Jump to content

Ashford, Kent

Coordinates: 51°08′47″N 0°52′03″E / 51.1465°N 0.8676°E / 51.1465; 0.8676
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other places with the same name, see Ashford.

Ashford
High Street, Ashford, in February 2012
Ashford is located in Kent
Ashford
Ashford
Location within Kent
Population83,213 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTR005425
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townASHFORD
Postcode districtTN23–TN27
Dialling code01233
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°08′47″N 0°52′03″E / 51.1465°N 0.8676°E / 51.1465; 0.8676

Ashford is a town in the Ashford district, in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Great Stour at the southern or scarp edge of the North Downs, about 61 miles (98 km) by road southeast of central London[2] and 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Folkestone by road. At the 2021 census, it had a population of 83,213.[1] The name comes from the Old English æscet, indicating a ford near a clump of ash trees.[3] It has been a market town since the Middle Ages, and a regular market continues to be held.

St Mary's Parish Church has been a local landmark since the 13th century, and expanded in the 15th. Today, the church functions in a dual role as a centre for worship and entertainment.

The arrival of the railways from the mid 19th century onwards, created a significant source of employment contributing to the town's growth as a rail hub at the centre of five distinct railway lines. The high speed rail line (HS1 High Speed 1) between London and the Channel Tunnel passes through Ashford's International Railway Station thus linking the town to Paris and other European destinations. The M20 motorway connects Ashford to the Channel Tunnel, the national motorway network (via the M25 Motorway) and to London (via the A20).

Ashford has been marked out for growth in several Government plans from the 1960s onwards. In the 1970s, the construction of a controversial four lane ring road together with the multi-storey Charter House building led to the destruction of significant parts of the old town although some areas were spared and preserved. Other changes in the last 40 years include the construction of the County Square shopping centre, the redevelopment of the Templer Barracks at Repton Park, the Finberry estate to the southeast, and the award-winning Ashford Designer Outlet.

History

[edit]

Early developments

[edit]

There has been evidence of human habitation around Ashford since the Iron Age, with a barrow dated to 1500 BC[4] on what is now Barrow Hill. Two axes from the Lower Paleolithic period have been found near Ashford. During the construction of the Park Farm estate in the late 1990s, excavation produced tools from the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic period dating back to the 7th millennium BC. A number of other Mesolithic tools were discovered during construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link through Ashford.[5]

In Roman Britain, iron ore was mined in the Weald and transported to Ashford where two ironworks processed the ore into a workable metal.[6] Archaeological studies have postulated the existence of a Roman settlement to the north of the current centre, roughly at the junction of Albert Road and Wall Road.[7]

The present town originates from an original settlement established in 893 AD by inhabitants escaping a Danish Viking raid, who were granted land by a Saxon Lord for their resistance.[8] The name comes from the Old English æscet, indicating a ford near a clump of ash trees.[9] At the time of the Domesday Book of 1086 it was still known by its original Saxon name of Essetesford (or Eshetisford, Esselesford, Asshatisforde, Essheford).[10][11] The manor was owned by Hugh de Montfort, Constable of England and companion of William the Conqueror, and had a church, two mills and a value of 150 shillings (£7.50) at the time.[11][12][13][14] One of the earliest houses in the area still in existence is Lake House at Eastwell Park to the north of the town, which contains the grave of Richard Plantagenet.[15]

Middle Ages

[edit]

Ashford's importance as an agricultural and market town grew in the 13th century, and in 1243, King Henry III granted the town a charter to hold a market for livestock. The pottery industry expanded in the 13th and 14th centuries, with the main works based at what is now Potter's Corner, a few miles west of the town centre. Later evidence from examining waste suggests that production was on a large scale.[16] The Kent Archaeological society have discovered sandy ware at this location dating from around 1125 – 1250.[17]

Jack Cade, who led a rebellion against corrupt Royal officials in 1450, may have had links to Ashford.[18] In William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2, Cade converses with "Dick, the Butcher from Ashford".[19]

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Ashford became known for nonconformism. A local resident, John Brown, was executed for heresy in 1517, and may have inspired the later namesake of the song "John Brown's Body".[20][21] Thomas Smythe acquired the manor of Ashford as dowry from Queen Elizabeth I in the mid-16th century, and is buried in the parish church.[22]

John Wallis, the internationally recognised mathematician and one of Isaac Newton's main tutors was born in Ashford in 1616, but moved to Tenterden in 1625 to avoid the plague. He was a promising student, and subsequently graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.[23]

Modern developments

[edit]
Ashford Market in 1975. A market had been based here since 1856.[24]

By the 1780s, local farmers had begun to hold informal market days, and advertised the town's ideal location between London, Chatham and the Kent Coast.[25] The market was held in the High Street until 1856, when local farmers and businessmen relocated to Elwick Road and formed a market company that is the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales.[24] There is still a regular street market in the town, but the market company relocated outside Ashford town centre after part of the 19th-century site was demolished to make way for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. It is still used by around 5,000 farmers.[25]

Military

[edit]

The Army first established a presence in Ashford in 1797 when it built a garrison on Barrow Hill, and storerooms along what is now Magazine Road.[26] The military presence was scaled back during the 19th century, though the town was still considered strategically important in the event of an invasion.[27] The Territorial Army established a presence in Ashford in 1910.[28]

During World War I, Ashford's importance as a transport hub and its location between the continent and London made it a target for aerial bombing. A bomb, dropped from a Gotha bomber on 25 March 1917, intended for the railway works killed a young woman. She was the first of ninety-six casualties of the raid which included sixty-one killed in Folkestone by a single bomb.[29] In the late 1920s an Ordnance Depot was established at Ashford; it remained in use until 1996.[30] The town was a target in the Battle of Britain during World War II,[31] including an attack on 15 September 1940.[32] During the latter war ultimately 94 civilians were lost to enemy action in the Urban District.[33]

