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Sandling

Sandling maps

Historic maps of Sandling and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis.   View all Sandling maps

Sandling area books

Displaying 1 of 24 books about Sandling and the local area.   View all books for this area

Memories of Sandling

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Kent memories

1970s Allington

I moved to 71 Hildenborough Crescent, Allington, Maidstone, Kent in 1973 aged 10 years old.
In the nine years I lived there I saw many changes. Parts of Allington were still being built. There were no houses built in between the frontage of the Mid Kent shopping centre ... it was just waste land later to become Foyle Close. There were no houses built lower than than Lullistone Road down Castle Road. The Quarry was there but still easily accessable down the path behind Fordwich Close. I collected many fossils there. Before the Community Centre was built during the 70s it was just an orchard we used to play in. I remember the swimming pool being built at Allington County primary school and the sadness we all felt when told by Mr Williams the Headmaster of the school that one of the soldiers helping to build the pool was killed in an accident there.
Allington Castle was still open to the public then between 2pm and 4pm and there was... Read more

Boxley School

Hi, I have recently bought a silver trench watch dated 1915/16 with the following inscription D C M Boxley School 1910-17. My guess is that it was a gift to a teacher who had been called up for the first world war. Would anyone know where this school is? Or who was D C M ? Any ideas would be gratefully received. Thanks Paul.

Growing up in Eccles, 1951 to 1968

I lived in the Red Bull from age 6 to 23. I have so many good memories, from playing in the surrounding countryside - the chalk pits, the clayhole reservoir, the woods, the ruined cement works etc. The village infants school down Eccles Row ('Ticklebelly road' - there's a story to that), and I think it was called Sears, a shop on the corner of Eccles Row. The pub used to have a small third bar for off sales, and every Sunday the Winkle van would turn up so you could buy a pint of winkles. It had an Air raid siren on a tower at the edge of the car park and we used to fire catapults at it to get the blades to turn so it would start wailing! I remember the Furniture (?) shop, Reids, Coggers and Southwells farms, fighting Maybugs with cricket bats on the Rec (recreation ground) and so much more. As I grew up, I helped with the pub work, and I remember a... Read more

Notes From The Frith Files.

High Street c1955
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Ashby's was a grocery business started by Stephen Ashby in the 1920s. It was then run by his son Aubrey Ashby until the late 1950s when it was sold.

Mote Park. Our Backyard.

Mote Park The Lake c1955
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From the age of seven Mote Park was almost our backyard.  We lived in Plains Avenue, just a few houses from the park keeper's lodge. We could also get to Mote Park by climbing over the fence at the bottom of our garden which led across allotments to Mote Park. I spent weeks wandering there and playing by the lake and later when I was working and had the time I would walk from my house to work at John Collier's menswear and back again in the evening. My partner and I have returned to Maidstone a lot recently and spent a great deal of time in Mote Park. So much has changed now though. The road in Plains Avenue used to be beautiful, lined with cherry blossom trees and with each front garden lovingly tended but now Car is King and most of the front gardens have been concreted over for car parking. It's the same all through Shepway Estate.

Mote Park seems to have improved in many... Read more

Great Great Grandfather

The Undercliff And All Saints' Church c1955
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Actually previous to 1860's. My Great Grandfather was born Under-the-Cliffe, Maidstone in 1845. His name was Thomas Ackworth Parker and his parents were Thomas Edward Parker and Susanna Elizabeth Parker, formally Ackworth. I assume this is what is now known as the Undercliffe.

Cream Puff

Zoo Park, Zebra c1955
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I remember the"Loco" that took you up the drive. Seeing my first elephant plus seeing and eating my first cream puff in the "Cafe". Mother and I had the last one and I remember seeing the cream ooze out of the pores. That is all I remember of the Zoo. I was born 1936, the war finished 1945. I presume the Zoo closed for the duration so when did I visit?

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