Vigo, Kent
| Vigo Village | |
|---|---|
 Vigo Village
|
|
| Vigo Village shown within Kent | |
| Population | 2,065 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TQ635615 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Gravesend |
| Postcode district | DA13 |
| Dialling code | 01732 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
Vigo Village /ˈvaɪɡoʊ/ is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It takes its name from a 15th-century public house, which was renamed in the 18th century after the Battle of Vigo Bay. While a nearby hamlet named Vigo was recorded on an 18th-century map, the present village was built in the mid-20th century, on a site that was previously a disused World War II army camp. The civil parish was created in 2000.
The village is situated in the middle of chestnut woodland at the top of the North Downs, east of the road between Gravesend and Wrotham. Next to the village is Trosley Country Park, which forms part of the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the 2001 census Vigo civil parish had a population of 2,201, reducing to 2,065 at the 2011 Census.
The Vigo Inn is reputed to date from 1471. It was renamed after the Battle of Vigo Bay, a naval battle fought in 1702 during the War of the Spanish Succession. An apocryphal story suggests that the inn was renamed by a man who bought it with the proceeds of war prizes gained during the battle.
Little is recorded about the area until the 1870s when Sir Sidney Waterlow purchased large areas of land including the village of Fairseat, a good proportion of Stansted, and land from Wrotham to Meopham. The parts of the estate were linked by a small bridge bearing the family crest over Trottiscliffe Road, which is still in evidence today. In 1887 he built Trosley Towers on the crest of the escarpment to the east of Trottiscliffe Road. It was approached by two drives and surrounded by wooded grounds. Other private drives were constructed, one of which is Hamilton Drive which still survives in Trosley Towers Country Park and runs from the site of the old house to Commority Road.
...
Wikipedia