The Joint Services School of Intelligence was based at Templer Barracks to the west of town.[34] Robert Runcie, later to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, was stationed at Ashford during the war [35] while Prince Andrew attended a course here in 1982 while he was stationed in the Royal Navy.[36] The barracks closed in 1997 to build the Channel Tunnel Rail Link,[34] and the site was sold to developers in 2002,[37] Repton Manor House, in the centre of the barracks, is a Grade II listed building and remains intact.[38]

Ashford has been associated with the German town Bad Münstereifel since the 20th century. British forces occupied the town in 1919 under the command of Major J Goode, following the end of the war. Goode subsequently formed close friendships with some Bad Münstereifel residents. John Wiles, Major Goode's brother in law, later became mayor of New Romney in 1946, and subsequently arranged a visit to the Rhineland with Winston Churchill. Wiles arranged several other exchange visits between British and German families, at a time where travel between the two countries was rare. He was declared an honorary citizen of Bad Münstereifel in 1961, which led to the two towns being formally twinned in 1964.[39][40] Bad Münstereifel was twinned with the French town of Fougères, Brittany two years later, which led to a twinning with Ashford in 1984.[39]

Industrial

[edit]

During the early and mid-20th century, print and media became a noted industry in Ashford. The Headley Brothers, a printing services company, was founded in 1881[41] and by the mid-1950s printed and exported over 2 million books.[42] The business closed in 2017 and the factory was demolished two years later.[43] The Letraset company set up an arts material factory in Ashford in the 1960s. It closed in 2013, following the decline of Letraset and the company's decision to relocate works abroad.[44]

Redevelopments

[edit]
Old buildings in Middle Row

Little is left of the old Ashford town centre, apart from a cluster of medieval half-timbered buildings in Middle Row and around the churchyard in the town centre. A number of old buildings were removed to make way for the controversial ring road around the centre, including four public houses.[45] Further demolition was required to build Charter House, an eight-story office building for Charter Consolidated, that opened in 1975.[46] Charter subsequently moved back to London in 1985,[47] and the building is now being converted into flats, though progress stalled owing to the discovery of asbestos.[48][49] Charter compensated for the demolition by funding a restoration scheme on North Street, preserving several historic buildings.[50] The borough council operated from a row of houses in Elwick Road, until the civic centre was opened by the Duchess of Kent on 8 December 1983.[51]

To accommodate a growing population in the area, the Finberry estate began construction in 2013. It is a 168-hectare (420-acre) site to the southeast of the town centre, which opened various houses, workspaces and shops in a series of phases through the remainder of the decade. It is planned to cater for 1,180 homes.[52][53] The development also includes plans for a pub and shops.[54]

Recent developments

[edit]

A large factor in Ashford's recent redevelopment has been Ashford Borough Council's 'Big 8' strategy. This centred on eight major projects designed to add cultural and economic value to the town. The first proposed was the Commercial Quarter near the station, which opened in 2018, and the second was a new junction 10A of the M20 motorway.[55] The first of the housing projects to make progress was Chilmington Green, a 5,750-house development near Ashford's suburbs.[56] A primary school is set to be built as part of the residential development, with planning permission granted in 2022.[57]

The first of the Big 8 projects to be fully completed was a new campus for Ashford College, moving from Jemmett Road.[58] The building works on the Elwick Road site cost £16 million,[59] and was completed in 2017.[55] A leisure complex, Elwick Place, opened in 2018 with a Picturehouse cinema.[60] The Designer Outlet was redeveloped in a £90 million expansion project.[61] An expansion of the Jasmin Vardimon Company is also planned.[62]

The former railway works is being redeveloped into Ashford International Studios, a combined cinema studios, hotel and residential apartments. It is expected to open in 2025.[63]

Governance

[edit]

The motto of Ashford Borough Council is "With stronger faith", taken from To Lucasta, Going to the Warres, a poem by the 17th-century poet Richard Lovelace who came from the borough.[64] The relevant verse is :[65]

True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield.

The council's coat of arms uses gold to symbolise richness, three sprigs of ash tree representing former council areas, and a lion to commemorate nearby Tenterden as one of the Cinque Ports.[64]

Geography

[edit]

By road, Ashford is about 61 miles (98 km) southeast of central London, 13.0 miles (20.9 km) southeast of Maidstone, and 15.3 miles (24.6 km) northwest of Folkestone.[66] The town lies at the intersection of two valleys in Kent – the south edge of the North Downs and the valley of the River Stour, at the confluence of the Great Stour and East Stour rivers. This made it an ideal place for a settlement.[67] The Borough of Ashford lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire and formed the basis from which the Weald is formed.[68]

The original town of Ashford, like many other settlements, has outgrown its original size and has combined with smaller villages in a conurbation. Clockwise these villages include Bockhanger, Kennington, Willesborough, Sevington, Singleton and Great Chart. In addition, housing estates have been built in the open spaces amongst Bybrook, Godinton, Kingsnorth, Park Farm and Stanhope.[69]

In 1727, an underground fire was reported in nearby Hinxhill, while an earthquake struck the town on 1 June 1756.[70] The 2007 Kent earthquake, which registered 4.3 on the Richter magnitude scale, was felt in Ashford, though its effects were greatest in Folkestone.[71]

Climate

[edit]

Ashford gets around 750 millimetres (30 in) of rain a year, though the town generally has less rainfall than areas closer to the North Downs.[72] The area around the Stour, particularly south of the station, is prone to flooding, which means it has been generally uninhabited. Recent development has been possible by putting foundations on concrete stilts.[73]

The nearest official Met Office station is located in Faversham, which is 12 miles (19 km) north of the town.[74]

Demography

[edit]
The population growth of the Ashford Borough

The 2011 census revealed that the borough of Ashford saw the largest population growth in Kent, with records showing a 14.6% rise to 118,000 inhabitants.[75] Ashford has been targeted as a key area for population development since the 1960s. In 1959, the London County Council negotiated 5000 new homes to be built in Ashford as overspill from London, which created most of what is now South Ashford and Kennington.[76] The Buchanan Report, published in 1967, identified Ashford as a major town for growth.[77] In 2001, Ashford was identified as one of four key areas for expansion in South East England. Subsequently, the Ashford's Future Company was set up to support a mix of publicly and privately funded projects in the town.[78]

