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Kent Past


The History of Kent

Copyright Kent Past 2010

Welcome to the history of Kent

Kent Past is a website site like no other, it delves into the history of Kent; enabling the visitor to discover why Kent is the county, it is today. As the pages are explored, you will journey back in time following the evolution of Kent. We travel to a time when Kent was a tribal settlement, then an outpost of the Roman Empire and eventually a Kingdom, before settling as a county in England.



Kent Past Times

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What’s New

History of Rochester Cathedral

The second in a series of videos, in which the history of Rochester Cathedral is told in words and pictures…. More


History of Eynsford

The history of Eynsford told in a video format, using words and pictures…. More


Battle of Sandwich

In May 1217, the regent, William Marshal won a victory against the French and rebels at the battle of Lincoln. Louis returned to his stronghold in London to await reinforcements from France. The French fleet, of some 80 ships, half of which were supply vessels, set sail from Calais on Thursday 24 August…. More

Battle of Maidstone 1648

In May 1648, Kent was witness to a significant Royalist rebellion, when the committee at Canterbury tried to suppress a petition calling for the disbandment of the New Model Army and reinstatement of the King. The Kentish Royalists reacted with aplomb, quickly securing a number of key towns on behalf of the King, which included Dover, Gravesend, Rochester and Maidstone…. More

Caesar in Kent

At 10.00am on the morning of 26 August 55BC, Julia Caesar arrived, off the Kent coast at Dover, ahead of his eighty ship and two legion strong invasion force. .. More

Cliffe and St Helens Church

A history of Cliffe and St Helens Church, written by Henry Smeetham c1956….more


The Courtenay Uprising

In the early morning of 31st May 1838 near Dunkirk, John Tom masquerading as Sir William Courtenay murdered a village constable who had been sent to arrest him. Later that day, he led a band of followers into a fight with the military at Bosenden Wood, in which eleven more lives were lost, including his own….more


RAF Hawkinge

Following the outbreak of war in 1914, the War Office surveyed Kent for suitable sites to place airfields. One such place was just outside the village of Hawkinge….more


A Tour of Westerham

‘Westerham’, observed George Bevan in his 1876 Handbook to the County of Kent, is ‘a pretty little town, dependent more on the scenery around than on any intrinsic interest.’…more



Winston Churchills Butterflies


Sir Winston Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War and is a world renowned historian although he is much less well known for his lifelong love of butterflies….more



Oldest Shop in England


Chiddingstone possess one of the oldest surviving rural shops in England, the street where it stands is also one of the most pleasing in Kent….more



The Dutch Raid of 1667


In an early morning in June 1667, the Dutch fleet sailed, unchallenged up the river Medway, their target the British Navy at anchor in Chatham. No alarm was raised, and the coastal defences were scattered far and wide. Most of the home army were based in London, although they had not been paid in months….more


Jack Cade’s Rebellion


For a long time, dissatisfaction with the leadership of Henry VI had been growing. The powerbrokers of his government had been lining their own pockets, to the detriment of his people….more



Memories of a Land Army Girl


Until the spring of 1942, I lived with my mother, father, sisters and brothers in a neat little brick council house, in Bellingham, on the outskirts of South East London, and worked at the nearby Chiltonian Biscuit Factory….more


Churchill’s Sanctuary


Much is known of the professional life of Sir Winston Churchill, the interior aspects of his personal life, however, remain relatively unexamined—and under appreciated….more


Memories of Kingsnorth Airfield


The Advanced Landing Ground at Kingsnorth near Ashford, Kent was built in June 1943. Frank Beckley was 14 years old and lived about half a mile away from the airfield….more



Henry VIII and Tudor Kent


Throughout his reign, King Henry VIII had a special relationship with Kent. The Garden of England, on his London doorstep, was an escape and playground, a gateway for royal travels to the Continent, and a first line of defence against invasion….more