A Review of ‘Memories of Upchurch’ by David Wood

Although Revd Trew wrote a short handwritten history of the village in 1911 followed by a more recent photographic study by another author, David Wood’s book ‘Memories of Upchurch' A History of the Village’ is the first detailed written study about the village and is 304 pages long with 200 black and white photos, maps and illustrations.

Memories of Upchurch.

The book is divided into twelve chapters starting with a general history and covers almost every aspect of the village dating back to its early times as a Roman settlement up to its development in the modern era. The historical information about the village is rather patchy until the 18^th century due to the absence of contemporary documentation although there is some interesting and revealing information about 16^th century vicar Edmund Drake, Gore Farm, the village church and the vicarage that precedes this period. The history of the village is covered in depth from the early 19^th century.

Surprising findings in the book include the existence of a vicarage dating back to the 15^th century and not to the early 19^th century as some previously believed, strong evidence that Edmund Drake, a former village vicar and father of Sir Francis Drake is buried in the churchyard and an account of the murder of an early owner of Gore Farm by a knight during the 13^th century. What is also surprising is the great amount of voluntary effort expended on fund raising activities and village events, particularly over the past 150 years and the establishment of a large number of village clubs and organisations.

The book includes many anecdotes, eye witness accounts of events and character studies of people well known in the village over the years. It also shows how the village has expanded since the emergence of the brickfields in the second part of the 19^th century when it was a small sleepy outpost by the river into a very large and modern Kent village in more recent times.


David Wood, who was born and raised in Upchurch, is able to write from personal experience about many people and aspects of the village and of changes that have taken place over the years making ‘Memories of Upchurch’ a very readable book and a detailed historical study of the village.

David Wood's book ‘Memories of Upchurch’ is available direct from David on:  david3702001@yahoo.co.uk  price £12 + p+p £2.

David Wood

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