Economy

[edit]

The soup manufacturer Batchelors became a significant employer in Ashford when they opened a £2.5m factory in Willesborough, east of the town centre, in 1957. A substantial proportion of Batchelors staff moved from their main production unit in Sheffield to Ashford.[79] The factory is now owned by Premier Foods.[80] Proprietary Perfumes Ltd (PPL), a division of Unilever opened a fragrance and flavour factory and research laboratory next door to the Batchelors factory in 1962. It was subsequently renamed as Quest International[81] and purchased by Givaudan in 2007.[82]

The wholesale frozen food firm Brake Brothers was established in 1957. Initially based at nearby Lenham, it later moved to Ashford and expanded. The current European headquarters are in Eureka Park to the north of the town.[83]

In 2017, the Kent-based Curious Brewing constructed a factory on a brownfield site adjacent to Ashford International station in 2017 after a £1.7m crowdfunded cash investment.[84] It opened in May 2019.[85] The train operating company Southeastern partnered with Curious, and advertise the brewery around Ashford International station.[86]

In 2004 Regional Planning Guidance set out plans to invest £2.5m in Ashford, including a targets of 31,000 new homes and 28,000 new jobs in the area.[87] In 2005 a Channel 4 poll ranked Ashford the fourth-best place to live in the United Kingdom.[88] However, the formation of the coalition government in 2010 saw regional planning targets scrapped, along with growth area status.[89] Ashford has continued to develop, with new homes planned for urban areas such as Repton Park,[90] Park Farm,[91] Singleton and Chilmington,[92] and planning permission granted for a new £25m college campus.[93] The extension of Victoria Road has created new development space in Ashford, though plans to build a Morrisons supermarket here were scrapped in May 2014.[94]

Ashford Designer Outlet was designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership and attracts around 3 million customers a year

In 2012, Ashford Borough Council predicted there would be a net gain of 620 jobs per year.[95] The increase in the town's commercial importance, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industry, business and retail parks in the town.[96] These include Waterbrook Park, where there is dedicated space for HGV parking,[97] Eureka Science and Business Park, including manufacturing sites and office complexes;[98] and Orbital Park, the market's current location, which has a regular boot fair.[25]

Three modern shopping centres are located in the town. Park Mall opened in 1985 on the former Folkestone Glass Works site[99] and is now managed by Ashford Borough Council, as part of its strategy to regenerate the town centre.[100] The town's main shopping centre is County Square, which was built over Hempsted Street and connecting roads, opening in 1973 as the Tufton Centre.[101] In 1989, the centre was renamed to County Square and refurbished by CIN Properties, who added a glass roof.[102] In 2008, the centre was expanded to include 50,000 sq ft of new retail space[103] including a Debenhams store.[104] Outside the town centre is the Ashford Designer Outlet designed by Richard Rogers,[105] which attracts around 3 million customers a year.[106] The centre has won industry awards for Retail Destination of the Year and Best Shopping Venue[107] and has been praised by the British Parking Association for its range of facilities, cleanliness and lack of crime.[108] From 2018 the centre underwent a 100,000 sq. ft expansion, including 40 new stores and a new food piazza. Part of this expansion was the installation of Europe's largest living wall, comprising more than 120,000 plants. The expansion was formally opened in November 2019.[109] A Waitrose store opened in November 2009 on the former Templar Barracks site,[110] followed by a John Lewis store in November 2013.[111] The Debenhams store closed in January 2020, while the John Lewis store closed in March 2021.[112][113]

In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched AshfordFor, an inward investment campaign, which has helped support the town's growth. Developers agreeing to invest in the town include Quinn Estates,[114] GRE Assets,[115] U+I[116] and Stanhope.[117] In 2014, Ashford Borough Council launched loveashford.com, a website designed to promote new businesses in the town centre as part of the Portas Pilot scheme, which encourages regeneration of town high streets in decline.[118][119] Brandon Lewis, High Streets Minister said he would "encourage all businesses in Ashford to sign up and be part of this excellent opportunity to boost their trade in the town centre."[120]

Culture and community

[edit]
Statue of William Harvey by the entrance to William Harvey Hospital near Ashford

Ashford now has the oldest surviving St John Ambulance unit. John Furley, founder of the association, was born in Ashford. He established the British Red Cross Society in 1868, gaining support from the Duke of Edinburgh via a royal admiral living at Eastwell Park, close to the town.[121]

The Grosvenor Sanatorium opened in 1915 to help patients with tuberculosis, and could cater for 110 male patients, and 78 female.[122] The philosopher Simone Weil lived in Ashford after escaping from France during World War II. She felt guilty about leaving French people behind in suffering and did not eat well. She subsequently contracted tuberculosis and was moved to the sanatorium where she died in 1943.[123] A section of the old Ashford Bypass is now named Simone Weil Avenue, while the sanatorium subsequently became the Ashford Police Training Centre.[123]

Ashford Hospital opened to the west of town on 3 August 1928,[124] replacing a smaller 19th century building in town. It has more recently been used as a health centre and retirement home[125] but plans to redevelop it into a local health unit were cancelled in 2012.[126] The main building was threatened with demolition, but saved in 2015, with plans to turn it into accommodation.[127]

The main hospital in Ashford is William Harvey Hospital, in nearby Willesborough. It is named after William Harvey, the doctor who discovered the blood circulatory system.[128] The hospital was built because the government decided the old hospital would be too small for demand as Ashford grew, and looked for a 30-acre site that could have a hospital built on a budget of £7–8 million.[129] Work started on building the hospital in 1973[130] and it was commissioned in 1977,[131] opening in 1979.[132]

