A Short History of Kingswood and Broomfield, Kent, England

Under the entries for CHENTH (Kent) in the domesday book of 1086 is one for BRUNFELLE (Broomfield). This details that a certain Robert Latimer 'held Brunfelle at a revenue'. Aethelwold held it from Bishop Odo, William the conquerors half brother. At the time it was a very small community with a few smallholders, one mill, pigs and eight acres of woodland with some pasture land as well. Value before 1066 four pounds, now some 20 years later the value was hundreds of pounds.

As is seen from this information, Broomfield was recognised as a place with enough identity to warrant an entry in it's own name, although closely associated with Leeds at this time and thereafter. Until around the fourteenth century when the earliest parish register for Broomfield is dated from 1579 to 1775.

Since the ninth century, wooden fortifications had stood on some small islands on the river Len at Leeds. After the Norman conquest in 1066 this fortification, with the Manor of Leeds, was given by William to Hamon de Crevecoeur. Robert de Crevecoeur, his son, built a stone keep & gatehouse in 1130 at Leeds. Before this, in 1119, he started construction of an Augustinian Priory and church in Leeds and also a chapel in Broomfield (St Margaret's). Interestingly the parish boundary of Broomfield now contains much of Leeds Castle and in the first census in 1841, the castle is enumerated under Broomfield.

The name Brunfelle in the domesday book has changed through the centuries, most references show the spelling as bromfield with an occasional Bromefield. The parish register changed in 1832 to Broomfield, then back and forth depending upon the writer, until about 1900 when the present spelling was established. The abundance of heath and broom growing in the area at one time was thought by some to be the origin of Broom-field. Broom still grows in the woodland today. To the North of the parish is Warren Wood, originally providing a warren of rabbits to feed the inhabitants of the castle.

"Rose Farm"

Records of Broomfield apart from the church register are sketchy and rare but three have been people of note on which we do have some information. The Hatch family, one time occupants of Rose Farm were famous bell makers from 1600 to 1663. Records show that some 155 bells were cast by them in Ulcombe and Kingswood, including one of the bells in St Margaret's, Broomfield. On the South side of the churchyard is the tomb of Joseph Hatch, along with his mother and two brothers. The inscription reads "Here lyeth the body of Joseph Hatch, Bell Founder, who departed this day the 14th September 1639".

Also buried here is a once famous Kent cricketer Frederick Hollands, born in the parish in 1822, who played for Kent between 1849 and 1859. Recorded also is a certain George Bodbridge from Broomfield, a protestant burned as a martyr in 1555 at Canterbury.

in 1615 Mary Cayser left lands in Hollingbourne and Broomfield for the relief of the poor in both parishes. Cayser Drive in Kingswood was named after the good lady.

In the past the parish was totally influenced by the castle and much of it's history is the history of Broomfield. The comings and goings of Kings, Queens and the Lords and Ladies occupying the castle would have affected the ordinary villagers who were serving, supplying and being supported by the controllers of the castle.

Leeds Castle was first built in stone in the reign of William the Conqueror's son, Henry I, nearly 900 years ago. On the accession of Edward I in 1278, it came into the possession of the crown and remained as a royal palace for medieval queens for three centuries. Henry VIII spent large sums restoring and enlarging the castle during the 16th century and visited with Queen Catherine of Aragon. He then granted ownership to Sir Anthony Leger who was also Lord of the Manor of Ulcombe. Thus it passed into ownership of three famous English families - The St. Legers, The Culpepers and the Fairfaxes. In the early 19th century it passed to distant relatives, the Wykeham-Martins, and was finally bought in 1926 by Lady Bailey. She had a lifelong love of the castle and devotedly restored both the castle, and the park and grounds. Once more the castle entertained royalty including the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor), and the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

The Castle also had an important part to play in the Second World War, because the Len Valley is a natural fog-trap at Leeds, it was used for experiments which perfected the "F.I.D.O." (Fog Investigation Dispersal Operations) to assist planes landing in foggy conditions. The castle was also used as a military hospital and convalescent home for badly burned pilots treated at East Grinstead Hospital by Sir Archibald McIndoe.

At the death of Lady Bailey in the mid 1970's ownership passed to a charitable foundation, as a centre for medical research conferences and other affairs of some-times world-wide importance. A meeting of Arab-Israeli ministers was held there in the late 1970's. The castle was also opened to the public and the "loveliest castle in the world" has become a very popular place to visit for those in the country, and more and more from other countries. so now the world comes to Broomfield.

Up to very recent times, Broomfield was an agricultural community with, it seems, quite a stable population. The 1841 census records 146 inhabitants with 26 occupied dwellings, the includes those living and working at the castle. By the 1881 census the number had increased to 160 but at the end of the century was down again to 150. The twentieth century saw a dramatic increase in the population to 2000 or more, with about 650 dwellings. Most of the increase was on the South side of the parish in Kingswood, and also in Gravelly Bottom and Pitt roads.

With the demise of the East Sutton Estate in 1918 their woodlands in the South West of the parish along Gravelly Bottom and Pitt Roads were sold off in five acre lots (bought often by returning soldiers), much of the woodland cut down, and the land developed as small holdings producing mainly pigs, turkeys, eggs, soft fruit and other market produce. beyond Broomfield road a mud track led off Gravelly Bottom Road which intersected with a further track deep in the woods. along these were more smallholdings and there were others on Lenham Road. This community of smallholdings was known as Kingswood.

Around 1938, a few like-minded people in the parish erected a wooden building on land given by Mr. Apps, to serve as a village hall. This small wooden construction under an asbestos roof served the community well. Sited off Gravelly Bottom Road on land in front of what is now Rowan House, it was the heart of the then village and the venue for parish meetings, whist drives, dances and even a library. During the war it was invaluable to the community to coordinate their war efforts, a now faded certificate hangs in the new village hall from these times. It commemorates the adoption of HMS Maidstone" during warship week, March 1942.

