Goudhurst, The Village And St Mary's Church 1901

Photo ref: 46378

More about this scene

This high village of the Weald looks out on a panoramic view of orchards and hopfields, although the foundation of its prosperity in the Middle Ages was based on weaving and iron-working. When these declined in the 18th century, they were replaced by smuggling. On the right is the half-timbered frontage of The Star and Eagle Inn, which was a centre for this nefarious trade and is connected to the church by a secret underground passage. The large squat tower of St Mary's was built between 1638-40 at a cost of £750. In 1747, the Goudhurst Militia fought a fierce battle with the Hawkhurst gang of smugglers in the churchyard, while the villagers sought sanctuary within the building's sandstone walls. In the basement of the house on the left of the picture, William Rootes had a bicycle repair shop, the forerunner of the Rootes Motor Group. Central Kent