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Smarden
Smarden maps
Historic maps of Smarden and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Smarden maps
Smarden area books
Displaying 1 of 24 books about Smarden and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Smarden
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Smarden.
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Flying Horse
My parents Bryan and Margaret Hills-Johnes had the Flying Horse pub for a couple of years after he left the Navy 1958-60, I was around 6 yrs at the time and used to play with the Tilleys and Blacks. The car park across the road was a vegi garden where fresh produce was included in Mum's food. Eating lunch at the pub was a novelty because of the stigma about the 'wife's' cooking! but it was soon very busy. I learnt to write and spell on the dart board's blackboard, I went to the kindy at Headcorn by local M&D bus every day on my own, the school was behind what is now the Post Office /store and I still have a knitted mat which we were required to make. We all emigrated to NZ in 1960 returning in 67 to Boughton Mon. I left to join the forces in 73 and spent my leave drinking and chasing the local girls in Smarden, oh bliss. Now I'm back in NZ... Read more
Happy Days in Smarden
I spent three years living in and around Smarden, at the Chequers, The Bell and often visited The Flying Horse on my days off!
Fond memories of Frank and Jenny Stevens at The Chequers, and Laurie at The Bell.
Afternoons spent at the cricket ground, was it called the minnis or something similar?
I also worked at the peanut factory on the Headcorn road, this was my introduction to working life!
Family History
Hi, I am trying to find out a bit about my great-grandmother who used to live at the Flying Horse pub with her daughter Ruth Phillips about 1930/40. Ruth and her husband William Phillips are both buried in the church graveyard behind the pub. I visited a few years ago and that was when I found their graves. I didn't find my great-grandmother's grave. Her name was Henrietta Sheedy, nee Gladdish. I was hoping someone might have some information on either family and also when they lived at the pub. Hoping someone can help. Best Wishes Margaret
Kent memories
{Rev} Henry Doyle Sewell
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?
Arthur Smith Was 12 When This Picture Was Taken
My dad was born Headcorn in 1891, grew up in the village. He served in the First World War and, later, moved to other areas in the south. He ceased travelling after arriving in Bedfordshire with my mother, during the Second World War when I was born.
We visited Headcorn in 1958 and 1964 but did not meet any of his relations. He had a brother John, who had a barber's shop at 6 Rochester High Street, which was still listed in the phone book until 1992.
Although I'm not 100% sure, I think Dad's father's name was George Smith and his mother's name was Jane Collinson, which I found researching the Census records.
I would be very interested to know if there is anyone left in the village that remembers the Smith family.
Hop Picking
I used to go to Little Chart Farm, Pluckley as a child, being born in the East End in 1946. My memories are of freedom and adventure, long, happy carefree days spent in the beautiful Kent countryside, for a few weeks each summer. My aunt and uncle Ivy and Tom Smart had a wooden hut on the farm and my parents and I used to join them for a holiday. The picking of hops was a hard, thirsty and dirty job, their hands were stained green and smelt strongly of the hops. We kids used to explore, the surrounding area, scrumping apples from the orchards, and being chased by then farmer, visiting the spooky ruined church, of which there was supposed to be a haunting by a hooded monk. A phantom coach and horses was said to be seen or sometimes just heard thundering past one of the local pubs. One of the drawbacks used to be visiting the 'loo', which was on the edge of the woods, you would... Read more
The Christmas Party at Harbourne Hall
My name is Linda Bannister and I was born at Lodge Farm, High Halden. Does anyone remember Harbourne Hall before it was demolished? My fond memory is of a Christmas Party at the Hall when I was five years old. My memory is as follows:-
The milk churn stand stood on the side of the lane by the big old oak tree and as you rounded the corner our house stood on the left. It was once the lodge to the big hall, otherwise known as Harbourne Hall, which was approached by a long roughly made up road which in spring was adorned with masses of daffodils. The Hall was built of bright red bricks with a flat roof. At one end it had a belfry and on windy nights the bell would tinkle in the wind. Huge fir trees surrounded the Hall with its long dark windows and somewhat stark appearance. There was a court yard behind the main Hall where there was a door which led to... Read more
