Talk:Broomfield, Maidstone

Untitled
On the question of whether I have the copyright to the text reproduced here, the text was originally written by a long-time friend in the village, and then reproduced and added to by my mother in another local magazine. I still know the writer (a family friend) of the original article and am sure that he would be glad to see his researched information reproduced for the general public. I will ask my mum to speak to him to check more formally that he is OK for his research to be reproduced, and will put any responses here. I hope this honestly answers any questions you have.

St margarets Church, Broomfield
St Margarets Church, Broomfield

as copied from the leaflet available in the church. A short note on it's origins and architecture Origins. In his history of the county of Kent (1798) hasted devoted just under three pages to the parish of Broomfield. An extract from his account succinctly described the environment there: "The parish of bromfield (the old spelling) extends towards the north as far as Leeds Castle, part of which, as well as of the park, is within the bounds of it. The Lenham rivulet flows through the northern part of it. Near the stream there is some tolerable fertile meadow ground. The church is situated on a rise on the northern side of the parish, which is but of moderate extent from east to west; above the church the lands are poor and heathy where there is a warren, which has for a long time been the property of the owners of Leeds Castle... there is no village, but a few habitations in the parish... besides which there is not any thing further in this parish worth notice" Hasted rightly assumed that the place "took its name from the quantities of broom and heath, with which the greatest part... was then covered" (see eilert Ekwalls Dictionary of English Pace-names, 1960). Horsted mention of a warren is probably the clue to the start of Broomfields history. Warrens came into being after the norman conquest when the rabbit was introduced into England as an extra food item. For obvious reasons they were normally placed at the extremities of manorial lands. The Domesday Book further elucidates when it reveals that both Leeds and Broomfield were given by William the conqueror to his half brother, Odo of Bayeux. Broomfield was assessed for a paltry one sulung (an amount of land depending on the quality of the soil and so varying from 60 to 180 acres) and had five villagers and ten smallholders. Broomfield had twelve servants, Leeds twenty eight. Odo later rebelled against William. He was disgraced and Leeds and Broomfield reverted to the conqueror who granted them to the crevecoeur family. One of the family, Robert,founded in 1119 the Augustinian priory of St Mary and St Nicholas at Leeds (Peter Tester, 'excavations on the site of Leeds Priory', archeologia cantiana, XCIII, p33). In the county archives office at Maidstone there is a 1272 confirmation of Archbishop Robert Kilwardby which enumerates churches, including those at Leeds and Broomfield, granted to the priory by Robert Crevecoeur (Leslie Sherwood, 'The Cartulary of Leeds Priory' Archeologia Cantiana LXIV, p24). As there was no mention of a church of chapel at Broomfield in the 1086 Domesday book, its construction most likely took place between that date and 1119. The Augustinian Canons, unlike all other men in monastic orders in Kent except for the premonastratensians, were priests and this may explain why they were so keen to gather in advowsons. More churches in their control meant they had to provide more priests from their numbers and so the order grew. Broomfield and Leeds churches (and also the chapel in Leeds castle) were always easy to administer with the priory so near and we may assume that such a situation continued until the dissolution of the priory occurred in 1538. The two places were apparently considered an entity during the middle ages. In 1346 in the 'Book of Aids' the queens property there was entered as "one feof in Bromfield and Ledes" After the dissolving of the monasteries there came a period of increasing protestant ascendancy until queen Mary's reign (1553-58) restored a catholic priesthood. In the few years between the 1530's and the 1550's the churches throughout the country had lost their catholic appearance, certainly in furniture and fittings. Archdeacon Harpsfield in 1557 perambulated the county and tried to make redress. His report on Leeds church and Broomfield chapel showed what a falling away had occurred. He noted that "the prior of the monastery was accustomed to find the curate... that farmer of the parsonage paieth to my Lodre Cardinalles Grace (Archbishop Reginald Pole) for the same yerelie 20 pounds and with the same he is bounde to find a curate here and another in Bromefield viz. 7 pounds, 6 shillings and 8 pence to Ledes and 5 pounds to bromefield". At Leeds "the chauncell is gratelie in decaye and there hathe not bene done anny reparacions manny yeares so that the parisheners have bene constreyned to leye their owne tile appon the same to the value of 25 shillings and 10 pence". this was essentially an obligation of the rector who had succeeded to the responsibilities of the priory. During this period - in 1555 - five protestant martyrs were burned at Canterbury for their faith (Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs'). Among them was George Brodbridge of Broomfield. He was examined about his beliefs and answered that he would not be confessed by a priest because he could not forgive his own sins. "and further said, that in the sacrement of the alter there is not the real body of Christ, but bread given in the remembrance of him". When Broomfield became a parish separated from Leeds is not known for certain. Architecture. The church is essentially a Norman two-part, one of nave and chancel plus a late medieval western tower, and with the relatively modern additions of a vestry and western porch. John Newman (pevsner's 'West Kent and the weald') has written that "a tiny blocked Norman N. window fixes the date of the nave walls". The norman church would have consisted of but a plain nave and chancel. unfortunately, all traces of the Norman chancel disappeared when it was remodelled in 1879 by Gordon M Hills, the architect of St Michaels church, Tenterden (Roger Homan, 'The Victorian churches of Kent') What to see outside the church. Nave: South Wall 1. This has been considerably rebuilt but there remains signs of a south doorway and possibly some round heads of Norman windows (the eye of faith needed here). A 1506 will mentions the making of a porch. 