Gentlemen of East Kent’. In July the previous year was held ‘A match of Running by Maids. To Strip at Five o’clock’! It was reported that the match was run ‘to the great satisfaction of a vast concourse of people’. Cock fighting took place here, as at the White Horse in the village, too. In March I773, Bridge met Deal ‘to shew eleven cocks on each side and fight for Four Guineas a battle’. Once again, dinner was provided. At election times hustings would take place here and on the racecourse. Early in the 19th century, however, the house was bought by a refugee from the French Revolution, Charles Louis Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (I749-1824), grandson of the political philosopher. He lived there until his death, when it was bought by the Revd Edward Gregory, vicar of Petham, whose wife Mary ensured the restoration of Bridge church. The king once said to her ‘thank you, my dear; you always do what is right. You cannot please me so much as by doing everything you please, everything to show that you are mistress here‘. However, it seems never to have been proven that their relationship was other than platonic. The Marquis died in 1832. The Marchioness lived to the age of 92, and died in 1861. During her lifetime, she added considerably to her estates in Kent. She was active in Patrixbourne and Bridge, founding the school, supporting the free schools’ movement, helping form the volunteer fire brigade. She and the marquis were founder shareholders in the Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company. Considerable alterations were carried out at Bifrons during the l9"‘ century. When the fourth marquis inherited, he decided against living there; indeed the family ceased to live in the house after 1882, preferring to let the property to a succession of tenants. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Bifrons was cleared of its contents and taken over for military purposes. The condition of the house at the end of the War was poor, and the decision was taken to demolish it. A number of the houses in Patrixbourne belonging to the estate were sold, and the land rented out on long lease, together with the stable block, which was converted into houses for farmworkers. The Conyngham family continue to take an active interest in their local property and in the village of Bridge. ln 1989, Canterbury Archaeological Trust undertook an excavation of the Bifrons site. funded by the Conyngham estate, and reported in Archaeologia Ccmtiuna in 1989. It was hoped at that time that the house might be reconstructed, but this plan was abandoned. Higham has been the site of a grand house (also said to have been a convent) since mediaeval times The present building retains a Tudor core, but its front was added only in 1921 by perhaps the most colourful character to own the house, Count Louis Zborowski, who designed and built the first aero-engine powered racing car, which later was immortalised in the film Chitty-Chitty—Bang-Bang. He also presented Bridge Fire Brigade with a suitably adapted car to serve as a fire engine to accommodate ten men and a mile of hose. With a rating of 75 horse power, and a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, this was probably the fastest fire engine of its kind in the country at the time. For his generosity, Zborowski was made honorary captain of the brigade. notable memorials to Bridge villagers, not least that of Zebulon Vinson, butler to Mrs Gregory. Patrixbourne derives its name from the illustrious Patrick family, who came to Kent from Normandy at the Conquest. In 1174, the manor was inherited by Ingelram Patrick, whose daughter Maud married Ralph Tesson, sensechal of Normandy. His estates in England, including Patrixbourne, were awarded to Geoffrey de Say. In the fifleenth century, a number of manors in the area were held by the lsaac family. By the early 17th century, according to Hasted, John Bargrave built a house in Patrixbourne, Bifrons, presumably on the site of the old manor house. John Bargrave’s brother, Isaac, became dean of Canterbury Cathedral. The family sold the house in 1662 and there were a number of owners before the house was purchased by John Taylor in September 1694. His grandson Edward inherited the property in c.1775, demolished the house and began reconstruction. A number of drawings survive of this ‘plain building’ in the classical style with little architectural embellishment’. In 1802, Edwards son, Edward, married Louisa Beckingham of Bourne Place, and Bifrons was let to tenants. It was sold in I830 to the first Marquis Conyngham. Henry Conyngham was created marquis by George IV while he was Prince Regent. Conyngham married a wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Denison, whose father was a merchant banker. His rise through the ranks of the peerage was due to his services in lreland, and the Conynghain’s lrish country seat was (and still is) Castle Slane, between Belfast and Dublin. The Marquis was much at court, and held the post of Lord Steward ofthe Household until the king’s death. Lady Conyngham was famed as the companion and confidante of George IV. A favourite at court, she was described as ‘fat, handsome, kindly, shrewd and extremely fond of jewels’! The king heaped presents and money on her and, when in London, she and her family lived largely at his expense. Though they never appeared in public together, the king and the marchioness were often ridiculed by the press, but this did not seem to deter them. A popular rhyme at the time suggested that Lady Conyngham and George IV spent time Quaffing their claret, then mingling their lips Or fondling the fat about each others hips Horace Mann, a grandstand was built to accommodate the huge crowd. There were said to be 20,000 people present on the first day. Many of the supporters were ordinary Kentish folk, and a rhyme of 1773 suggests how far they were willing to travel: From Marsh and Weald their hay fork left To Bourne the rustics hied From Romney. Cranbrook, Tenterden And Darent’s verdant side For many centuries Bridge church, built in the late 12th century on the site of a previous Anglo—Saxon chapel, served as no more than a ‘chapel of ease’ for the church at Patrixbourne, providing for the ‘ease’ of those living at some distance from the parish church. By tradition, such chapels were often built at the roadside, and often near river- crossings, for the convenience of travellers. so Bridge church satisfied both these requirements. As the parish of Bridge grew, however, its inhabitants became increasingly resentful of their subordinate position to Patrixbourne. Indeed, at the time of Archdeacon Harpsfield’s visitation, in 1557, the parishioners submitted a petition requiring That the said chapel of Bridge may be appointed to be the head church to Patrixbourne, because as they say, the said chapel standeth in the midst part of the inhabitants of both parishes, and that Patrixbourne standeth in the uttermost part of the dwellers of the two parishes, very far out ofthe way. In 1844 WP Griffith surveyed Bridge church. His report, when compared with its present appearance shows the extent to which it was rebuilt in 1859-61 by the generosity of Mrs Mary Gregory, wife ifthe Vicar of Petham, who lived in Bridge