Eastwell, Kent

Eastwell
Ruin of St Mary's parish church
Eastwell Location within Kent
Area	3.62 km2 (1.40 sq mi)
Population	103 (2011 Census) [1]
•  Density	28/km2 (73/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TR009473
District	Ashford
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Ashford
Postcode district	TN25
Dialling code	01233
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Weald of Kent [2]
Website	Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council
List of places UK England Kent 51°11′36″N0°52′17″E / 51.1934°N 0.8713°E / 51.1934; 0.8713

Eastwell is a hamlet and civil parish about 3 miles (5 km) north of Ashford, Kent, England. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 103. ^[1] Eastwell shares a grouped parish council with the neighbouring parish of Boughton Aluph.

Parish church

Main article: St Mary's Church, Eastwell

Much of the medieval parish church of St Mary collapsed in 1951, and most of the ruins were demolished in 1956. Only the 15th-century west tower, the west wall of the south aisle and a 19th-century mortuary chapel remain standing. Since 1980 the remains have been a Scheduled Ancient Monument ^[3] and cared for by the Friends of Friendless Churches charity. ^[4]

Eastwell Park

Main article: Eastwell Park

Part of Eastwell Manor house

Eastwell Park is a country estate almost one square mile in area surrounding Eastwell Manor, a Jacobethan country house completed in 1848. Eastwell Lake was created at the same time. The hotel offers a golf course, indoor swimming pool and horseriding.

Contemporary with the house is Eastwell Towers, a Jacobethan gatehouse in the adjacent parish of Boughton Aluph. The drive from the gatehouse to the manor house is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long.

Lake House

Lake House is a late 13th-century house in Eastwell Park south of the manor house. It has a 17th-century roof and 19th-century windows, but retains four original windows, now blocked. It is a Grade II* listed building. ^[5]

Governance

There are three tiers of local government covering Eastwell, at parish, district and county level: Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council, Ashford Borough Council, and Kent County Council. The parish council is a grouped parish council, covering the two parishes of Eastwell and Boughton Aluph. It meets at the village hall in Boughton Lees, known as the Iron Room. ^[6]

Notable inhabitants

By age of birth:

• Richard Plantagenet (Richard of Eastwell) (1469–1550), purported son of King Richard III
• Sir Thomas Moyle (1488–1560), Speaker of the House of Commons
• Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661–1720), poet and courtier
• George Finch-Hatton, 11th Earl of Winchilsea (1815–1887), politician, and his family
• Prince Alfred of Great Britain, Duke of Edinburgh (1866–1900), and his family

See also

• Listed buildings in Eastwell, Kent

References

1. "Area: Eastwell (Parish): Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 10 May 2014.
2. "Location of Weald of Kent". parliament.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
3. Historic England. "Eastwell Church (1005121)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 12 May 2014.
4. "Eastwell St Mary". Friends of Friendless Churches. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
5. Historic England. "Lake House (Grade II*) (1362760)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 28 May 2016.
6. "Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council" . Retrieved 10 October 2025.

Further reading

• Hasted, Edward (1798). The History and Topographical Survey of Kent. Vol. 7. Canterbury: W Bristow. pp. 398–412.
• Newman, John (1969). North East and East Kent. The Buildings of England. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. pp. 295–6. ISBN   0-14-071039-6.

External links

• "A Neighbourhood Plan for Boughton Aluph, Eastwell & Goat Lees". Boughton Aluph and Eastwell Parish Council.