Copyright Kent Past 2010
Kent Past
The History of Kent
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History of Brenzett
Brenzett comes from the Old English ‘berned’ meaning ‘burnt’ and ‘set’ as a ‘dwelling, camp, stable, fold’; therefore, a ‘burnt fold or stable’. The Domesday Book records Brenzett as Brandet and Brensete.
The Brenzett parish church is a Grade: II listed building, dedicated to Saint Eanswith,
the grand-
The Normans replaced the original Saxon chapel
in the 12th Century, with extensions and additions over the next 400 years. In the
14th Century, they added a spire, although, a wooden frame had to be erected at the
west end, along with an enormous buttress outside, to support it. An unknown London
founder cast and hung a tenor bell in 1420. In 1630, John Wilnar added a treble,
with Thomas Palmer completing the ring of three in 1669. In 1799, Edward Hasted described
the Brenzett church as consisting of ‘two isles and two chancels, having a spire
steeple shingled at the west end, in which hang three bells’. Restoration work took
place in 1826, 1876, 1902 and 1984.
RAF Brenzett, a Royal Air Force station during WW II, opened as an advanced landing
ground on 14 September 1943. The RAF had set the opening date as March 1943 and construction
work on the 300-
To relieve pressure on their home base at RAF Kingsnorth five miles away, 122 Squadron
occupied the airfield first, with Supermarine Spitfires. The airfield did not support
the D-
The Mustang wing left in October 1944 and the airfield closed later that year on
13 December, when it returned to agricultural use.