Hill House, and was related to the Aucher family. She died in 1867, and left a bequest to the poor of the village. which has only recently been wound up. The restoration of the church was achieved. according to the Pevsner guide, ‘with gross insensitivity’! Some vestiges remain of the medieval architecture, including two Norman doorways and various sculpted pieces inserted in the walls, including an effigy of Malcolm Ramesey (vicar 1495- 1538). There is also a portrait of Robert Bargrave (1584-1649) by Cornelius Janssen. a frequent visitor to Bridge Place. Outside the west door and rarely noticed is the top slab of a 15"‘ century table tomb, once containing several brasses. The churchyard contains a number of cottages, the school in Bishopsbourne and Bridge Lodge in Bridge. Such buildings are often distinguished by a stone plaque, showing an intertwined MFB motif, for Matthew and Fanny Bell, his wife. When the Elham Valley railway was built at the end of the 19th century, Matthew Bell agreed to its passing through his land only if it was hidden by a cut-and-cover tunnel where it ran behind his house. Memorials to the Auchers and the Bells can be seen in the north chapel of Bishopsbourne church. Bel1’s grandson (also Matthew) died in 1927, at which time the house was purchased by Sir John Prestige, who owned it until his death in 1962. In the 1950s, Sir John proposed that Kent County Council should take over the house as a museum, but this scheme did not materialise, and by 1957 the house was empty and in a poor state of repair. Sir John then sought to have the house demolished, but following a public enquiry, a Preservation Order was placed on the house, which was eventually Grade One listed. Extensive restoration work followed, and Sir John’s next scheme was to offer the house and 300 acre estate as the site for the new University of Kent, but this too was turned down. During the 1960s and 70s, the house changed ownership a number of times, and various proposals were made for its future. These included a religious house. a residential retirement club, a private hospital, offices and residential accommodation and a luxury hotel. The houses future became assured when it was purchased in 1983 by Lady Juliet, the only daughter of the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam, and Mr Somerset de Chair, a conservative MP and noted collector of art and antiques. Sensitive and expert restoration work was carried out on the house and grounds. Somerset de Chair died in 1995 aged 83. Lady Juliet remarried in 1997, and the work of improving and enhancing the grounds, the house and its contents has continued. One of the first cricket matches in Kent took place on the ground at Bourne Park, now sadly defunct, but which in the 18th century attracted very many people. In 1767 booths selling food were available on the cricket ground itself, including one for gentlemen ‘in a tent pitched for that purpose, separate from all the other booths’. After 1780, publicans from Bridge and Canterbury were allowed to set up booths operating outside the ‘paddock’. When Hambledon played England in August 1772 under the patronage of the then tenant Sir Walter Breains inherited the house on his father’s death in 1681, but by this time the estate was burdened with debt. Walter had been much involved in the Civil War and, at the Restoration, was made Comptroller of HM Customs at Sandwich, and later at Dover, not least as a reward for having been the ‘youngest prisoner in England for your Majesty’s Service’. In 1690, however, he was petitioning for ‘six years arrears of salary’, and after his death in 1692, his family could no longer afford to maintain the house. His son inherited, but by 1695 the estate was sold to John Taylor of Patrixbourne, who soon demolished the greater part of Bridge Place in order to use the bricks in the building ofBifrons. on his property in Patrixbourne. What survives ofthe original Bridge Place is just one wing but, in the view of Hasted, ‘the size and stateliness...being of itself full sufficient for a gentleman’s residence’. An advertisement in the Gazette in June 1791 advertises the house for let as having ‘proper offices for a family: a coach—house with stabling for seven horses, and eleven acres of very fine pasture...and a cottage consisting of a brewhouse, laundry and dairy. with good lodging—rooms over them’. Since then, the house has had a succession of owners, and was purchased by Peter Malkin in 1969. In 1976, Bridge Place hosted a party to celebrate the opening of the A2 by-pass, an achievement long fought for by the villagers. Until recently it housed a night-club and country club. Little Bridge Place nearby was almost certainly built at the same time in the 17th century. Once part of a larger estate, Bourne House (in Bishopsbourne) is considered to be amongst the finest Queen Anne houses in Kent. It was built using materials from Westenhanger Castle by Dame Elizabeth Aucher, widow of Sir Henry Aucher, for her son Hewytt, between 1704 and l707 on the site of an ancient house known as Hautbourne. (The Haute family, kinsmen of Edward lV’s queen Elizabeth Woodville. was prominent in the area in the 15th century). In l756, Stephen Beckingham, who had married an Aucher granddaughter, inherited the estate. In 1765, Mozart was a guest in the house, and while staying there, visited the popular Barham Downs racecourse. ln 1845, Matthew Bell, a director of Equitable Lif and the owner also of ‘Oswalds’ in Bishopsbourne, purchased the house. Bell was responsible for the construction of the ornamental lake, and for constructing a number of buildings in the vicinity, including estate medieval watermill that surely once occupied the site. Until Henry V1ll’s dissolution of the monasteries, the manor of Blackmansbury was in the possession of the abbey of St Peter, St Paul and St Augustine, Canterbury, and was let to tenants. With the suppression of the Abbey in 1540. the manor reverted to the Crown. Henry V111 granted the manor to John Laurence, whose family retained it until 1576, when it was sold to William Partheriche, who built a new house on the site. Traces of this house were revealed in an archaeological excavation in 1964/5. and relics of the old house survived in the basement until the 1970’s. Partheriche was surveyor of the Ordnance Office under Elizabeth 1, and was appointed by the queen in 1582 to undertake extensive works at Dover Harbour. He died in 1598 and was buried in his chapel in Bridge church. Wi1liam’s grandson, Edward, sold the property in 1638 to Arnold Braems. Braems was born in Dover in 1602. His ancestors were of Flemish descent ~ immigrants who had originally settled at Sandwich in the 16th century. During the Civil War, he was a loyal supporter of Charles 1. At the Restoration of Charles 11, his loyalty was rewarded with a knighthood. Braems was a Dover merchant and, preferring commerce to politics, he worked to develop Dover as a successful port, acquiring land on the seafront, creating vast warehouses for goods, and making a fortune on harbour tolls and customs. This fortune he spent in the building of a fine house in Bridge, and in support of his King. He lived in Bridge until his death in 1681. In place of the former manor house, Bridge Place, built with hand-made Dutch bricks, was the largest house in 17th century East Kent, excepting Chilham Castle. It had a deer park, an extensive garden, an aviary, a bowling green, woods. a rabbit warren. ‘beautifully well-kept pleasure grounds’ and a fine avenue of lime trees stretching to the church. Arnold Braems had a reputation as a generous host, who kept a ‘princely table’. Among his guests was the artist William Schellinks who in 1661 recorded his visit in his journal and made a number of sketches, including a view of the Street from the bottom of Bridge Hill. Another guest writes of being ‘merrily entertained’ at Braems’ ‘delightful residence at Bridge. one hour’s walk from Canterbury’. The company played bowls, and ‘we saw a hart shot with a crossbow in the deerpark...everybody, especially the ladies, washed their hands in the warm blood, to get white hands. The hart was immediately gutted and cut up into quarters’. The following day, ‘venison pie and other dishes of the hart were on the menu". Brewery Lane. In the 19th century, the Workhouse (1835) was built, as were houses in Dering and Filmer Roads (l860’s). The later 19th century saw a gradual extension along the Street towards Canterbury. It is only since 1962 that there has been any serious expansion, with the construction of Bridge Down (1962), Western Avenue (1963) and Riverside Close (1965). ln the census for 1801, the population of the entire parish was 325. By 1834 it had reached 543, and in 1841 it was 817, of whom 165 were inmates of the workhouse. In 1871 the population reached 941, declining to 699 in 1921 as agricultural employment diminished. In the 1960s. Bridge began to change irrevocably. with the demolition of the most notable building at its centre, the 14th century Bridge Farm, and the development of housing, resulting in a population in 1971 of 1225, and by the Millennium, of almost 2000. The village still boasts more than twenty houses dating to the 18th century or before, and others built in the 19th century. Some of the houses in the Street are older than they look, having received new fronts in the 18th century. Historically, employment of the villagers of Bridge was provided by a thriving retail trade and serving the needs of travellers in the public houses and inns. Significant numbers were engaged in farm labour, much of it seasonal: hop tying, stone picking, cherrying, hay making, pea and bean harvesting, fruit picking, hop picking. The hop garden near Flint Cottages has been growing hops since the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, and a few hops are still grown. Local shops, the dental and doctors‘ surgery, the care home and the pubs and restaurant still provide more employment than many villages but most villagers, of course, now commute elsewhere to work. In the last thirty years Bridge has lost a number of shops, but it remains a thriving community, boasting a post office and pharmacy, general store, bakery. butcher. hairdresser, photography studio. school, church, care home. restaurant and three pubs. It is served by a regular bus service to Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone. It has an active parish council, and hosts many local societies, including such charitable enterprises as the Fish scheme. The most substantial house in the parish was Bridge Place, built on the site of what was probably the medieval court Lodge in the manor of Blackmansbury, alias Bridge. Here Symonson’s map of Kent of 1596 shows a building lying astride the Nailbourne, a reminder of the complained the enemy had covered the surface with something to choke them. This story even made the London newspapers! Probably the drivers were more used to the better constructed surfaces of London roads. In both World Wars. a canteen was established in Bridge village hall, to serve the men stationed outside the village. During the later war, the milestones up Bridge Hill were taken up and anti-tank emplacements installed at the top of Bridge Hill to prevent the enemy progressing down the A2. Indeed. one afternoon in 1981, some ofthe residents of Bridge Hill were required to evacuate their houses in response to an alert concerning an unexploded device found on the Hill! By the middle of the 20th century, the A2 London—Dover road, including Bridge High Street. became increasingly congested, as heavy traffic thundered through the village. In January I962, pensioner George Smith was knocked down and killed while out shopping. In 1963, two lorries and a bus were involved in a collision in the main street. Incidents like this became increasingly frequent and, by 1964, the villagers had had enough. They launched a series of protests in support of the construction of a bypass. Initially, these protests consisted of people walking in the roadway, to disrupt the flow of traffic to cause the vehicles to slow down. When this action failed, the villagers resorted to sitting in the road! Clearly the spirit of Cade’s Rebellion was not dead! In I972, a Dover-bound truck drove into Colin Lewis’s grocer’s shop, trapping a young girl and killing the driver. After this, the sit-down protests increased in frequency until on one occasion a thousand people staged a sit—in in the High Street, closing the village to all traffic for an hour and causing a very long tail-back. Eventually, repeated lobbying and demonstrations led to victory and a bypass was opened on 29 June 1976 accompanied by great celebration. At last the villagers were able to enjoy their village in relative peace and comfort. The history of Bridge is not that of a characteristic medieval village, radiating fi‘om its centre; nor yet was Bridge part of any great estate, even though in later years it has been surrounded by great houses, notably Bourne House. Bridge Place, Higham and Bifrons ~ all of whose owners have played their part in developing the village, though only Bridge Place lies within the parish boundaries. For most of its existence, the inhabitants of Bridge have numbered no more than a few hundred. The late 18th century saw the building of a few cottages in The immense train of farmers’ and artillery wagons employed in conveying the troops and baggage, ammunition, military and other stores and provisions towards the camp, adding to the numerous carriages filled with officers and other passengers; these together have produced a scene of populousness and traffic in this ancient city [of Canterbury], which has not been beheld by its inhabitants since the days of St Thomas Becket. in preparation for this influx, a Dr Wardell, physician to the forces quartered in Bridge, was looking for a ‘roomy house or other sort of building...to be used for a regimental hospital’. The hills on either side of the village were once steeper than they are now. In summer, the passage oftraffic over the road surface resulted in clouds of dust; in winter in inuddied ruts. On 26 December 1769, the Kentish Gazette noted that ‘some public—spirited Gentlemen intend to petition Parliament for a Turnpike Act’ for the road from Dover to Canterbury. Substantial roadworks included the lessening of the gradient of both hills down into the village and the smoothing out of the slope — though the work was not completed until 1829 Tolls were imposed, and