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Coordinates: 51°16′26″N 0°34′44″E / 51.2738°N 0.5789°E / 51.2738; 0.5789
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{{Short description|Village in Kent, England}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2016}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
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|coordinates = {{coord|51.2738|0.5789|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates = {{coord|51.2738|0.5789|display=inline,title}}
|population = 8010
|population = 8010
|population_ref =<ref name=ons>{{cite web|title=Neighbourhood Statistics|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6179387&c=bearsted&d=14&e=16&g=458510&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1335961706473&enc=1|publisher=ONS|accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><br> 8,209 (2011 Census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120512&c=Bearsted&d=16&e=62&g=6437428&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1473863074688&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|accessdate=14 September 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics| work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
|population_ref =<ref name=ons>{{cite web|title=Neighbourhood Statistics|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=6179387&c=bearsted&d=14&e=16&g=458510&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1335961706473&enc=1|publisher=ONS|access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><br> 8,209 (2011 Census)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11120512&c=Bearsted&d=16&e=62&g=6437428&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1473863074688&enc=1|title=Civil Parish population 2011|access-date=14 September 2016|publisher=Office for National Statistics| work=Neighbourhood Statistics}}</ref>
|static_image_name = Old cottages at Bearsted - geograph.org.uk - 1356785.jpg
|static_image_name = Old cottages at Bearsted - geograph.org.uk - 1356785.jpg
|static_image_caption = Bearsted<ref>[https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3763 www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3763 Robert Edwards] Retrieved 2 May 2012</ref>
|static_image_caption = Bearsted<ref>[https://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3763 www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3763 Robert Edwards] Retrieved 2 May 2012</ref>
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}}
}}


''’Bearsted r the best in ze world''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɛər|s|t|ɛ|d}} {{respell|BAIR|sted}}, {{small|traditionally}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜːr|-}} {{respell|BUR-}}) is a village and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] with railway station in mid-[[Kent]], [[England]], two miles (3.2&nbsp;km) east of [[Maidstone]] town centre.<ref>{{cite web|title=Measurement tool|url=http://www.gridreferencefinder.com/|publisher=gridreferencefinder|accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref>
'''Bearsted''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɛər|s|t|ɛ|d}} {{respell|BAIR|sted}}, {{small|traditionally}} {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɜːr|-}} {{respell|BUR-}}) is a village and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] with a railway station in mid-[[Kent]], England, two miles (3.2&nbsp;km) east of [[Maidstone]] town centre.<ref>{{cite web|title=Measurement tool|url=http://www.gridreferencefinder.com/|publisher=gridreferencefinder|access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref>


==Geography==
==Geography==
The village was historically concentrated around Church Lane and The Green which includes The Street.<ref name=CAA>{{cite web|title=Conservation Area document |url=http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/Bearsted%20Combined%20CAAMP%20Adopted%20Version%20March%202010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226135803/http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/Bearsted%20Combined%20CAAMP%20Adopted%20Version%20March%202010.pdf |url-status = dead|archive-date=26 December 2011 |publisher=Maidstone Borough Council |accessdate=2 May 2012 }}</ref> The village is on the north bank of the [[River Len]], a tributary of the [[River Medway]] at the foot of the [[North Downs]]. A stream, the Lilk, flows south into the river Len through Bearsted.
The village was historically concentrated around Church Lane and The Green which includes The Street.<ref name=CAA>{{cite web|title=Conservation Area document |url=http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/Bearsted%20Combined%20CAAMP%20Adopted%20Version%20March%202010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226135803/http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/Bearsted%20Combined%20CAAMP%20Adopted%20Version%20March%202010.pdf |url-status = dead|archive-date=26 December 2011 |publisher=Maidstone Borough Council |access-date=2 May 2012 }}</ref> The village is on the north bank of the [[River Len]], a tributary of the [[River Medway]] at the foot of the [[North Downs]]. A stream, the Lilk, flows south into the river Len through Bearsted.


