Leybourne
| Leybourne | |
|---|---|
 Leybourne
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| Leybourne shown within Kent | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | ME19 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Leybourne is a small village in Kent, England situated off Junction 4 of the M20 Motorway. Leybourne is adjacent to Larkfield and West Malling.
Historically, the area was extensively quarried, leaving a number of flooded gravel pits. These have recently been developed into Leybourne Lakes Country Park, and a housing development. Several of the houses on the development feature in the Channel 4 TV Series Cape Wrath. Nearby New Hythe was also home (until 2004) of Meridian's newsroom and studio for the South East.
Leybourne church is a small church with a big history. The church was built in Saxon times but the church building was changed greatly in 1874. The Leybourne history started when the ancestor of the Leybourne family came over with William the Conqueror from France. He was granted land by William I in Yorkshire and lived there with his family for a long time. His descendent, Sir Philip Libourne, decided to live in a village in Kent called Lillieburn. The names mixed to call the place Leybourne. He built Leybourne Castle and was the first baron of Leybourne; his new name was Sir Philip Baron de Leybourne. Two people who were quite important were barons of Leybourne. The first, the baron of Leybourne, Sir Roger de Leybourne great grandson of Philip, was good friends with Prince Edward (later to become Edward I). In 1270 he set off with Edward on a crusade to the Holy Land. On the way he was ill so was sent back; in France on the way to Leybourne he died. His heart was sent back to Leybourne and put in the left-hand side box of the niche; the one on the right is empty.
The second is Sir William Baron de Leybourne, son of Sir Roger, who was the first Englishman to have the title admiral. On 25 October 1286 King Edward I and Queen Eleanor of Castille visited William at Leybourne Castle. They left two crowns as gifts, which hang above the wooden plaque about Sir William, which was unveiled in 1956 by Richard Talbot.
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Wikipedia