there was to be no parking in the street’ — a controversial issue even today! The street was not tarred, of course, until the mid- 20m century, and the wide water-splash to one side ofthe Bridge, used for watering horses or cooling the metal rims of wheels after the steep descent into the village, also remained in place until well into the 20"‘ century. The origins of the village lie in its dependency on the road. For centuries, the buildings flanking its single street were principally concerned with meeting the needs of travellers and passers by — premises supplying food and drink, a blacksmith, saddler, shoemaker and so on. Numerous daily coach services provided a connection to London. A long-term Bridge resident, Mrs Jack Friend, was able to recall in 1955 how. in her childhood, a four-in-hand coach travelled daily through the village on its journey from Folkestone to Canterbury and return, with a post horn to alert passengers of its arrival. In the Great War, troops were once again encamped close to Bridge. One day in 1914, the roadway up Bridge Hill was thick with chalky dust as over 100 London buses passed through to be used in France as transport for the troops. The dust became so thick that the drivers have been excavated from the Romano-British period. A near-circular hollow. cut into by the road part way up Bridge Hill, and traditionally known as ‘Old England’s Hole’, may well represent a defensive position, constructed by the ancient Britons to protect their river crossing after their defeat by Ceasar’s seventh legion in 54BC — or it may be just an old chalk quarry. Since the first century AD, when the Romans first built the road, travellers to and from Europe have come through Bridge. Harris in his History Qf Kent of l7l9, lists various encainpments on Barham Down at different times, whose occupants would have had to take the road from Dover to London on their journey between the coast and Canterbury. King John, in 1212, assembled on the Down with ’60.000’ men, ready to repel any attempted invasion from France. It is likely that King Henry V marched down Bridge Hill on his return from Agincourt in l4l5, to celebrate his victory in Canterbury Cathedral. In 1450, during Cade’s Rebellion, ‘John Ysake of Patrykesbourne...and William atte Wode of Brigge, smyth. and other men in Brygge hundred...gathered together against the statutes of the realm’ but were ‘granted general pardon at the request of the queen’. Every three years throughout the 15"‘ century, a huge wax candle, rolled into a coil, or trindle, was carried on the road through Bridge — a gift from the people of Dover to be used at the cathedral to provide tapers for the poor and destitute to light at the shrine of St Thomas. This must have been one of the more unusual items to pass through the village of Bridge. matched only, perhaps, by the four dromedaries and two camels brought in 1466 by the lord patriarch of Antioch, as a gift for the king and queen! In 1520, King Henry VIII must have passed through Bridge with his magnificent retinue on his way to meet Francis 1 of France in June 1520, to celebrate peace in great splendour at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. In the l630’s, during the thirty years war, Spanish silver was carried in great quantities from Dover on the road to London to be minted into coin. And at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II returned amidst great rejoicing to regain his throne, making his way from the coast to break his journey in Canterbury, where he was presented with a copy of William Somner’s Antiquities of Canterbury. In August 1799, at the height of an invasion scare during the Napoleonic wars, more than 10.000 infantrymen camped on Barham Down to prepare for invasion. The Kentish Gazette recorded that THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE The village of Bridge lies astricle the Nailbourne — when, that is, the ‘bourne’, an intermittent water course of the Little Stour, is flowing! The river has its ultimate source at East Brook, near Etchinghill — hardly more than 3 miles from the channel coast at Hythe, but it only flows continuously from the spring at Well Chapel, Littlebourne. lt dries up, or runs underground, frequently. When the Wantsum Channel was open to the sea, the Nailbourne, which flowed into it, was a faster and wider water course. As late as the 1920s, it is said that trout were to be caught from the river at School Lane, Bekesbourne. Legends abound of the river in full flow portending national disaster. As recently as 2000 there was widespread flooding. The Kentish Travellers’ Companion of 1794 records that ‘the bridge being decayed and otherwise inconvenient for carriages, a new and more commodious one has been built by subscription’: this double-arched bridge still survives beneath the present road. Cozens’ History ofKem of 1798 states that Bridge ‘is now but a small village of about 20 houses, situated in a narrow valley’, but the bridge allowed the easy passage of travellers, and it is because of the road itself that the Bridge has developed into the village it is today. From Domesday, we learn that the abbot of St Augustine’s Abbey held the hundred of Bridge. A hundred was an administrative district within an English shire, with a court house, or meeting-place, usually located centrally within it, often sited at river crossings or cross roads. Within the hundred, the parish of Bridge comprised two manors: that of Bereacre, of which no trace remains in terms of a big house; and the more significant manor of Blackmansbury, in which a building, referred to by l-lasted, the eighteenth century historian of Kent, as ‘the court lodge’, was situated, probably on the site of the present Bridge Place. The parish of Bridge, as we think of it today, was regarded throughout the Middle Ages and beyond as a subsidiary part of Patrixbourne. Indeed, the proximity of the church to the parish boundary may be taken as evidence that the parish of Bridge was originally formed by detachment from Patrixbourne, as the latter was from Bekesbourne. Archaelogical evidence shows Bridge to have been the site of an Iron- Age settlement, and pottery, fragments of weapons and other artefacts This brieftour guide to Bridge is based upon a small part ofthe considerable amount of archive material that the History Society now possesses. If in particular it succeeds in stimulating readers to offer corrections or further information concerning the events and people mentioned, or on any other topic, or pictures of any ofthe buildings described, we shall be most grateful to receive them. In preparing this booklet, we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible in what we have selected to record, but we apologise for any inaccuracies which may have occurred. Sometimes people’s recollections of the past vary. Inevitably, what we have been able to include has been circumscribed by the space available. Many of the images we have reproduced come from the Bridge History Society archive collection. We would like to thank the Courtauld Institute for permission to reproduce the view of Bridge in 1661; Kent Archaeological Trust, for the picture of Bridge Church before 1860 and the structural drawing of Bridge Farm; the National Monuments