Beginnings and Bygones of Old Paddock Wood

It is said that in terms of l066 and all that Paddock Wood has very little history to boast about but we nestle in the very midst of history. Hops have been grown commonly since 1500, oasts or drying kilns have always been set close to farmhouses where their cone shaped roofs and curved cowls rising above thesurrounding fruit trees have formed a characteristic feature of the countryside for generations. This hop production was surrounded by farmland right for fruit like apples and plums and by woodland.

We can go back even before that, Catts Place and Mascalls for instance. The Manor of ancient times cailed Marescalls was recorded in the reign of King Edward II, about 1307.

Catts Place on the Marden Road near the "Elm Tree" public house actually dates back to 1066 when 'Hugo de Catt' came over with William the Conquerer and established himself at that place. It was held in that family for considerable time and there is a line of those who have held the house since that time which would make a history of its own.

The house faces south and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. By 1660 however, it had become very derelict but has now been restored to its former glory. In fact it has changed little in its layout and character although in 19I9 the well known lawyer, Elliott Gorst Q.C., who owned the house until 1973, put in the two dormer windows. Gorst who was a lawyer at the Nuremburg trials of Nazi War Criminals was regarded as a very kind English gentleman. He loved horse riding, a swim in all weathers in a clear pond which appeared bottomless; in fact I remember him having been invited to enjoy a swim diving in from a board he had. To me he was a quite elderly gentleman.

The second picture shows the fascinating medieval barn with its two oast cowls protruding from the roof. It is said to be the oldest of its kind using the very earliest method of drying hops. The little window on the right was to give light ,to the dryers and those engaged with the harvest. They would crawl alone a tunnel under the fires of charcoal to reach the bellows used to fan the fires to create a better heat. The thatched barn on the left was for the storing of hay for the livestock.

The third barn-like smaller building seen with the white gate was the home of the bailiff or forEman of the estate and he lived on,the upper storey, whilst animals inhabited the lower floor in the l6th century. On close examination one can see the.outline of windows. Later it became a chapel and was consecrated for that purpose. The man living in the house would hold prayer meetinRs and there was a harmonium for music for the hymn singing. There was a similar chapel although more modern at Rhoden Green in Lucks Lane for the many farm workers as the nearest place of worship were in the churches at Yalding or Brenchley.

The whole area of Catts Place with its historic house, medieval barn and chapel can claim to be one of the most picturesque in Kent. The present owners are Mr. and Mrs. Gorst Williams and their two children.

There are two theories for the name of Paddock Wood. It may have been derived from the Manor of Parrock which for many years stood at the rear of Durrant Farm. Another theory is that far back in the past there was considerable woodland in the area and as hunting is known to have taken place, the Twisdens of Roydon Hall hunted deer this way, paddocks for houses must also have existed.

The evidence for the woodland, apart from general information about the forests of the Weald is not difficult to find. A shack called Woodlands once stood well off Maidstone Road at the bottom of what is now the south arch of the railway. Another shack stood much further back on the present Allington/Ribston Road site and this would have been for a woodman.

Amos Luck brother of Frank the brick maker, as far as we know. turned this wood into orchards. He built a nice Victorian style house down a drive off the Maidstone Road and named it Woodlands. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Brunt the parents of Captain John Brunt lived there for a time but it was demolished by the developers. Now we are glad to say the name continues in a magnificent Health Centre, the brainchild of the late Doctor Macdonald.

Paddock Wood as we know it was in the civil Parish of Brenchley and remained so until after World War II. The ecclesiastical Parish was carved out of Yalding and Brenchley so we have a little interest in them both; Brenchley Church was a chapelry of Yalding originally and some of the local families of the last century were buried at Brenchley.

However, it was in the 1840's that the first buildings of the village of Paddock Wood were built, the result of the coming in 1842 of the South Eastern Railway. The original proposal was to put the Halt at Moncktons Crossing, up the line, but there was some difficulty with a man and his cows. No doubt Maidstone Road dropping off the Hastings Road was a better choice. At first it was named Maidstone Road Halt. Maidstone Road crossed the railway by a level crossing until a bridge was built about three years later. The Halt operated from the North side only until the South side was developed.

