Boughton Monchelsea

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Boughton Monchelsea
latitude= 51.229260
longitude= 0.531170
population=
shire_district= Maidstone
shire_county= Kent
region= South East England
constituency_westminster=
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= "For other "Boughtons" in Kent see Boughton Aluph; Boughton under Blean and Boughton Malherbe" The village and civil parish [ [http://www.boughton-monchelsea-pc.org.uk/index.shtml Parish council website] ] of Boughton Monchelsea is in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The civil parish lies on a ragstone ridge situated between the North Downs and the Weald of Kent and has commonly been called Quarry Hills. The village itself is located three miles (5km) south of Maidstone.

History

The village name comes from a corruption of the name of the Norman family given the manor after the Conquest: "Montchensie" who held the manor until 1287. ["The Kent Village Book" Alan Bignell 1986 ISBN 1-85306-571-4]

Some of the earliest history of Boughton Monchelsea is in the Iron Age settlement at Quarry Wood Camp (Camp Field). There are traces of an outer rampart on Parsonage Farm (on the edge of Park Wood) constructed by the Belgae about 40 AD possibly as a defence against the Roman invasion in 43 AD.

The foundations of a Roman bathhouse were discovered in 1841 near Brishing Court, also a Roman villa at Brishing and a cemetery at Lockham. The Quarries were worked extensively in Romans times and the villa and bathhouse could well have belonged to the quarry owner. Ragstone (a type of sandstone was worked here; stone for building of Westminster Abbey and the repair of Rochester Castle came from here. The last quarry closed in 1960.

The village church, dedicated to St Peter, was built around 1100.

Local Amenities

The village has a village green; a primary school, village hall, recreation ground, two public houses, a post office and a chicken farm among its amenities.

The 16th-century Elizabethan stone-built former manor house, Boughton Monchelsea Place [ [http://www.boughtonplace.co.uk/ Boughton Monchelsea Place] ] , is situated in a private deer park and remains a private dwelling although it is occasionally opened for commercial use as a venue for weddings and business conferences.

A similar property at nearby Wierton Place has in recent years operated as a polo and country club as well as an exclusive out-of-town nightclub. Prior to that it was the official residence of judges when on circuit at Maidstone Court [ Bignell "ibid"] .

Notable residents

*Vic Reeves lived here with his second wife Nancy Sorrell. Graham Clarke, author, illustrator and humorist, also lives in the village. [ [http://www.grahamclarke.co.uk Graham Clarke's website] ]

Trivia

*Certain scenes for the first and second series of the television sketch comedy "Tittybangbang" were filmed at the house.

Business

The kit car manufacturer GKD Sports Cars is based in Boughton Monchelsea with its workshops in nearby Lenham.

References