Weald
The locals may know the village as Weald but its proper name is Sevenoaks Weald. I am not so sure that this is necessarily a good thing, for it gives the visitor the idea that this beautiful little village is no more than a suburb of its larger neighbour and nothing could be further from the truth. Weald village is just what you would expect of a picturesque English village surrounded by an area of Outstanding National Beauty.
Weald was built on a knole formed by two streams and lies on the southern slope of the Greensand Hills giving it unrivalled views of the High Weald of Kent. The stunning views are available from within the village as well as surrounding it. As with many places man has had quite an impact on the surrounding countryside, this hasn’t been a bad thing as it has resulted in the landscape that we all know and love.
The fields and meadows around the village have seen very little change in five hundred years. Originally the area was densely wooded but tree clearance to make way for agriculture has resulted in a ribbon of small copses, ancient hedges and mature oak trees, which thread themselves around the village forming a living green frame for the village. The wooded character of the weald area covers more than 23% of the surrounding land far more than any where else in England.
The name weald means dense forest in Anglo Saxon and once stretched far beyond Kent and Sussex. As a geographical term, the Weald encompasses a large swathe in the South of England that is situated between the chalk hills of the North Downs and South Downs, and it extends across the counties of Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey. In the early Middle Ages the area was known as the Forest of Andred or Andredswald.
The village is an eclectic mix of architectural styles and periods, 15th century houses and ragstone cottages sit alongside half – peg tile traditional Kent cottages, barns have been converted and the areas in between quickly filled with modern housing. This haphazard mix works very well and adds to the village character. Everyone is catered for from 1820 Alm houses to more modern sheltered flats for the elderly and a Victorian school for the young. More importantly the village is still a proper functioning village with a school, shops, pub and church and because of its unstructured development there is no main High Street full of shops, they are scattered haphazardly around the village. A large village green at its heart is the focal point for anyone arriving at the village. Surrounding the green are some lovely buildings, with trees and views abound make this a quintessentially English village.
To the south of the green is one of two houses of significant history, Long Barn which was once home to Vita Sackville-west and Harold Nicolson and was then sold in 1936 to the American aviator Charles Lindbergh. They are not the only famous souls to live in this house, one of the most important characters in history was William Caxton who is believed to have lived there in the early 1420’s until he was sent to London as an apprentice. He was both the first to print a book in English, and the first English printer. It seems only fitting that amongst the books he printed was Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. The other house is Wickhurst Manor which was home to the Isley family. Who seemed to have an over enthusiastic and invariably disastrous involvement in politics at a time when loosing your head for lesser crimes was fairly common. Needless to say although Sir John Isley managed to retain his head after he unsuccessfully tried to oust Richard 111, his Grand sons were not as successful and were hung at Maidstone for their part in the Wyatt Rebellion in 1554.
The arrival of the railway in the mid 19th century and the building of the Sevenoaks Tunnel which bought lots of work for people in Weald and the surrounding villages had little impact on the growth of the village. The village developed very slowly up until the First World War, just the odd house here and there, with a bit of a peak after the Second World War when Weald increased in size quite substantially. Despite the pressure for housing in the South East, there hasn’t been any major urban development due to the protection given by the Green Belt, how long this will last no one knows. It is such a popular village who can blame people for wanting to live in such an idyllic environment.
Many of the new comers to the village are commuters who have escaped the hustle and bustle of city life for the quieter pace of village life and still have the ability to work in London which is only thirty minutes away. Travel in and around the village hasn’t always been this good, the old narrow winding village roads still remain but you don’t have to negotiate the old heavy clay tracks that cut the village off every winter and made it fairly isolated. Although things may be quieter in the village there is plenty on offer and sporting and social clubs are well supported. The community spirit is very much in evidence and although living in such a beautiful environment helps it is the people who make village life what it is.
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The History
William Caxton, who heralded the Reformation in England by introducing the printing press, is believed to have been born at Long Barn in Weald. This house was also once the home of Victoria (Vita) Sackville West whose books "Pepita" and "The Edwardians" give a delightful glimpse of life at Knole, Vita's birthplace.
