In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Swanscombe like this:
SWANSCOMBE, a parish in Dartford district, Kent; on the river Thames, and on the North Kent railway, between Greenhithe and Northfleet r. stations, 5 miles E of Dartford. It contains Greenhithe, and has a post-office under Dartford. Acres, 2,593; of which 405 are water. Real property, £11,122. ...
Pop. in 1851, 1,763; in 1861, 2,323. houses, 414. The manor was known at Domesday, as Swene's Camp; took that name from a winter-camp, formed by Sweyne the Dane, to protect his fleet; passed to W. de Valence, and the Mortimers; was given, by Queen Elizabeth, to the Weldons; went afterwards to the Childs; and passed to the Earl of Jersey. The manor-house is an ancient building, now occupied by J. Coveney, Esq. S. Wood is a famous rural retreat, frequented by gipsying parties; and contains a cavern, called Clappernappers Hole, associated with much curious legend. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £600.* Patron, Sidney-Sussex College, Cambridge. The church is partly transition Norman, and claims to be Saxon. There are alms- house s, and other charities £23.
Swanscombe through time
Swanscombe is now part of Dartford district. Click here for graphs and data of how Dartford has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Swanscombe itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Swanscombe, in Dartford and Kent | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/1259
Date accessed: 25th April 2024
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