Northfleet, Kent
| Northfleet | |
|---|---|
 Northfleet Hill dominated by the now-demolished cement plant chimneys. |
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 Northfleet
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| Northfleet shown within Kent | |
| Population | 29,474 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TQ6274 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Gravesend |
| Postcode district | DA11 |
| Dialling code | 01474 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Northfleet is a town in the Gravesham Borough of Kent. It borders the Dartford Borough. It is located north west of Gravesend.
Its name is derived from being situated on the northern reach of what was once called the River Fleet (today known as the Ebbsfleet). There is a village at the other end of the river named Southfleet. It has been the site of a settlement on the shore of the River Thames adjacent to Gravesend since Roman times. It was known as Fleote by the Saxons c. 600 AD, Flyote c. 900 AD, and Flete c. 1000 AD. It was recorded as Norfluet in the Domesday Book, and Northflet in 1201. By 1610 the name of Northfleet had become established. A battle took place during the civil war at the Stonebridge over the Ebbsfleet river. Northfleet became a town in 1874 with the Northfleet Urban District Council being established c. 1894. In 1974 it was merged with the adjacent Borough of Gravesend. The first council offices were off the Hill, but the council then moved to Northfleet House (now a nursing home for the elderly). Northfleet House was once the home of Mr. Sturges a local landowner. Northfleet was in the lathe of Aylesford and the hundred of Toltingtrough.
Romans lived in the area now known as Springhead, which they called Vagniacae. A Roman road, which forms the basis of the A2 Watling Street, divides the area.
In 1815 the first steamboat started plying between Gravesend, Kent, and London, an event which was to bring much prosperity to the area. The number of visitors steadily increased, and in the course of the next ten years several new and rival steam packets were started. The regular service given by the steam packets led entrepreneurs to establish amenities for the entertainment of visitors, one of which was Rosherville Gardens.
George Jones laid out the gardens in 1837 in one of the disused chalk pits, covering an area of 17 acres (69,000 m²). Their full title was the 'Kent Zoological and Botanical Gardens Institution'. They occupied an area in what was to become Rosherville New Town (see below).
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