Record, Swindon, for the picture of Bridge Windmill. We are grateful to all those who have made material available for our use — written, verbal or photographic. We would like to thank Messr sxxx , and in particular to Cllr Martin Vye and the generosity of Kent County Council for financial support for this publication. Meriel Connor Maurice Raraty A Brief Historical Tour of THE VILLAGE OF BRIDGE And its Environs Bridge Street in 1661: Willem Schellincks © Courtauld Intstitute Bridge and District History Society 2007 Page 1 of 2 mmraraty From: "Hayes, Emma" To: "mmraraty" Sent: 27 November 2006 11:39 Attach: CIA Terms print.doc Subject: RFP20906 SCT ENTERPRISES LTD Courtauld Institute Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, LONDON WC2R ORN Tel +44 (0)20 7848 2879 Fax +44 (0)20 7848 2589 Email galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk VAT Registration no. 672007652, Company Registered in England no. 3137515 Dr Maurice M Raraty 41 Bridge Down Date: 27/11/2006 Bridge Account No. CLI3587 Canterbury Client Email: mmraraty@btinternet.com CT4 SBA Request for Immediate Payment N0. RF P20906 USAGE: To illustrate a booklet on the history of Bridge, Kent to be published by the Kent History Federation for their conference in 2007. Print run of up to 1000 copies. RIGHTS: One time. non-exclusive use. English language. UK rights. Reproduction in colour. D.l952.RW.4207 Schellinks, Willem (1627-1678): View ofbridges, Kent 28.9 cm x 17.8 cm, graphite & pen and ink (brown) on paper CREDIT LINE: Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London Photography/Imaging Fee 20.00 Handling Fee 5.00 Subtotal 25.00 VAT at 17.5% 4.38 TOTAL FEE 29.38 I have read and agree to the Courtauld Institute of Art's Terms and Conditions attached herewith: NAME: SIGNATURE: DATE: All amounts are in Pounds Sterling. Payment Terms: Images cannot be sent out until payment is received IN FULL. Reproduction rights are licensed subject to full payment, and strictly in accordance with the usage and rights outlined. Our curators request that you send us a courtesy copy of your publication in which our image appears. Transparencies are normally loaned for THREE MONTHS. You will be charged an additional fee of£15 PER MONTH for each extra month of the loan; alternatively, we can negotiate a flat fee for a longer loan period if you let us know in advance. Images MUST NOT be cropped, overprinted or manipulated in any way without prior permission. Payment may be made by cheque in Pounds Sterling (or in Euros), made payable to SCT ENTERPRISES LIMITED and sent for the attention of the Rights and Reproductions Manager at the address above. We also accept VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. For international bank 22/01/2007 Page 2 of 2 transfers, please quote the following IBAN/SWIF T numbers for the appropriate currency: Pounds Sterling IBAN: GB07 NWBK 6080 0754 1482 35, Euro IBAN: GB91 NWBK 6072 1406 5830 83, SWIFT: NWBK GB 2L. NatWest Bank, PO Box 83, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, LONDON WCl H 9XA; account number 54148235, sort code 60-80-07. You must acknowledge that you agree to the Courtauld Institute of Art Terms and Conditions by returning a copy of this document, signed and dated, by fax or post, to the Rights and Reproductions Manager at the address above, with your full payment. Please quote this document reference RFP20906 in all correspondence. This e-mail, including any attachments, is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e-mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you have received this e—mail in error please notify us by return of e—mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1272] and then delete it from your system This message has been scanned for viruses by BlackSpider MailControl No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.1414/547 - Release Date: 22/11/2006 17:41 22/01/2007 Page 1 of 3 mmmmw From: "galleryimages" To: "mmraraty" Sent: 23 November 2006 16:48 Subject: RE: Schellincks Dear Maurice, I am very sorry that it has taken me so long to reply to you. I'm afraid I've spent most of the week at home with flu! I would count 500 as a very small print run - that in this case we won't charge reproduction fees for. Shall I send you an invoice for the £25 (plus VAT)? Best wishes, Emma Courtauld Gallery Images Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery Somerset House Strand London WC2R ORN T: +44 (0)20 7848 2879 F: +44 (0)20 7848 2589 galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk vmwv.artandarchitecture.org.uk -—-——Original Message—---- From: mmraraty [mailto2mmraraty@btinternet.com] Sent: 16 November 2006 17:30 To: galleryimages Subject: Re: Schellincks Thank you for this reply. Apologies for the circuitous approach to you. I do not know what you would regard as a small print run, but I imagine we will print a few hundred — 500 (probably) - 1000 absolute maximum. We will hope to recover (some of) the cost by sales at a modest price A digital image will no doubt be an enhancement and a useful addition to our archive. Do you have any information as to the provenance of the picture? Please let me know how I must now proceed. Thank you Maurice Raraty Please --——— Original Message --——— From: "galleryimages" To: Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 ll:O1 AM Subject: RE: Schellincks Dear Maurice Raraty, 22/01/2007 Page 2 of 3 Thank you for your email. It was forwarded to me by my colleague Joanna Selborne. Please could you tell me the print run of the booklet? Is it for sale or to give away? We usually charge reproduction fees, but do offer discounted rates for small print runs. If you would like to use a high resolution digital image of the drawing (in colour) we can supply it for £20 plus £5 handling fee. I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Emma Hayes Courtauld Gallery Images Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery Somerset House Strand London WC2R ORN T: +44 (0)20 7848 2879 F: +44 (0)20 7848 2589 galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk www.artandarchitecture.0rg.uk ———--Original Message—---- From: mmraraty [mailto:mmraraty@btinternet.com] Sent: Tue ll/7/2006 4:06 PM To: Selborne, Joanna Subject: Schellincks I am seeking permission to reproduce, in a booklet dedicated to the history of Bridge in Kent, for the occasion of the annual conference of the Kent History Federation to be held there next year (2007), a drawing held by the Courtauld Institute by Willem Schellincks. It is a view taken of Bridge High Street in about 1662. The photograph of the drawing I have in our collection (which was obtained some years ago by Mr John Williamson) is inscribed on the back: Negative No. 218/31/38, and further: Witt 4207. If you are not the person to whom I should be addressing this request, I apologise, but would be grateful ifyou would therefore pass it on to the relevant person. Thank you Maurice M Raraty Bridge This e-mail, including any attachments. is confidential and may be legally 22/01/2007 Page 3 of 3 privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e-mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify us by return of e-mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1272] and then