Although part of the growing [[conurbation]] of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 59 listed properties, many surrounding the [[village green]], flanked by two [[public house|pubs]].
Although part of the growing [[conurbation]] of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 59 listed properties, many surrounding the [[village green]], flanked by two [[public house|pubs]].
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!colspan="2"|Election!!Member<ref name="MemberIndex PIC">[https://democracy.kent.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 Kent County Councillors. Retrieved 30 April 2012]</ref>!!Ward
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member<ref name="MemberIndex PIC">[https://democracy.kent.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 Kent County Councillors. Retrieved 30 April 2012]</ref>!!Ward
|-
|-
|style="background-color: {{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}" |
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|2009
|2009
|Paul Carter||Maidstone Rural North
|Paul Carter||Maidstone Rural North
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!colspan="2"|Election!!Member<ref name="MemberIndex PIC"/>
!colspan="2"|Election!!Member<ref name="MemberIndex PIC"/>
|-
|-
|style="background-color: {{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}" |
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|2008
|2008
|Richard Ash
|Richard Ash
|-
|-
|style="background-color: {{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}" |
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|2011
|2011
|Mike Cuming
|Mike Cuming
|-
|-
|style="background-color: {{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}" |
|style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|2011
|2011
|Val Springett
|Val Springett
|-
|-
|}
|}
The parish council has 15 elected councillors with published monthly meeting dates at Madginford Hall, Egremont Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8LH or St Peter's Church Hall, Button Lane. Sometimes the finance and the planning committee meet at King George V Memorial Hall. In 2011 the parish council was elected, with elections every four years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Parish Councillors|url=http://www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk/Core/bearsted-pc/Pages/The_Council_3.aspx|publisher=Bearsted Parish Council|accessdate=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405144514/http://www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk/Core/bearsted-pc/Pages/The_Council_3.aspx|archive-date=5 April 2012|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
The parish council has 15 elected councillors with published monthly meeting dates at Madginford Hall, Egremont Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8LH or St Peter's Church Hall, Button Lane. Sometimes the finance and the planning committee meet at King George V Memorial Hall. In 2011 the parish council was elected, with elections every four years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Parish Councillors|url=http://www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk/Core/bearsted-pc/Pages/The_Council_3.aspx|publisher=Bearsted Parish Council|access-date=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405144514/http://www.bearstedparishcouncil.gov.uk/Core/bearsted-pc/Pages/The_Council_3.aspx|archive-date=5 April 2012|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[Holy Cross Church, Bearsted|Holy Cross Church]] is located on Church Lane to the south of the green. A fair used to be held here on [[Holy Cross Day]], an ancient festival traced back to 335 AD when the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] was dedicated in [[Jerusalem]]. The dedication to Holy Cross appears to have been a relatively popular one for pre-Conquest foundations.<ref name=CAA/> It is a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref name=NHLE>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1086253 |desc=Church of the Holy Cross |accessdate=3 July 2011}}</ref> Its stone arch is partially [[Anglo-Saxon architecture|Saxon]], embedded with later work.<ref name=CAA/> On three corners of the tower are stone beasts. Many books on Kent describe the animals on the tower as bears, and say these represent the name of the village.<ref name=Hasted>{{cite book |last=Hasted |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62927 |title=The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent |chapter=Parishes: Bersted ''(sic)''<!-- this spelling is as per the source--> |volume=5 |year=1798 |accessdate=3 July 2011 |pages=505–13}}</ref>
[[Holy Cross Church, Bearsted|Holy Cross Church]] is located on Church Lane to the south of the green. A fair used to be held here on [[Holy Cross Day]], an ancient festival traced back to 335 AD when the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] was dedicated in [[Jerusalem]]. The dedication to Holy Cross appears to have been a relatively popular one for pre-Conquest foundations.<ref name=CAA/> It is a Grade I [[listed building]].<ref name=NHLE>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1086253 |desc=Church of the Holy Cross |access-date=3 July 2011}}</ref> Its stone arch is partially [[Anglo-Saxon architecture|Saxon]], embedded with later work.<ref name=CAA/> On three corners of the tower are stone beasts. Many books on Kent describe the animals on the tower as bears, and say these represent the name of the village.<ref name=Hasted>{{cite book |last=Hasted |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62927 |title=The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent |chapter=Parishes: Bersted ''(sic)''<!-- this spelling is as per the source--> |volume=5 |year=1798 |access-date=3 July 2011 |pages=505–13}}</ref>