2. The Wykeham-Martin vault is beneath the Nave's east end and the rectangular vent to this may be seen at foot level. 3. Note that no tufa (a locally quarried limestone much favoured by the Normans) is used in the walls. Ragstone predominates (compare Leeds church where tufa forms a considerable part of the Norman tower). Nave: North wall 1. West of the lancet containing the Wykeham-Martin heraldic glass is a blocked narrow lancet of the 13th century. 2. Near the west end there remains the ogee head of a 14th century window. Chancel: 1. under the eastern gable is a tablet which informs us that the chancel was rebuilt by Susannah Meredith of Leeds Abbey in 1749. 2. The chancel was reconstituted in 1879 by Gordon M Hills. The south wall has a good example of galleting whereby the mortar joints between the ragstone blocks are decorated and strengthened by stone chippings. 3. On the rainwater head on the south side is the date 1879, the date of the beginning of the Victorian restoration. 4. On the north side is a Victorian vestry which internally is almost filled by the organ case. Western Tower: 1. Two stages. Battlemented. No buttresses - in this parallel to the perpendicular tower of Hollingbourne church and with similar window surrounds. 2. An original western entrance with rectangular dripstone and hollow, concave moulding. Obscured by a modern porch. What to see inside the church. Nave: 1. A Victorian oak pulpit stands in a recess (pseudo transept) with a stone seat. There is a similar recess on the north side, but without a capital. 2. Behind the pulpit is tablet to lieutenant Robert Hatch (died 1817) who belonged to the 53rd regiment of Foot (Kings Shropshire Light Infantry) and served on Ste Helena when Emperor Napoleon was in exile there. At the same time, as chaplain on the island, way the reverend Richard Boys who later became vicar of neighbouring Loose parish. 3. South wall memorial to the reverend Richard Fiennes Wykeham-Martin who died in 1861. Sculptor Bennett of Brighton. 4. in the north wall is a lancet window containing attractive heraldic glass, in memory of Philip Wykeham-Martin MP, given by his widow who paid for the restoration, 1879-80. 5. Next to (4) a perpendicular style two-light window with late medieval glass in the heads. 6. Three moulded, oak tie beams, the two westerly with late medieval crown posts. The eastern-most beam is a replacement with no crown-post. All three have been embellished with much later applied crenellations. 7. An eight-sided font copied from a perpendicular original. 8. The tower arch is of the perpendicular period and is well placed in the available two storeys. Chancel: 1. The vestry on the north side contains a one manual pipe organ by Henry Jones of London. It is still (1984) pumped by hand. The arch which tops the pipes is modelled on the original chancel arch. 2. The three-light eastern window was designed in the perpendicular style at the Victorian restoration. It contains glass in memory of Charles Wykeham-Martin (died 1858) and his wife Matilda. 3. A single tie beam crown-posted roof made Victorian fashionable pine. 4. The perpendicular style chancel arch is original except for the replacement capitals. 5. The vestry door by the organ is made up from 17th century carved oak fragments. Tower: 1.It has no ringing chamber and the three bells are rung at ground level. 2. Bells (Stahlschmidt, 'The church bells of Kent'). Of the three bells, the important on is that cast locally in 1663 by William Hatch. Formerly there was a Tenor bell dated 1579 but with no founders name or stamp. It was probably made by Thomas Hatch. The Hatch family of bellfounders seemingly all lived at Rose's Farm, names after William Rose who bought it in 1461 (R H Goodsall, 'The Hatch bellfoundry in Broomfield and Ulcombe', 'A Third Kentish Patchwork'). In 1606 Joseph Hatch is known to have been a tenant. The Bellfounding business ended with William Hatch who made the 1663 bell for the church. One grave in the churchyard, on the south side of the church, is a tombstone which covers the remains of Joseph Hatch, Bellfounder, who died aged 78 in 1639. Miscellaneous: 1. The earliest register (baptisms, Marriages and Deaths) for the period 1579-1775 is on deposit in the Kent Archives Office, Maidstone. In the Diocesan registry there is a transcript which begins in 1567. This suggests that the separation from Leeds Parish had started by then. 2. Arthur Hussey in 'Testamenta Cantiana' transcribes several wills which contain instructive items concerning the church. in 1506 John Mason left money for the making of the porch, for a light of St Margaret and a light for the Rood. In 1507 Agnes, widow of Richard Caring of Leeds, bequeathed a sum for lights of all souls, St Blaise (patron saint of wollmen) and St Katherine, and also 12 pence for the reparation of St Margarets Well, possibly the well still existing at the nearby wayside. John Broomfield at the end of the 15th century left a vestment valued 46 shillings and 8 pence, a copper-gilt cross with its staff and two small lattern (copper alloy) candlesticks for the high alter. 3. Church Plate. The cream of this is a silver paten weighing 8 1/2 ounces and bearing the London hallmarks for 1631. Text by Allen Grove. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sailing-home (talk • contribs) 06:31, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

