Davington
| Davington | |
| Kent | |
|---|---|
 Stonebridge Pond, Davington | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TR010617 |
| Location: | 51°19’8"N, 0°53’2"E |
| Data | |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Swale |
Davington is a village which has become effectively a suburb of Faversham in the north of Kent.
The village forms the western section of Faversham, including Bysing Wood and Bysing Wood fishing lakes. The parish's most striking geographical feature is the sharply defined ridge, up which Davington Hill, Brent Hill and Dark Hill travel, with the parish church sitting at its top. The ridge runs south-west to north-east, losing height as it approaches the marshes and sea. Its topography is similar to the ridge upon which Bysing Wood stands further to the west of the area, near Oare.[1]
The ecclesiastical parish has large areas of post-war housing developments, as well as industrial estates and complexes along the Oare Road and the Western Link Road. These include Brett's (quarry firm), GIST (business logistics company) and Shepherd Neame Brewery also has a warehouse, as well as in the town centre of Faversham.
Church
Davington church is a prominent and much-loved local feature, which stands on top of a ridge above Stonebridge Pond.
This is the Norman Priory Church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene and St Lawrence and it is the oldest existing building in the Faversham area. Most of its building construction dates from the second half of the twelfth century.[2]
History
Davington was an ancient parish. The parish was fairly rural and essentially was a cluster of houses around the parish church and school, as well as a few widely distributed farm houses and cottages around.
Post-war residential development connected the parish to the centre of Faversham.
About the village
Beside the church stands is a Priory house. This is largely the remains of Davington Priory,[3] which was founded in 1153 for a prioress and her 26 Benedictine nuns. It is well known for being the home of Bob Geldof.[4]
Other important buildings in the parish include Davington Farmhouse[5] and Davington Manor.[6]
Davington also had its own light railway, the Davington Light Railway. Built in 1916, the three mile track was mainly used for passenger traffic. It was also very short-lived and closed in 1919. The railway linked Davington with the high explosives factories of the Cotton Powder Company and Explosives Loading Company between Uplees and Harty Ferry near Oare.[7]
The parish also has two pubs, Albion Tavern (Shepherd Neame)[8] and Brents Tavern.[9] It also has the popular Davington Primary School.
Also included within the parish is the Faversham Angling Club Lakes and nearby Oare Gunpowder Works (now a country park).
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Davington) |
- Davinton on KentNet
References
- ↑ "Davington". http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=1172.
- ↑ "Church of St Mary Magdalene - Faversham - Kent - England". British Listed Buildings. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176003-church-of-st-mary-magdalene-faversham.
- ↑ "Davington Priory - Faversham - Kent - England". British Listed Buildings. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176000-davington-priory-faversham.
- ↑ Fruen, Lauren (2 August 2013). "Boomtown Spat: Superstar Bob Geldof in bitter row with neighbour over new gate near Davington home". kentonline.co.uk. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/bob-geldof-4191/.
- ↑ "Davington Farmhouse - Faversham - Kent - England". British Listed Buildings. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-176005-davington-farmhouse-faversham.
- ↑ "Davington Manor - Faversham - Kent - England". British Listed Buildings. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-175868-davington-manor-faversham.
- ↑ "Davington Light Railway". http://www.faversham.org/pages/standard.aspx?i_PageID=15814.
- ↑ "The Albion Public House, Faversham (C) David Anstiss :: Geograph Britain and Ireland". https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2042300.
- ↑ "The Brents Tavern, Faversham (C) David Anstiss :: Geograph Britain and Ireland". https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1268865.
- Hackford, Robert: 'The School in an Orchard' (Faversham Papers No 16)
- Melrose, Kenneth: 'Davington: Parish & People' (Faversham Papers No 52), 1996
- Burke, John and Young, Laurence: 'A History of Davington Priory', 2003