Teams have represented the county since the early 18th century. Iron Age and Roman Period [32] It was centred in the Sandwich area of east Kent at about ten miles below the surface. There were also other workings around Burham on the tidal Medway. By 1618, storehouses, a ropewalk, a drydock, and houses for officials had been built downstream from Chatham. The official website of the Kent County Football League Premier Division One Central & East Division One West Division Two Central & East Division Two West Division Three Central & … During the Second World War much of the Battle of Britain was fought in the skies over Kent. The county town is Maidstone. The county's first commercial station was originally known as Invicta FM and began broadcasting in 1984. [57] Music festivals that take place in Kent include Chilled in a Field Festival, Electric Gardens, Hop Farm Festival, In the Woods Festival, Lounge On The Farm and the annual (not 2020) Smugglers Festival near Deal. This article is about the county in England. Its commercial rival is ITV Meridian Ltd, which has a newsroom at The Maidstone Studios despite the main studio being based in Hampshire. Everything you need to know, from the latest news and competitions, to county training and captains and our disability sessions. The meaning has been explained as 'coastal district,' 'corner-land' or 'land on the edge' (compare Welsh cant 'bordering of a circle, tire, edge,' Breton cant 'circle'). From about 1900, several coal pits operated in East Kent. Kent County Council Skip to main content Tell us whether you accept cookies We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. [52] During the late 1930s, Nobel Prize-awarded novelist William Golding worked as a teacher at Maidstone Grammar School, where he met his future wife Ann Brookfield. This is illustrated by the following table of economic indicator gross value added (GVA) between 1995 and 2000[out of date] (figures are in £ millions). Finally, there is the 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m), industrial Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, previously the Bowaters Paper Railway. Maidstone Community Radio (MCR): online only. These are the old kilns used for drying hops, once grown throughout the county. In 1776, 1950, and on 28 April 2007 there were earthquakes of around 4.3. county.hall@kent.gov.uk Locations County Hall, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ Keep up to date with all the great things we're doing Subscribe for updates Useful Links Feedback and complaints Cookies, privacy and legal We are . The earliest locomotive-driven passenger-carrying railway in Britain was the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway which opened in 1830. France is 34 kilometres (21 mi) across the Strait. The Kent Cricket League is the top level of club competition within Kent and features teams from throughout the county, including areas such as Beckenham and Bexley which were formerly part of the county. Until about 960, the Isle of Thanet was an island, separated by the Wantsum channel, formed around a deposit of chalk; over time, the channels silted up with alluvium. Kent was also the location of the largest number of art schools in the country during the nineteenth century, estimated by the art historian David Haste, to approach two hundred. You're never stuck for things to do in Kent, but if you need a little inspiration, check out this week's top picks of great days out around the county, using our handy map. Hythe, Folkestone and Dover; the A21 around Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and on to Hastings in East Sussex. There are several community radio stations in Kent including: The KM Group, KOS Media and Kent Regional News and Media all provide local newspapers for most of the large towns and cities. Sevenoaks Hockey Club's women first XI plays in the second tier of national competition. At the 2001 UK census[out of date],[36] employment statistics for the residents in Kent, including Medway, were as follows: 41.1% in full-time employment, 12.4% in part-time employment, 9.1% self-employed, 2.9% unemployed, 2.3% students with jobs, 3.7% students without jobs, 12.3% retired, 7.3% looking after home or family, 4.3% permanently sick or disabled, and 2.7% economically inactive for other reasons. providing school places for over 289,000 pupils. [10], In 597, Pope Gregory I appointed the religious missionary (who became Saint Augustine of Canterbury after his death) as the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Main transmitters providing these services are at West Hougham, near Dover and Blue Bell Hill, between Chatham and Maidstone. Cement came to the fore in the 19th century when massive building projects were undertaken. Canterbury Hockey Club and Holcombe Hockey Club both play in the top division in both the men's and women's England Hockey Leagues. [31] A further quake on 22 May 2015 measured 4.2 on the Richter Scale. In the council elections of May 2015 the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) took control of the