delete it from your system This message has been scanned for Viruses by BlackSpider MailControl - www.blackspicler.com No Virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.l4.2/528 - Release Date: 10/11/2006 14:31 No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.1414/547 - Release Date: 22/11/2006 17:41 22/01/2007 Courtauld Institute of Art RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTIONS FOR THE COURTAULD INSTITUTE OF ART GALLERY TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE REPRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS, TRANSPARENCIES AND DIGITAL IMAGES These Terms and Conditions apply to conventional reproduction only. Reproduction in an electronic or multimedia product is subject to separate terms and conditions. Permission to reproduce is dependent on the full acceptance of the Terms and Conditions detailed below and will be automatically withdrawn should any part be infringed. Ix) This agreement represents the entirety of the terms and conditions between SCT Enterprises Ltd.. on behalf of the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery (SCTE), and its Licensees. No variation ofthese terms and conditions shall apply unless agreed in writing by both parties. Rights granted by SCTE are strictly limited to the use specified in the Licence and are subject to any further conditions laid down by the Licensor in Schedule A. Compliance with requirements arising from artist’s copyright is the responsibility of the Licensee. The rights granted to the Licensee by SCTE are non—exclusive and non—transferable. All reprints, further editions or use of the image(s) other than for the agreed purpose, including an increase in the print—run, necessitate a new application to SCTE and may involve payment of a further fee. This also applies to television programmes where permission to reproduce covers one transmission only (or specified terms of contract). The Licensee must satisfy himself/ herselfthat all necessary rights, releases or consents which may be required for reproduction of the image(s) are obtained, and SCTE gives no warranty or undertaking that any such rights. releases or consents are or will be obtained whether in relation to the use of names, people, trade marks, registered or copyright designs. or works of art included in any image(s). The Licensee indemnifies SCTE in respect of any claims or damages or any loss or costs arising in any manner from the reproduction without proper rights or consents of any image(s). SCTE shall not be liable for any lloss or damage suffered by the Licensee or by any third party arising from the Lise of any image(s). lfthe image(s) have not been previously published then any publication rights therein are hereby assigned to SCTE for the full period of such publication rights. 13. 14. Reproduction of the image(s) mL1st include the correct acknowledgement: see contract. No part of the image(s) may be manipulated, masked out, cut down, superimposed with typed matter, or in any way defaced without prior written agreement. . In order to ensure qL1ality control, SCTE only allows reproductions directly from prints, transparencies or digital files obtained from the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery’s rights and reproductions department or any of its agents. . SCTE reserves the right to require payment in full even if a photographic order is cancelled and prints, transparencies or digital files and permission to reproduce them are no longer required. . The Licensee must pay the fee payable by reference to the scale of fees set out by SCTE. Cheques must be made payable to ‘SCT Enterprises Ltd.’. All bank charges must be borne by the Licensee. Permission to reproduce the image(s) does not come into effect until payment has been received. . Electronic storage is permitted only if it is incidental and wholly necessary to the process of production for products properly licensed by SCTE, and any electronic copies must be destroyed at the conclusion of such production. . The Licensee must also send at least one complimentary copy of each publication or product to the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery for its records. The accompanying document must be returned and signed in agreement with these Terms and Conditions. This Licence is governed by the terms set out above which may not be altered in any particular without written consent of the Licensor. Page 1 of 3 mmraraty From: "galleryimages" To: "mmraraty" Sent: 23 November 2006 16:48 Subject: RE: Schellincks Dear Maurice, I am very sorry that it has taken me so long to reply to you. I'm afraid I've spent most of the week at home with flu! I would count 500 as a very small print run - that in this case we won't charge reproduction fees for. Shall I send you an invoice for the £25 (plus VAT)? Best wishes, Emma Courtauld Gallery Images Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery Somerset House Strand London WC2R ORN T: +44 (0)20 7848 2879 F: +44 (0)20 7848 2589 galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk www.artandarchitecture.org.uk -----Original Message-—-—— From: mmraraty [mailto:mmraraty@btinternet.com] Sent: 16 November 2006 17:30 To: galleryimages Subject: Re: Schellincks Thank you for this reply. Apologies for the circuitous approach to you. I do not know what you would regard as a small print run, but I imagine we will print a few hundred - 500 (probably) - 1000 absolute maximum. We will hope to recover (some of ) the cost by sales at a modest price A digital image will no doubt be an enhancement and a useful addition to our archive. Do you have any information as to the provenance of the picture? Please let me know how I must now proceed. Thank you Maurice Raraty Please -—--- Original Message -—--- From: "galleryimages" T0: Sent: Friday, November 10. 2006 11:01 AM Subject: RE: Schellincks Dear Maurice Raraty, 1 1/02/2007 Page 2 of 3 Thank you for your email. It was forwarded to me by my colleague Joanna Selborne. Please could you tell me the print run of the booklet? Is it for sale or to give away‘? We usually charge reproduction fees, but do offer discounted rates for small print runs. If you would like to use a high resolution digital image of the drawing (in colour) we can supply it for £20 plus £5 handling fee. I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes, Emma Hayes Courtauld Gallery Images Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery Somerset House Strand London WC2R ORN T: +44 (0)20 7848 2879 F: +44 (0)20 7848 2589 galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk www.artandarchitecture.org.uk -—--—Original Message----- From: mmraraty [mailto2mmraraty@btinternet.com] Sent: Tue ll/7/2006 4:06 PM To: Selborne, Joanna Subject: Schellincks I am seeking permission to reproduce, in a booklet dedicated to the history of Bridge in Kent, for the occasion of the annual conference of the Kent History Federation to be held there next year (2007), a drawing held by the Courtauld Institute by Willem Schellincks. It is a view taken of Bridge High Street in about 1662. The photograph of the drawing I have in our collection (which was obtained some years ago by Mr John Williamson) is inscribed on the back: Negative No. 218/31/38, and further: Witt 4207. If