Langton Green
Langton Green lies within the western boundary of Kent with Sussex and although five kilometres to the west of Royal Tunbridge Wells is regarded as a satellite of the spa town. I would like to think of it as a heavenly body orbiting a star as both are perfect in their own unique way. The countryside surrounding Langton Green is a splendid example of the very best that Kent combined with Sussex can offer. The stunning vista is so special that it is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Set high upon a sandstone ridge it is a typical Wealden ridge top settlement. The village itself lies upon one of the few level pieces of land along the top of an east to west ridge with a precipitous slope southwards down towards the valley of the River Grom. There are many streams that emerge from the confines of the hard sandstone where it borders the softer Wadhurst clays. These streams or rather chalybeate springs that emerge stained orange by the high iron content are responsible for eroding the very sandstone from which it has sprung and give rise to the valleys and ghylls that are a distinctive feature of the area. The sandstone itself has been periodically quarried to provide stone that was used not only within the confines of Langton Green but also for the building of Tunbridge Wells as well as employment for many living within the village. The old redundant quarries have now been reclaimed by nature and are well hidden by lush vegetation and the mature trees that are a feature of the special landscape. These man made hidden spaces provide a haven for badgers and other wildlife and also varied views for the many walkers who use the vast network of footpaths that crisscross the area.
Langton Green conforms to a traditional village ideal that we have come to expect from chocolate box pictures and old pinewood films. The natural beauty comes as much from the surrounding pastoral vista as it does from the very structures at its heart. The buildings are made from locally sourced materials, the soft browns of the sandstone and the richer reds and browns of the Wadhurst clays are not harsh but mellow and when viewed from a distance enables the village to merge into the very landscape from whence it came.
It has retained much of its original charm even though it is under an hour from the City and West End of London making it perfect for commuters wanting to escape the daily grind or for those with families who want good schools and more freedom for their children. Many of the new inhabitants are professionals who are able to provide a far better standard of living than their historic counterparts. The 1831 census provides us with a crude measure of social status and although the village was not as poor as other nearby parishes the majority of males that were working at the time were “middling sorts”. Basically it combines small farmers who were unable to employ labour with skilled workers in urban manufacturing and handicrafts, quite different from now!
Langton Green has a Traditional village green character with church, public house, and pond; and yet has two distinct areas, the east side comprises of historic listed buildings intermingled with unlisted but in some cases equally old, with deep grass verges that impart a rural feel to the centre of the village. To the west lay the larger grander houses and the church. Each side adds in its own unique way to the rural feel with mature trees, deep grass verges and spacious plots.
There are two schools of thought about the origination of the name Langton Green, some believe that it is derived from the Saxon word for long settlement “lang tun” but others believe that its name is derived from “letherington” which is Saxon for “the clearing in the wood”. Bearing in mind that the forest of Andred (Ashdown) bordered the northern fringe of the settlement I think it makes the Saxon “letherington” the more likely candidate! The forest was slowly cleared by the Romans to allow for the building of roads for which the Romans are notorious. Langton Green lies to the west of an old pack horse trail which has probably been in use since the Roman occupation. It stretches from London to the coast crossing the A264 at Gipps Cross.
The long distance trails were very few in number because of the sheer difficulty moving animals through the dense forest and then up the up across the High Weald, let alone finding adequate watering holes for the thirsty creatures. Langton Green was particularly well placed as there were two well known springs – one at Adams Well and the other at Gipps Cross better known then as Gibbets Cross because of the Gibbet from which the bodies of highwaymen and other criminals hung as a warning. When the railway was built alongside the stream at Gipps Cross a level crossing was installed for Pack Horse Lane as pack horses were still in use.
Although the steam trains and pack horses are long gone the railway still exists and motorways have since replaced the old trails. Change is not necessarily a bad thing when managed carefully and Langton Green has managed to preserve its past and serve the present day inhabitants equally as well!
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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