Landmarks

[edit]
See also: Listed buildings in Ashford, Kent

In the 17th century, a free grammar school was founded here; it was built on the churchyard's west side, and remained there until 1846, now used as a museum.[133] The church has been Grade I listed since 1951.[134]

The Mk. IV tank, St George's Square

A Mk. IV tank built in Lincoln and used in World War I was presented to the town on 1 August 1919 to thank the townsfolk for their war efforts. It is situated in St Georges Square near the town centre. For some years, electricity provider Seeboard fitted an electricity substation inside the tank, but this has now been removed; the substation is cited as the reason the tank was not reclaimed during World War II for its metal to be used, as happened with other tanks gifted to municipalities.[135] A protective cover was built over the tank in 1988.[136]

H.S. Pledge & Sons Ltd built two flour mills in Ashford, and became an important employer in the town. The first opened on Victoria Road in 1890[137] while the second opened on East Hill in 1901. The mills closed in 1972 and were both partially destroyed by subsequent fires. The East Hill Mill fire occurred in 1974, but the main six-storey tower block survived. It was used as a nightclub until 2014, when the nearby Ashford School, which acquired the building in 2011, decided not to renew the lease.[138] The Victoria Mills were almost completely destroyed by a fire in September 1984, and the remainder of the building had to be demolished.[137]

The Corn Exchange, situated at the junction of Bank Street and Elwick Road, opened on 3 December 1861.[139] As the name implies, it was originally used for trade, but during the early 20th century its role expanded to cover dinners, dances and trade shows. The building was extended to improve capacity in the 1930s.[140] It was demolished in 1963.[141]

Hubert Fountain in Victoria Park

The Ashford Green Corridor is a linear park alongside the two main rivers through the town, which is protected from development by lying on the main flood plain. Most of the area covered by the park has been marked by Ashford Borough Council as a nature reserve.[142] This area includes Victoria Park, which lies to the immediate south of the town centre and the railway. It includes an ornate fountain first shown at the 2nd International Exhibition in London in 1862, and presented to the park by George Harper on 24 July 1912.[143] The Coningbrook Lakes Country Park opened on a former quarry site to the northeast of town in 2015.[144]

Ashford's main library originally opened in 1966 on a war-damaged site on Church Road. In 2010, the building was redeveloped to house Ashford Gateway Plus, which provides local council services in addition to the library itself.[145] Other attractions near the town include Ashford Borough Museum, Godinton House and Gardens[146] and the New Mill at Willesborough, which is Grade II listed.[147]

The first cinema in Ashford was The Picture Palace on Tufton Street,[148] followed by the Odeon on Lower High Street, which opened in 1936 and closed in 1976.[149] The current main cinema in Ashford is a 12 screen theatre in Eureka Leisure Park to the north of town. In 2013, Ashford Borough Council announced plans to build a new cinema in the town, using vacant land off Elwick Road.[150] Construction of the six-screen Picturehouse cinema (along with a 58-room Travelodge hotel) began in May 2017 and was opened in December 2018.[151]

Transport

[edit]
Main article: Transport in Ashford, Kent

Rail

[edit]
See also: Ashford railway works
Ashford Locomotive Depot in 1946

Ashford station was established when the South Eastern Railway's London to Dover line opened between 1842 and 1845, and the company established its locomotive works in the town.[27] A line to Canterbury opened in 1846, followed by the Marshlink Line to Hastings in 1851 and a line to Maidstone in 1884,[27] which was served by Ashford West until 31 December 1898.[152] The railway community had its own village, Newtown, containing shops, schools, pubs and bathhouse.[153] It was first known as Alfred, but later renamed Newtown.[154] By 1864, there were 3000 people living around the railway line.[155] The railway works declined in use from the 1960 onwards, finally closing in 1982.[154]

Ashford International station

Ashford International station was opened by British Rail with the Channel Tunnel in 1994. It served Eurostar trains on High Speed 1, with trains to London, Lille, Brussels and Paris and connections to the rest of Europe.[156] In 1999, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was approved,[157] which involved an extensive upgrade of the railways around Ashford. A trench between 20 metres (66 ft) and 42 metres (138 ft) was dug near the station to house the new line, a new tunnel was dug at Westwell Leacon, and a 19th-century level crossing near South Willesborough, the last remaining one between London and Folkestone, was removed.[158][159]

From 2007 to 2009, services to Brussels were withdrawn due to the opening of Ebbsfleet International railway station, but were restored after a petition.[160][161] Since December 2009, domestic train services run along this route, reducing journey times to London from 88 to about 38 minutes.[162] However, the international services were suspended in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Eurostar have announced they are unlikely to be resumed until 2025.[163]

Road

[edit]

In Roman Britain, what is now Ashford was the meeting point of two main roads. One led from London to Lympne (Lemanis), the other from the Weald, through Canterbury (Durovernum) and ending at the port of Richborough (Rutupiae).[7] Ashford was one of the towns in Kent to become a hub when the roads were turnpiked in the second half of the 18th century.[164]

Ashford's first bypass was opened on 19 July 1957 by the then Minister of Transport, Harold Watkinson.[165] The main road through Ashford is now the M20, which opened in stages between 1981 and 1991.[166] Junctions 9, 10 and 10A serve the town. The other main roads are the A28 to Canterbury, the A2070 to Romney Marsh and Rye and the A251 to Faversham.[69]

Operation Stack causes HGVs to queue for channel crossings, and can result in the M20 around Ashford being closed eastbound

The Ashford Ring Road was completed in November 1974 around the town centre in an attempt to relieve congestion, though part of it involved demolition of existing properties[167] and part of the old market.[168] It initially opened as one way, but was converted back into a two-way operation in 2007, at a total cost of £14m,[169] so the town centre could expand and accommodate more people.[170][171] The two-way route incorporates the first shared space scheme in the country.[168] An art installation, Lost O, curated by the artist Michael Pinsky, was created as part of this redevelopment but confused drivers.[172] A new junction on the M20, 10A, opened in 2019 as part of the council's Big 8 proposals.[173]

