Faversham
Faversham is so much more than just a place of pilgrimage for enthusiasts of Britain’s oldest brewers, Shepherd Neame. This historic town can be found straddled between the scenic North Downs and the equally stunning North Kent Marshes. It deserves the accolade of the loveliest market town in Kent. Faversham is full of ancient buildings set within well preserved streets full of tea shops, boutiques and cosy pubs.
Faversham was established as a settlement long before the Roman conquest and was considered home by Celts belonging to the Cantiaci tribe and even further back to the Bronze Age people and beyond. As the Roman Legions traipsed across the country from Port Richborough gaining control of towns and villages as they went. They gave the town the name of Durolevum, which literally means “the stronghold by the clear stream” which is the Latin derivative of its Celtic name. Faversham or Durolevum, with its strategic position on the Swale Estuary meant that it was an ideal port for barges bringing goods from the continent. Faversham grew very quickly and was soon surrounded by villas belonging to wealthy Romans who made good use of the public baths and other buildings that were considered necessities of Roman life. Eventually time came for the “uninvited guests” to leave Britannia, Gaul and other countries to shore up the defences in their own country as their empire had grown so large it was impossible to defend.
The Romano- British people they left behind recruited mercenaries, Jutes, Angles and Saxons to help defend them from like named people! Unfortunately the mercenaries turned on their hosts and set up camp on these shores. Kent particularly appealed to the Jutes who quickly set about building farmsteads across the county. Eventually the Jutes as they established their own kingdom suffered the same problems from the Vikings until King Alfred the Great defeated them and allowed them to stay North of the Thames, the area given the name of “Danelagh” or what we now refer to as Danelaw, on the condition that the rest of his kingdom of remained unmolested. The Vikings made such a success of their part of the country that fellow Vikings soon started to pillage their towns and villages.
Edward the Elder and his sister, Æthelflæd, the Lady of the Mercians, conquered the Danish territories in the Midlands and East Anglia in a series of campaigns in the 910s and thereby reunited the kingdom. Unfortunately the Vikings never gave up trying to regain their old kingdom, and under Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark, regained their territory from Ethelred the Unready. Sweyn died shortly after his victory and was succeeded by Cnut or Canute as his name is popularly misspelt. He was probably the most powerful king ever to rule over Anglo-Saxon England alongside his native Denmark, Norway and parts of Sweden. He married Emma the widow of Ethelred and is best known for sitting on his throne on a beach commanding the tide not to come in! This action was widely misinterpreted as he was trying to demonstrate his piety stating
“Let it be known to all inhabitants of the world that the power of kings is empty, and no one is worthy of the name king except Him, whose will is obeyed by Heaven, earth and sea.”
He was probably one of the greatest European figures of his time. When he died his son Harold claimed the throne from Cnut’s named heir Hardacnut, his son by Emma. Harold died before Hardacnut could depose him thereby solving the problem. Hardacnut died in 1042 and left his throne to Edward the Confessor returning the kingdom to the West Saxon lineage. Upon his death Harold Godwinson was to be the last Anglo Saxon king and the first king to be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
The coming of the Normans started a building spree that had never been seen before in this country, great stone abbeys and cathedrals were quickly built by William the Conqueror. His apologists would say that they were built in thanks of his great victory ... others would look at the facts and say they were more of a penance for a misdeed!
William’s grandson King Stephen was responsible for the establishment of Faversham Abbey, where he was eventually buried in its confines along with his wife Matilda of Boulogne and his son Eustace. Although he was a good man his reign was fraught with difficulties because he seized the throne from his cousin, Matilda with the backing of a number of nobles. His uncle King Henry I had appointed his daughter Maud also known as Matilda, as his successor. At this time in history it was believed that women were incapable of ruling, they were objects owned by a husband and only suited to domesticity, this was before the coming of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of France better known as the “She Wolf” both of whom proved themselves to be capable rulers.
He was to be the last Norman King of England, ruling from 1135 to his death in 1154. Not only was he buried in Kent he died in Dover Priory. His reign was marked by a civil war with his rival and cousin the Empress Maud/Matilda and because of this presided over general chaos, known as The Anarchy. He was succeeded by Matilda’s son, Henry II, the first of the Angevin or Plantagenet kings.
Faversham was important during the reign of King Stephen and was to grow even more so under King Henry III when it became a member of the Cinque Ports. Along with Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich all of the members had to provide both ships and men to protect England from the French. In return the members of the federation were given a number of privileges from exemption of taxes and duty on goods imported, to self government. All of this enabled Faversham to become extremely prosperous.
A number of kings and queens visited the town including Queen Elizabeth I who was wined and dined in the Guildhall. The coming of the 16th century brought with it the start of the gun powder industry which even supplied Nelson with ammunition for the battle of Trafalgar! This particular industry was well suited for the area with a ready supply of alder and willow needed for the production of charcoal – one of three important ingredients, along with water to provide power plus transport for the other key ingredient sulphur. Faversham was also situated near to its point of use, Europe or more pointedly France! The munitions industry continued until 1934 when production was transferred to Scotland.
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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