The war in the air and from the air affected the lives of Broomfield people. Some of the battle of Britain and other actions were fought above Broomfield with both the German and British aircraft coming down within the parish. In the field above the church in Broomfield, and Dornier 17z Bomber just missed the treetops to plough into the field with a mighty explosion. The remains of the crew were buried in the churchyard initially but later re-interred in a major German cemetery in this country. For some reason, only the pilot, Martin Ziems, was interred at the Maidstone cemetery and is still there today. A church service was held in Broomfield on 16th September 1990 dedicated to Flying Officer Peter Pease who lost his life when his Spitfire Marked XT-B crashed in the field behind the new village hall in September 1940. There were several other incidents of aircraft crashing and later, V1's (doodlebugs) crashing into the parish. Local people served in the forces and a local home guard platoon was raised in the area. Troops came into the village to run ack-ack guns and search lights, while New Zealand and Canadian troops exercised in Kingswood.

After the 1939-45 war, laws were enacted requiring planning permission for all building, and as materials became available, permission could be obtained for development along the mud tracks (now known as Whitehall Drive and Charlesford Avenue) though not established roads such as Gravelly, Pitt, etc. Parcels of land were sold mainly to small developers and gradually the tracks in Kingswood became the framework for the roads we have today. Some say that some land was owned by Mr. Charles Ford who lived in Ashford and worked in Whitehall.

With the new developments came new services, electricity with mains water arriving in 1948. Before this, water was hard to come by, few wells were found, the small holders using dew ponds, collected the run-off from roofs or brought it in tankers. It was not until 1975 that mains drainage was brought into Kingswood, providing a welcome relief from the concerns about cesspool capacities and the emptying of these tanks for most of the villagers. Shortly after this time most of the unmade roads were made up at the expense of the residents. Thereafter the roads were put in with the buildings.

The only public amenity, the wooden hall in Gravelly Bottom Road was found to be inadequate for the now growing population. This little building had served the community well. The parish council had always met there, the Library service used the facility and since it's inaugural meeting in January 1954, the Women's Institute met there. To promote the idea and raise the necessary funds to build a new village hall, the size of the village hall committee was increased to start this task. It should be noted that the Hall Committee of local people had always run the old hall from letting monies. During the next ten years, the enlarged committee organised find raising events within the village. Disco's, Fete's, Old Time Music Halls, Pantomimes, Auctions, Jumble Sales, Sedan Chair Races, Pantomime Horse Races, sponsored walks and a sponsored knit-in were among the many events. Some of these events were held on "Millie's" field, owned by Millie and Edgar Thorneycroft and this land is now know as Thorneycroft Close. The Kingswood and Broomfield News was started, to inform and maintain the ongoing efforts of fund raising. A very successful lottery was also operated which raise considerable funds over a long period. In April 1980 the new hall was opened, bringing the new facility much closer to the main group of houses. This new hall was substantially brick built with all the facilities unheard of in the old hall - a proper kitchen, small function room, Large main hall for badminton and a good size stage, plus a heating system which was effective, and even a proper car park! Another fact not realized so much at the time was the bringing together of people within the parish in a joint effort to raise funds. This community achievement was recognised in when in May 1981 Kent Enterprises was awarded, in a competition, a certificate of commendation for their efforts in building a new village hall. The old hall has ended it's days, re-erected as a farm building on Rowan Farm, Gravelly Bottom Road, still useful after all these years.

The influx of new homes and young families brought the need for a primary school within the village. Before this, the children went by bus to Ulcombe or traveled to Leeds. In 1975 a primary school was built and opened. Kingswood and Broomfield news reads "Kingswood Primary School is near completion and the Headmaster Mr. Fox has been appointed". It has been said that a village requires a church, a pub, a post office and a school, so the opening of the latter completed the quartet However at the end of this century we are again incomplete with the loss of the "Battle of Britain" pub, closed in 1997 and now demolished.

In 1977 to mark the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the parish held a celebration party, and each child was presented with a jubilee crown piece. a wooden seat was also dedicated for the occasion.

During 1987 the parish was visited by two ladies from a city in the Unites States called Broomfield, just north of Denver, Colorado. These ladies had traveled to England to find their namesake to propose a sister city in the United Kingdom. A proclamation promoting friendship and communication between the 'broomfields' hangs in St Margaret's Church.

in November 1990 the hall received it's most distinguished visitor, the then Archbishop of Canterbury the late Robert Runcie, who took time to speak with many members of Kingswood Church (untied) after taking a service for the village.

Kingswood and Broomfield as the end of the 20th century has grown into a new village within an ancient parish. Perhaps this fact of old and new contributes to the well-being of this community, one built by the people within, to provide the services and environment, and most of all the spirit of the parish. To see this spirit an outsider would need to pop into the local shop and listen to the chatter, or attend a W.I. meeting or a Sunday Service, or perhaps join a boxing day walk around Leeds Castle footpaths. These and other events would perhaps show that the parish is indeed a "green and pleasant" place to live.

Geology of the area

geologically, Kingswood and Broomfield lie on the greensand ridge, North of the Weald of Kent. The topsoil is thin and light, and contains large amounts of sandstone, and beneath the loam subsoil is the so-called 'hythe beds' consisting of alternating layers of ragstone and sandstone. The result is an area of good water drainage, but soil which dries out quickly in summer. However, this is an idea soil for strawberry growing, which was once a main crop of the area, along with chestnut coppicing, a centuries old tradition which continues today.