In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Linton like this:
LINTON, a village and a parish in Maidstone district, Kent. The village stands on the S declivity of a hill, 4 miles S of Maidstone r. station; commands delightful views over a picturesque and richly wooded country; and has a post office under Staplehurst.—The parish contains also Maidstone workhouse; which, at the census of 1861, had 260 inmates. ...
Acres, 1,383. Real property, £4,385. Pop. in 1851,1,082; in 1861,873. Houses, 125. The decrease of pop. was caused by the removal of a number of inmates of the workhouse to newly-erected workhouse schools in East Farleigh. The property is divided among a few. The manor belongs to the Duke of Leeds. Linton Park, with much of the land, belonged to the Manns; and passed, by marriage, to Earl Cornwallis. The mansion was described by Horace Walpole as "standing like the citadel of Kent; ''commands magnificent and very extensive views over the Weald; is a splendid white stuccoed edifice, with tetrastyle Corinthian portico; has a well-wooded park of about 500 acres; and is now the seat of Viscount Holmesdale. The parish is noted for prime fruit and hops. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Canterbury. Value, £260.* Patron, Lady Holmesdale. The church was originally Norman; had a S aisle and a private chapel added to it in the time of Edward III.; underwent restoration and considerable enlargement in 1859-60; exhibits, in the new portions, chiefly the later English style; comprises nave, aisles, chancel, and N and S chapels, with a magnificent tower of Kentish rag, surmounted by a spire of Bath stone; contains a carved oak pulpit and reading-desk, and a rich carved oak screen; and was the burial-place of Sir Horace Mann, whose body was brought to it for interment from Florence. The N chapel has been so entirely restored as to harmonize with the rest of the church; and it contains monuments to the Mayne, the Mann, and the Cornwallis families, including a very fine one, in white marble, by Bayley, to Viscount Brome, son of the late Earl Cornwallis. There are free schools, supported by Viscount Holmesdale, and alms houses for 8 aged persons.
Linton through time
Linton is now part of Maidstone district. Click here for graphs and data of how Maidstone has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Linton itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Linton, in Maidstone and Kent | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/6260
Date accessed: 24th April 2024
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