Council[which? [40] At that election Canterbury elected Rosie Duffield, the first ever Labour MP to hold the seat since the constituency was formed in 1918. Get news, updates and information from us direct to your inbox. In 1900, however, Kent absorbed the district of Penge. Their industry of employment was 17.3% retail, 12.4% manufacturing, 11.8% real estate, 10.3% health and social work, 8.9% construction, 8.2% transport and communications, 7.9% education, 6.0% public administration and defence, 5.6% finance, 4.8% other community and personal service activities, 4.1% hotels and restaurants, 1.6% agriculture, 0.8% energy and water supply, 0.2% mining, and 0.1% private households. In the early 19th century, smugglers were very active on the Kent coastline. France is 34 kilometres (21 mi) across the Strait.[26]. [14][15], During the medieval and early modern period, Kent played a major role in several of England's most notable rebellions, including the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, led by Wat Tyler,[16] [17], The Royal Navy first used the River Medway in 1547. ", "The River Medway: The river of Kent or Kentish river? There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness, although the older one, Dungeness A, built in 1965, was decommissioned in 2006.[43]. [53] William Caxton, who first introduced the printing press to England, was born in Kent; the recent invention was key in helping many Kent dialect words and spellings to become standard in English. Music education is provided by Kent Music (formerly Kent Music School),[74] which has its origins in the 1940s. The club was a founder member of the County Championship in 1890 and has won the competition, the major domestic first-class cricket competition, seven times. [5] The divide has been explained by some as originating in the Anglo-Saxon migrations, with Jutes mainly settling east of the Medway and Saxons settling west of it. Shoreline FM (Romney Marsh) broadcasting since January 2020 on 101.1FM. Kent - a county of two halves. The landscape painter J. M. W. Turner spent part of his childhood in the town of Margate in East Kent, and regularly returned to visit it throughout his life. [62] The high speed lines will be utilised to provide a faster train service to coastal towns like Ramsgate and Folkestone. There are three heritage, standard gauge railways; Spa Valley Railway near Tunbridge Wells on the old Tunbridge Wells West branch, East Kent Railway on the old East Kent coalfield area and the Kent and East Sussex Railway on the Weald around Tenterden. In addition, there is the 15-inch (380 mm) gauge, Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway on the southeast Kent coast along the Dungeness peninsula. [28] Dartford, Gravesend, the Medway towns, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Canterbury, Deal, and Dover are built on chalk. England relied on the county's ports to provide warships through much of its history; the Cinque Ports in the 12th–14th centuries and Chatham Dockyard in the 16th–20th centuries were of particular importance. The ready supply of chalk and huge pits between Stone and Gravesend bear testament to that industry. [77] The Kent Women cricket team has won the Women's County Championship seven times since it was established in 1997. [24], Kent is in the southeastern corner of England. The name Kent derives from the ancient Celtic tribe who inhabited South East England from the Thames to the south coast. [20] Many of the Georgian naval buildings still stand. [13], Kent was traditionally partitioned into East and West Kent, and into lathes and hundreds. [55] Kent has also been the home to artists including Frank Auerbach, Tracey Emin and Stass Paraskos. [5], Following the withdrawal of the Romans, large numbers of Germanic speakers from the continent settled in Kent, bringing their language, Old English. All Kent news Events to look forward to in 2021 We may have missed out this year, but from festivals and foodie events to big music names and family fun, there's a bumper schedule in 2021. The west of the county (including Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, and Sevenoaks) has less than 50% of the average claimant count for low incomes or worklessness as the coastal districts of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, and Thanet (chiefly three resorts: Ramsgate, Broadstairs, and Margate). There was little if any damage reported. This is not just a map. Kent has provided inspiration for several notable writers and artists. including Chislet, Tilmanstone, Betteshanger, and the Snowdown Colliery, which ran from 1908 to 1986.