Hasted's History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 5 (1798) reveals that the Anglo-Saxon name for the settlement was “Bergestede”, meaning “place on the hill/barrow”; other accounts refer to its earlier names as “Berghamstyde” and “Berghstede”. If the “Bergh” element does refer to a barrow (burial mound), this may be indicative of a church being sited on a previously revered site, in accordance with the advice of Pope Gregory to St. Augustine in 601 AD, which raises the possibility of this being a particularly early church site. It is possible that Bearsted is the “Berghamstyde” at which King [[Wihtred of Kent]] held a Council in 696AD and where he issued laws which are amongst the earliest of the Saxon written law codes.<ref name=CAA/>
Hasted's History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 5 (1798) reveals that the Anglo-Saxon name for the settlement was “Bergestede”, meaning “place on the hill/barrow”; other accounts refer to its earlier names as “Berghamstyde” and “Berghstede”. If the “Bergh” element does refer to a barrow (burial mound), this may be indicative of a church being sited on a previously revered site, in accordance with the advice of Pope Gregory to St. Augustine in 601 AD, which raises the possibility of this being a particularly early church site. It is possible that Bearsted is the “Berghamstyde” at which King [[Wihtred of Kent]] held a Council in 696AD and where he issued laws which are amongst the earliest of the Saxon written law codes.<ref name=CAA/>
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==Listed buildings in the conservation areas==
==Listed buildings in the conservation areas==
[[File:Holy Cross, Bearsted, Kent - geograph.org.uk - 325331.jpg|thumb|right|[[Holy Cross Church, Bearsted|

Holy Cross Church]] in 2003]]
Within the Holy Cross conservation area are:<ref>{{cite web|title=The Green Conservation Area map |url=http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/091207_Bearsted%20Holy%20Cross%20CA.pdf |publisher=Maidstone Borough Council |accessdate=2 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Within the Holy Cross conservation area are:<ref>{{cite web|title=The Green Conservation Area map |url=http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/pdf/091207_Bearsted%20Holy%20Cross%20CA.pdf |publisher=Maidstone Borough Council |access-date=2 May 2012 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
|Church of the Holy Cross ||Grade I listed
|[[Holy Cross Church, Bearsted|Church of the Holy Cross]] ||Grade I listed
|-
|-
|Table Tomb of the Duckelbery Family || Grade II listed
|Table Tomb of the Duckelbery Family || Grade II listed
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|-
|-
|}
|}
Within Bearsted (The Green) Conservation area, which includes part of The Street from Oliver's Cottages westward, the listed buildings with the dates of oldest sections, are:<ref name=CAA/><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086253 |desc=Church of the Holy Cross |accessdate=3 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086171 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086263 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086264 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086265 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086270 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185244 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185278 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185346 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185389 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185400 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185453 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1299725 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1299731 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="NHLE| num=1336250">{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336250 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336251 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336254 |accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1393851|accessdate=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="NHLE| num=1336250"/>
Within Bearsted (The Green) Conservation area, which includes part of The Street from Oliver's Cottages westward, the listed buildings with the dates of oldest sections, are:<ref name=CAA/><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086253 |desc=Church of the Holy Cross |access-date=3 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086171 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086263 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086264 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086265 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1086270 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185244 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185278 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185346 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185389 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185400 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1185453 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1299725 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1299731 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref name="NHLE| num=1336250">{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336250 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336251 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1336254 |access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{National Heritage List for England| num=1393851|access-date=2 May 2012}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
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|Hill House || Grade II listed || 18th century
|Hill House || Grade II listed || 18th century
|-
|-
|The Soufflé restaurant at Old Timbers || Grade II listed || 16th Century<ref>{{cite web|title=UK Restaurants Guide |url=http://www.uk-restaurant-guide.com/search/results.php?SQ=French |archive-url=https://archive.is/20120915073253/http://www.uk-restaurant-guide.com/search/results.php?SQ=French |url-status = dead|archive-date=15 September 2012 |publisher=UK Restaurants Guide |accessdate=2 May 2012 }}</ref>
|The Soufflé restaurant at Old Timbers || Grade II listed || 16th Century<ref>{{cite web|title=UK Restaurants Guide |url=http://www.uk-restaurant-guide.com/search/results.php?SQ=French |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915073253/http://www.uk-restaurant-guide.com/search/results.php?SQ=French |url-status = dead|archive-date=15 September 2012 |publisher=UK Restaurants Guide |access-date=2 May 2012 }}</ref>
|-
|-
|The Limes || Grade II listed || 15th century
|The Limes || Grade II listed || 15th century
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In early 2007, the Kent International Gateway Group announced plans to build a large rail-freight and logistics depot in the corridor between Bearsted bounded by the railway line and the M20 motorway, an area which in use as fields and woodland. The controversial plans raised significant objections from local residents and the [[Campaign to Protect Rural England]].
In early 2007, the Kent International Gateway Group announced plans to build a large rail-freight and logistics depot in the corridor between Bearsted bounded by the railway line and the M20 motorway, an area which in use as fields and woodland. The controversial plans raised significant objections from local residents and the [[Campaign to Protect Rural England]].


