Wickhambreaux
| Wickhambreaux | |
|---|---|
 The Rose Inn, Wickhambreaux |
|
 Wickhambreaux
|
|
| Wickhambreaux shown within Kent | |
| Area | 11.32 km2 (4.37 sq mi) |
| Population | 485 (Civil Parish 2011) |
| • Density | 43/km2 (110/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TR217583 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Canterbury |
| Postcode district | CT3 |
| Dialling code | 01227 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Wickhambreaux (/ˈwɪkəmbruː/ WIK-əm-brew) is a small rural village, just off the A257 Sandwich Road, five miles from Canterbury in the county of Kent, England.
Wickhambreaux has a recorded history with connections to the Church and Crown dating back to Roman times. It is first mentioned in 948 when King Eadred granted land to a religious woman, however, Wickhambreaux settlement predates this to at least Roman times as it is on the northwest side of the Roman Road. Wickhambreaux village still retains its medieval pattern with the Church, manor house, rectory, inn and mill encircling the green.
Wickhambreaux manor was the home of Joan of Kent, wife to Edward Plantagenet, and mother of Richard II. The tomb of Edward Plantagenet, popularly known as the Black Prince, is in Canterbury Cathedral.
Joan was very much a power behind the throne and was well-loved for her influence over the young king. So much so that when she returned to London from a pilgrimage to Canterbury in 1381, which included a visit to her Wickhambreaux estate, and found her way barred by Wat Tyler and his rebels on Blackheath, the mob not only let her through unharmed, but saluted her with kisses and provided an escort for her for the rest of her journey.
In the Domesday Book the village is referred to as Wicheham. The derivation appears to be Anglo Saxon and is formed from Wich (Wich town), meaning coastal trading settlement and Ham, meaning homestead or settlement. Although this is surprising today, in Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon England the village was near the mouth of the Little Stour or Lesser Stour, where is entered the Wantsum Channel. This explains the fisheries and salt pans identified in the Domesday Book and the river was at that time easily navigable for ships of the time. Wickhambreaux is the location of the site where one of the first Roman roads in Britain crossed the Little Stour en route from, where the Romans first landed in Britain, Richborough Castle to Canterbury.
...
Wikipedia