Chiddingstone Village -One of the most beautiful and oldest villages in Kent

Legend has it that the name is derived from the Chiding Stone where offenders were punished. However as the village is so old it is more likely that it is derived from the homestead of Cidda's family hence Chidding tun. It was recorded as Cidingstane in the 12th century and has now changed to Chiddingstone.

 

Chiddingstone was given to Bishop Odo after the Norman invasion in 1072 as part of his Earldom of Kent, and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Odo was so unpopular throughout the county because of his greedy and tyrannical behaviour that there has never been another Earl of Kent since then.

 

In 1450 local men Roger Attwood and William Hunt joined the ranks of the Jack Cade rebels and were arrested, but subsequently pardoned. Sir Thomas Bullen (the father of Anne Boleyn) bought property in the village during the early 1500s, before the family's fall from grace after Anne was executed by Henry VIII. 

 

The Streatfeilds were major landowners in the area, and initially purchased a dwelling in the High Street in 1584 which was later to become Chiddingstone Castle. They became rich through the local iron industry, which mainly provided munitions for warships, plus forging building materials for local infrastructure.

 

In the early 1800s Henry Streatfeild changed the face of the village forever. The old Manor House on the High Street was demolished and Chiddingstone Castle was built over it. He then blocked the High Street at the Castle Inn and diverted the road around the castle lake and garden to prevent any villagers from gaining access to his land.

 

Almost destroyed in a lightning fire in 1624, the parish church dedicated to St Mary is perhaps the fourth built on the site. The font inside was made in 1628 from local sandstone and has been described as the best production of its period in Kent. The pulpit also dates from this time whilst the organ dates to 1881.

 Chiddingstone has been used as a site for several films including the 1985 Merchant Ivory film 

'A Room with a View'. The village also appeared in the 1983 film 'The Wicked Lady' directed by Michael Winner and the 1996 'The Wind in the Willows' directed by Terry Jones from the Monty Python comedy team.