The [[planning application]] was rejected by the local planning authority, [[Maidstone (borough)|Maidstone Borough Council]], and a public inquiry was held into Axa's appeal of this decision between 13 October 2009 and 23 December 2009. Following the public inquiry and review of the resulting Inspector's report, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, [[Eric Pickles]], rejected the appeal and refused planning permission for the development on 5 August 2010.<ref name="appeal rejection">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10879192 |title=Kent International Gateway freight depot plan refused |publisher=[[BBC News Online]] |date=5 August 2010 |accessdate=8 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="rejection letter">[http://www.stopkig.org/downloads/10-08-05%20Final%20DL%20Kent%20International%20SRFI.pdf Letter from Department for Communities and Local Government, 5 August 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728063731/http://www.stopkig.org/downloads/10-08-05%20Final%20DL%20Kent%20International%20SRFI.pdf |date=28 July 2011 }}</ref>
The [[planning application]] was rejected by the local planning authority, [[Maidstone (borough)|Maidstone Borough Council]], and a public inquiry was held into Axa's appeal of this decision between 13 October 2009 and 23 December 2009. Following the public inquiry and review of the resulting Inspector's report, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, [[Eric Pickles]], rejected the appeal and refused planning permission for the development on 5 August 2010.<ref name="appeal rejection">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-10879192 |title=Kent International Gateway freight depot plan refused |publisher=[[BBC News Online]] |date=5 August 2010 |access-date=8 August 2010}}</ref><ref name="rejection letter">[http://www.stopkig.org/downloads/10-08-05%20Final%20DL%20Kent%20International%20SRFI.pdf Letter from Department for Communities and Local Government, 5 August 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728063731/http://www.stopkig.org/downloads/10-08-05%20Final%20DL%20Kent%20International%20SRFI.pdf |date=28 July 2011 }}</ref>


==Notable people==
==Notable people==
* [[Jenny Agutter]] O.B.E. , actress, briefly lived in the village in her teens when her family moved back to Britain from Cyprus; wrote an open letter in 2009 supporting the "Stop KIG" ([[Kent International Gateway]]) protest group to help protect the character of the village
* [[Jenny Agutter]] O.B.E., actress, briefly lived in the village in her teens when her family moved back to Britain from Cyprus; wrote an open letter in 2009 supporting the "Stop KIG" ([[Kent International Gateway]]) protest group to help protect the character of the village
* [[Paul Ashbee]] (1918–2009), a leading British [[archaeologist]] born in Bearsted<ref>{{cite news|title=Paul Ashbee|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/science-obituaries/6284071/Paul-Ashbee.html|accessdate=5 June 2014|work=The Telegraph|issue=9 October 2009}}</ref>
* [[Paul Ashbee]] (1918–2009), a leading British [[archaeologist]] born in Bearsted<ref>{{cite news|title=Paul Ashbee|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/science-obituaries/6284071/Paul-Ashbee.html|access-date=5 June 2014|work=The Telegraph|issue=9 October 2009}}</ref>
* [[Robert Clifford (cricketer)|Robert Clifford]] (1752–1811), [[cricket]]er, lived in Bearsted
* [[Robert Clifford (cricketer)|Robert Clifford]] (1752–1811), [[cricket]]er, lived in Bearsted
* [[William Clifford (cricketer)|William Clifford]] (chr. 1811 – 1841), cricketer, was christened in Bearsted church
* [[William Clifford (cricketer)|William Clifford]] (chr. 1811 – 1841), cricketer, was christened in Bearsted church
* [[Nigel Donn]] (b. 1962), [[Association Football|football player]], resides in Bearsted
* [[Nigel Donn]] (b. 1962), [[Association football|football player]], resides in Bearsted
* [[Geoffrey Dummer]] (1909–2002), electronics engineer, resided in Bearsted at the time of his death
* [[Geoffrey Dummer]] (1909–2002), electronics engineer, resided in Bearsted at the time of his death
* [[Robert Fludd]] (1574–1637), philosopher, was born and is buried in Bearsted
* [[Robert Fludd]] (1574–1637), philosopher, was born and is buried in Bearsted
Line 153: Line 155:
* [[John Litchfield (politician)|John Litchfield]] O.B.E. (1903–1993), naval captain and politician, lived at Snowfield from the 40s till the time of his death
* [[John Litchfield (politician)|John Litchfield]] O.B.E. (1903–1993), naval captain and politician, lived at Snowfield from the 40s till the time of his death
* [[Thomas Mun (MP)|Thomas Mun]] (c. 1645 – 1692), politician, is buried in Bearsted churchyard
* [[Thomas Mun (MP)|Thomas Mun]] (c. 1645 – 1692), politician, is buried in Bearsted churchyard
* [[Alfred Mynn]] (1807–1861), cricketer{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}
* [[Baroness Orczy]] (1865–1947), author of ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel]]''{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}
* [[Edward Thomas (poet)|Edward Thomas]] (1878–1917), poet{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}
* [[Keith Walker (referee)|Keith Walker]], Football League and FIFA referee; based in Bearsted from 1967 to 1972


