Kingsnorth

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Kingsnorth
latitude= 51.1178
longitude= 0.8615
civil_parish= Kingsnorth
population = 6709 [ [http://www.ashford.gov.uk/about_the_borough/towns_and_villages/kingsnorth.aspx Ashford Borough Council] Census 2001]
shire_district= Ashford
shire_county= Kent
region= South East England
constituency_westminster= Ashford
post_town= TONBRIDGE
postcode_district = TN23
postcode_area= TN|dial_code= 01233
os_grid_reference= TR002393

Kingsnorth is a village and civil parish near Ashford in Kent, England.

Features

The Greensand Way, a long distance footpath stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, passes through the parish on the final stretch.

Ashford Town Football Club's ground, "Homelands", is just outside the village.

There is also a primary school within the village, which has been greatly expanded due to the influx of people moving to the nearby housing estate, Park Farm, which boasts a large supermarket and may eventually have its own rail halt on the Marshlink Line.

The village post office has been closed, although the hamlet of Stubb's Cross which falls within the parish still retains its post office. The village of Kingsnorth where the parish church can be found is quite small.

History

A Roman settlement was discovered at the crossing of two important Roman roads on Westhawk Farm. The centre of the settlement has been preserved unexcavated as an open space, but before building began on the rest of the site, part of a Roman road was uncovered. There was evidence to show that there had been timber buildings at the side of the road, some of which were associated with ironworking. A shrine or temple was also found with a water-hole which contained 74, mostly 2nd century coins probably left as offerings. Over 250 coins and many other artefacts were discovered on the site together with a Roman cemetery and an Iron Age burial.

A site at Park Farm, which is crossed by one of the Roman roads, also yielded Roman pottery fragments, some of which were associated with the regional distribution of salt, probably made on Romney Marsh.

A transcript of the Domesday Book of 1086 indicates that there was a settlement at Kingsnorth controlled by the Manor of Wye. One explanation of the name is that it derived from the Old English cyninges snad, detached land belonging to a royal estate. Another suggestion is that the settlement took its name from Jutish people 'Kyn' , kin folk, who settled on a wooded hill or 'snode'. Other early variations of the name are Kyngsnode; Kynsnoth, Kyngesnothe and Kingessnode.

During the First World War there was a RNAS airship station with an airship hangar at Kingsnorth.

Transportation

Kingsnorth is located on the former A2070 Ashford to Hamstreet road.

References