Copyright Kent Past 2010
Kent Past
The History of Kent
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History of Northbourne
Northbourne comes from the Old English ‘nord’ meaning ‘northern, north’ and ‘burna’ as a ‘stream’; therefore, ‘north stream’. The Domesday Book chronicles Northbourne as Norborne.
Northbourne parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to Saint Augustine.
The Saxons built the first church on this site. The Normans rebuilt it as, one of
only a few, cruciform churches in Kent in the 12th century. They made some alterations
in the following century, particularly to the windows. In 1711, Mathew Bagley cast
and hung a ring of five bells in the tower. In 1800, Edward Hasted described St Augustine’s
church as a ‘large goodly building, consisting of a nave, chancel, and transept,
having a large square tower in the middle, which has probably been much higher. There
are five bells in it. The church is built of flint, with quoins, door, and window
cases of ashler squared stone; some arches of the windows are pointed, some circular,
and some with zig-