Copyright Kent Past 2010
Kent Past
The History of Kent
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History of Harrietsham
Harrietsham comes from the Old English ‘hamm’ meaning ‘land hemmed in by water or
a marsh’ combined with a warlord’s name; therefore, ‘Heregeard’s hemmed-
Harrietsham parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The Normans commenced building it toward the end of the 11th century with additions and alterations in the following 300 years, constructing an additional the two stage west tower late in the 14th century – after 1479. The Norman font is one of the finest examples in Kent. In 1742, Robert Bottle hung a ring of eight bells cast by Thomas Lester. In 1798, Edward Hasted described St John’s church as a ‘handsome building, consisting of three isles and three chancels, with a square tower at the west end’. The Victorians extended and restored it in the 19th century.
Harrietsham railway station opened on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway’s Maidstone to Ashford route, on 1 July 1884…. more