==References==
==References==
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040922010054/http://www.historic-kent.co.uk/ Notes on Bearsted]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040922010054/http://www.historic-kent.co.uk/ Notes on Bearsted]
*[http://www.bearstedandthurnhamsociety.org/ Bearsted and Thurnham Society]
*[http://www.bearstedandthurnhamsociety.org/ Bearsted and Thurnham Society]

*[http://www.bearstedandthurnhambowlsclub.co.uk/ Bearsted and Thurnham Bowls Club]
{{Geographic location
{{Geographic location
|Centre = Bearsted
|Centre = Bearsted

Latest revision as of 00:00, 9 December 2024

Bearsted
Bearsted[1]
Bearsted is located in Kent
Bearsted
Bearsted
Location within Kent
Population8,010 [2]
8,209 (2011 Census)[3]
OS grid referenceTQ765555
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMAIDSTONE
Postcode districtME14, ME15
Dialling code01622
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°16′26″N 0°34′44″E / 51.2738°N 0.5789°E / 51.2738; 0.5789

Bearsted (/ˈbɛərstɛd/ BAIR-sted, traditionally /ˈbɜːr-/ BUR-) is a village and civil parish with a railway station in mid-Kent, England, two miles (3.2 km) east of Maidstone town centre.[4]

Geography

[edit]

The village was historically concentrated around Church Lane and The Green which includes The Street.[5] The village is on the north bank of the River Len, a tributary of the River Medway at the foot of the North Downs. A stream, the Lilk, flows south into the river Len through Bearsted.

Although part of the growing conurbation of Maidstone, the centre of Bearsted retains a traditional village look with 59 listed properties, many surrounding the village green, flanked by two pubs.

The parish of Bearsted has a population of 8010[2] (2001 figure) and is broadly divided into two areas of development. The traditional village of Bearsted with modern development around its conservation areas lies north of the A20 Ashford Road and the Madginford neighbourhood, largely constructed in the 1960s, lies south of the Ashford Road. The area includes a small supermarket and shopping centre, a park and ride facility and primary school. The parish also incorporates part of tudor Mote Park on its western boundary. Parts of Madginford were formerly part of the parish of Otham but to avoid division have been appropriated as part of Bearsted.

Transport

[edit]

The village is connected by:

Governance

[edit]

Bearsted in elections every four years elects one representative to Kent County Council; this is currently:

Election Member[6] Ward
2009 Paul Carter Maidstone Rural North

Bearsted elects three representatives to Maidstone Borough Council; they are currently:

Election Member[6]
2008 Richard Ash
2011 Mike Cuming
2011 Val Springett

The parish council has 15 elected councillors with published monthly meeting dates at Madginford Hall, Egremont Road, Bearsted, Maidstone ME15 8LH or St Peter's Church Hall, Button Lane. Sometimes the finance and the planning committee meet at King George V Memorial Hall. In 2011 the parish council was elected, with elections every four years.[7]

History

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Holy Cross Church is located on Church Lane to the south of the green. A fair used to be held here on Holy Cross Day, an ancient festival traced back to 335 AD when the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was dedicated in Jerusalem. The dedication to Holy Cross appears to have been a relatively popular one for pre-Conquest foundations.[5] It is a Grade I listed building.[8] Its stone arch is partially Saxon, embedded with later work.[5] On three corners of the tower are stone beasts. Many books on Kent describe the animals on the tower as bears, and say these represent the name of the village.[9]

