Offham, Kent
| Offham | |
| Kent | |
|---|---|
 Offham Green | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ655575 |
| Location: | 51°17’26"N, 0°22’31"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 755 (2011) |
| Post town: | West Malling |
| Postcode: | ME19 |
| Dialling code: | 01732 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Tonbridge and Malling |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Tonbridge and Malling |
Offham is a village in Kent, five miles west of Maidstone.
The village has a quintain on the village green, reportedly used in the Middle Ages for jousting: the one standing in Offham is reputed to be the last quintain in its original position in Britain. It was removed for safekeeping during the Second World War, and returned in peacetime.
The Name of the village is from the Old English Offan ham, meaning "Offa's home / homestead".[1]
Church
The first church in the parish was founded by the Saxon lord of the manor who built a private chapel in the early ninth century. After the Norman Conquest it was replaced by a stone church and the lower stage of the tower of the present church dates from this time.[1]
The present church is dedicated to St Michael.
History
The village has been occupied since Roman times, and the major Roman road from London to the Weald ran through the parish. Offham grew in prominence in the early ninth century under the Saxons.
Jack Straw, a ferocious rebel during the reign of Richard II, is said to have been born at Pepingstraw Manor in the parish.[2]
Quintain
The village is famed for its mediæval quintain which stands on the green, believed to be the last remaining example in the country.
The quintain consists of a wooden post around eight feet in height with a freely rotating arm on the top. One end of the arm is flat (the "eye"), with the other used to attach heavy objects such as a leather pack. In a sport dating back to perhaps Roman times, a horseman would ride at the quintain at full pace with his lance extended to strike the flat end. Should the horseman not be riding sufficiently quickly, the arm would swing around and the heavy object knock him off his horse.[1]
Ragstone
The village's houses are predominantly constructed from ragstone, Kent's most celebrated building stone. The stone has been mined in the parish since Roman times, with its hardness and durability making it a popular choice for fortifications in London and the south-east.
Village life
The village hosts annual May Day celebrations on the green; a May Queen parades through the village, accompanied by Morris Men, school children perform maypole dances, and occasionally local horseriders undertake the ancient sport of "tilting at the quintain", though a replica quintain is now used.
The King's Arms is the only remaining public house. Built in the sixteenth century, the pub was originally two cottages, later owned by a saddler and harness maker who ran his business there until granted a licence in 1680.[1]
- Cricket: Offham Cricket Club[3] whose ground is in Church Road.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Offham, Kent) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Off the beaten track: Offham". BBC. May 24, 2006. https://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2006/05/24/off_the_beaten_track_offham_feature.shtml.
- ↑ A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 469-472
- ↑ Offham Cricket Club
