| Static Image Name: | Biddenden Church - geograph.org.uk - 221914.jpg |
| Static Image Caption: | All Saints Biddenden Church |
| Static Image Alt: | Stone church surrounded by graves |
| Country: | England |
| Official Name: | Biddenden |
| Coordinates: | 51.1139°N 0.6441°W |
| Civil Parish: | Biddenden |
| Population: | 2574 |
| Area Total Km2: | 29.12 |
| Population Ref: | (Civil Parish 2011)[1] |
| Shire District: | Ashford |
| Shire County: | Kent |
| Region: | South East England |
| Constituency Westminster: | Ashford |
| Post Town: | ASHFORD |
| Postcode District: | TN27 |
| Postcode Area: | TN |
| Dial Code: | 01580 |
| Os Grid Reference: | TQ850383 |
Biddenden is a large, mostly agricultural and wooded village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The village lies on the Weald of Kent, 5miles north of Tenterden. It was a centre for the Wealden iron industry and clothmaking.
The parish includes the hamlet Woolpack Corner (51.1°N 0.64°W).
The place name Biddenden is derived from the Kentish dialect of Old English, meaning "Bidda's woodland pasture". It is associated with a man called Bida, and was originally Biddingden (c993) Bida + ing + denn, eventually evolving into the current spelling.[2] [3]
All Saints Biddenden is the parish church, built mostly in the 13th century. There was likely an earlier Saxon church here. During the half-century reign of Edward III, Flemish clothworkers were settled in the area. The ready availability of raw materials led to the establishment of a flourishing textile industry for the production of broadcloth. Wealth from this industry built many of the fine houses in town.
Biddenden Place was the ancestral home of the Mayney or Mayne family: the village school, originally founded in 1522, is named after its benefactor John Mayne. [4]
In 1100, Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, a pair of conjoined twins, were supposedly born in the village. The origin of the perpetual charity of Biddenden is celebrated in the village signage of the Biddenden Maids, as they became known. The Biddenden Consolidated Charity provides Biddenden pensioners and widows with bread, cheese, and tea at Easter, a cash payment at Christmas, and distribution of Biddenden cakes.
| Biddenden compared | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 UK Census | Biddenden | Ashford district | England | |
| Population | 2,434 | 102,661 | 49,138,831 | |
| Foreign born | 5.8% | 5.5% | 9.2% | |
| White | 98.7% | 97.6% | 90.9% | |
| Asian | 0.3% | 0.9% | 4.6% | |
| Black | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.3% | |
| Christian | 78.6% | 76.5% | 71.7% | |
| Muslim | 0.1% | 0.6% | 3.1% | |
| Hindu | 0.2% | 0.3% | 1.1% | |
| No religion | 12.7% | 14.6% | 14.6% | |
| Unemployed | 1.7% | 2.4% | 3.3% | |
| Retired | 18.8% | 13.8% | 13.5% | |
At the 2001 UK census, the Biddenden electoral ward had a population of 2,434. The ethnicity was 98.7% white, 0.4% mixed race, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% black and 0.1% other. The place of birth of residents was 94.2% United Kingdom, 0.4% Republic of Ireland, 1.6% other Western European countries, and 3.8% elsewhere. Religion was recorded as 78.6% Christian, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.2% Hindu, 0% Sikh, 0% Jewish, and 0.1% Muslim. 12.7% were recorded as having no religion, 0.3% had an alternative religion and 7.9% did not state their religion.[5]
The economic activity of residents aged 16–74 was 32.8% in full-time employment, 12.5% in part-time employment, 16.9% self-employed, 1.7% unemployed, 1.1% students with jobs, 2.4% students without jobs, 18.8% retired, 9.4% looking after home or family, 2.5% permanently sick or disabled and 2% economically inactive for other reasons. The industry of employment of residents was 13.9% retail, 9.5% manufacturing, 10.3% construction, 14.3% real estate, 10.3% health and social work, 7.2% education, 4.7% transport and communications, 5.2% public administration, 4.9% hotels and restaurants, 5.7% finance, 5.8% agriculture and 8.2% other. Compared with national figures, the ward had a relatively high proportion of workers in agriculture and construction. There were a relatively low proportion in manufacturing, transport and communications. Of the ward's residents aged 16–74, 19.6% had a higher education qualification or the equivalent, compared with 19.9% nationwide.[5]
An important cottage industry has developed to the west, where numerous vineyards and orchards produce varietal wines, ciders and juices. Biddenden is also the trading name of Biddenden's Cider. Biddenden's Cider is made by Biddenden Vineyards Ltd.[6] whose premises are close to the clustered village centre.
Biddenden was served for nearly five decades by Biddenden railway station, on the Kent and East Sussex Railway. The station opened on 15 May 1905 and closed on 4 January 1954.[7]
Bygone Buses was based in Biddenden during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was sold to Maidstone & District Motor Services.
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