Hasted's History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 5 (1798) reveals that the Anglo-Saxon name for the settlement was “Bergestede”, meaning “place on the hill/barrow”; other accounts refer to its earlier names as “Berghamstyde” and “Berghstede”. If the “Bergh” element does refer to a barrow (burial mound), this may be indicative of a church being sited on a previously revered site, in accordance with the advice of Pope Gregory to St. Augustine in 601 AD, which raises the possibility of this being a particularly early church site. It is possible that Bearsted is the “Berghamstyde” at which King Wihtred of Kent held a Council in 696AD and where he issued laws which are amongst the earliest of the Saxon written law codes.[5]

The Green was known as the Hothe and used as common land and from the 15th to 17th centuries, a number of the buildings which provide The Green's historical character were built.

Listed buildings in the conservation areas

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Holy Cross Church in 2003

Within the Holy Cross conservation area are:[10]

Church of the Holy Cross Grade I listed
Table Tomb of the Duckelbery Family Grade II listed
Table Tomb of the Packman Family Grade II listed
Table Tomb South East of Church Porch Grade II listed
World War I War Memorial with deeply coved octagonal base Grade II listed

Within Bearsted (The Green) Conservation area, which includes part of The Street from Oliver's Cottages westward, the listed buildings with the dates of oldest sections, are:[5][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

Snowfield Grade II listed 1911 for author Baroness Orczy
Garden House Grade II listed 1911 for author Baroness Orczy
Little Snowfield Grade II listed 1912 for author Baroness Orczy's mother
Hill House Grade II listed 18th century
The Soufflé restaurant at Old Timbers Grade II listed 16th Century[29]
The Limes Grade II listed 15th century
Bell House Grade II listed 16th century
Snowfield Cottage Grade II listed late 16th century or early 17th century
Forge Cottages Grade II listed 17th century
Baxter's Cottage/Eden Cottage/Kozecot Grade II listed 16th century
The Old Bakery Grade II listed 15th century
1 Colegate Drive Grade II listed 17th century
Old Manor Cottages and The Old Manor House Grade II listed 15th century
Ivy House Grade II listed 16th century
Holly House Grade II listed 16th or 17th century
The White Horse Grade II listed 16th century public house
Crisfield House Grade II listed 18th century

Amenities

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The village is home to a tennis club along with a cricket club, bowls club and both a Scout group (1st Bearsted The Scarlet Pimpernels, founded 1912) and a Guide unit. Other establishments include a Rifle Club and The Bearsted and Thurnham Club, a private members' club, established in 1906, which overlooks the village green.

Kent International Gateway Group Plans

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Main article: Kent International Gateway

In early 2007, the Kent International Gateway Group announced plans to build a large rail-freight and logistics depot in the corridor between Bearsted bounded by the railway line and the M20 motorway, an area which in use as fields and woodland. The controversial plans raised significant objections from local residents and the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

The planning application was rejected by the local planning authority, Maidstone Borough Council, and a public inquiry was held into Axa's appeal of this decision between 13 October 2009 and 23 December 2009. Following the public inquiry and review of the resulting Inspector's report, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, rejected the appeal and refused planning permission for the development on 5 August 2010.[30][31]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ www.geograph.org.uk/profile/3763 Robert Edwards Retrieved 2 May 2012
  2. ^ a b "Neighbourhood Statistics". ONS. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Measurement tool". gridreferencefinder. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Conservation Area document" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  6. ^ a b Kent County Councillors. Retrieved 30 April 2012
  7. ^ "Parish Councillors". Bearsted Parish Council. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  8. ^ Historic England. "Church of the Holy Cross (1086253)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  9. ^ Hasted, Edward (1798). "Parishes: Bersted (sic)". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol. 5. pp. 505–13. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  10. ^ "The Green Conservation Area map" (PDF). Maidstone Borough Council. Retrieved 2 May 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ Historic England. "Church of the Holy Cross (1086253)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1086171)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1086263)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1086264)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  15. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1086265)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  16. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1086270)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  17. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185244)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  18. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185278)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  19. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185346)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  20. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185389)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  21. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185400)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  22. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1185453)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  23. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1299725)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  24. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1299731)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1336250)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1336251)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1336254)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  28. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1393851)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  29. ^ "UK Restaurants Guide". UK Restaurants Guide. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  30. ^ "Kent International Gateway freight depot plan refused". BBC News Online. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  31. ^ Letter from Department for Communities and Local Government, 5 August 2010 Archived 28 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Paul Ashbee". The Telegraph. No. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
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