Operation Stack is a traffic management system on the M20 through and near Ashford, which allows HGVs to queue for the Channel Tunnel and the Port of Dover when there is bad weather or industrial action. The scheme is controversial as it involves closing the entire eastbound motorway to through traffic. In 2013, Kent County Council sought funding to build a dedicated lorry park in Ashford.[174]

Other

[edit]

Stagecoach in East Kent provide bus services around the town.[175] Most services include access from the station to the Designer Outlet. Out of town buses serve neighbouring towns, including Canterbury, Tenterden, Maidstone and Folkestone.[176]

Until 1974, Ashford was served by Lympne Airport, with commercial services to Beauvais,[177] The airport at Lydd, designated London Ashford Airport and approximately 13 miles (21 kilometres) south of Ashford, had regular flights to Le Touquet in France until 2018. It now operates charter flights by Lydd Air.[178] London Gatwick Airport, the nearest fully international airport is 45 miles (72 kilometres) from Ashford.

The National Cycle Network, a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom, includes two routes through Ashford. These are NCR 17 from Rochester to Hythe[179] and NCR 18 from Canterbury to Tunbridge Wells.[180] The Stour Valley Walk also follows the main river, connecting Ashford with Lenham and Canterbury, and links with other long distance footpaths in this part of Kent.[181]

Education

[edit]
See also: List of schools in Kent

Ashford has twelve primary schools[nb 1] two grammar schools, three secondary schools and a college. The Norton Knatchbull School was founded in Ashford around 1630 as a free grammar school by its namesake, Sir Norton Knatchbull.[185] The school continued to be led and funded by Knatchbull's family due to a stipulation in his will in 1636.[13] It was known simply as Ashford Grammar School until 1980.[185] The original school was based next to the church in the town centre, but has moved several times. By the 20th century it had moved to its present location on Hythe Road. The current school premises were built in the late 1990s.[186] The corresponding grammar school for girls is Highworth Grammar School for Girls to the west of town. It opened as the County School for Girls in 1908, before moving to its current premises on Maidstone Road in 1928.[187] There is also a private independent school, Ashford School on East Hill, which was founded in 1898. For much of its history, it has only allowed girls, though boys started to be admitted in 2006.[188]

Recent schools to open in Ashford include Repton Manor Primary School, built on the former Templar Barracks, which opened in September 2012[183] the Goat Lees Community Primary School, which opened in September 2013[184] and Finberry Primary School which opened in 2017.[189] In addition to the grammar schools, there are a number of other secondary schools, including those catering for special needs.[190][191] Ashford College was originally located on Henwood, to the east of town;[192] a new college building was constructed in the town centre, and opened in September 2017.[193][194]

Religious sites

[edit]
St Mary's Church, Ashford, dates from the 13th century, but was extensively modified in the 15th by John Fogge

St Mary's parish church lies in the town centre. Parts of it date from the 13th century, including a brass of the first rector, Robert de Derby.[15] John Fogge supervised substantial changes to the church in the late 15th century, including creating the 120 feet (37 m) tower and raising the roof.[195][196] He was buried in the church and a memorial window is dedicated to him.[197]

On 7 October 2010, the church was reordered by the Bishop of Dover, Trevor Willmott, to improve its dual function as both a place of worship and an arts centre and performance space for up to 350 people, in a similar style to Union Chapel, Islington. Around £1.7m was spent improving the venue, of which £1.2m was provided by European Union funding through the Green Renovation Cluster programme.[198] Acts that have since appeared at the church include the Lightning Seeds, Tim Burgess, Gaz Coombes and Turin Brakes.[199]

Sport

[edit]
A symbol outside the Julie Rose Stadium

Ashford United Football Club is based at the Homelands, about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the town centre.[200] The club was formed in 1891 as Ashford United but was renamed to Ashford Railway Works in 1909 before settling on the name "Town" in 1930.[201] The club was reformed in 2011 after financial difficulties, including the resignation of owner Tony Betteridge[200] and became known once more as "United".[201] The club was promoted to the Southern League Premier Division in the 1986–87 season and best FA Cup performance was the second round in the 1996–97 season.[200]

Ashford has a local youth football team, South Ashford Football Club. The club formed in 2007 and caters for players from 4 to 21 years of age.[202]

The Julie Rose Stadium is an athletics stadium in nearby Willesborough. It opened in 1997 and was named after the local middle-distance runner Julie Rose, who was killed in a plane crash in 1985.[203] The stadium is part funded by the National Lottery. It is home to Ashford Athletics Club, and has held several international events.[204] It can accommodate up to 800 people.[205]

The Stour Centre

The Stour Centre, managed on behalf of Ashford Borough Council by Ashford Leisure Trust, is located in a park near the railway station and provides a range of recreational and leisure services including several pools, water slides, gyms and athletic facilities.[206]

Ashford Rugby Football Club was formed in 1885. The club plays at Kinneys Field, near the Canterbury Road.[207] The club's 1st XV play in London 2 South East.

Ashford has an archery club which provides archery teaching to adults and children over 10.[208] The club runs an annual UK Record Status Portsmouth tournament.[209]

Ashford Hockey Club is based at Ball Lane, Kennington and was formed in 1898.[210] Ashford also has several cricket clubs, including Great Chart Cricket Club, which celebrated their 150th anniversary in 2006.[211]

Media

[edit]

Ashford's local commercial radio station was KMFM Ashford. The Ashford studios hosted both local and networked programmes for KMFM stations until the county-wide amalgamation of all network output.[212] Ashford also has its own community radio station Radio Ashford 107.1 FM.[213][214] This started broadcasting in May 2011 and includes programmes from the Ashford Hospital Broadcasting Service, Ashford's hospital radio station, which has been operating in Ashford since 1971.[215]