In those early days passengers on trains coming through would see little life in the surrounding area just fields with cows grazing and hop garden poles. The nearest house on the northside would have been Parrock Manor and Warrington or Swatlands Farm. On the south side out of sight of the railway stood Mascalls and the odd farm workers house. Originally there was only a railway house for the Station Master and level crossing keeper but in 1847 some cottages appeared opposite what is now Hall's offices. Following this some cottages named Mercers were built. These were recently demolished to make way for the flats opposite Mack & Edwards.

By 1851 a sizeable community had developed because Paddock Wood came together with parts of the two adjacent parishes to form a new ecclesiastical parish. A Church, in Victorian early English style was built in 1860 on land donated by Mascalls Court Farm.

A National School was built in 1859 but it is known that a little teaching took place at Durrants Farm in a building long since gone before this. A little cottage near Park Farm which has also been gone many years provided elementary tuition to children up to ten years of age as well as a private school, in existence within living memory, at what is now 159 Maidstone Road was known as Miss Wakeford's School. There is a separate illustrated history of St. Andrews Church written in 1976 and we will look at the schools in more detail later.

My history of the Church does not refer to the fact that even in the very early days of Paddock Wood when the Rev. Edwin Pope was the vicar, it needed two Church wardens. They were Mr. Charles Overy and Mr. Thomas Fielder Fuggle who were appointed on the 18th November 1860. This was the only Church administration in those days. These two very outstanding Christian personalities carried tremendous responsibility.

They were leading hop growers, Charles Overy farmed at Mascalls Court Farm and Mr. Fielder Fuggle at Fowle Hall just beyond Queen Street. Both are interesting men, Mr. Overy's family predated the present Overy family which itself dates from the 1870's. Mascalls Court Farm at one time reached past the village centre down to the railway. Church Farm was carved from it and also the original St. Andrews Church and burial ground. The Fuggle family in their day were quite a wealthy family, they farmed at Fowle Hall for 350 years until 1912. In July 1799 the Fielders another great Kent family came to the area and the result was a marriage between John Fuggle and Hannah Fielder, they had two sons and three daughters. The eldest son born on 28th March 1804 at Fowle Hall was Thomas Fielder Fuggle he became the first Church warden, as already mentioned, in 1860 and died in 1879. These Fielder Fuggles were responsible for introducing the Fuggle Hop and Old Hay Farm in 1875 which eventually accounted for 70% of the Kent hop growth. The Fuggle is said to have originated from a seed which was thrown out with some crumbs from a hop picking dinner basket on the farm of Mr. George Stace of Horsmonden Kent in 1861, the plant being introduced to commerce by Mr. Richard Fuggle of Brenchley about the year 1875 now Paddock Wood.

One of the Fuggles went to British Columbia in later years and amongst my historic treasures is a very old leather bound New Testament with an impress "British and Foreign Bible Society" and an ink stand which both belonged to Thomas Fielder Fuggle. Inside on the cover one can pick out some old faded writing. Also on a separate paper exactly the same size of this old testament in the same copper plate writing, quite readable, is a poem which would have been written by the Colonel Fuggle. Thomas Fielder Fuggle must have treasured it himself and kept it in this testament, it has never been published.

THE PLEASANT FIELDS OF KENT

Oh! Kent a pleasant County

and how heavy is his heart,

Who from her breezy hills and downs

of meadows must depart.

Who across the heavy ocean

to seek a home is sent.

Far far from Dear Old England

and the pleasant fields of Kent.

Oh! Surrey has its grassy hills

and Berkshire lanes are green,

But of all the Counties England holds,

Oh! Kent it is the Queen,

and never me of all her sons

far from her ever went.

Without a heavy heart to leave

the pleasant fields of Kent.

I am very very greatly privileged to be able to print this poem. 1 did once read it to the Historical Society but felt unable to make it public and held it back at the time. It could be looked upon as a memory to those who lived so long ago and played a part in Church life whether it was Brenchley or Paddock Wood. On the tombs immediately outside the porchway of All Saints Church, Brenchley are inscribed the names of many Fielders and Fuggles; also Charles Ovary rests behind the Church, so we sound the praises of the pioneers of St. Andrews Church the Rev. Edwin Pope, Thomas Fielder Fuggle of Fowle Hall and Charles Ovary of Mascalls Court Farm.

 TO BE CONTINUED