Neha Patil (Editor)

Lower Halstow

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Population
  
1,180 (2011 Census)

Country
  
England

Post town
  
Sittingbourne

Local time
  
Tuesday 6:00 AM

District
  
Swale

Region
  
South East

Sovereign state
  
United Kingdom

Postcode district
  
ME9

Shire county
  
Kent

Dialling code
  
01795

Lower Halstow

Weather
  
7°C, Wind SW at 14 km/h, 97% Humidity

The saxon shore way lower halstow to swale 23 august 2016


Lower Halstow is a village and civil parish in the Swale district of Kent, England. The village is situated to the north west of Sittingbourne on the banks of the Medway Estuary. It lies north of Newington on the A2 Roman road.

Contents

Map of Lower Halstow, Sittingbourne, UK

The village has a long and interesting history, with evidence of constant occupation since the Iron Age. Being so close to the water, Lower Halstow has (until recently) been a village that has made its living from the water. Whether it be ancient pottery making, ancient fishing, barge building, or in the 19th- and 20th-century brick-making (Eastwoods Brickworks), the water has been the lifeblood of the village.

According to Edward Hasted in 1798, two large hospital ships, commonly called lazarettos, (which were the surviving hulks of forty-four gun ships) were moored in Halstow Creek. The lazarettos monitored ships coming to England which were forced to stay in the creek under quarantine, to protect the country from infectious diseases.

In 1563, Queen Elizabeth ordered a survey, and Halstow Key (a wharf on the creek), was made up of 24 people in houses and 14 living on boats. There were two hamlets, one beside the wharf and the other around Halstow Green on Lower Street. The rest of the northern lands were salt marsh. Lands heading southwards (measuring 1200 acres) were heavy clay. All the lands were under the control of the manor of Milton Regis.

In 2011, the population of the village was 1,180.

Edith may lower halstow kent


Etymology

The name of the village has developed gradually over the years: Holy Place (Halig stow) Pronounced "ail-stoo", with a long "oo" as in "through" c. 1100; Halgastaw, 1160; Halgastow, 1199; Halegestowe, 1226; Halgesto, 1576; Halstowe, 1610; Halstoe, c. 1790; Halstow, 1810 – Lower Halstow.

Church

On the banks of the Medway Estuary is the church of St Margaret of Antioch. This Grade II listed church has a long history that can be traced back to Saxon times. It is in the diocese of Canterbury, and deanery of Sittingbourne. The first recorded parish priest was John de London who was a nephew to St Thomas Becket.

The church has features and ancient artifacts that are still in use today. The church can trace its oldest parts back to the 7th century, making it one of the oldest churches still in use in England. Some points of interest are:

  • Roman tiles built into the brickwork (taken from a Roman villa and temple in the village)
  • A Saxon window built into the wall of the church
  • An ancient Norman lead font – very rare and possibly the oldest in the country
  • Medieval frescos and graffiti – a statement of what life was like in pre-reformation England
  • A war memorial for the men of the village who died in the Great War
  • References

    Lower Halstow Wikipedia