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WOODCHURCH
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Woodchurch is a village lying between Ashford and Tenterden on the
edge of the Low Weald of Kent The parish extends 6 miles north to
south and 4 miles east to west, one of Kent's largest. It is a
closely knit settlement on land which gently slopes to the south.
To the north lies undulating scenery, and to the south-west is the
flat expanse of Shirley Moor leading to Romney Marsh (photo on
this Home page looking towards Woodchurch across Shirley Moor
planted with yellow rape). The low wooded hills overlooking
Appledore and the Marsh are to the south-east. The surrounding
area is designated as a 'Kent Special Landscape Area'..
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From a distance, the settlement is seen to be situated on a wooded
slope with the skyline being dominated by two buildings - its church
and its windmill (photos on this Home page)
The
layout of Woodchurch is based on an elongated diamond pattern of
roads with a north-south axis. The Green is the core of the
Conservation Area.
The village became firmly established in the 13th century with the
erection of a large church (All Saints) made of Kentish ragstone
(photo . Although it was extensively restored between 1840 and 1850,
it still boasts a 13th-century chancel and a famous brass of the
14th century, depicting a floriated cross design. It has an unusual
four-faced clock and a spire which is 18 inches out of the vertical
at the top.
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Initially, the main concentration of houses was around the church
and Green. From the end of the 18th century, ribbons of development
spread first along Front Road and later along Lower Road, largely
filling the southern part of the diamond. In the last 50 years,
spurs of development have extended the settlement northwards and to
the south, beyond the basic shape. A few further developments have
taken some land from within the diamond. The green heart of the
northern part of the diamond comprises the Green itself and the
adjacent open fields.
Woodchurch has a wealth of listed buildings concentrated mainly
around the Green and the church; there are still a dozen early
Wealden Hall houses in the parish. Two notable examples situated on
the eastern edge of the Green are Henden Place (photo of this
half-timbered house on this Home page) and Place Farm. The oldest
house is Diamond Farm built in the 1380s
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Woodchurch currently boasts three public houses, two of which are
located close to the church. Both were built in the 17th century;
the larger Bonny Cravat has since seen many changes both inside and
out, whilst the Six Bells retains an older Kentish look. The third
is the Stonebridge Inn situated at the southern tip of the village.
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The
village primary school is situated near the church and was a
National School. The first building was erected in 1844 and the
school has since been sympathetically enlarged on three occasions,
namely, in 1872, 1896 and most recently in 1998. |
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In 2001, Woodchurch had about 1500 adult inhabitants in more than
780 dwellings, of which around 70% are in the village centre.
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