Ashford has had several newspapers, some of which are still in production. The Kent Messenger in Ashford was established in the 19th century, with main offices on the High Street. It remained in operation until the 1970s.[216] There are currently three local newspapers being produced – the Kentish Express, published by the KM Group; yourashford, published by KOS Media; and the Ashford Herald, which has been published by Kent Regional News and Media since July 2009.[217]

Cultural references

[edit]

Russell Hoban repurposed Ashford as "Bernt Arse" in his 1980, post apocalyptic novel Riddley Walker. Wye became "How"; Dover, "Do It Over", and Canterbury, "Cambry".[218]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Ashford St Mary's, Ashford Oaks Primary School, Beaver Green, Downs View Infants, East Stour, Goat Lees, Great Chart, Godinton, Kennington Junior, Repton Park, Victoria Road, Willesborough[182][183][184]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Ashford". City population. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. ^ "1 High St, Ashford TN24 8TA to Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Key to English Place-names". kepn.nottingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  4. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 6,10.
  5. ^ Kent Archaeology 2009, p. 4.
  6. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 13.
  7. ^ a b Lawrie 2004, p. 11.
  8. ^ "Ashford in the spotlight". Kent Life. 14 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  9. ^ Dictionary of American Family names. Oxford University Press. 2013. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  10. ^ Mills, David, ed. (2011). A Dictionary of British Place Names. Oxford University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-19-960908-6.
  11. ^ a b Open Domesday Online: Ashford, Kent Archived 6 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine, accessed February 2019.
  12. ^ Furley, F.S.A., Robert (1886). "The Early History of Ashford" (PDF). Archaeologia Cantiana. 16. Kent Archaeological Society: 161. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  13. ^ a b 'The town and parish of Ashford' – The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Vol. 7. 1798. pp. 526–545. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  14. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Ashford" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 732.
  15. ^ a b Lawrie 2004, p. 16.
  16. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 20.
  17. ^ "Sherd of Ashford Potter's Corner sandy ware with fossil shell". Kent Archaeological Society. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  18. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 21.
  19. ^ Shakespeare, William. "Henry VI Part 2, Act 4". Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  20. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 30.
  21. ^ "Short Papers on Church History – Chapter 54". www.stempublishing.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  22. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 31.
  23. ^ Lawrie 2004, pp. 34, 35.
  24. ^ a b Lawrie 2004, p. 66.
  25. ^ a b c "Ashford Cattle Market Company Limited". Hobbs Parker. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  26. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 49.
  27. ^ a b c Lawrie 2004, p. 51.
  28. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 75.
  29. ^ Ingleton 2012, p. 160-161.
  30. ^ "Army Storage Facilities (House of Commons debate, 19 January 1995". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 19 January 1995. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  31. ^ Ingleton 2012, p. 170.
  32. ^ Price, Alfred (2012). Spitfire Mark I/II Aces 1939–41, Volume 12 of Aircraft of the Aces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-674-9.[permanent dead link]
  33. ^ "Ashford, Urban District, with list of casualties". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.Accessed 24 February 2019.
  34. ^ a b "Jolly Stag". King's College, London. Archived from the original on 16 July 2006. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  35. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 85.
  36. ^ Tulloch, Alex (2011). The Little Book of Kent. The History Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-7509-5397-9.
  37. ^ Moonie, Lewis (25 March 2003). "Land Sales (Ashford)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  38. ^ "Report Manor, Templer Barracks, Kent". British Listed Buildings. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  39. ^ a b "Twin towns set to get down to business – 18th Sep". Ashford Borough Council. 15 September 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  40. ^ "Twin towns' ties run far deeper than 50th anniversary suggest". Kent News. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  41. ^ "Headley Brothers". Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  42. ^ Salter 2005, p. 39.
  43. ^ "Historic print firm reduced to rubble". Kent Online. 16 February 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  44. ^ Williams, Samantha (25 October 2013). "End of the line for Letraset as contents of its Ashford plant are sold in online auction". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  45. ^ Salter 2005, p. 90.
  46. ^ Salter 2005, pp. 101–102.
  47. ^ Salter 2005, p. 101.
  48. ^ Woodland, Amy (18 June 2014). "Asbestos halts redevelopment of Charter House". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  49. ^ "Work underway again at Panorama after asbestos find". Ashford Herald. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  50. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 103.
  51. ^ "Dawn of a new era in borough's history". Kentish Express. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  52. ^ "Work starts on Finberry development in Ashford". The Construction Index. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  53. ^ "Homes with a proper office – in pictures". The Guardian. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  54. ^ "Plans for new supermarket, pub and shops at Cheeseman's Green are submitted to Ashford council". Kent Online. 23 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  55. ^ a b "The large-scale developments, referred to as the 'Big 8', creating jobs, housing, retail and cultural facilities in the town". www.ashford.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  56. ^ "Plan for new 'garden city' is approved". Kent Online. 15 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  57. ^ "New secondary school approved despite 'lethal' road network". Kent Online. 17 June 2022. Archived from the original on 24 June 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  58. ^ "New college open for business". Kent Online. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  59. ^ "College set for go-ahead". Kent Online. 12 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  60. ^ "£75 million leisure complex opens". Kent Online. 17 December 2018. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  61. ^ "McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford celebrates the opening of its £90 million expansion". www.mcarthurglen.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  62. ^ "Opening date revealed for multi-million pound dance studio". Kent Online. 5 August 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  63. ^ "Multi million pound 'Netflix" film studio development in Ashford takes major step forward". ITV News. 31 March 2023. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  64. ^ a b "The Borough Arms and Regalia". Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  65. ^ Quiller-Couch, Arthur, ed. (1919). The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007.
  66. ^ "Ashford, Kent" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  67. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 10.
  68. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 12.
  69. ^ a b Ashford & Romney Marsh (Map). 1:50 000. Ordnance Survey. Sheet 189.
  70. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 43.
