Bredgar: The History of a Kentish Parish

‘An earthly paradise’ is how Bredgar was described in 1900. This new, much extended, history of the parish brings the story right up to the present & incorporates much new information such as the secret mission of the WI during the war.

A comprehensive account of the village from Roman times to the present, the book explores the families, houses, life and work of the parish It uncovers the history of the Roman treasure, the Chantry, Thatcher’s charity, the church, the Methodist chapel, the village school, Sun Inn & Manns Place. The story is told of Ashley Goatham, the soldier who died in the Zulu Wars, whilst the men of the village who gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars are remembered.

Read how, over time, the inhabitants of this Kentish village gradually shaped and changed their landscape, grafted the fruit trees, picked the cherries, cleared the flints from the fields and watered their animals at the Gore Pond. Generations survived through war and peace sustained by their religious faith and their love of the land.

Helen Allinson is an experienced local historian and author whose previous publications include histories of the parishes of Borden and Hollingbourne, ‘Life in the workhouse’, ‘The journals of a Victorian lady’ and ‘Farewell to Kent'.​​​​​​