Elmsted
| Elmsted | |
|---|---|
 St James has an unusual belfry on the tower |
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 Elmsted
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| Elmsted shown within Kent | |
| Population | 292 (parish, 2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TR115449 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Dialling code | 01233 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Elmsted is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. It is located west of Stone Street (the B2068), the Roman road which today takes traffic between Canterbury and Lympne. Within the parish are the settlements of Bodsham, North Leigh and Evington. There are six elected members of the Parish Council.
The parishes name, Elmsted, is formed of two words. Elm refers to the large number of Elm trees that grew there in Saxon times. The second part, sted, comes from the Saxon word stede meaning 'place'.
Elmsted is a small parish encompassing an area of approximately 10 km square with its population scattered in small hamlets like Bodsham, North Leigh and Elmsted Court. Settlements are largely at the top of the chalky down land with surrounding, lowland areas being used for grazing Cattle and Sheep and other farming . In these lower areas the ground contains far more in the way of clay and flint deposits than chalk. The Parish church of St James the Greater lies in the center of the parish at a kilometer or two from the parish boundary in every direction. On its eastern boundary the parish largely follows parallel to the Roman Road Stone Street. However it dips into the hamlets of Stelling Minnis and into Sixmile cottages.[1] The parish itself is 11 kilometers east of Ashford which is the nearest town.
The settlements in the parish are very scattered which can largely be attributed to the agricultural nature of the parish. Homesteads would be built next to the land that the people living in them farmed. The laborers on the farms would then walk to their parish church. The parish boundaries have remained broadly consistent with only slight variations in in the South East of the parish.
The parish contains no shops or doctors surgery but does have a primary school, a pub, a cider brewery and a number of bed and breakfasts dotted around the parish. The local school is Bodsham Church of England Primary School. The School has around 90 students and has a close link to the local church with a daily worship. it is part of the Federation of Church of England Primary Schools.
The Roman road Stone Street defines part of the parishes eastern border. Constructed after the 43 AD invasion of the British Isles the road was made to make travel from Canterbury to the south coast faster and more direct for movements of troops in the Empire. It also made trade for areas surrounding the road easier and later allowed the Archbishop of Canterbury to more easily monitor his diocese.
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Wikipedia