Hoo St Werburgh | |
---|---|
Hoo St Werburgh, Rochester, Kent. |
|
Hoo St Werburgh shown within Kent | |
Population | 8,945 (2011) |
OS grid reference | TQ779725 |
Civil parish |
|
Unitary authority | |
Ceremonial county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ROCHESTER |
Postcode district | ME3 |
Dialling code | 01634 |
Police | Kent |
Fire | Kent |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Hoo St Werburgh (locally referred to as just Hoo) is one of several villages on the Hoo Peninsula to bear the name Hoo, meaning 'spur of land'. It constitutes a civil parish in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It was, until 1998, administered by Kent County Council, but is still part of Kent with which it is ceremonially associated via the Lieutenancies Act. It had a population of 7,356 at the 2001 census, increasing to 8,945 at the 2011 Census.
St. Werburgh was the daughter of King Wulfhere of Mercia, and niece of King Æthelred, his brother and successor. She was born between 640 and 650.
The first church of Hoo St Werburgh may have been built in the reign of the 8th century King Æthelbald of Mercia, though presumably a monastery existed nearby at an earlier time. This, together with land at Hoo All Hallows, is likely to have been placed under the rule of the leading Mercian monastery of Medeshamstede, now known as Peterborough.
A significant, and possibly unique, feature of this ancient parish church are the two Royal hatchments of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. These were later restored and can be viewed in the church. The Reverend Ferdinando Booth of the same family as Archbishop Lawrence Booth was vicar here from 1675-1680.