A – Z of Locations: W is for Wingham

During this year I shall be posting photographs from places around the UK, many of which have not been published before. Where I have previously blogged about a location I will provide a link to the post, though you won’t be able to comment on it as I restrict comments to six months.

W is for Wingham

High Street

I’m sure there will be a lot of scratching of heads with this one. Where is Wingham? Even people who live in Kent may not be familiar with this small historic village on the outskirts of Canterbury.

High Street

I have been fortunate to visit Canterbury several times when my OH went there on business. Once we stayed in the city itself, but usually we stayed in a delightful  B&B place between the villages of Staple and Wingham. I would drop him off in the city and then go off to explore the Kent coast, inland villages and gardens.

A familiar sight in Kent are these iconic Oast Houses (where hops were dried and stored for the brewing process)
As we always visited in early September there were many fields like this where these wonderful round hay bales have been harvested.

By the 12th century Wingham was a prosperous village with a weekly market. The people of Wingham were involved in many popular protests including the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 and the Swing Riots of 1830 when threshing machines were destroyed.

Pretty thatched cottage

At the end of the 19th century coal was discovered close by and plans were made for a mine and a railway – neither came to pass so the village remains small with a wealth of historic buildings.

The Dog Inn c.1890
The Old Canonry and Canon Cottage, Canterbury Road, Wingham opposite the medieval church. The lower left hand wing is a survival of the row of canons’ houses for Wingham College burnt down in 1660. The undercroft, the jetty and the sans-purlin roof are all of about 1285 soon after the college was founded in 1283. The rest of the building is late 15th century in origin.
Chillenden windmill is a grade II* listed open-trestle post mill north of Chillenden, Kent, England. It is the last post mill built in Kent abut 10 mins drive from Wingham.

Reasons to visit Wingham? Well apparently there is a Wildlife Park nearby, but one of the reasons that I liked staying nearby was the easy access to the east coast (Sandwich, Broadstairs), the city of Canterbury and the north Kent coast (Herne Bay and Whitstable) and south to Dover.

Goodnestone Gardens in autumn

And there are the wonderful Goodnestone Gardens nearby.

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

34 thoughts on “A – Z of Locations: W is for Wingham”

        2. As Ann and Bill have affirmed it’s been flipping freezing in the north east this past month so why wouldn’t I? 🤔💕

        3. Yes, the east has been chilly. Probably not this weekend. I would find your temperature far too hot during the summer. But winter would be nice. 💙

  2. Now you’re absolutely right on our doorstep – although we say we live in Herne Bay, we actually live in the first village inland, in between Herne Bay and Canterbury. Wingham is, as you say, just one of lots of lovely villages dotted around the area. Unfortunately the area is losing its lovely village pubs at a depressing rate, which is a great shame.

    1. Well Canterbury is most definitely worth visiting if you haven’t. And this easterly part of Kent has lots of delightful places.

  4. Wing ham looks a lovely little place, Jude! And I love that rolling field with its hay bales… Goodnestone gardens looks charming

  10. What a lovely attractive town and one I would love to wander around. Your wonderful images certainly highlight it’s best features, Jude.

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