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Iden Green

Iden Green maps (2 available)

Old map of Iden Green

Iden Green books (30 available)

Iden Green memories

Visiting my parents in Iden Green

I have very fond memories of visiting my parents, Margaret & Percy Thorburn who owned Coveney Cottage from 1961 until 1980.

We used to come down from London on the National Coach to Benenden and then a Fuggles Garage car/taxi would take us down to Iden Green. Alternatively we would meet my parents in the pub (name temporarily forgotten) and have a drink before driving back to their cottage.

I remember the village when it had its own public house and village shop, and lots of the older residents, Fred & Lily of Lilac Cottage, Mrs Daw from the other half of Coveney Cottage, Joan Witterkoff of Seerose Cottage, to name but a few.

My parents are ...read more here
Contributed by Anne Kennedy

Kent memories

Visiting my parents in Iden Green

I have very fond memories of visiting my parents, Margaret & Percy Thorburn who owned Coveney Cottage from 1961 until 1980.

We used to come down from London on the National Coach to Benenden and then a Fuggles Garage car/taxi would take us down to Iden Green. Alternatively we would meet my parents in the pub (name temporarily forgotten) and have a drink before driving back to their cottage.

I remember the village when it had its own public house and village shop, and lots of the older residents, Fred & Lily of Lilac Cottage, Mrs Daw from the other half of Coveney Cottage, Joan Witterkoff of Seerose Cottage, to name but a few.

My parents are ...read more here
A memory of Iden Green contributed by Anne Kennedy

My home hawkhurst

I grew up in hawkhurst , i lived in gills green in hawkhurst , hawkhurst has a close community everybody knew everybody , most familys that lived there had lived there for years even generations . my dads family had lived there for many years . i have very fond memorys of hawkhurst while i was growing up , the tractors going up and down the road all day . where i lived there were farms all around us. I could smell fresh wood from the wood factory just up the road , i would wake up to the sound of sheep barring in the fields just across the road and birds singing . The kind of thing you would see ...read more here
A memory of Hawkhurst contributed by susanne jones

{Rev} Henry Doyle Sewell

Headcorn, the Church of St Peter and St Paul c1955

My great great grandfather was the Vicar or St. Peter and St. Paul. Please see http://www.robertsewell.ca/sewell.html#gen9 for further details. I suspect his remains were interred in the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul. Does anyone have any knowledge of this or perhaps a photo of a headstone?
A memory of Headcorn contributed by Robert Sewell

Extracts From Iden Green & Kent books

Gillingham, Darland Banks c1960

In 1933, 70 acres of chalk downland were acquired by Chatham and Gillingham councils to create this beautiful open countryside nature reserve between the two towns. The local wildlife includes several species of orchids and butterflies. At the centre of this picture, we can see the horses of travellers whose mobile homes are among the trees.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".

Rochester, the Red Lion, Star Hill Corner c1955

The bus advertises Fremlins’ ales outside the Red Lion, a Style & Winch house of flamboyant grandeur, but now no more, sad to say. There are now traffic lights and a great deal more traffic where this policeman stands on point duty at the junction of High Street with Corporation Street (left) and Star Hill (right).
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".

Chatham, Town Hall and Military Road c1955

The virtual absence of motor traffic suggests that this photograph may have been taken in 1956, during the Suez Crisis petrol rationing, which did not end until the following year. The restrained architecture of The Eagle Tavern contrasts with that of both the Town Hall and the Chatham Constitution Club on the right of this picture.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".

Chatham, High Street c1955

This part of the High Street is very different today, with The Sun Hotel gone from its Medway Street corner site. The dome further down the street was on the old Empire Theatre, which could seat 2,500 people. It specialised in music hall-style entertainment before it closed during the 1960s.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".

Chatham, Town Hall c1960

The town’s naval links are illustrated by the Unifit outfitters, which advertises naval and civilian tailoring. The adjoining shop, displaying the Spratts Scottie dog, was that of Charles Carvell, bird dealer.
An extract from from"Chatham and the Medway Towns Photographic Memories".