Chattenden

For the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, see RFA Chattenden.

Coordinates: 51°25′23″N 0°30′58″E / 51.423°N 0.516°E / 51.423; 0.516

Chattenden
Chattenden  Chattenden shown within Kent
OS grid reference	TQ758722
Parish	Hoo
Unitary authority	Medway
Ceremonial county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ROCHESTER
Postcode district	ME3
Dialling code	01634
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Medway to be replaced 2007 by Rochester and Strood
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Chattenden is a small village in Hoo Parish, in Medway in Kent, UK. It lies to the north of the A228 and the village of Wainscott, at the top of Four Elms Hill.

Chattenden means 'Forest Settlement' from the elements ceto and ham dun. It is recorded in 1100 as Chetindunam, and Chatindone in 1281.^[1]

Turning left on the A228 on the brow of Four Elms Hill, leads onto Kitchener Road, that eventually leads itself to the Great Chattenden Woods, designated as an SSSI, due to the diversity of insects, birds, plants and trees found there. To the south of Chattenden is Towerhill Wood, also known as Coxham Wood, with has Public Footpaths that lead into Lower Upnor, where the Arethusa Venture Centre and the Medway Yacht Club (MYC) are located. Along the A228, (which becomes the Ratcliffe Highway in Chattenden), was once a pub known as 'The Old George'.

Chattenden was once host to extensive barracks and training facilities for the Royal School of Military Engineering, although Chattenden Barracks were vacated in the 1980s and have now been demolished.^[2] The MoD Military Land is now designated as a brownfield area for redevelopment for residential and light industrial use (2007).

The Royal Engineers linked Chattenden to the Royal Engineers Museum (REM) at Upnor with the narrow gauge military railway.

The Chattenden and Upnor Railway was built in 1873 and functioned for Chattenden Army Barracks until 1961. Originally built by the Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) which was then based at Chattenden Army Barracks and the Chattenden and Upnor Railway ran from Pontoon Hard by the River Medway and climbed steeply towards Chattenden. A spur led from Church Crossing to the Upnor Depot of the Royal Engineers and until 1895 there was also a railway track running from Chattenden to Hoo.

The Royal Navy also had its own Chattenden Naval Barracks, being situated near Towerhill Wood, where an MoD Royal Navy Radio Station is now left unused. The village of Chattenden was mentioned in a BBC Radio 4 Programme 'The Cost Of Housing' on the mismatch of housing stock, 20 Mar 2007.

References

1. ^ The Place Names Of Kent, Judith Glover, 1976, Batsford. ISBN 0905270 614
2. ^ Brian Matthews, The History Of Strood Rural District, 1971, Strood Rural District Council

External links

Action Chattenden http://www.actionchattenden.org.uk/

Frindsbury Extra Parish Council http://www.frindsburyextra-pc.gov.uk/

Chattenden Primary School http://www.chattenden.medway.sch.uk/

Chattenden And Upnor Railway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chattenden_and_Upnor_Railway

Medway Yacht Club http://www.medwayyachtclub.com/

The ROCK http://www.peninsularock.org