Orlestone

Coordinates: 51°03′56″N 0°51′45″E / 51.0656°N 0.8626°E / 51.0656; 0.8626

Orlestone
St Mary the Virgin church
Orlestone  Orlestone shown within Kent
Population	1,281 [1]
OS grid reference	TR005335
Parish	Orlestone
District	Ashford
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	TONBRIDGE
Postcode district	TN26
Dialling code	01233
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Ashford
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Orlestone is a civil parish in Ashford District, Kent, England, with a population of 1,500. The centre of the parish is Hamstreet village which falls partly within the parish of Warehorne due to the ancient parish boundary. Hamstreet is bypassed by the A2070 road, six miles south of Ashford.

Orlestone itself is a small hamlet with just a handful of houses and the medieval parish church of St Mary the Virgin, parts of which date to the 11th century. Much of the population moved to Hamstreet (originally known as Ham) when the Ashford to Hastings railway opened in 1853; there was also a better source of water at the newer place.

Today, the name Orlestone lives on in the Orlestone Forest (a large area of public woodland), and a number of buildings such as Orlestone Grange and Orlestone Riding Centre (near Shadoxhurst). Also a new housing estate in Hamstreet (built in 2006) was named Orlestone View to commemorate the parish name.

References

1. ^ Ashford Borough Council Census 2001

External links

• Parish Council website
• Village notes