  71. ^ "Q & A – Kent earthquake". BBC News. 29 April 2007. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  72. ^ "Water for Ashford" (PDF). Ashford Best Placed. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  73. ^ Salter 2006, p. 148.
  74. ^ "Faversham Weather Station". Met Office. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  75. ^ Banham, Jess (16 July 2012). "Kent's growing population". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  76. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 95.
  77. ^ Salter 2012, p. 4.
  78. ^ "Why Ashford?". Ashford Best Placed. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  79. ^ Salter 2005, p. 127.
  80. ^ Scott, James (30 December 2011). "Batchelors Parent Firm to Slash 600 jobs". Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  81. ^ Salter 2005, p. 128.
  82. ^ "Annual Report". Givaudan. 2007. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  83. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 96.
  84. ^ Farrell, Sean (4 April 2016). "Chapel Down raises £1.7m to build Curious Drinks brewery". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  85. ^ "Curious Brewery opens new "Cathedral of Brewing" in Kent". The Drinks Business. 13 May 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  86. ^ "Southeastern partners with Curious Brewering to celebrate Ashford brewery opening". Southeastern. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  87. ^ "Ashford Briefing" (PDF). Ashford Best Placed. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  88. ^ "Hull 'worst place to live in UK'". BBC News. 10 August 2005. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  89. ^ "Coalition government to scrap house building targets". BBC News. 31 May 2010. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  90. ^ "Repton Park Community Facilities". Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 19 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  91. ^ "Development at Park Farm East" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  92. ^ "A Vision for Chilmington Green, Ashford". John Thompson and Partners. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  93. ^ "Ashford college gets go-ahead for campus". BBC News. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  94. ^ Williams, Samantha (14 May 2014). "Supermarket Morrisons drops building plans for Victoria Way, in Ashford". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  95. ^ "Economic and Demographic Forecasts" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  96. ^ "Commercial Property Available in Ashford | AshfordFOR". www.ashfordfor.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  97. ^ "Employees lead campaign against illegal parking". Kent Messenger. 26 January 2009. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  98. ^ Radcliffe, Hannah (4 December 2009). "On track for changes in Ashford". BBC News. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  99. ^ Salter 2012, p. 19.
  100. ^ "Park Mall – Made in Ashford | AshfordFOR". www.ashfordfor.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  101. ^ Salter 2005, p. 73.
  102. ^ Salter 2012, p. 87.
  103. ^ "History of County Square". County Square Shopping Centre. Archived from the original on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  104. ^ "Debenhams boss denies closure". Kent Messenger. 22 December 2008. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  105. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 113.
  106. ^ "Ashford Designer Outlet" (PDF). Washroom Advertising. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  107. ^ "Ashford blazes trail for designer outlets". Kent Messenger. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  108. ^ "Ashford Designer Outlet". British Parking Association. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  109. ^ "McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford celebrates the opening of its £90 million expansion | Designer Outlet Ashford | McArthurGlen". www.mcarthurglen.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  110. ^ "Waitrose confirms it is coming to Ashford". Kent Messenger. 6 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  111. ^ Williams, Samantha (7 November 2013). "The opening of the new John Lewis at home store, in Fougeres Way, Ashford has created 'gridlock' at the Drovers roundabout". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  112. ^ "Final closing dates for Debenhams in Ashford, Folkestone, Chatham and Canterbury revealed". Kent Online. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  113. ^ "John Lewis to permanently shut eight more stores with 1,465 jobs at risk". London Evening Standard. 24 March 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  114. ^ "Quinn Estates – AshFORd Storyteller | AshfordFOR". www.ashfordfor.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  115. ^ "GRE Assets | AshfordFOR". www.ashfordfor.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  116. ^ "Victoria Way, Ashford". www.uandiplc.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  117. ^ "Stanhope – AshFORd Storyteller | AshfordFOR". www.ashfordfor.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  118. ^ Cox, Marijke (28 May 2013). "Retail watchdog warns of huge decline in high street shops in south east over next five years". Kent News. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  119. ^ "More Reasons To Love Ashford". Love Ashford. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  120. ^ "More businesses sign up to LoveAshford.com". Ashford Borough Council. 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  121. ^ Lawrie 2004, pp. 56–57.
  122. ^ "Grosvenor Sanatorium". British Journal of Diseases of the Chest. 10–11: 127. 1916. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  123. ^ a b Lawrie 2004, p. 83.
  124. ^ "HM Land Registry". The London Gazette. 3 August 1928. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  125. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 79.
  126. ^ Lennon, Sam (5 October 2009). "Hospital plans shelved". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  127. ^ "The former Ashford Hospital admin block in Kings Avenue is saved after ABC planners reject Abbey Homes' application to demolish it". Kent Online. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  128. ^ Harris, Paul (2007). William Harvey: Folkestone's Most Famous Son. Lilburne Press. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-901167-16-0. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  129. ^ Deedes, William (27 February 1970). "Ashford Hospital (site)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  130. ^ Alison, Michael (8 August 1972). "William Harvey Hospital, Ashford". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  131. ^ "Overview – William Harvey Hospital (Ashford)". NHS. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  132. ^ Easdown, Martin (1996). A grand old lady: the history of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, 1846–1996. The League of Friends of the Royal Victoria Hospital. p. 52. ISBN 9780952817703. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  133. ^ Ruderman 1994, p. 44.
  134. ^ Historic England (24 September 1951). "Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin (1071114)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  135. ^ "Mark IV World War I Tank: A Rare Example of This Century-old British Tank Stands Near the Center of Town in Ashford". Atlas Obscura. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  136. ^ Salter 2012, pp. 84–85.
  137. ^ a b Salter 2006, p. 111.
  138. ^ "Ashford's popular late night hotspot Liquid and Envy will close its doors". Kent Online. 26 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  139. ^ Furley, Robert (1867). Home reflections; or Ashford, past and present, an address. Oxford University. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  140. ^ Salter 2005, p. 46.
  141. ^ Salter 2012, p. 72.
  142. ^ "Green Corridor". Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  143. ^ Ruderman 1994, p. 68.