[46]. We are a trusted West and Central Kent have long had many City of London commuters. In association football, Kent's highest ranked football team is Gillingham FC, who play in Football League One. It ceased to be considered part of the county in 1965[disputed (for: contradicting related articles) – discuss] upon creation of the London Borough of Newham. At the 2007 local elections[out of date], control of Medway Council was held by the Conservatives; 33 of the council's 55 seats were held by the Conservatives, 13 by the Labour Party, 8 by the Liberal Democrats and 1 by an Independent. The County Resources at the Society of Genealogists page will lead you to lists of the many parish register copies they hold. Kent County Cars ltd are a car Dealers located in Tonbridge, Kent. The name Kent is believed to be of British Celtic origin. The Strategy aims to influence train services in the county for the next decade. [41], However, in recent years, there has been a significant drop in agriculture, and industry and services are increasing their utilisation of the area. Much of Kent is served by the BBC's South East region, which is based in Tunbridge Wells and provides local news for the county and East Sussex. The leader of Kent County Council has called on the Government to keep schools closed in Thanet, Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe.Cllr … [60] Following financial difficulties, Connex lost the franchise and was replaced by South Eastern Trains and after Southeastern.[61]. The Medway is some 112 kilometres (70 mi) long. We are consulting on the draft of the Kent Rail Strategy 2021. Some of Kent is contiguous with the Greater London sprawl, notably parts of Dartford. It re-opened, after being completely rebuilt, in October 2011. The London–Dover road was Watling Street. In the run-up to Britain leaving the European Union, Government Minister Michael Gove MP for Surrey Heath confirmed that his government intends to impose a de facto border[47] between Kent and the rest of England for freight lorries, in order to deal with expected lorry queues of 7,000 or more[48] at Folksetone, Dover and other ports. Kent is one of the warmest parts of Britain. County-wide papers include the Kent Messenger, Kent on Saturday, Kent on Sunday, and the Kent and Sussex Courier. [22] In the 1960s, two motorways were built; the M2 from Medway to Faversham, and the M20 from Swanley to Folkestone. Fines of £200 can be given for those breaking the rules without a reasonable excuse. We … Miskin Radio (Dartford and Gravesend): online only. This page was last edited on 22 December 2020, at 14:38. A brief history. It borders the Thames Estuary and the North Sea to the north, and the Straits of Dover and the English Channel to the south. County Championship Group fixtures revealed All of Kent’s fixtures in Group 3 of the 2021 County Championship have now been released. [29], The Wealden dome is a Mesozoic structure lying on a Palaeozoic foundation, which can often create the right conditions for coal formation. The coastline of Kent is continuously changing, due to tectonic uplift and coastal erosion. Manston Airport, located near the village of Manston in the Thanet district, was a former RAF facility that also handled some civilian flights. Kent is represented in cricket by Kent County Cricket Club. The Coal Measures within the Westphalian Sandstone are about 250–400 m (820–1,310 ft) deep, and are subject to flooding. Maidstone United was a Football League side from 1989 until going bankrupt in 1992. The club is based at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury and also plays matches at the Nevill Ground in Royal Tunbridge Wells and the County Cricket Ground, Beckenham. The tables below provide statistics for the administrative county of Kent, that is, excluding Medway. [18], By the 17th century, tensions between Britain and the powers of the Netherlands and France led to increasing military build-up in the county. Rochester Cathedral is England's second-oldest cathedral, the present building built in the Early English Style. Maidstone, Kent ME14 1XX Email : A249swalejunctionimprovements@kent.gov.uk Phone : 03000 42 14 37 (This phone number goes to an answer machine which is monitored during office hours.) Whitstable Bay Radio (Whitstable): online only. Together, the two Kent authorities have 38 of the 164 grammar schools remaining in Britain.[69][70]. Kent is often referred to as the Garden of England. Awarded a community licence by Ofcom in late 2019 and due to launch in the next few years. Competitive salary. [59] Britain's railways were nationalised in 1948, forming British Railways (shortened to British Rail in the mid-1960s). Kent is a maritime county of a population around 1,600,000 in southeast England. [33][34] The river is tidal as far as Allington lock, but in earlier times, cargo-carrying vessels reached as far upstream as Tonbridge. Kent County Council Local Education Authority maintains 96 secondary schools, of which 33 are selective schools and 63 are secondary modern schools. In northwest Kent, industries include extraction of aggregate building materials, printing and scientific research. The M26 motorway, built-in 1980, provides a short link between the M25 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham. Cabin FM broadcasting to Herne Bay on 94.6FM. Kent has three unique vernacular architecture forms: the oast house, the Wealden hall house, and Kentish peg-tiles. You can also view CCTV, efits and wanted people. 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