Swanley History Group – August 2016 meeting
“Well I never knew that!” was the title of the presentation by Rod Shelton to Swanley History Group at our August meeting – and it was definitely a phrase that came to mind on several occasions! Lesser-known events which took place in some of the 13 villages and 3 towns along the twenty two mile route of the River Darent, between Westerham and Dartford, was the theme of the talk, accompanied by a wealth of maps, photographs and illustrations.
A host of characters from the history books have travelled and lived by the Darent – Roman legions marching on ‘The Highway’, later immortalised by Chaucer as The Pilgrim’s Way, leaving remains of their encampments, villas and grain stores for us to discover centuries later as well as Anglo Saxon cemeteries. Lancelot Bathhurst, Mayor of London and friend of Elizabeth I, built Franks Hall in Horton Kirby. Has anybody seen the ghost of a lady-in-waiting who drowned during a royal visit? She is said to rise from the river and run across the lawn during the month of August. Charles Dickens visited and Captain Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty) resided at Farningham.
It is hard to think of the picture postcard village of Otford as the site of the fearsome battle when Kentish King Egbert was victorious in 775 against Offa, the powerful King of Mercia. Choosing plants would certainly not be in the mind of King Edmund Ironside and his army as they fought with Canute, King of Denmark at Polhill in 1016.
Many of us have some knowledge of the importance of The Darent to various industries but possibly not that a major fish market was sited at Chipstead, until the river silted up in the mid seventeen hundreds.
On 6 September 2016 Stuart Robinson will be telling us about Crime and Punishment in 18th and 19th century London - 7.15 for 7.30 pm start, at White Oak Indoor Bowls Centre, Garrolds Close, off Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, BR8 7BF. For further information – www.swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com, telephone Terry on 07884493894 Or Email [email protected]
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
“Well I never knew that!” was the title of the presentation by Rod Shelton to Swanley History Group at our August meeting – and it was definitely a phrase that came to mind on several occasions! Lesser-known events which took place in some of the 13 villages and 3 towns along the twenty two mile route of the River Darent, between Westerham and Dartford, was the theme of the talk, accompanied by a wealth of maps, photographs and illustrations.
A host of characters from the history books have travelled and lived by the Darent – Roman legions marching on ‘The Highway’, later immortalised by Chaucer as The Pilgrim’s Way, leaving remains of their encampments, villas and grain stores for us to discover centuries later as well as Anglo Saxon cemeteries. Lancelot Bathhurst, Mayor of London and friend of Elizabeth I, built Franks Hall in Horton Kirby. Has anybody seen the ghost of a lady-in-waiting who drowned during a royal visit? She is said to rise from the river and run across the lawn during the month of August. Charles Dickens visited and Captain Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty) resided at Farningham.
It is hard to think of the picture postcard village of Otford as the site of the fearsome battle when Kentish King Egbert was victorious in 775 against Offa, the powerful King of Mercia. Choosing plants would certainly not be in the mind of King Edmund Ironside and his army as they fought with Canute, King of Denmark at Polhill in 1016.
Many of us have some knowledge of the importance of The Darent to various industries but possibly not that a major fish market was sited at Chipstead, until the river silted up in the mid seventeen hundreds.
On 6 September 2016 Stuart Robinson will be telling us about Crime and Punishment in 18th and 19th century London - 7.15 for 7.30 pm start, at White Oak Indoor Bowls Centre, Garrolds Close, off Hilda May Avenue, Swanley, BR8 7BF. For further information – www.swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com, telephone Terry on 07884493894 Or Email [email protected]
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser