Sheldwich

Geography

Sheldwich is situated 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the market town of Faversham, 10 miles (16 km) north of Ashford and 10 miles west of Canterbury via the M2 and A2. It is fragmented into five parts, with North Street a distinct settlement on the A251, Sheldwich (including the Church and school) scattered further south on or close to the main road; Sheldwich Lees, a small village in its own right (and where the Village Hall and Green (the Lees) are situated) lying 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south-east of the junction of Lees Court Road and the Ashford Road (A251), and the hamlets of Gosmere and Copton to the north, the latter being transferred to the Parish in 2012. Other than North Street, Copton and part of Gosmere, the remainder of the parish lies within the Kent Downs, (the eastern part of the North Downs), a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The population of the parish in the 2011 census was 491, a fall of 31 from the 2001 Census. The village name of Sheldwich is unique within the United Kingdom.

Governance

Sheldwich in elections every four years elects one representative to Kent County Council, this is currently:

Sheldwich elects two representatives to Swale Borough Council, currently:

There is also the parish council with delegated responsibilities, such as for trees, litter, parks, some local leisure activities and a planning advisory role.

Lees Court

South east of the village of Sheldwich Lees is Lees Court, a listed Grade I country house. It is now subdivided into private apartments, along with the Grade II listed Dairy Court, Estate House, Court Yard, and Stable Yard. It also retains well maintained gardens, parkland and grounds. Lees Court was the country seat for many years of the Right Honourable Earl Sondes. Destroyed entirely by fire in 1910 it was painstakingly rebuilt.

History

In ancient charters it was called 'Schyldwic'. In 784, it was given this name by Ealhmund of Kent, to Abbot Wetrede and his convent of 'Raculf Cestre', or Reculver. During King Edward I's reign (1239–1307), it passed to the family of Atte-Lese, which included the Manor of Sheldwich. This then became the Manor of Leescourt due to the name of the Atte-lese family mansion.

In 1367, Sir Richard At-Lese (MP) was an owner of the manor, he was later Sheriff of Kent. He died in 1394. In King James I's reign, Sir Richard Sondes became the owner and his son Sir George Sondes destroyed a large section of the manor house. After Sir George, Marquis of Blanquefort inherited the manor. It then stayed under his family control until 1798.

The village church, parts of which are eleventh century, listed as Grade II*, is dedicated to St. James. It was extended and extensively restored in 1888.

The village features its manor house, rebuilt almost entirely, lying close to woodland known as Church Plantation. It is near to Grade II* listed Throwley House.

Because of the small scattered population (491 according to the 2011 census) the civil parish is joined with those of two smaller neighbouring villages. It is known as Sheldwich, Badlesmere and Leaveland. As most of the parish lies within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Planning laws are tight with very little new development permitted since its establishment in the mid-1960s.

The following are listed structures within the Parish:

Economy

There are several listed oast houses, mostly now residential, such as Gosmere Oast (pictured). The area is almost wholly agricultural with a particularly fine herd of cattle at Badlesmere Court Farm and some sheep.