you are not the person to whom I should be addressing this request, I apologise, but would be grateful if you would therefore pass it on to the relevant person. Thank you Maurice M Raraty Bridge This e-mail, including any attachments, is confidential and may be legally 1 1/02/2007 Page 3 of 3 privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e—mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you have received this e—mail in error please notify us by return of e—mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1272] and then delete it from your system This message has been scanned for Viruses by BlackSpider MailControl - www.blacl To: "mmraraty" Sent: 27 November 2006 11:39 Attach: CIA Terms printdoc Subject: RFP20906 SCT ENTERPRISES LTD Courtauld Institute Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, LONDON WC2R ORN Tel +44 (0)20 7848 2879 Fax +44 (0)20 7848 2589 Email galleryimages@courtauld.ac.uk VAT Registration no. 672007652, Company Registered in England no. 3137515 Dr Maurice M Raraty 41 Bridge Down Date: 27/11/2006 Bridge Account No. CLI3587 Canterbury Client Email: mmraraty@btinternet.com CT4 SBA Request for Immediate Payment No. RFP20906 USAGE: To illustrate a booklet on the history of Bridge, Kent to be published by the Kent History Federation for their conference in 2007. Print run of up to 1000 copies. RIGHTS: One time. non-exclusive use. English language, UK rights. Reproduction in colour. D. l952.RW.4207 Schellinks, Willem (1627-1678): View of bridges, Kent 28.9 cm x 17.8 cm, graphite & pen and ink (brown) on paper CREDIT LINE: Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London Photography/Imaging Fee 20.00 Handling Fee 5.00 Subtotal 25.00 VAT at 17.5% 4.38 TOTAL FEE 29.38 I have read and agree to the Courtauld Institute of Art's Terms and Conditions attached herewith: NAME: SIGNATURE: DATE: All amounts are in Pounds Sterling. Payment Terms: Images cannot be sent out until payment is received IN FULL. Reproduction rights are licensed subject to full payment, and strictly in accordance with the usage and rights outlined. Our curators request that you send us a courtesy copy of your publication in which our image appears. Transparencies are normally loaned for THREE MONTHS. You will be charged an additional fee of £15 PER MONTH for each extra month of the loan; alternatively, we can negotiate a flat fee for a longer loan period if you let us know in advance. Images MUST NOT be cropped, overprinted or manipulated in any way without prior permission. Payment may be made by cheque in Pounds Sterling (or in Euros), made payable to SCT ENTERPRISES LIMITED and sent for the attention of the Rights and Reproductions Manager at the address above. We also accept VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards. For international bank 1 1/02/2007 Page 2 of 2 transfers, please quote the following lBAN/ SWIFT numbers for the appropriate currency: Pounds Sterling IBAN: GB07 NWBK 6080 0754 1482 35, Euro IBAN: GB91 NWBK 6072 1406 5830 83, SWIFT: NWBK GB 2L. NatWest Bank, PO Box 83, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, LONDON WCIH 9XA; account number 54148235, sort code 60-80-07. You must acknowledge that you agree to the Courtauld Institute of Art Terms and Conditions by returning a copy of this document, signed and dated, by fax or post, to the Rights and Reproductions Manager at the address above, with your full payment. Please quote this document reference RFP20906 in all correspondence. This e—mail, including any attachments, is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individua/(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorised dissemination or copying of this e—mail or its attachments and any reliance on or use or disclosure of any information contained in them is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you have received this e—mail in error please notify us by return of e—mail [or by telephone +44 (0) 20 7848 1272] and then delete it from your system This message has been scanned for Viruses by BlaekSpider MailControl No Virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.430 / Virus Database: 268.14.14/547 - Release Date: 22/11/2006 17:41 11/02/2007 Courtauld Institute of Art RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTIONS FOR THE COURTAULD INSTITUTE OF ART GALLERY TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR THE REPRODUCTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS, TRANSPARENCIES AND DIGITAL IMAGES These Terms and Conditions apply to conventional reproduction only. Reproduction in an electronic or multimedia product is subject to separate terms and conditions. Permission to reproduce is dependent on the full acceptance of the Terms and Conditions detailed below and will be automatically withdrawn should any part be infringed. 1. This agreement represents the entirety of the terms and conditions between SCT Enterprises Ltd., on behalf of the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery (SCTE), and its Licensees. No variation of these terms and conditions shall apply unless agreed in writing by both parties. 2. Rights granted by SCTE are strictly limited to the use specified in the Licence and are subject to any further conditions laid down by the Licensor in Schedule A. Compliance with requirements arising from artist’s copyright is the responsibility of the Licensee. 3. The rights granted to the Licensee by SCTE are non-exclusive and non—transferable. All reprints, further editions or Lise of the image(s) other than for the agreed purpose, including an increase in the print-run, necessitate a new application to SCTE and may involve payment of a further fee. This also applies to television programmes where permission to reproduce covers one transmission only (or specified terms of contract). 4. The Licensee must satisfy himself / herself that all necessary rights, releases or consents which may be required for reproduction of the image(s) are obtained, and SCTE gives no warranty or undertaking that any such rights, releases or consents are or will be obtained whether in relation to the use of names, people, trade marks, registered or copyright designs, or works of art included in any image(s). 5. The Licensee indemnifies SCTE in respect of any claims or damages or any loss or costs arising in any manner from the reproduction without proper rights or consents of any image(s). 6. SCTE shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the Licensee or by any third party arising from the Lise of any image(s). 7. Ifthe image(s) have not been previously published then any publication rights therein are hereby assigned to SCTE for the full period of such publication rights. 10. ll. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Reproduction of the image(s) must include the correct acknowledgement: see contract. No part of the image(s) may be manipulated, masked out, cut down, superimposed with typed matter. or in any way defaced without prior written agreement. In order to ensure quality control, SCTE only allows reproductions directly from prints, transparencies or digital files obtained from the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery’s rights and reproductions department or any of its agents. SCTE reserves the right to require payment in full even if a photographic order is cancelled and prints, transparencies or digital files and permission to reproduce them are no longer required. The Licensee must pay the fee payable by reference to the scale of fees set out by SCTE. Cheques must be made payable to ‘SCT Enterprises Ltd.’