•  Charing, Kent

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In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Charing like this:

CHARING, a village and a parish in West Ashford district, Kent. The village stands on the ancient road called the Pilgrims' way, near the source of the Len, 5 miles N by E of Pluckley r. station, and 5½ NW of Ashford. It is an ancient place, known at Domesday as Cheringes; and it has a post office‡ under Ashford, an inn, and fair s on 29 April, and 29 Oct. ...

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The parish comprises 4,551 acres. Real property, £7,610. Pop., 1,285. Houses, 265. The property is divided among a few. The manor belonged early to the see of Canterbury; was held some time but the Saxon kings; reverted to the Archbishops; was given up by Cranmer to Henry VIII.; and passed to the Whelers of Otterden. A palace of the Archbishops stood here; was rebuilt in the 14th century; and gave entertainment to Henry VII. and Henry VIII. The edifice was in the early decorated style, and badly executed; and considerable ruins of it still exist. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Canterbury. Value, £475.* Patrons, the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's. The church was chiefly rebuilt after a destruction of it by fire in 1590, but retains portions in early English and perpendicular; and it contains monuments of the Brents, the Sayers, the Honeywoods, and Mrs. Ludwell. A school, founded by Mrs. Ludwell, who died in 1765, has £88 a year from endowment, and two exhibitions at Oriel college.

Charing through time

Charing is now part of Ashford district. Click here for graphs and data of how Ashford has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Charing itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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