A short history of kingswood and Broomfield
A short history of Broomfield with Kingswood

as copied from a leaflet produced by a few villagers

Under the entries for CHENTH (Kent) in the domesday book of 1086 is one for BRUNFELLE (Broomfield). This details that a certain Robert Latimer 'held Brunfelle at a revenue'. Aethelwold held it from Bishop Odo, William the conquerors half brother. At the time it was a very small community with a few smallholders, one mill, pigs and eight acres of woodland with some pasture land as well. Value before 1066 four pounds, now some 20 years later the value was hundreds of pounds.

As is seen from this information, Broomfield was recognised as a place with enough identity to warrant an entry in it's own name, although closely associated with Leeds at this time and thereafter. Until around the fourteenth century when the earliest parish register for Broomfield is dated from 1579 to 1775.

Since the ninth century, wooden fortifications had stood on some small islands on the river Len at Leeds. After the Norman conquest in 1066 this fortification, with the Manor of Leeds, was given by William to Hamon de Crevecoeur. Robert de Crevecoeur, his son, built a stone keep & gatehouse in 1130 at Leeds. Before this, in 1119, he started construction of an Augustinian Priory and church in Leeds and also a chapel in Broomfield (St Margaret's). Interestingly the parish boundary of Broomfield now contains much of Leeds Castle and in the first census in 1841, the castle is enumerated under Broomfield.

The name Brunfelle in the domesday book has changed through the centuries, most references show the spelling as bromfield with an occasional Bromefield. The parish register changed in 1832 to Broomfield, then back and forth depending upon the writer, until about 1900 when the present spelling was established. The abundance of heath and broom growing in the area at one time was thought by some to be the origin of Broom-field. Broom still grows in the woodland today. To the North of the parish is Warren Wood, originally providing a warren of rabbits to feed the inhabitants of the castle.

"Rose Farm"

Records of Broomfield apart from the church register are sketchy and rare but three have been people of note on which we do have some information. The Hatch family, one time occupants of Rose Farm were famous bell makers from 1600 to 1663. Records show that some 155 bells were cast by them in Ulcombe and Kingswood, including one of the bells in St Margaret's, Broomfield. On the South side of the churchyard is the tomb of Joseph Hatch, along with his mother and two brothers. The inscription reads "Here lyeth the body of Joseph Hatch, Bell Founder, who departed this day the 14th September 1639".

Also buried here is a once famous Kent cricketer Frederick Hollands, born in the parish in 1822, who played for Kent between 1849 and 1859. Recorded also is a certain George Bodbridge from Broomfield, a protestant burned as a martyr in 1555 at Canterbury.

in 1615 Mary Cayser left lands in Hollingbourne and Broomfield for the relief of the poor in both parishes. Cayser Drive in Kingswood was named after the good lady.

In the past the parish was totally influenced by the castle and much of it's history is the history of Broomfield. The comings and goings of Kings, Queens and the Lords and Ladies occupying the castle would have affected the ordinary villagers who were serving, supplying and being supported by the controllers of the castle.

