Information AboutAshford, Kent |
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Ashford is a town spanning the Confluence of the River West Stour and River East Stour and the resulting River Great Stour , in the Borough Of Ashford in Kent , United Kingdom . Its agricultural market is one of the most important in the county. ASHFORD Ashford is a relatively common English name: it goes back to Old English ''æscet'', indicating a Ford near to a Clump of Ash-trees . The town is in the east of Kent and residents of East Kent , those living south of the River Medway , are called 'Men of Kent', as opposed to residents of West Kent , who are known as 'Kentish Men'. Ashford's motto is ''"With stronger faith"'', taken from a poem by the 17th Century poet Richard Lovelace of Bethersden in the district. International Civic Heraldry HISTORY As a market town, Ashford has for centuries been a local communications hub for surrounding villages and has stood at the centre of five railway lines, ( Ashford To Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) Line , Ashford Via Maidstone East Line , London To Dover Via Ashford , Kent Coast Line and the Marshlink Line ) since the 19th Century and with the opening of the International Passenger Station is now an important European communications centre, with new lines running between London and the Channel Tunnel (via the Channel Tunnel Rail Link ). The Borough Of Ashford lies on the eastern edge of the ancient forest of "Andredsweald" or "Anderida". This originally stretched as far west as Hampshire and formed the basis from which the Weald is formed. It is likely that the town originates from an original settlement established about 893 AD, although a Roman Road passed through here from the Iron Making area to Canterbury . It is listed in the Domesday Book , compiled in 1086 , as having a church, two mills and a value of 150 Shilling s, under it's original Saxon name of "Essetesford" (or "Eshetisford"). The manor was owned by Hugh de Montford, Constable of England at the time. Writer Philpot believed Essetesford stood for "ash trees growing near a ford", while Lampard, a 16th century local historian, suggested that it meant "a ford over the river Eshe or Eshet", which was the old name for the Tributary of the River Stour between Lenham and Ashford. Its closeness to London has always made Kent a strong influence on the capital, and vice versa. Thus by the end of the 16th century Cade (of Cade’s Rebellion) was credited by William Shakespeare in Henry VI, Part 2 as being from Ashford. The play includes an Ashford butcher called "Dick" who looks forward to removing officialdom after the rebellion and says: ''first thing, let’s kill all the lawyers.'' Ashford’s importance as a growing agricultural and market town was confirmed in 1243 when it was incorporated, and by the end of the 16th Century it had risen to become an important market town, primarily for livestock. The market was held in the High Street until 1856 when local farmers and businessmen relocated to ''Elwick Road'' and formed a market company that claims to be the oldest surviving registered company in England and Wales. There is still a regular street market in the town, although the market company has relocated outside the town and is used by some 5,000 farmers. goashford.com Parts of the parish church date from the 13th Century but was substantially restored in the 15th Century with many alterations since. In 1638 a free Grammar School was founded here, it was built on the churchyard’s west side, and remained there until 1846 , now used as a museum. The Joint Services School Of Intelligence was based at ''Templer Barracks'' in Ashford, until the barracks were decommissioned in 1997 and then demolished to make way for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link . Kings College, London COMMUNICATIONS A ''Travel Guide'' for visitors is available by viewing . Roads Ashford was one of the towns that became a hub when the roads were Turnpiked in the second half of the 18th century. Today it is on the M20 Motorway which offers easy access to London , Maidstone and Folkestone , with junctions 9 and 10 serving Ashford, Operation Stack on the M20 is the Bane of Ashford. The A20 runs almost parallel with the motorway, and the A28 allows access to Canterbury and Tenterden . Also leaving Ashford are the A251 for Faversham and the A2070 for Romney Marsh and Hastings . The A292 Ashford Ring Road is well known for being popular with Boy Racer s, who have nothing better to do than drive round all night, thinking they're Cool . Railways The South Eastern Railway opened its main line from London to the town on 1 December 1842 , and by 7 February 1844 trains were running through to Dover . The importance to the town of the railway, however, was when the company established its Locomotive Works here. The railway community had its own shops, schools, pubs and bathhouse, and much of the area retains the look of a "railway town" (like Swindon or Crewe ), however the works closed in 1981. Ashford became a junction with a line to 1884 the final connection, from Maidstone , was made. When the Channel Tunnel was opened on 6 May 1994 , the new Ashford International station began operating. It now serves the high-speed rail link that began service in 2003 carrying the Eurostar . Rivers Ashford lies at the Confluence of the Rivers West and East Stour, forming the River Great Stour heading for Canterbury , Sandwich and the English Channel . ASHFORD TODAY Essentially a modern town, little is left of the old Ashford, apart from some and the new Designer Outlet. ''Bank Street'' and ''High Street'' are traffic-free shopping thoroughfares. News about the Town
Twin Towns Ashford is Twinned with -
Commerce Ashford Constituency 's Member Of Parliament is Damian Green ( Conservative ). The hospital based in Willesborough , a suburb of Ashford, covering a large part of Kent is the William Harvey Hospital , named after the famous doctor who discovered the blood circulatory system. The huge build-up of commercial importance of the town, as well as its strategic location, is witnessed by the number of industrial estates now opened up. They include:
Campbell Soup UK have a factory that produces Batchelor's Soup , which until 2001 was owned by Unilever . The design award winning Ashford Designer Outlet is located wirthin the town. Sport
SUBURBS OF ASHFORD
FAMOUS PEOPLE Simone Weil , the French Philosopher , died in Grosvenor Sanatorium , Ashford, in 1943 , and is buried in the town's Bybrook Cemetery . Weil restricted herself to the meagre war-time diet she imagined her compatriots back in France would be eating; a Coroner therefore recorded a Suicide verdict when her condition was exacerbated by malnourishment. A road in Ashford is named after her. '' Front Cover]] Other personalities connected with the town are:
EDUCATION Ashford is home to several Primary and Secondary School s. There is also a College located in the area along with a Library in the town. Schools and colleges are listed below: =Primary Schools:
=Secondary Schools
=Colleges
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