Stowting Explained

Official Name:Stowting
Country:England
Region:South East England
Static Image:St Mary's Church, Stowting.jpg
Static Image Width:250px
Static Image Caption:St Mary's Church, Stowting
Population:238
Population Ref:(parish, 2001 Census)
Os Grid Reference:TR124417
Post Town:Ashford
Postcode Area:TN
Postcode District:TN25
Shire District:Folkestone and Hythe
Shire County:Kent
Coordinates:51.133°N 1.033°W

Stowting is a village and civil parish in the English county of Kent. It is 6miles east of Ashford, 7miles north-west of Folkestone and 10miles south of Canterbury.

History

The place name Stowting is Anglo-Saxon, meaning a 'place characterized by a mound.'[1] It was known in the time of the Domesday Book as Stotinges and Estotinges, and in later records it was called Stutinges and Stowling.[2]

The Manor of Stowting was given by Egelric Bigge, to Christ Church, in Canterbury in the year 1044. The parish church is 13th century with many later additions and alterations. It is dedicated to St Mary and is built from flint with stone dressings with a flint tower.[2] It is a Grade II listed building.[3] To the west of the church are the remains of a castle mound which are considered to be a particularly fine example of a Norman Motte-and-bailey castle. In 1947, a Douglas C-47A crashed on the hillside above the village, killing eight of the 16 people on board.[4] [5]

The modern village

The scattered village stands at the southern foot of a chalk hill, part of the North Downs and is located beside a chalk spring. To the north of the village centre the hamlets of Stowting Common and Lymbridge Green are both part of the parish. The Roman Road of Stone Street runs 1miles to the east of the village whilst the Pilgrim's Way and North Downs Way footpath runs through the village itself.

Stowting has a Church of England primary school adjacent to the church. It has one pub, currently named The Tiger Inn, which dates to the 1600s and that displays a Mackesons Hythe Ales front fascia sign, depicting its earlier brewery ownership. Stowting Cricket Club was established in 1895 and plays at Dawes Field near the school and church.

References

  1. Web site: The suffix -ing. British Marine Life Study Society. www.glaucus.org.uk. 2017-04-25.
  2. Web site: Parishes: Stowting British History Online. www.british-history.ac.uk. en. 2017-04-21.
  3. Web site: Church of St Mary, Stowting, Kent. Stuff. Good. www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk. 2017-04-21.
  4. Web site: Kent Accident Inquiry (Hansard, 29 January 1947). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). en-GB. 29 January 1947. 2017-04-22.
  5. Web site: Stowting Dakota Crash Report Western Morning News -. 7 May 1947. Sussex History Forum quoting Western Morning News.