Leeds Castle was first built in stone in the reign of William the Conqueror's son, Henry I, nearly 900 years ago. On the accession of Edward I in 1278, it came into the possession of the crown and remained as a royal palace for medieval queens for three centuries. Henry VIII spent large sums restoring and enlarging the castle during the 16th century and visited with Queen Catherine of Aragon. He then granted ownership to Sir Anthony Leger who was also Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. Thus it passed into ownership of three famous English families - The St. Legers, The Culpepers and the Fairfaxes. In the early 19th century it passed to distant relatives, the Wykeham-Martins, and was finally bought in 1926 by Lady Bailey. She had a lifelong love of the castle and devotedly restored both the castle, and the park and grounds. Once more the castle entertained royalty including the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor), and the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

The Castle also had an important part to play in the Second World War, because the Len Valley is a natural fog-trap at Leeds, it was used for experiments which perfected the "F.I.D.O." (Fog Investigation Dispersal Operations) to assist planes landing in foggy conditions. The castle was also used as a military hospital and convalescent home for badly burned pilots treated at East Grinstead Hospital by Sir Archibald McIndoe.

At the death of Lady Bailey in the mid 1970's ownership passed to a charitable foundation, as a centre for medical research conferences and other affairs of some-times world-wide importance. A meeting of Arab-Israeli ministers was held there in the late 1970's. The castle was also opened to the public and the "loveliest castle in the world" has become a very popular place to visit for those in the country, and more and more from other countries. so now the world comes to Broomfield.

Up to very recent times, Broomfield was an agricultural community with, it seems, quite a stable population. The 1841 census records 146 inhabitants with 26 occupied dwellings, the includes those living and working at the castle. By the 1881 census the number had increased to 160 but at the end of the century was down again to 150. The twentieth century saw a dramatic increase in the population to 2000 or more, with about 650 dwellings. Most of the increase was on the South side of the parish in Kingswood, and also in Gravelly Bottom and Pitt roads.

With the demise of the East Sutton Estate in 1918 their woodlands in the South West of the parish along Gravelly Bottom and Pitt Roads were sold off in five acre lots (bought often by returning soldiers), much of the woodland cut down, and the land developed as small holdings producing mainly pigs, turkeys, eggs, soft fruit and other market produce. beyond Broomfield road a mud track led off Gravelly Bottom Road which intersected with a further track deep in the woods. along these were more smallholdings and there were others on Lenham Road. This community of smallholdings was known as Kingswood.

Around 1938, a few like-minded people in the parish erected a wooden building on land given by Mr. Apps, to serve as a village hall. This small wooden construction under an asbestos roof served the community well. Sited off Gravelly Bottom Road on land in front of what is now Rowan House, it was the heart of the then village and the venue for parish meetings, whist drives, dances and even a library. During the war it was invaluable to the community to coordinate their war efforts, a now faded certificate hangs in the new village hall from these times. It commemorates the adoption of HMS Maidstone" during warship week, March 1942.

The war in the air and from the air affected the lives of Broomfield people. Some of the battle of Britain and other actions were fought above Broomfield with both the German and British aircraft coming down within the parish. In the field above the church in Broomfield, and Dornier 17z Bomber just missed the treetops to plough into the field with a mighty explosion. The remains of the crew were buried in the churchyard initially but later re-interred in a major German cemetery in this country. For some reason, only the pilot, Martin Ziems, was interred at the Maidstone cemetery and is still there today. A church service was held in Broomfield on 16th September 1990 dedicated to Flying Officer Peter Pease who lost his life when his Spitfire Marked XT-B crashed in the field behind the new village hall in September 1940. There were several other incidents of aircraft crashing and later, V1's (doodlebugs) crashing into the parish. Local people served in the forces and a local home guard platoon was raised in the area. Troops came into the village to run ack-ack guns and search lights, while New Zealand and Canadian troops exercised in Kingswood.

After the 1939-45 war, laws were enacted requiring planning permission for all building, and as materials became available, permission could be obtained for development along the mud tracks (now known as Whitehall Drive and Charlesford Avenue) though not established roads such as Gravelly, Pitt, etc. Parcels of land were sold mainly to small developers and gradually the tracks in Kingswood became the framework for the roads we have today. Some say that some land was owned by Mr. Charles Ford who lived in Ashford and worked in Whitehall.

