Addington, Kent

infobox UK place
country = England
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official_name= Addington
latitude= 51.298
longitude= 0.352
population =
shire_district= Tonbridge and Malling
shire_county = Kent
region= South East England
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Addington is a village in the English county of Kent close to the M20 motorway between Wrotham Heath and West Malling. It was known as Eddintune in the Domesday Book. The meaning of Adington is Æddi's (or Eadda's) estate.cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/places/names/index.shtml| origyear = | publisher = BBC| title = Kent place names| accessdate = 2008-03-09] Addington is notable for Addington long barrow and the Chestnuts long barrow, which are Neolithic chamber tombs in the village.

Geography

The parish covers just under convert|700|acre|km2 in area with 291 houses. The Addington Brook runs through the parish.

History

Addington can lay claim to be one of the few villages in the country with over 5,000 years of continuous habitation. Addington had two mills at the time of the Domesday survey.cite book | first = William| last = Coles Finch| year = 1933| month = | title = Watermills & Windmills| editor = | others = | publisher = C W Daniel Company| location = London WC1| url = ] There was a watermill powered by the Addington Brook (TQ 656 587 Coord|51.303227|0.376605|display=inline|format=dms) which was demolished in the nineteenth century, the site now lies within West Malling Golf Course.cite book | last = Fuller & Spain| year = 1986| month = | title = Watermills (Kent and the Borders of Sussex)| editor = | others = | publisher = Kent Archaeological Society| location = Maidstone| id = ISBN 0 906746 08 6| url = ] cite web | url = http://www.millsarchive.com/Kent/MillPageData/MillsList.aspx?powersource=2| origyear = | publisher = The Mills Archive| title = Watermills list| accessdate = 2008-03-09] The remains of the old Addington Place (now beneath golf course and stables) were visible up until a few years ago, and traces of the former gardens of Addington Park can still be seen. Rockeries, ponds and old tennis courts, are easily discernible in the private grounds of the Seekers Trust between the church and the golf course. It is rich in Neolithic archaeology, but much archaeological evidence has been lost to the mechanical digger. Some sites were excavated during the building of the motorway.

The Long Barrows

;The ChestnutsThe Chestnuts long barrow is the better preserved of the two. It was excavated in 1957 and artefacts from the dig are displayed in Maidstone Museum. It is believed to lie on a Ley line.cite web | url = http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/chest.htm| origyear = | publisher = True North Enterprises| title = The Chestnuts| accessdate = 2008-03-09]

;Long Barrow
Addington Long Barrow is not as well preserved, with much plunder of the area taking place over the centuries, and a road driven through it.cite web | url = http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/longb.htm| origyear = | publisher = True North Enterprises| title = The Long Barrow| accessdate = 2008-03-09]

Addington today

There is one pub, The Angel. There are rumours of a tunnel from the basement to the church, convert|750|m|yd away. There is no school in the village, with children attending schools in nearby villages. Addington is partially divided by the M20 & M26 motorways and is scarred on both sides of the motorway with sandpits and quarries, now almost worked out. There is a cricket club in the village.

Church

The parish church is dedicated to St. Margaret. The Reverend Jeremy Cross is the current incumbent.

Transport

Addington is served by bus routes 58, 70 and 222. The nearest railway stations are Borough Green and West Malling, on the Maidstone East line.cite web | url = http://www.addington-parish.org.uk/COUNCIL.2005%20VILLAGE%20SHEET.doc| origyear = | publisher = Addington Parish Council| title = Village Information Sheet| accessdate = 2008-03-09]

External links

* [http://addington.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp Cricket Club] website.

References