THE ASHFORD AREA, KENT PAGE

The village has been in existence since Saxon times and is included in the Domesday book as Welle owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury′s monks. A weekly market has been held there since the time of Edward 1.

The Parish church is St Mary′s Church and Parish registers begin in 1558. Westwell is in the West Ashford registration district.

The village has been in existence since Saxon times and is included in the Domesday book as Cheringes owned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The ruins of an archiepiscopal palace lie within the parish.

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is part 13C, but with extensive restoration after a fire in 1590.

Parish registers begin 1590. Charing is in the West Ashford registration district.

It is about 60 miles from London and 15 miles from Canterbury. The town has been in existence since Saxon times and is mentioned in the Domesday book as Essetesford owned by Hugh de Montford. It had a church and two mills.

The town was incorporated in 1243 and became an important centre for agriculture and an important market town before 1600. The railway arrived from London in 1842 and continued to Dover in 1844.

The Parish Church of St Mary dates from 13th century with restoration in the 15th century and additions and alterations since that time.

Parish Registers begin 1570

The village is recorded in the Domesday Book as Merseham belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It had a church, 2 mills and two salt-houses.

The Church of St John the Baptist is a 14C rebuild of a 13C Church.

Parish registers begin 1558. Mersham is in the East Ashford registration district.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin was originally a Norman church but had additions in the 13C, 15C and much Victorian restoration.

Parish registers begin 1570. Smeeth is in the East Ashford registration district.

The village was recorded in the domesday book as Sellinges: Harvey from Hugh de Montford. It had two churches and a mill.

The 13th century parish church is the Church of St Mary. Parish registers begin 1559. Sellindge is in the Elham registration district.

The village borders on the Romney Marsh and became associated with smuggling. It was linked with the nearby village of Aldington and with the notorious Aldington Gang.

The village was recorded as Seleberhtes Cert as early as 762 when it had the first recorded mechanical Water Mill in Britain. In the domesday book it is recorded as Certh in the posession of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It had two mills, a salt-pit, feeding ground for a hundred hogs, and a population of fifty-two.

The Parish Church of St Mary dates from the 14th century with later major restoration in the 15th and 19th centuries.

Parish registers begin in 1558 and Bishops Transcripts in 1560

In Saxon times the village belonged to Earl Godwin and then his son Harold, King of England. After 1066 William the Conquerer seized all the king's land and he gave Boughton to Eustance Earle of Bologne. In the domesday book it is recorded as Boltune, land of Earle Eustance. It had two mills, a church, arable land, meadow and woodland.

The Parish Church of All Saints dates from the 13th century with 14th centuary enlargement and restoration in the 19th century. There has been further restoration in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Parish registers begin in 1558 and Boughton lies in the East Ashford Registration district.