With the new developments came new services, electricity with mains water arriving in 1948. Before this, water was hard to come by, few wells were found, the small holders using dew ponds, collected the run-off from roofs or brought it in tankers. It was not until 1975 that mains drainage was brought into Kingswood, providing a welcome relief from the concerns about cesspool capacities and the emptying of these tanks for most of the villagers. Shortly after this time most of the unmade roads were made up at the expense of the residents. Thereafter the roads were put in with the buildings.

The only public amenity, the wooden hall in Gravelly Bottom Road was found to be inadequate for the now growing population. This little building had served the community well. The parish council had always met there, the Library service used the facility and since it's inaugural meeting in January 1954, the Women's Institute met there. To promote the idea and raise the necessary funds to build a new village hall, the size of the village hall committee was increased to start this task. It should be noted that the Hall Committee of local people had always run the old hall from letting monies. During the next ten years, the enlarged committee organised find raising events within the village. Disco's, Fete's, Old Time Music Halls, Pantomimes, Auctions, Jumble Sales, Sedan Chair Races, Pantomime Horse Races, sponsored walks and a sponsored knit-in were among the many events. Some of these events were held on "Millie's" field, owned by Millie and Edgar Thorneycroft and this land is now know as Thorneycroft Close. The Kingswood and Broomfield News was started, to inform and maintain the ongoing efforts of fund raising. A very successful lottery was also operated which raise considerable funds over a long period. In April 1980 the new hall was opened, bringing the new facility much closer to the main group of houses. This new hall was substantially brick built with all the facilities unheard of in the old hall - a proper kitchen, small function room, Large main hall for badminton and a good size stage, plus a heating system which was effective, and even a proper car park! Another fact not realized so much at the time was the bringing together of people within the parish in a joint effort to raise funds. This community achievement was recognised in when in May 1981 Kent Enterprises was awarded, in a competition, a certificate of commendation for their efforts in building a new village hall. The old hall has ended it's days, re-erected as a farm building on Rowan Farm, Gravelly Bottom Road, still useful after all these years.

The influx of new homes and young families brought the need for a primary school within the village. Before this, the children went by bus to Ulcombe or traveled to Leeds. In 1975 a primary school was built and opened. Kingswood and Broomfield news reads "Kingswood Primary School is near completion and the Headmaster Mr. Fox has been appointed". It has been said that a village requires a church, a pub, a post office and a school, so the opening of the latter completed the quartet However at the end of this century we are again incomplete with the loss of the "Battle of Britain" pub, closed in 1997 and now demolished.

In 1977 to mark the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the parish held a celebration party, and each child was presented with a jubilee crown piece. a wooden seat was also dedicated for the occasion.

During 1987 the parish was visited by two ladies from a city in the Unites States called Broomfield, just north of Denver, Colorado. These ladies had traveled to England to find their namesake to propose a sister city in the United Kingdom. A proclamation promoting friendship and communication between the 'broomfields' hangs in St Margaret's Church.

in November 1990 the hall received it's most distinguished visitor, the then Archbishop of Canterbury the late Robert Runcie, who took time to speak with many members of Kingswood Church (untied) after taking a service for the village.

Kingswood and Broomfield as the end of the 20th century has grown into a new village within an ancient parish. Perhaps this fact of old and new contributes to the well-being of this community, one built by the people within, to provide the services and environment, and most of all the spirit of the parish. To see this spirit an outsider would need to pop into the local shop and listen to the chatter, or attend a W.I. meeting or a Sunday Service, or perhaps join a boxing day walk around Leeds Castle footpaths. These and other events would perhaps show that the parish is indeed a "green and pleasant" place to live.

Geology of the area

geologically, Kingswood and Broomfield lie on the greensand ridge, North of the Weald of Kent. The topsoil is thin and light, and contains large amounts of sandstone, and beneath the loam subsoil is the so-called 'hythe beds' consisting of alternating layers of ragstone and sandstone. The result is an area of good water drainage, but soil which dries out quickly in summer. However, this is an idea soil for strawberry growing, which was once a main crop of the area, along with chestnut coppicing, a centuries old tradition which continues today. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Sailing-home (talk • contribs) 06:34, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

Merge
I don't think this should be merged as its a village in its own right.  Crouch, Swale  ( talk ) 17:51, 19 February 2021 (UTC)
 * Closing; no merge, given that no case has been made and that there is an uncontested objection. Klbrain (talk) 17:33, 21 August 2021 (UTC)