Bethersden

Bethersden is a village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England, 5 miles (8 km) west of the town of Ashford. Located on the main road, A28, between Tenterden and Ashford.

Bethersden
St Margaret's Church
Bethersden is located in Kent
Bethersden
Bethersden
Location within Kent
Area26.1 km2 (10.1 sq mi)
Population1,481 (Civil Parish 2011)[1]
• Density57/km2 (150/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTQ927402
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townASHFORD
Postcode districtTN26
Dialling code01233
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament

The village has an active community, including a small primary school, football team, cricket team and tennis club by the park.

Bethersden was formerly the centre of the Kentish wool trade.

Bethersden was the seat of the Lovelace family,[2] at what is now Lovelace Court, which included William Lovelace (MP), and the 17th-century poet Richard Lovelace.

The Bethersden Parish Records Society holds the original parish register, maps, books, photographs and other records relating to the village.

Bethersden Marble

Bethersden has long been associated with the material known as Bethersden Marble which was quarried until the 19th century and used in many of Kent's churches and cathedrals. The name 'marble' is misleading because it is a limestone packed with fossilized gastropod shells which polish well, hence the use of the term.

Churches
  • St Margaret's Church, built in the early 15th century.
  • Baptist church (Union Chapel).

Public Houses

The village has three public houses, The Bull, The George and The Pig & Sty. However, The George closed in 2020, see the website https://thegeorgebethersden.co.uk/.

Local Businesses

Several successful businesses have operated from the village: Stevenson Brothers, who produce high-quality handmade rocking horses; W & D Cole, who make iron gates and railings; and the former Colt Houses, who sold prefabricated timber homes.

  • St Margaret - East window
    St Margaret - East window
  • The Oast, Lovelace Farm
    The Oast, Lovelace Farm
  • Plurenden Manor Farm
    Plurenden Manor Farm

References
  1. Key Statistics; Quick Statistics: Population Density Archived 11 February 2003 at the Wayback Machine United Kingdom Census 2011 Office for National Statistics Retrieved 10 May 2014
  2. "LOVELACE, Sir William (1561-1629), of Lovelace Place, Bethersden and Greyfriars, Canterbury, Kent | History of Parliament Online".
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