Area 13.67 km (5.28 sq mi) Civil parish Blean | OS grid reference TR119608 Local time Saturday 11:28 PM | |
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Population 5,589 (Civil Parish 2011) Weather 7°C, Wind SW at 24 km/h, 84% Humidity Points of interest Druidstone Park, Blean Woods National, Clowes Wood | ||
Blean is in the Canterbury district of Kent, England. It is the name of the large civil parish and the suburban developed village within it: the latter is scattered along the road between Canterbury and Whitstable, in the middle of the Forest of Blean and the parish is mostly woodland, much of which is ancient woodland.
Contents
- Map of Blean UK
- History
- Amenities
- Governance
- Economy
- Famous residents
- Eponyms
- Possible use in literature
- References
Map of Blean, UK
History
In 1800, according to Edward Hasted's county study, the village was once part of the king's ancient forest of Blean in the hundred of Westgate.
The village name of Blean may well have derived from the Old English word ‘blea’ which means rough ground.
Amenities
The village has a druid woodland sculpture park, noted for its large sleeping dragon. The east of the village has a hall and recreation ground used for sports.
The parish church is about half a mile from the village centre. It is dedicated to St Cosmus and St Damian and emphasising some kind of descriptor of the land itself, has always been suffixed 'in the Blean'. It is a 13th-century building and Grade II* listed, the second highest designation in the national grading scheme.
Veering towards the north of the village's main street is a pub; a post office is also in the village.
Governance
Blean is part of the electoral ward of Blean Forest. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 6,176.
Economy
Blean's economy is closely tied to Canterbury and to a lesser extent, Whitstable. In television entertainment Smallfilms operates here the production company that created the animated series Ivor the Engine, Bagpuss and the Clangers, at Peter Firmin's barn on the Blean farm.
Famous residents
Eponyms
HMS Blean is named after the village's Blean Beagles hunt.
Possible use in literature
According to Douglas Adams's humorous dictionary The Meaning of Liff (1983), a "blean" is a "Scientific measure of luminosity: 1 glimmer = 100,000 bleans. Usherettes' torches are designed to produce between 2.5 and 4 bleans, enabling them to assist you in falling downstairs, treading on people or putting your hand into a Neapolitan tub when reaching for change".