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Information About

Wye






  Place Wye
  Population 2,300
  District Ashford
  County Kent
  Region South East England
  Police Kent Police
  Ceremonial Kent
  Traditional Kent
  Constituency Ashford
  PostalTown ASHFORD
  PostCode TN25
  DiallingCode 01233
  GridReference TR055466
  Euro South East England



Wye is an historic village in Kent , England , located some 12 miles from Canterbury . It is part of the Civil Parish of Wye With Hinxhill .

Its modern population is about 2,300 (for the entire parish) but is expanded by an additional 900 students at Wye College , until 2005 an agricultural college and part of Imperial College London . The site which Imperial acquired for nothing is now worth aroung £50 million. They are currently in the process of converting the land into a "science park" with accommodation and amenities "of a suitable standard" for the future workers. Imperial College have conceeded that they may have to build the houses before the science park.

Wye is located at an ancient ford of the River Great Stour , and a Roman camp and villa stood at the site. The Crown is carved into the hillside ( Hill Figure ) overlooking the village.

The college was founded in 1497 as a Latin school and seminary by John Cardinal Kempe , Archbishop Of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor . It has been part of London University since 1902. On the Downs east of the village is a crown carved in the chalk by students in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII .

There was once a racecourse here: the first race was run on 29 May 1849 , the last 2 May 1974 . It is described as being "Less than one mile round, and more suited to a greyhound track than a racecourse, Wye could not be entirely classed as the ideal preparation for a tilt at the Champion Hurdle".

Changing patterns of transport in the 19th Century reduced its importance, and left today's historic village and agricultural centre. There is a railway station here, built when the line from Ashford to Margate was opened on 1 December 1846 by the South Eastern Railway .

A Farmers Market is held in Wye on the first and third Saturday of every month.

WALKS

Wye is on the Pilgrims' Way and at a junction of the North Downs Way , a long distance walk from Farnham in Surrey east to Dover , and the Stour Valley Walk from Lenham via Ashford and Canterbury to Sandwich and finally the English Channel .


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