Wye
Encyclopedia : W : WY : WYE : Wye
- This article describes the village in England, for other places and uses see: Wye (disambiguation)
Wye is an historic village in Kent, England, located some 12 miles from Canterbury. It is part of the civil parish of Wye with Hinxhill.
Its modern population is about 2,300 (for the entire parish) but is expanded by an additional 600 students at Wye College, until 2005 an agricultural college and part of Imperial College London. Imperial currently plan to convert the College site into a research centre for renewable energy with associated science park, paid for by building houses in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Wye is located at an ancient ford of the River Great Stour, and a Roman camp and villa stood at the site. On the Downs east of the village is a crown (hill figure) carved in the chalk by students in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII.
The college was founded in 1447 as a Latin school and seminary by John Cardinal Kempe, Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor. It has been part of London University since 1900.
There was once a racecourse here: the first race was run on 29 May 1849, the last 2 May 1974. It is described thus: "Less than one mile round, and more suited to a greyhound track than a racecourse, Wye could not be entirely classed as the ideal preparation for a tilt at the Champion Hurdle" [link].
Changing patterns of transport in the 19th century reduced its importance. The main A28 road between Canterbury and Ashford now runs some distance away, beyond the river, and somewhat isolated today's historic village and agricultural centre. There is a railway station here, built when the line from Ashford to Margate was opened on 1 December 1846 by the South Eastern Railway.
A farmers market is held in Wye on the first and third Saturday of every month.
Walks
Wye is on the Pilgrims' Way and at a junction of the North Downs Way, a long distance walk from Farnham in Surrey east to Dover, and the Stour Valley Walk from Lenham via Ashford and Canterbury to Sandwich and finally the English Channel.Notable Residents
- Aphra Behn, Restoration dramatist and spy.
- John Kemp, 15th century English cardinal, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor.
- Catherine Macaulay, 18th century English historian and republican.
See also
External links
- [Save-wye.org Village website covering an attempt to introduce large scale housing and commercial development into an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]
- [Privately-owned commercial website promoting businesses in the village]
- [History of the College]
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