. All bank charges must be borne by the Licensee. Permission to reproduce the image(s) does not come into effect until payment has been received. Electronic storage is permitted only if it is incidental and wholly necessary to the process of production for products properly licensed by SCTE, and any electronic copies must be destroyed at the conclusion of such production. The Licensee must also send at least one complimentary copy of each publication or product to the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery for its records. The accompanying document must be returned and signed in agreement with these Terms and Conditions. This Licence is governed by the terms set out above which may not be altered in any particular without written consent of the Licensor. If ENGLISH HERITAGE N AT I O N A L M O N U M E N T S R E C O R D Dr M M Raraty Your Ref: 41 Bridgetown Our Ref: B/9641/06/07 Bridge Direct Dial: 01793 414628 Canterbury Direct Fax: 01793 414606 Kent E-mail:a|yson.rogers@engIish—heritage.org.uk CT4 5BA 8 February, 2007 Dear Dr Raraty Reproduction Permission Thank you for your application for Reproduction Permission. I am pleased to enclose two copies of our Reproduction Licence. I would be grateful if you could sign both copies and return the second copy to the address below. 4/ Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further help. Yours sincerely // I v}X;‘2s;~,.-\: , 3 96/ ”,v7 _ é J‘ Alyson Rogers NMR Enquiry and Research Services Please note that NMR Information is supplied subject to the conditions specified overleaf. KEMBLE DRIVE SWINDON SN2 ZGZ LL,,_\# . 69?" Telephone 01 793 414700 Hzcsimile 01 7 93 414707 www.erLgli5h—heritage.org.uk 8;} ‘‘{\v,’ "" National Monuments Record enquiries: Telephone 01 7 93 414600 Facsimile 01 7 93 414606 ‘I5 (,9 INVESTOR IN PEOPLE The National Monmnerzts Record is the public archive of English Heritage Reproduction of NMR Information Permission is hereby granted by English Heritage to You, subject to proper acknowledgement and written acceptance of the conditions outlined here and overleaf to use The Information specified below. Permission No: 236 Our Ref: 9641 Permission granted to : Dr MM Raraty Date Issued: 08 February 2007 Duration: The Information: AA78/1566 Bridge windmill, Kent (HES Simmonds) The Use: A Brief Historical Tour of the Village of Bridge Author / Organiser: M Raraty and M Connor Publisher/Organising Body/ Bridge and District Local History Society BroadcastlExhibition: Date of Publicationl 2007 Edition: First (Pbk) BroadcastlExhibition: Retail Price approx £3-50 Print Run: 500-1000 The Territory: Book/Report (World/All languages) Additional Conditions: Acknowledgementlcredit Reproduced by permission of English Heritage.NMR Fee Payable (excl. VAT) No, waived. Copy Required: No Issued on behalf of English Heritage by Signed it “T NMR Officer A/‘ ’ Cg”? ALYSON ROGERS We accept the terms and conditions of the licence as outline above and overleaf. Signed by Signed [On behalf of B D H S ] D 2 Please sign both copies and return $2 to NMR Enquiry & Research Services at the address given. Maurice Here’s the next draft then! I have tried to include the school entries. Have I interpreted your intentions correctly?! I have had a Very speedy reply from Laurence Boyle with his amendments, which I have implemented. He is probably to be regarded as the authority on the Conynghams and Bifrons, I think. I am intrigued about the Bridge Gas Coke and Coal Company. I am sure I read a copy of a document which gave me this information — I know I can’t have dreamt it. I’Ve looked for it everywhere here, so I suppose it must have been amongst the papers which you lent me? If you can turn it up, then well and good. If not, we’ll omit this sentence to be on the safe side. You are going to see Mr Sole. Then are we nearly there? We do want to do the best we can, but the sooner we get it off to the printer, the sooner it is off our desks! Meriel Patrixbourne, its ‘mansion’, and the Conynghams Patrixbourne derives its name from the illustrious Patrick family, who came to Kent from Normandy at the Conquest. In 1174, the manor was inherited by Ingelram Patrick, whose daughter Maud married Ralph Tesson, sensechal seneschal of Normandy. His estates in England, including Patrixbourne, were awarded to Geoffrey de Say. In the fifteenth century, a number of manors in the area were held by the Isaac family. I cannot comment on the above — I expect Mary Berg knows most about that period. l"¥:§3 I I ‘I ’7 By the early Early in the 17th century. according ‘to Hasted. John Bargrave built a house in Patrixbourne, Bifrons, presumably on the site of the old manor house. John Bargrave’s brotheriilyac, became dean of Canterbury Cathedral. The family sold the house in I661 or 662 and there were a number of owners before the house was purchased by John Taylor in September 1694. H‘ grandson, the Rev. Edward Taylor. , ‘I inherited the property in c./l.’/'75 1767;/In 17 P22 demolished the house and began reconstruction. A number of drawings surv 'e of this ‘plain building’ in the a/,/'' classical style with ‘little architectural embellishment’ survives. In 1802, Edward’s son, Edward, married Louisa Beckingham of Boume Place, and Bifrons was let to tenants. This is probably incorrect. The Taylors had let Bifrons to tenants earlier and later but in 1802 itself (and probably before) until perhaps 1807 the Taylors were probably in residence. It was sold in 1830 to the first Marquis Conyngham. / You may wish to use the current spelling, “Marqyss”. The Conynghams were among the first to standardise on it. P. Henry Conyngham was created marquis by George IV while he was Prince Regent. Conyngham married a wealthy heiress, Elizabeth Denison, whose father was a merchant banker. His rise through the ranks of the peerage was due to his services in Ireland. and the Conyngham’s Irish country seat was (and still is) Castle Slane castle, between Belfast and Dublin. The Marquis was much at court, and held the post of Lord Steward of the Household until the king’s death. Lady Conyngham was famed as the companion and confidante of George IV. A favourite at court, she was described as ‘fat, handsome, kindly, shrewd and extremely fond of jewels’! The king heaped presents and money on her and, when in London, she and her family lived largely at his expense. Though they never appeared in public together, the king and the marchioness were often ridiculed by the press. but this did not seem to deter them. A popular rhyme at the time suggested that Lady Conyngham and George IV spent time Quaffing their claret, then mingling their lips Or fondling the fat about each others hips The king once said to her ‘thank you, my dear; you always do what is right. You cannot please me so much as by doing everything you please, everything to show that you are mistress here’. However, it seems never to have been proven that their relationship was other than platonic.