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THE
VILLAGE
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Farleigh, Fernleage or
Ferlaga is an old Saxon word and has been translated as meaning
"a clearing where ferns grow" and also as "safe crossing
place". The village has several
surviving crossing places over the Medway, see bridges.
William Cobbett pronounced the Medway Valley west of Maidstone the
finest in England and West Farleigh bears testimony to that opinion.
The village remains traditionally agricultural, has an unspoilt Norman
church, a Village green with excellent views and some fine houses
including Smiths Hall which has been the setting for several films.
We are situated 4 miles from the centre of
Maidstone, the county town of Kent.
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Location and size
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The village forms the south bank of the River Medway between Barming and Wateringbury Bridges - a very attractive area. It is bisected by the B2163 and B2010 roads and is on the route of the Heart of Kent Country Tour signposted by Kent County Council.
The village has a low population density with only about 450 people living in an area of 1110 acres, some 2.4 acres per head. It is estimated that at lambing time there are about six sheep for every resident. It is of interest too that the village has a large population of young people; there are 54 aged 5 to 16 plus 16 under-fives with only 380 adults on the Electoral Register. |
Settlements and housing
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The population is scattered, with no village centre as such. Most people live in the east of the village in Charlton and St Helens Lanes but there are other smaller
groups of housing on Lower Road (part of which is a conservation area), at Tutsham Farm and in Church Lane. |
In recent years the high proportion of the housing stock which used to be rented to current or former farm workers by landowners has reduced significantly as indeed has the number of landowners and farm workers.
There are ten small Council-owned dwellings and an almshouse (the second smallest in England), all for the elderly, but all the original Council houses have been sold (and in many cases, sold on) and there are few small properties for rent. As a result of the lack of affordable starter housing young people tend to leave the village.
Planning rules for the West Farleigh area restrict development to limited infilling and (as in Church Lane) the conversion of redundant farm buildings.
It could be said that because of this policy West Farleigh, like many villages, is in the process of changing from a working rural community into a largely urban community living in a rural setting. However, future Kent County policies seem likely to limit housing development in some villages to small low-price units to seek to restore some balance to the housing stock - and thence to the community. Some of the larger and more dynamic Parish Councils are themselves already taking such initiatives. |
Land use
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With its neighbouring villages on the southern slopes of the river valley, West Farleigh has a long tradition of producing quality hops, fruit and sheep. However no hops are now grown in the village, and many fruit trees have been grubbed up. Most of the farming is done by contractors rather than by resident farmers.
As less land is farmed conventionally however, changes in land ownership and use, for example from agriculture to
"horsiculture" or garden extensions, represent an increasing proportion of the planning applications seen by the Parish Council. The challenge for the planning authorities is to accommodate these changes whilst at the same time maintaining the important features of the local landscape.
It is interesting that long-term residents who have worked in the village often have a more pragmatic approach to change than newcomers. Some environmentally sensitive land has recently changed hands at very high prices and in a nearby village a consortium has purchased another area purely to maintain its appearance by establishing a Trust. |
Work & Business
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It is already evident that farming is no longer a significant source of employment in the village, except perhaps for casual work at picking time. An agricultural engineer who served the village (and was based here) has quite recently ceased to trade and at least three farmhouses are no longer occupied by farmers.
Instead, many residents (and not only new arrivals) work from their homes on a self-employed basis doing a huge range of work including for example staff training, paper sculpture, professional opera, translation, writing, importing horses and management consultancy as well as the more customary craftsmen in the building and motoring trades. Others commute to work in Maidstone and a small number to London and there are some jobs in local restaurants and pubs. |
Services, facilities and social activities
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The village has five post boxes, one public telephone (a listed building) and three
pubs, one of which is effectively a restaurant.
There is an infrequent but reliable bus service to Maidstone via East Farleigh which is quite well used although not commercially viable. A new service to Coxheath, which was requested when local opinions were sought, is also being tried out because central funds are now available.
Like most villages West Farleigh has no resident Police presence and regrettably a Parish Constable scheme (manned by local volunteers) which was popular and well-supported by the Parish Council did not last. For crime reduction purposes two full-time constables now cover 19 parishes, including West Farleigh. The village is fortunate however in having an active
Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator.
The only indoor meeting place not on licensed premises or in a private house is the church which is unsuitable for most activities. An opportunity to buy the village primary school for community use when it closed many years ago was turned down by the then Parish Council and a subsequent attempt to raise funds for a Parish Hall foundered, not least because of the size of the parish.
The fund is held in trust by the Parish Council and subject to the agreement of a public meeting, can be applied to a suitable initiative. The most recent was a possible joint hall with East Farleigh parish which on that occasion did not succeed.
The village has a pleasant well-used Green, unfortunately the only public open space. There is an active Sports Club (now with few village members) with a football pitch, a cricket ground and a pavilion. The latter has no facilities except water but is also used as the village polling station. The Sports Club recently took the initiative, with parish Council support, to enter into a Twinning Agreement with the people of Ringstedt in northern Germany with whom the village has had sports links for many years. This is marked by signs in the village and on the Green.
Although a few regular churchgoers have personal links across the river with Teston and Wateringbury (the three parishes make up the present Church of England benefice) most social and domestic contacts tend to be with East Farleigh which is physically adjacent on the same side of the river. Additionally:-
Many West Farleigh children attend East Farleigh Primary School and the parents therefore have common interests in their support for the school through the very active Friends
organization.
West Farleigh Parish Council appoints a Governor in recognition of the close link.
The Farleigh's Women's Institute covers both villages and is well supported from West Farleigh.
Joint activities were held to celebrate the Millennium.
The local post office and store is at East Farleigh. All the mobile shops which served West Farleigh no longer seem to visit.
The local rail station is at East Farleigh.
The Borough Councillor, John
Williams, exclusively represents both villages. |
The Church
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All Saints, which dates from around 1100, is in the north-east of the parish within about 20 minutes walk from all but the most distant parts of the parish. There are some 45 people on the church register. The building is a good example of a Norman church which, unlike many parish churches, is the right size for the parish and which has been adapted through the ages to meet the needs of the parish. |
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The most significant development in recent years has been the establishment of Campaigners, a Christian group for young people which attracts over thirty youngsters to the church each week on Thursday evenings. It was set up after consultation with the Diocese and replaced a traditional Sunday School which had fallen to two members.
A re-ordering of part of the church to enable it to be used for wider community
purposes is under discussion as is a possible re-grouping of parishes. Read more about the church
here.
David
Swan
Parish Clerk
13th June 2000
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