  144. ^ Elvey, Suz (21 May 2015). "Conningbrook Lakes Country Park, Ashford, could be internationally important archaeological and palaeontological site". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  145. ^ Salter 2012, p. 75.
  146. ^ "Historic statues stolen from Godinton House garden". The Daily Telegraph. 20 November 2013. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  147. ^ "Willesborough Windmill, Willesborough". British Listed Buildings. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  148. ^ "Kent's Lost Cinemas and What They Are Now". Kent Online. 11 April 2020. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  149. ^ Salter 2005, p. 59.
  150. ^ Williams, Samantha (30 December 2013). "Cinema planned for Town Centre". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  151. ^ Woolf, Georgia (15 January 2019). "Timelapse video captures leisure complex build". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  152. ^ Mitchell & Smith 1994, Ashford West.
  153. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 52.
  154. ^ a b Larkin, Edgar (1992). An illustrated history of British Railways' Workshops. Yeovil: Oxford Publishing Co. p. 134. ISBN 0-86093-503-5. T503.
  155. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 53.
  156. ^ "UK timetable" (PDF). Eurostar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  157. ^ "Channel Tunnel". Railway Technology. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  158. ^ "Remodelling Ashford". New Civil Engineer. 23 March 2000. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  159. ^ "British Railways Bill". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 28 January 1993. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  160. ^ "Great day as Ashford-Brussels Eurostar service resumes". Kent Messenger. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  161. ^ "Eurostar brings forward Ashford-Brussels date". Kent Messenger. 20 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  162. ^ "High Speed 1". Ashford Borough Council. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  163. ^ "Eurostar announces it will not stop at Ebbsfleet and Ashford International Station for "two to three years"". Kent Online. 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  164. ^ McRae, S.G.; Burnham, C.P (1973). The Rural Landscape of Kent. Wye College.
  165. ^ Salter 2005, p. 140.
  166. ^ "M20 London – Folkestone". Chartered Institute of Highway Engineers. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  167. ^ Salter 2012, p. 5.
  168. ^ a b Salter 2012, p. 52.
  169. ^ "Town's ring road costs soar to £14m". Kent Messenger. 18 October 2007. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  170. ^ "Plan for £10m ring road makeover". BBC News. 9 June 2006. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  171. ^ "Ashford Ring Road". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2006.
  172. ^ "Road sign art 'confusing drivers'". BBC News. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  173. ^ "M20 junction 10A opens near Ashford after almost two years of construction". Kent Online. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  174. ^ "Operation Stack". Monserat Properties. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  175. ^ "Stagecoach Bus: Ashford Town Network". Stagecoach. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  176. ^ "Stagecoach Bus: Ashford Shopping". Stagecoach. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  177. ^ Collyer, David G (1992). Lympne Airport in old photographs. Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd. p. 126. ISBN 0-7509-0169-1.
  178. ^ "Lydd Airport Official Website". Lydd Airport. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  179. ^ "Route 17 – Map". Sustrans. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  180. ^ "Route 18 – Map". Sustrans. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  181. ^ "Stour Valley walk". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  182. ^ "Ashford Primary Schools". Kent Independent Education Advice. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  183. ^ a b "Repton Manor Primary School". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  184. ^ a b "Goat Lees Community Primary School". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  185. ^ a b R W Thomas (February 1980). "History of the school". Norton Knatchbull School. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  186. ^ Salter 2005, p. 70.
  187. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 91.
  188. ^ "About Ashford". Ashford School. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  189. ^ "Morgan Sindall wins £56m Ashford primary school contract". The Construction Index. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  190. ^ "North School, Ashford". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  191. ^ "Towers School, Ashford". Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  192. ^ Price, Chris (1 August 2014). "K College had "a perfect storm" of financial and leadership issues reveal Hadlow College and East Kent College, who have formally taken over the sites". Kent Messenger. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  193. ^ "BAM Construction wins £10.8m Ashford College contract". Kent Online. 22 October 2015. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  194. ^ "New Ashford College opens with first students enrolling onto courses". Kent Online. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  195. ^ Salter 2005, p. 33.
  196. ^ Lawrie 2004, p. 25.
  197. ^ Smith, Herbert L. (1859). "Notes of Brasses, Memorial Windows and Escutcheons Formerly Existing in Ashford and Willesborough Churches". Archaeologia Cantiana. II. Kent Archaeological Society: 106. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  198. ^ "St Mary Ashford" (PDF). Leicester Anglican Church. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  199. ^ "Hire our Venue". Revelation St Mary's. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  200. ^ a b c "Club History". Ashford United FC. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  201. ^ a b "Honours and Achievements". Ashford United FC. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  202. ^ "South Ashford Football Club". Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  203. ^ "Julie Rose Stadium". Ashford Athletics Clubs. Archived from the original on 26 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  204. ^ Lawrie 2004, pp. 106–107.
  205. ^ "The Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford". Ashford Leisure Trust. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  206. ^ "The Stour Centre in Ashford". Ashford Leisure Trust. Archived from the original on 4 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  207. ^ "About Us – History". Ashford Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  208. ^ "Ashford Archers". Services Directory. Kent County Council. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  209. ^ "Ashford Archers 36th Indoor Tournament incl. The 27th Kent Indoor Championship". Sutton Bowmen Archery Club. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  210. ^ "Ashford Hockey Club". Ashford Hockey Club. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  211. ^ "History". Great Chart Cricket Club. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  212. ^ "KMFM Group can have one breakfast show". Radio Today. February 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  213. ^ "Webbo's World: Life at 50". Folkestone Herald. 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  214. ^ "Take part and help to fund local radio". Ashford Herald. 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  215. ^ "107.1FM AHBS Community Radio". AHBS (official website). Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  216. ^ Salter 2006, p. 55.
  217. ^ "Folkestone Herald (Series) Regional Publications" (PDF). Audited Bureau of Circulations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  218. ^ "Places - Riddley Walker Annotations". Errorbar. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashford, Kent.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ashford (England).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashford,_Kent&oldid=1254205554"