At Else's Farm in the Weald, Edward Thomas lived for a time whilst trying to establish himself as a writer. He made friends with W.H. Davis and although desperately poor, he helped to establish the author of "Autobiography of a Super-Tramp" in a dilapidated cottage in Egg Pie Lane. Davis' books contain descriptions of rustic life - a strong contrast to his early life in a Newport slum.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Ian Mitchell Lambert 3rd March 1942 - 18th March 2004. A Friend, a Christian and a gentleman. Who fought illness with dignity and great good humour. In thanks for his inspiration and encouragement.
Officially we are Sevenoaks Weald, but everyone knows the village simply as Weald. Nestled under the Greensand Ridge at the very edge of the High Weald this community of somewhere round 1000 people has a history traceable back to at least 1200. There exists here a great sense of community which is especially apparent in May each year when local organizations all play their part in Christian Aid week.
If you are a 'local', or 'Wealdite' this site lists details of doctors, buses, clubs, shop opening etc. Those who live further afield can discover how an English village functions in the 21st Century. We hope you enjoy your visit but, should you be tempted to move here, please be tolerant of tractors on narrow lanes, the occasional smell of manure and the lack of footpaths and street lighting.
Points of Interest
Surrounded by pleasant farm land the village has a mixture of architectural styles, the odd rag stone cottage mixing with the half peg tile hung, clapper boarded, flemish bond and more recent red brick housing. Most houses are double storey. There are three small estates of about 20 houses built in the 1950's to 1970's while the rest of the village is a hotch potch of older cottages and converted buildings mixed in with modern infill. There are 1820's rag stone Alms Houses and more modern sheltered flats for the elderly, a Victorian School and three functioning churches. The village green, three village halls, the churches and the school are all focus for social activities with something for every age group. We are lucky enough to have a village shop, to serve every day needs, a butchers, a garage and the ability to be in central London, after a short drive to the station, within 30 minutes. No modern roads intersect the village to spoil its special feel while the A21 a mile away gives rapid access to the M25.
There are two houses of significant history to mention, these are Wickhurst Manor and Long Barn
Wickhurst Manor
Once owned by Sir Henry Isley, a sheriff at the time of Henry VIII, who was hanged in 1554 for his part in the Wyatt Rebellion.
Long Barn
Thought to date in part from the mid fourteenth century this substantial house was divided into farm workers accommodation by the 19th Century to be restored and extended by the addition of a long barn, hence the name of the house, which was moved to the site from the field below. Restoration work was started by the Thompsons and later continued by Harold Nicholson, the diplomat, and his wife Vita Sackville-West, daughter of Lord Sackville of Knole. A formal garden was begun by Harold and Vita and further developed by Lutyens in 1925. The Blomsbury Group often met here with Virginia Woolf a regular visitor. Among other visitors were Stephen Spender, Clive Bell, Lytton Strachey, E.M. Forster, Hugh Walpole, Roy Campbell, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks. After the kidnap of their son the American aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife rented the house from the Nicolsons. There second child is remembered by the villagers as being watched over by an armed body guard while playing in the grounds.
Although neither house is open to the public the gardens of Long Barn are opened periodically and in Christian Aid Week.
Visitors of Note
The village has in the past attracted many writers and poets whose literary friends have visited.. W.H Davies lived here for a time and was visited by George Bernard Shaw. Edward Thomas also lived here, he and Davies became friends during that time. Beatrix Potter is reputed to have stayed in Kingswood Cottage and may have used a small window there as an illustration in The Tales of Mr Tod. The south African writer Roy Campbell also resided in the village.
Sir Henry Isley was a sheriff during the reign of Henry VIII and was hung in 1554 for his part in the Wyatt Rebellion. His Grandfather unsuccessfully tried to oust Richard 111
Sir John Isley's grandsons Henry and Thomas both took a very active part in the rebellion under Sir Thomas Wyatt in 1554 against the marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain. Henry, in fact, was Wyatt's second in command but following his capture together with his brother Thomas, was hanged at Maidstone and the estates of both sequestered to the Crown.
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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