Higham, Kent
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Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. The civil parish of Higham is located in Gravesham district.
History
The priory dedicated to St Mary was built on land granted to Mary, daughter of King Stephen. In 1148, the nuns of St Sulphice-la-Foret, Brittany, moved to Higham. Higham priory was also known as Lillechurch. (Medieval Religious Houses, p. 259). On the 6th of July 1227, King Henry III confirmed the royal grant to the abbey of St Mary and St Sulpice of Lillechurch.
The original parish church is dedicated to St Mary, now in the care of the Redundant Churches. The pulpit there is one of the oldest in Kent, dating from the 14th century.
Parts of Higham
Higham has devloped as two parts, the original Saxon village of Higham to the north, and a more recent settlement to the south around the main road linking Gravesend to Rochester which grew in size and importance during the 1800s.
The two parts of Higham are often referred to as Lower Higham (referring to the original village) and Higham (referring to the newer village). Some residents of the village object to the use of Lower Higham, and argue that the distinction should be to use Higham in referring to the original village and Upper Higham or Higham Upshire in reference to the more recent part of the village.
Visitors to the village will not cause offence by using Higham, Lower Higham, Upper Higham or Higham Upshire to refer to the different parts as the terms are well understood within the village. Residents will most commonly refer to the two parts of the village as the top and bottom of the village, e.g. "I'm going to the top of the village", rather than using the different names.
For neutrality the article will refer to Higham (lower) and Higham (upper) for the northern and southern parts of the village respectively.
Village facilities
Services within the village are centered around the two parts of Higham.
Higham (upper)is the largest and contains the main parish church of St John's, a Post Office, a GP's surgery, several pubs, convenience shops, a greengrocer, a fish and chip shop, a Chinese takaway and a library.
Higham (lower) is smaller. It contains the original and now redundant St Mary's Church, two pubs, a garage and Higham Railway Station. Until recently there was a Post Office and shop serving this area of the village.
The village primary school (Higham County Primary), village hall (Higham Memorial Hall), park (Higham Recreation Ground), tennis courts and the Knowle Restaurant are approximately half way between the two parts of the village on School Lane. Until the 1990s the GP surgery serving the village was also based in this area.
Points of interest
The Larkin Memorial
Standing almost hidden from sight yet in the highest spot at Higham is the Larkin memorial on Telegraph Hill. This needle was raised in 1835 to the memory of Charles Larkin (1775-1833), an auctioneer from Rochester who promoted the Parliamentary reforms of 1832 that gave the vote to every householder whose property rental value was more than £10. By 1860 this unusual concrete monument was in danger of collapse, but was repaired in 1869 after local newspaper reports about its condition. It was renovated again in 1974.
Gad's Hill
Shakespeare refers to Gad's Hill (or Gadshill) and its relationship with highway robbery in his Henry IV Part I. As far back as 1558 there was a ballad entitled The Robbers of Gad's Hill. The Sir John Falstaff public house stood at the top of a steep thickly wooded hill, an ideal spot for highwaymen.
Gad's Hill remains the only factual detail concerning the incident of the legend of the long ride north made by Dick Turpin, a highway man of some repute. The basic facts of the story are true, but they were told by Turpin to his admirers before he went to the gallows, and he was taking credit for the deed of one of his fellow highwaymen, and gang member, a certain Captain, Richard Dudley whom was guilty of the deed.
Gad's Hill Place was once the home of Charles Dickens who bought it in 1856 for £1,790. In its garden once stood a Swiss chalet in which Dickens would compose his works. The chalet is now in the gardens of Eastgate House, a Tudor building of great character in Rochester, while the House itself is a Public School.
Higham Marshes
The marshes are an important wetland habitat for many species of wildfowl. There are marked walking trails across the marshes. If you plan to visit during the summer months, insect repelant is advised as mosquitoes are abundant especially around dusk and dawn. The easiest access to the marshes is from Church Street. * [link]
Communications
- Canal: The Thames and Medway Canal now terminates at Higham. Opened 1824, the canal used to connect the Thames at Gravesend to the Medway at Strood. It lost the second half of its route c1847 when the railway took over the Higham and Strood canal tunnel, but continued to operate from Gravesend to Higham until 1934. It is now disused but as of 2006 there are plans to restore it for leisure use.
- Railways: Higham railway station is located in Higham (lower), near the entrance to the former canal tunnel. It is served by the North Kent Line. This section of the line was closed throughout 2004, to allow the chalk tunnel to be completely lined after a series of roof falls.
- Roads: The main A227 road between Gravesend and Rochester runs to the south of Higham village.
References
- Rayner, Stephen. Memories page. Medway News (used with permission)
- [Reconstruction of the tunnel 2004/5]
External links
- [Official Higham Parish Council website]
- [photographs of St Mary's church]
- [Gad's Hill Place]
- [Higham and Strood tunnel in 1847]
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